You don’t have to be an expert in mobile to recognize the dramatic changes that took place in the mobile arena this past year, both in the U.S. and worldwide. There has been a plethora of new mobile devices on the market, many with advanced features, and mobile has taken on a whole new form with the introduction of tablets such as the iPad. The shift from PC to mobile is happening right before our eyes and is changing the way people pay their bills, make bank transactions, shop, communicate, and travel.

The dramatic consumer shift to mobile affects all industries, especially the hospitality industry, as travel and mobile go hand-in-hand. With the increasing demand for mobile devices including smartphones, iPods, and tablets, comes the demand for apps that are useful for the end-user and can turn the mobile device into a conduit that performs the functions of the app. Travel apps are particularly popular and can turn a smartphone into a trip planner, an interactive map, a guide book, a digital concierge, a weather channel, a social network, a camera, and a source of real-time news.

The travel and hospitality industry in particular needs to take a world-wide view of mobile, as travelers come from all over the globe with various devices, unique expectations, and different levels of technical knowledge. According to a recent study by comScore, “While Europe was ‘in the lead’ in the mobile race with their early and widespread adoption of text messaging and higher smartphone penetration compared to the U.S., the U.S. has eclipsed Europe in terms of the penetration of mobile media with 47 percent of the American mobile audiences using connected media, compared to 34% of Europeans.” ¹ Mobile media can refer to browsing the mobile web, accessing applications, or downloading content. One main reason the U.S. may have surpassed Europe in mobile media usage is the adoption of unlimited data plans.

According to this same study there has been rapid smartphone adoption in the U.S. over the past year. As you can see from the chart below, the EU5 (U.K., France, Germany, Spain, and Italy) as a whole surpass the U.S. in the number of total smartphone subscribers, 15% greater than the U.S. However just a year ago EU5 was 25% larger than the U.S. ¹ The chart below shows the U.S. with 63.2 million smartphone subscribers, and the EU5 with a combined 72.6 million smartphone subscribers, led by Italy and the U.K.

We must also take into account the booming Asian market, which is light years ahead of the U.S. in terms of mobile media usage. Japan is considered one of the most sophisticated mobile markets, and people are accustomed to using their mobile devices for consumer transactions. Japan has also pioneered the mobile wallet. “Japan’s mobile audience reached nearly 100 million mobile users in December 2010, with more than 75% of those subscribers using connected media, far surpassing the U.S. and European countries in this measure.”¹

On a recent trip to Singapore last month I observed firsthand the widespread use of mobile, and the various ways that people are using it. Many of the hotels have been using mobile in their marketing plans since its inception, and are now focusing on ways to utilize tablets to achieve greater efficiency and empower their staff in areas such as mobile payment, concierge and guest check-in and check-out services.

Americans are also embracing new mobile technologies, and this trend continues to grow rapidly. Think about this time two years ago, or even last year. You did not see many people on the street with smartphones, and now it is impossible not to. Think about the number of ads you now see promoting the latest mobile device. It’s also clear that most of the major brands, as well as many of the smaller brands, have their own app available so their audience can interact with their brand through their mobile device. Think about your own hotel or hospitality brand. Are you providing your guests a way to interact with you on their mobile devices?

More and more of your guests are purchasing smartphones, and will join the thousands of guests that are already using them to make travel plans and hotel reservations. There is a growing number of smartphone devices for consumers to choose from. When considering which device to purchase, consumers take into consideration the network quality, the mobile operating systems, multimedia, and social networking features. They also take into consideration the quality of apps that will be available for them.

Currently the Apple App Store has the highest number of apps available, and the apps are often a higher quality because of the strict Apple approval process. It’s often the apps, not the mobile device features, that make your phone unique and help you run your life – especially when it comes to travel. Mobile device manufacturers recognize this as well and often promote a handful of high-quality, useful apps to help them sell their hardware.

Another major breakthrough this past year was the introduction of tablets such as the iPad. These tablets have opened up even more opportunities for your hotel to provide added service and convenience for your guests, especially while they are on-property. Some hotels in the U.S. have already begun placing tablets in rooms that display a software solution, or an app, that can help guests manage their stay. The tablets can cut costs and replace traditional in-room print material. Hotels can also control their own content if the app runs on a mobile CMS system, and they can instantly update content with no waiting time or cost.

Some hotels are also using the tablets as remote controls to do everything from controlling the heating system to turning off the lights. These features are fun for the guest but the real value of having an app on a tablet comes from the added service you are providing your guest in helping them to manage their stay. You can supply them with real-time information about events at your hotel or in your city, alert them of special offers they can use while on-property, and provide them with all the information they need about your hotel and the surrounding area.

