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Marriott generates $1.25M revenue in mobile Web bookings

Marriott International Inc. claims more than $1.25 million in gross revenue in the first 100 days since the hotel chain introduced direct mobile Web bookings.

Ease of making reservations on mobile as well as the recent snow and ice storms nationwide upsetting air travel plans are said to have helped spur the use of Marriott Mobile.

With this new functionality, Marriott joins hotel chains such as Best Western and Starwood Hotels & Resorts that let consumers make reservations on mobile.

These chains recognize the potential of mobile commerce as more Web-enabled smartphones hit the market.

Marriott, Bethesda, MD, in early September began letting travelers reserve hotel rooms using their mobile phone.

The Marriott mobile Web site at http://marriott.com has been up and running for three years. But it was not capable of letting consumers reserve, cancel rooms and check their Marriott Rewards account balance on mobile.

In fact, that site required mobile consumers to call the hotel or reservations center to complete the booking.

Consumer expectations of being able to do more than just access information on mobile changed that.

The Marriott Mobile site can let users of the site find and book a hotel room, view their existing reservation and cancel their booking.

Marriott Mobile users can also access a click-to-call action that connects them to a Marriott operator for further assistance. Customer service numbers are provided, too.

Usablenet, New York, created the Marriott Mobile site. The firm also created the Best Western and Starwood mobile sites.

Room for growth
The Marriott Mobile site can be viewed on all Web-enabled mobile phones.

Marriott operates and franchises nearly 2,800 hotel properties under such brands as Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard and Fairfield Inn.

Marriott Mobile plays a key role in the company's growth plans.

For example, traffic to Marriott Mobile surged 15 percent Dec. 12 from the previous day as passengers stranded from the snow and ice storms in the Northeast searched for available hotel rooms.

Marriott claims that nearly one in three hotel bookings made over the first 100 days were for reservations that same day.

Marriott Mobile is not just useful for researching properties, making reservations and directions from airport to hotel. The site plays a key role in customer relationship marketing.

For example, Marriott Mobile offers Marriott Rewards members access to their accounts. Those who aren't members can sign up for the loyalty program on the mobile site.