As a frequent traveler, I have often found myself in situations where I could really have benefitted from a hotel tablet or mobile app. There are many times I have arrived late to my room, after the hotel restaurant has closed, only to find that I was hungry and had no idea of where I could call or go to get a bite to eat. An app could have solved my problems and showed me the hotel recommended dining options, an interactive map how to get there, and a click-to-call number. Some hotels are also integrating their property management systems to allow the guests to directly order food from the hotel restaurant and check-in and out with the tablet.

The use of tablets and smartphones is not just a trend, they are here to stay and will only become more and more sophisticated. Technology does not go backwards. The iPad tablet was just released at the beginning of 2010 and was quickly adopted by consumers. Apple set the standard for technology innovation and prompted other device vendors to release their own tablets. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), 10.1 million media tablets were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2010 – more than double the 4.5 million shipped in the third quarter.²

Apple is still the clear leader and has just released the iPad 2 where other vendors have not even come to market with their first generation product. That said, Apple’s market share of the global media tablet dropped to 73% in the fourth quarter, down from 93% in the third quarter. The primary competitor was Samsung’s Galaxy Tab which captured a 17% market share. Media tablets are predicted to reach shipments of 50 million units in 2011.² According to the IDC research the majority of the tablet market is the United States, Western Europe, and Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan). These regions accounted for 89% of all media tablet shipments in 4Q10, with the US as the largest country market.

If you keep up with the mobile market statistics, watch your competitors, and are in-tune with your guests’ needs and expectations, you will recognize that mobile should certainly become a priority for your hotel marketing plan. Mobile is global, and it is important to watch what is happening internationally, as well as in the U.S., as these markets affect each other.

As the definition of ‘mobile’ expands beyond smartphones to tablets and other devices, your hotel marketing opportunities also expand. There are so many possibilities for your hotel to generate revenue, differentiate your property, increase brand awareness, and build guest loyalty. With a mobile app such as the Smartstay hotel app, guests can use their phone to make a reservation, receive real-time information on the go, and manage their stay at your hotel and in your city. The same can be said for tablets. It is also important to recognize other opportunities in mobile such as in-room tablets, temporary event apps for weddings and meetings, mobile marketing, and affiliate marketing. I strongly advise hotels to incorporate mobile in their marketing plans this year, as it will greatly benefit their property and their guests.

¹The comScore 2010 Mobile Year in Review

http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Presentations_Whitepapers/2011/2010_Mobile_Year_in_Review

² IDC, Nearly 18 Million Media Tablets Shipped in 2010 with Apple Capturing 83% Share

http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS22737611

Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from www.hotelexecutive.com

O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing will exhibit at the 2011 New Hampshire Travel Council Governor’s Conference on Tourism at the Attitash Grand Summit Hotel in Bartlett, NH on May 5^th and 6^th.

O’Rourke will present Smartstay 2, the latest version of the leading mobile app for hotels. Smartstay 2 includes significant upgrades including a customized welcome page to reflect the hotel brand, the ability to add completely new tabs, the integration of Google analytics, external RSS feeds, and multilingual functionality. Smartstay 2 is now available for the Galaxy Tab, which can be placed in each room of the hotel. An in-room tablet eliminates the need for printed material, allows guests to access important information about the hotel and surrounding area, and displays real-time information about events or last minute deals.

“We are looking forward to meeting the hotel owners and general managers who will be attending the New Hampshire Travel Council Governor’s Conference. The opportunity to speak to hoteliers one-on-one teaches us a lot about what hotel managers are looking for, and how we can tailor our services to meet their needs in regards to hotel website design, SEO, and Internet marketing. We especially enjoy speaking about the Smartstay Mobile App as it allows hotels of any size or star rating to create high-quality, fully-customizable hotel apps for their own property, without the high cost of building an app from scratch,” said Tom O’Rourke, CEO and founder of O’Rourke Hospitality.

He added, “O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing is based in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and we especially enjoy working with New England hotels due to the proximity, and our knowledge of what their guests are looking for when they visit New England. The hospitality industry is often reputed to be a slow adopter of trends and technology, especially when compared to retail, so we were excited when three New England hotels created their own hotel apps with Smartstay within the first year of its launch. These forward-thinking properties include Cranwell Resort, Lenox, MA, The Beechwood Hotel, Worcester, MA, and the Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth, ME. We are also in the process of creating an app for the Spruce Point Inn Resort and Spa, Boothbay Harbor, ME, as well as a group app for the New England Inns and Resorts Association (NEIRA).

Mark Waxler, Vice President/General Manager of Beechwood Hotel reported on the success of his Smartstay mobile app, “We are always looking for ways to improve communication with our guests. I know that we have found the perfect source in this app from Smartstay. The beauty of the app is that it is very easy for the staff to update. It has all the information that anyone would need from the Beechwood Hotel. We just finished setting it up and now we will start letting our customers know that it is available. This is a home run!”

O’Rourke Hospitality has also recently redesigned and launched three New England hotel websites including Concord’s Colonial Inn, Concord, MA, Spruce Point Inn Resort and Spa, Boothbay Harbor, ME, and The Wentworth, Jackson NH. Clients enjoy working with the O’Rourke team as opposed to a larger agency because of the personal attention and client dedication they receive. O’Rourke creates beautifully designed hotel websites and pays particular attention to ensure that website will generate conversions and is search-engine friendly. They also offer on-going SEO services to generate qualified leads to the site and increase revenue.

The New Hampshire Travel Council Governor’s Conference is expecting a large number of attendees this year, due to the popular keynote speaker Samantha Brown, television host of travel-related shows. The conference features many informative presentations and panels with industry leaders who will share their insights and report on statewide industry trends, opportunities and challenges. If you plan on attending the NH Governor’s Conference be sure to visit the exhibitors to learn about new services and products and how they can benefit your hotel. The O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing/Smartstay booth is located at table number 33.

About O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing/Smartstay

O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing is an award-winning marketing firm that focuses exclusively on the Hospitality Industry and specializes in hotel website design and development, Internet marketing, SEO services, and hotel mobile marketing. O’Rourke Hospitality was founded in 2001, and stands out from other agencies due to its very high standards in website design and optimization, ability to generate results, full client dedication, and innovative products. O’Rourke recently launched its latest product, the Smartstay^SM mobile app for hotels, in March 2010. For more information visit www.orourkehospitality.com or www.smartstayapp.com.

For additional information contact: Sara Chapman, sara@orourkehospitality.com, 978-465-5955

About the New Hampshire Travel Council Governor’s Conference on Tourism

The NH Travel Council annual NH Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism will be held May 5^th and 6^th 2011 at the Attitash Grand Summit Hotel in Bartlett, NH. The annual spring conference moves to a different location each year to highlight different parts of New Hampshire. The venue is a must for everyone involved in the tourism industry – either directly or as a supplier. In addition to nationally known speakers and experts in various fields, the NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development provides a yearly update to the industry. For more information visit: http://www.nhtravelcouncil.com/conference.html.

For additional information contact: NH Travel Council, 603-290-0839

• Share new web based developments, as embraced by the marketplace

• Explore breakthrough service concepts for the hospitality industry.

Modeled on TEDx, the gathering should be rich in ideas, visuals and interactions.

PLANNED TOPICS & INVITES THEME LEADERS:

• IPad for Guest service – O’Rourke Hospitality – Tom O’Rourke, CEO

• Apps + Augmented Reality – Impact on Luxury Experience

• Sense Personalized WebAds – http://www.avvio.com/ – Yannis Anastasakis, VP

Business Development EMEA

• Hotel Reviews – Digital Reputation Management Apps (ReviewPro) – RJ Friedlander, CEO

• App for Service Innovation – contest winner

• 2D code – Mobile, multilingual services

Download the Think Tank Poster >>

EAC
Rue de la Boétie, 75008
Paris, France

From a marketing standpoint, my belief is that no matter what size your hotel is, no matter how many rooms you have, and regardless of your star rating, you as a hotel marketer should say ‘yes’ to any new technology that will help generate revenue, extend your brand into a new channel, and add convenience for your guests. Even if you have a limited guest base, aren’t those guests just as deserving of the latest technology? Whether you have 150 rooms or 15,000 rooms, why wouldn’t you want to increase bookings, increase guest loyalty, and improve brand recognition for your hotel? A mobile app will benefit your hotel in a number of ways and it has little to do with the size of your hotel.

Another common myth is that an app is too costly for smaller independent hotels, and is a luxury that only larger brands can afford. This may be true for hotels that opt to create an app from scratch and pay enormous fees for everything from initial design, app development, coding, technical testing, and content creation. As a hotel marketer, it was clear to me that these fees were unnecessary, and I knew I could find a way to provide my clients a mobile app for their hotels that was affordable, easy to set-up and use, and maintained the same high-quality and customization as if it had been created exclusively for one individual hotel.

I partnered with a proven app development company, DeCare Systems Ireland (DSI), and combining O’Rourke Hospitality’s hotel marketing experience with DSI’s technological expertise, we created a robust mobile app platform, which we coined SmartstaySM. This mobile app platform is a flexible framework, and we work with each hotel to help them create their own customized hotel app complete with their own logos, custom designed welcome pages, maps, images, videos, and hotel information. The pricing and business model of the Smartstay app makes it very affordable for smaller independent hotels to create their own hotel apps, and the apps often pay for themselves within a month or two.

With such a low-risk investment, small and large hotels alike will see an increase in ROI. Fergel Twomey, General Manager of the Cheval Phoenix House in London, reported that his Smartstay app generated over 19 bookings in just one month, the equivalent of €7,000. After having seen the benefits of the Phoenix House app, Cheval Residences is in the process of creating Smartstay apps for all of its other six properties.

By now you may begin to see that a hotel app actually is an affordable, viable option for your smaller independent hotel, but you may still have questions. Many hotels ask, “How does an app compare to a mobile website, and which option is best for my hotel?” This has been a debate for quite some time now. Forrester Research has just published its annual mobile technology outlook for 20111 and predicts that this debate will continue – and remain irrelevant. Brands do not need to choose one or the other, they can have both, and many hotels do.

O’Rourke decided to focus on apps and we recommend them to our hotel clients for the following reasons; apps don’t have as many inoperability and usability problems as mobile websites, they are easier to set-up and maintain, they have a better user interface, they contain more interactive features, and apps allow hotels to provide real-time information that guests can receive on-the-go. And from the guests’ standpoint, it is easier to tap on an app than to conduct a search every time they want to interact with your hotel brand.

One of the most important aspects of the Smartstay hotel app is that it opens up a whole new communication channel that allows hotels to connect with their guests before, during, and after their stay in a way that no other medium can. Hotels can post real-time messages and announce special events at the hotel, or promote last minute deals that guests can use while on property. Hotels can also stream in their Twitter posts or any external RSS, such as a local weather or entertainment feed. Hotels control all their own content with an intuitive content management system (CMS) and can instantly update news posts, images, videos, and text.

Hotel mobile apps are also an excellent marketing tool in that they become an extension of the hotel brand. The Smartstay hotel app allows hotels to create their own unique customizable welcome page to reflect the same high brand standards their hotel website or printed material. It is also quite remarkable that your guests invite your brand to have a presence on the main screen of their very personal mobile devices. From a marketing standpoint, this is an excellent opportunity to build brand loyalty. By downloading your app, your guests are letting you know they want to receive information from you, and it is your job as a hotel marketer to make sure they are receiving information that is interesting and relevant to them. The fact that your hotel app icon appears on the main page of your guests’ mobile devices also makes it very convenient for them to make a reservation, and encourages repeat visits.

Based on the rapid growth of mobile, it is probable that in the coming years a large number of hotels will indeed have a mobile app. The hotels that already offer their guests an app are benefitting from an added advantage – that of marketplace differentiation. Savvy travelers want to stay at a hotel that is reflective of their lifestyle and can provide them with the new technology they have come to rely on. Hotels that already provide this service to their guests stand out as progressive and current. Guests feel that they are receiving an added service with the app as they are presented with exclusive offers and direct communication from the hotel. An app can also help your hotel attract media attention and increase brand awareness.

Hotel marketers and app creators alike are still exploring the many ways mobile can be used for marketing. I especially enjoy speaking one-on-one with clients to hear their ideas on how it could be used. We are currently experimenting with temporary apps that can be used for meetings, conferences, or weddings. These event apps would be invaluable to the attendees who would be able to access information before and during the event. The Smartstay app was originally designed for hotels, but we have already signed on restaurants, golf courses, and casinos. The app is flexible enough to extend to all hospitality verticals.

To address a final common question, many hoteliers ask, “Will the app work on all mobile devices?” As is the case with the majority of apps available, the answer is no, it won’t work on every mobile device as of yet. The Smartstay app was originally designed for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch, and is also compatible with the Apple iPad. As Android-powered smartphones increased in popularity, we were quick to develop an Android version* of Smartstay. Simply put iPhone apps adhere to a consistent development code whereas other operating systems are ‘open-source’ which leads to mobile fragmentation and makes cross-platform development extremely difficult. We choose to develop apps for the most popular operating systems, and took into consideration the fact that people download more apps on an iPhone or Android-powered device than they do on any other smartphone. Apple just passed its 10 billionth app download and analysts forecast that app downloads will explode in the coming years.

In conclusion, your guests are quickly moving toward mobile devices and the online world is slowing fading. A recent report by Morgan Stanley2 predicted that within the next five years more users will connect to the Internet over mobile devices than desktop PCs. As more and more of your guests begin to rely on their smartphones and tablets, they will have increased service expectations and assume that they will be able to interact with your hotel from their mobile devices. Your hotel needs a mobile strategy regardless of its size, location, or star rating. An app is a low-risk investment that will serve as a gateway to mobile marketing and open up a realm of possibilities for your hotel. Mobile is still new for hotels and this is only the beginning. So my answer to the question of whether a mobile app is right for your hotel, is an emphatic, “YES!”

*Smartstay is compatible on devices that run Google’s Android 2.0 or higher mobile operating system. It is optimized for devices with medium or high-density normal-sized screens and is not compatible with low-density devices. It has been validated on the following devices: Motorola Droid – Android version 2.0 – WVGA (480 x 854) (High density 240dpi, Normal screen); HTC Legend – Android version 2.1 – HVGA (320 x 480) (Medium density 160dpi, Normal screen); Samsung Galaxy S I9000 – Android version 2.1 – WVGA (480 X 800) (High density 240dpi, Normal screen).

¹ 2011 Mobile Trends, by Thomas Husson, Julie A. Ask

http://www.forrester.com/rb/Research/2011_mobile_trends/q/id/57183/t/2

² Morgan Stanley, The Mobile Internet Report

http://www.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/mobile_internet_report122009.html

So how can hotels affordably tap into this expansive market and promote their brand to guests worldwide? Say hello to the Smartstay^SM app for hotels.

Smartstay is a leading mobile application developed exclusively for the hospitality industry. Designed for iPhone and Android,^* this easy-to-use mobile platform allows hotels to create their own hotel apps by adding property-specific logos, special offers, images, videos, hotel information, and even an interactive map of nearby tourist attractions. Guests can use your hotel app to make a reservation at your hotel, find their way around your city, and receive updated news posts. Hotels can easily control their own content and send real-time messages to guests, alerting them of events at the hotel, or last-minute deals at the restaurant or spa.

The Smartstay hotel app is equipped with advanced mobile features to meet the needs of the hotel and its guests. The multilingual functionality allows hotels to provide their content in multiple languages. Hotels can opt to install Google Analytics to help them monitor user behavior. The hotel booking integration allows guests to make a reservation from their phones. Other features include virtual postcards, high-quality images and videos, one-touch dialing, integration of Yelp reviews, integration of Twitter and other RSS feeds, an interactive map of area attractions, and fully customizable tabs.

To date, the Smartstay app has been adopted by hotels in 9 countries across 4 continents, including Ireland, England, Denmark, Australia, Japan, The Philippines, Israel, Canada and the United States. Through this dynamic mobile marketing channel, these hotels can now effortlessly connect with guests before, during, and after their stay. What’s more, Smartstay’s multilingual functionality enables hotels to provide mobile content in a variety of languages, allowing guests from across the globe to benefit from Smartstay’s unique technology. International travelers are now more likely to share the app with their friends and family, helping to spread the word about your hotel.

“With the record growth of iPhone users globally, this app gives us another way to communicate with perspective guests and continue to engage returning guests as well,” said Michelle Maguire, Marketing Manager for Ireland’s Blue Book. “We know that embracing new technology and new ways to communicate can initially be a little intimidating, but the Smartstay app offered Ireland’s Blue Book our first app without any development headaches or hassles. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to create an app with O’Rourke and the Smartstay team, as they have made the process extremely simple and have worked with us to focus on and deliver what our travelers really want – the freedom to wander.”

The Ireland’s Blue Book app has been downloaded by more than 2,600 users across 32 countries since its initial launch in August 2010. It also received a 2010 Appy Award for “Best Tourism/Travel App.”

“Since smartphone adoption in countries like the UK and Spain is steadily on the rise, we knew the time was right to introduce Smartstay to the European market,” said Tom O’Rourke, founder and CEO of O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing. “We’re excited to provide hotels with more opportunities to reach a global audience and increase their business through upgrades like Smartstay’s new multilingual functionality.”

In addition to Ireland’s Blue Book, several other world-class European hotels have already created their hotel apps with Smartstay. These include Zleep Hotels in Denmark, Cheval Phoenix House and the Landmark London Hotel in London, England, Delphi Mountain Resort in Connemara, Galway, Ireland, and Fota Island Resort in Cork, Ireland. You can download these hotel-branded apps by searching on the hotel name in the Apple App Store or the Android Market. You can also download a Smartstay demo app for iPhone and Android based on a fictional hotel.

Though initially developed for hotels, the Smartstay mobile app platform has been upgraded to encompass all other hospitality sectors. Hospitality professionals can use Smartstay to create custom restaurant apps, golf resort apps, casino apps, cruise line apps or special event apps. With the flexibility to create custom pages, the possibilities are limitless.

The Smartstay hotel app was developed by O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing, LLC, and DeCare Systems Ireland, Ltd. O’Rourke is an award-winning marketing firm that provides hotels with a complete range of services, including hotel website design, Internet marketing, print design, and hotel mobile app creation. O’Rourke wanted to provide hotels with a cost-effective way to create high-quality, customizable apps for their properties and found a proven and forward-thinking partner with DeCare Systems Ireland, Ltd. (DSI). DeCare is an enterprise software development company specializing in architecting, developing, and integrating custom .Net and Java applications. Smartstay is the result of combined expertise in hotel marketing and technology.

If you are interested in creating an app for your hotel, Smartstay can provide you with a high-quality, fully customizable app for a fraction of the cost of creating an app from scratch. Since the app platform is already built, it is easy to set up your app. You just need to populate the app with your content, logos, videos, and map entries. Smartstay will collect this content from you, help you enter the initial content, and submit your app to the Apple App Store and Android Market. The entire process takes just 4-6 weeks. Your guests can then download your hotel app to their mobile devices for free.

Once your app is up and running, your hotel has full control of your content and can make instant updates and send unlimited messages to alert guests of last minute deals or special offers at your hotel. This is done through an intuitive mobile content management system (CMS). There is no programming involved, and hotels don’t need to worry about technical skills, hardware, or hosting. As Lauri Howe, Director of Communications at the Seaport Hotel in Boston says, “The content management system is very straightforward and simple to use. The process was quick and our team picked up the process easily, making it something many people in our office could handle.”

To learn more about Smartstay, please visit www.smartstayapp.com, or call us toll-free in the U.S. at 888-965-5966, or outside the U.S. at 978-465-5955. You can also send an e-mail to info@smartstayapp.com.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

¹Source: Informa Telecoms & Media – September 20, 2010
²Source: comScore – February 14, 2011

^*Smartstay is compatible on devices that run Google’s Android 2.0 or higher mobile operating system. It is optimized for devices with medium or high density normal-sized screens and is not compatible with low-density devices. It has been validated on the following devices: Motorola Droid – Android version 2.0 – WVGA (480 x 854) (High density 240dpi, Normal screen); HTC Legend – Android version 2.1 – HVGA (320 x 480) (Medium density 160dpi, Normal screen); Samsung Galaxy S I9000 – Android version 2.1 – WVGA (480 X 800) (High density 240dpi, Normal screen).

The Cheval Phoenix House was the first of the Cheval Residences to test the Smartstay app platform in early 2010. General Manager Fergel Twomey reported that the app generated 19 bookings in just one month, the equivalent of €7,000. As a result of the app’s success, Cheval Residences decided to move forward with the creation of Smartstay apps for five of its additional properties.

“Cheval Residences recognizes the importance of mobile as more than a lifestyle, but a lifeline,” said Liz Craig of OneGlobe Network, a digital agency specializing in luxury hospitality properties that has been contracted by Cheval Residences. “Mobile services will continue to evolve based on customers’ expectations. Those expectations are being accelerated by increasingly sophisticated apps, across industry and entertainment spectrums. Cheval selected the Smartstay app because the flexibility of the platform will permit Cheval to continuously enhance mobile services and exclusive benefits and therefore remain a leader in the London luxury markeplace.”

Features of the Cheval Residences apps include:

• Real-time, immediate communication options via phone or email
• Mobile booking form for rental enquiries
• Floorplans, photo gallery and descriptions of services and amenities for the serviced apartments
• Up-to-date news and information for London area events, attractions and happenings
• Concierge-style recommendations, exclusive to Cheval residents on a searchable Out & About map
• Offers and benefits exclusive to app users

To download the individual Cheval House apps, please visit the links below:

Cheval Calico House
App Store
Android Market

Cheval Knightsbridge
App Store
Android Market

Cheval Thorney Court
App Store
Android Market

Cheval Hyde Park Gate
App Store
Android Market

Cheval Gloucester Park
App Store
Android Market

About Cheval Residences
Cheval Residences is an undisputed leader in the provision of exclusive apartments within Central London. Their reputation is based on offering clients the widest possible choice of impeccably furnished accommodation combined with tireless individual service that is both attentive and discreet. Their luxury serviced apartments at desirable locations put the full spectrum of luxury London lifestyles at their guests’ disposal.

About Smartstay, LLC / DeCare Systems Ireland, Ltd.
Smartstay is the result of combined efforts between O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing, LLC, and DeCare Systems Ireland, Ltd. An award-winning marketing firm that focuses exclusively on the Hospitality Industry, O’Rourke recognized the hotel industry’s need for a sophisticated mobile platform that would allow hotels to effectively communicate with their guests before, during and after their stay. O’Rourke found a proven and forward-thinking partner with DeCare Systems Ireland, Ltd, and together they combined the best marketing and hospitality knowledge with the best technological expertise to deliver Smartstay, a high-quality, robust, unique mobile solution for hotels.

So how can hotels affordably tap into this expansive market and promote their brand to guests worldwide? Say hello to the Smartstay^SM app for hotels.

Smartstay is a leading mobile application developed exclusively for the hospitality industry. Designed for iPhone and Android,* this easy-to-use mobile platform allows hotels to create their own hotel apps by adding property-specific logos, special offers, images, videos, hotel information, and even an interactive map of nearby tourist attractions. Guests can use your hotel app to make a reservation at your hotel, find their way around your city, and receive updated news posts. Hotels can easily control their own content and send real-time messages to guests, alerting them of events at the hotel, or last-minute deals at the restaurant or spa.

The Smartstay hotel app is equipped with advanced features to meet the needs of the hotel and its guests. The multilingual functionality allows hotels to provide their content in multiple languages. Hotels can opt to install Google Analytics to help them monitor user behavior. The hotel booking integration allows guests to make a reservation from their phones. Other features include virtual postcards, high-quality images and videos, one-touch dialing, integration of Yelp reviews, integration of Twitter and other RSS feeds, an interactive map of area attractions, and fully-customizable tabs.

To date, the Smartstay app has been adopted by hotels in 9 countries across 4 continents, including Japan, The Philippines, Israel, Australia, Ireland, England, Denmark, Canada and the United States. Through this dynamic mobile marketing channel, these hotels can now effortlessly connect with guests before, during, and after their stay. What’s more, Smartstay’s multilingual functionality enables hotels to provide mobile content in a variety of languages, allowing guests from across the globe to benefit from Smartstay’s unique technology. International travelers are now more likely to share the app with their friends and family, helping to spread the word about your hotel.

“We decided to incorporate Smartstay into our marketing plan because iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad apps offer an ideal platform for the hotel to communicate with our regular guests as well as potential future guests,” said Marcus Bauder of the Shangri-La Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. “Since the market share of devices like the iPhone and iPad is on the rise globally, we believe that offering our guests the convenience of communicating directly with the hotel through the Smartstay application is not only opening a new channel for bookings, which will ultimately lead to more revenue, but is also increasing guest loyalty and improving brand recognition substantially.”

The Shangri-La Tokyo app has been downloaded by more than 1,800 users across 41 countries since its initial launch in May 2010. And with the added enhancement of multilingual functionality, the hotel expects to see a substantial increase in downloads in the coming year.

“Since countries like China, Japan and the Philippines consistently lead the world in mobile phone usage, we knew the time was right to introduce Smartstay to the Asian market,” said Tom O’Rourke, founder and CEO of O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing. “We’re excited to provide hotels with more opportunities to reach a global audience and increase their business through upgrades like Smartstay’s new multilingual functionality.”

In addition to the Shangri-La Tokyo, two other world-class hotels on the Asian continent have created their hotel apps with Smartstay: the Makati Shangri-La in Manila, Philippines, and the Inbal Jerusalem Hotel in Jerusalem, Israel. You can download these hotel-branded apps by searching on the hotel name in the Apple App Store or the Android Market. You can also download a Smartstay demo app for iPhone or Android based on a fictional hotel.

Though initially developed for hotels, the Smartstay mobile app platform has been upgraded to encompass all other hospitality sectors. Hospitality professionals can use Smartstay to create custom restaurant apps, golf resort apps, casino apps, cruise line apps or special event apps. With the flexibility to create custom pages, the possibilities are limitless.

The Smartstay hotel app was developed by O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing, LLC, and DeCare Systems Ireland, Ltd. O’Rourke is an award-winning marketing firm that provides hotels with a complete range of services, including hotel website design, Internet marketing, print design, and hotel mobile app creation. O’Rourke wanted to provide hotels with a cost-effective way to create high-quality, customizable apps for their properties and found a proven and forward-thinking partner with DeCare Systems Ireland, Ltd. (DSI). DeCare is an enterprise software development company specializing in architecting, developing, and integrating custom .Net and Java applications. Smartstay is the result of combined expertise in hotel marketing and technology.

If you are interested in creating an app for your own hotel, Smartstay can provide you with a high-quality, fully customizable app for a fraction of the cost of creating an app from scratch. Since the app platform is already built, it is easy to set up your app. You just need to populate the app with your content, logos, videos, and map entries. O’Rourke will collect this content from you, help you enter the initial content, and submit your app to the Apple App Store and Android Market. The entire process takes just 4-6 weeks. Your guests can then download your hotel app to their mobile devices for free.

Once your app is up and running, your hotel has full control of your content and can make instant updates and send unlimited messages to alert guests of last minute deals or special offers at your hotel. This is done through an intuitive content management system (CMS). There is no programming involved, and hotels don’t need to worry about technical skills, hardware, or hosting. As Lauri Howe, Director of Communications at the Seaport Hotel in Boston says, “The content management system is very straightforward and simple to use. The process was quick and our team picked up the process easily, making it something many people in our office could handle.”

To learn more about Smartstay, please visit www.smartstayapp.com, or call us toll-free in the U.S. at 888-965-5966, or outside the U.S. at 978-465-5955. You can also send an e-mail to info@smartstayapp.com.

1. Source: Informa Telecoms & Media – September 20, 2010

2. Sources: Reuters – December 20, 2010 &
Intomobile.com – December 20, 2010

3. Source: Developing Telecoms – September 1, 2010

4. Source: comScore – October 7, 2010

*Smartstay is compatible on devices that run Google’s Android 2.0 or higher mobile operating system. It is optimized for devices with medium or high density normal-sized screens and is not compatible with low-density devices. It has been validated on the following devices: Motorola Droid – Android version 2.0 – WVGA (480 x 854) (High density 240dpi, Normal screen); HTC Legend – Android version 2.1 – HVGA (320 x 480) (Medium density 160dpi, Normal screen); Samsung Galaxy S I9000 – Android version 2.1 – WVGA (480 X 800) (High density 240dpi, Normal screen).

In all, Smartstay 2 includes the following new features:

• Multilingual functionality to easily connect with guests across the globe
• Google Analytics tracking to see who is using your app, and how
• Custom-designed landing pages to showcase your hotel’s distinct brand
• Custom navigation tabs for complete control of your app content
• RSS feeds for real-time weather forecasts, local news and more

Smartstay 2 can enhance your hotel’s mobile marketing strategy by providing a more flexible framework for content creation and expanding your hotel’s reach into the global marketplace. To see how this is possible, let’s explore these new features in greater detail.

A Mobile App That Reaches Beyond Borders
The Smartstay app has already been adopted by hotels in 9 countries across 4 continents, including Japan, The Philippines, Israel, Australia, Ireland, England, Denmark, Canada and the United States. These hotels can now employ the multilingual feature to provide their guests mobile content in their native language, as well as offer language options for international guests. Smartstay 2’s new multilingual functionality will be attractive to foreign travelers, and they will most likely share the app with their friends and families in their own country.

Using the Smartstay 2 mobile platform, hotels can enter their hotel information, special offers, image captions, and news feed content in multiple languages. Once a guest downloads the hotel app, he or she can choose to view the content in any of the languages provided by the hotel. Users can choose their preferred language by accessing the language tab, as shown below:

Use Mobile Analytics to Track Guest Behavior
With Google Analytics tracking built into your hotel app, hotels can now monitor user behavior, view app usage statistics and access reports. By reviewing this data, you can easily learn things like how many people downloaded your app during a particular period, or how many people used the app to make a hotel reservation.

This valuable information will help you to uncover opportunities for improving your mobile marketing strategy that can potentially lead to increased ROI for your hotel, as well as provide added benefits for your guests.

Get Creative With An Inspired Welcome Page
Custom-designed landing pages allow hotels to distinctly showcase their brand or property by incorporating custom graphics into a new app welcome page that will appear when the app is launched. This page can be regularly updated to highlight seasonal promotions or upcoming special events. Utilize this fun new feature to get creative with your marketing and personalize your app to meet your changing needs.

A sample welcome screen is shown below:

Customize Your App With Versatile Tabs
The addition of custom navigation tabs allows hotels to add multiple tabs and corresponding pages to their app. With this new feature, hotels can add and modify custom app content, such as wedding, restaurant, or spa information. Meeting planners could even customize the app to coincide with a specific meeting or event by adding an agenda page, floor plans or guest speaker bios. Hotels can also re-name existing tabs for further customization.

The image below shows how the addition of a custom “Packages” tab will alter the navigation bar:

Add RSS Feeds For Real-Time News
With Smartstay 2, RSS feeds can now be included in the app’s News section. With this enhancement, hotels can provide real-time weather, news and other informational updates by choosing to incorporate RSS feeds that are relevant to the hotel and the local area. These feeds can supplement the hotel’s Twitter feed and other news updates that also appear in the News section.

Fantastic Features At A Flexible Price
These exciting features unique to the Smartstay 2 hotel app are available as a complete package for a competitive price. Or, hotels can choose to purchase individual features separately. Hotels that are currently using the Smartstay mobile platform can also opt to upgrade their app with the new features. Whichever option you choose, your hotel is sure to see impressive results from incorporating the brand new Smartstay 2 app into your mobile marketing strategy.

To learn more about Smartstay 2 or for pricing information, please call 888-965-5966, visit www.smartstayapp.com, or e-mail info@smartstayapp.com. You can also complete this form and we will send you more information.

To thank you for your business, we are offering you a 25% discount on a website banner ad or any of our services to help you promote your app to your guests. This offer is available to all current Smartstay clients now through March 25, 2011. To learn more about our app promotional services, please download our App Promotion Kit.


To take advantage of this offer, please send us an e-mail .

2011 is predicted to be “the year of the mobile,” and you will see an increase in the number of guests who download your app and use it to research your hotel, make a reservation, and read your news section while on-property.

To keep up with your guests’ increased expectations and allow your hotel greater opportunities to customize, we will be releasing some exciting new features at the end of January. These features include multilingual functionality, mobile analytics, customizable landing pages, the ability to add extra tabs, and the integration of RSS feeds. Stay tuned for more details about these features in future blog posts.

Thank you once again for your support. We are proud to help you become a leader in hotel mobile strategies!

We are pleased to announce that the Smartstay hotel app is now available for Android! Simply search “Smartstay” in the Android Market of your mobile device to download a free demo. For more information, please call us at 888-965-5966 or e-mail info@smartstayapp.com.