[December 23, 2013] |
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Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Announces Partnership with Google to Launch Pilot Programs with Full Portfolio of Travel Applications
MINNEAPOLIS --(Business Wire)--
Carlson
Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world's largest and most dynamic
hotel groups today announced a partnership with Google (News - Alert) to launch pilot
programs for their full portfolio of travel applications, including
Google Hotel Finder, Google Business Photos, Google Wallet, Google
Indoor Maps, and Google Mobile Click-to-Call. Carlson Rezidor, whose
brands include Radisson
Blu®, Radisson®,
Park
Plaza®, Park
Inn® by Radisson, and Country
Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM, is the only hotel group,
as of December, to currently offer or to pilot test all of the Google
technologies at once. As a result, Carlson Rezidor is leading the
industry's efforts to enhance the guest experience while increasing
efficiency and boosting productivity through e-commerce innovation.
"As one of the world's largest hotel groups, we are constantly looking
for ways to innovate and improve the guest experience," said Thorsten
Kirschke, president, Americas, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. "We are
thrilled at the opportunity to leverage the newest Google applications
available to the travel industry that allow guests to easily search for
and compare hotels; view the hotel virtually before booking; and
streamline the payment procedure."
Google Hotel Finder Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group initiated a
pilot with Google last year for Google Hotel Finder, which allows a
one-stop search, shop, and buy experience for guests. This product
allows guests to search Google for hotels in a given area; filter
results by preferences; sort results; and book a stay straight from the
results page. Currently all Radisson Blu and Park Inn by
Radisson hotels use Google Hotel Finder. Last month a pilot group of 100
Radisson and Country Inns & Suites hotels across the U.S. and
Canada joined the program. Pending successful completion of the pilot,
Carlson Rezidor expects to roll Google Hotel Finder out across all
Carlson Rezidor hotels in 2014. Google Hotel Finder can be used on
smartphones and desktop computers in more than 100 countries.
Google Business Photo
To give guests the opportunity to
explore hotels prior to booking their visit, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
is participating in the Google Business Photos Hotel pilot. Google
trusted photographers created 360-degree panoramic tours of hotels.
These tours, comparable to Google Street View, allow guests to explore
the hotel's interior spaces, including the lobby, bars, restaurants and
guestrooms. Where applicable, guests are able to tour conference and
meeting areas as well as the swimming pool. This new feature can be
accessed via Google Search, Google Maps, Google+ Local, and Google Hotel
Finder. The pilot launches in December in the United States, initially
rolling out to the Radisson
Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago; Radisson
Hotel Chicago O'Hare; Radisson
Largo- Washington DC; Country
Inn & Suites By Carlson, BWI Airport (Baltimore), MD; and the Country
Inn & Suites By Carlson, Washington Dulles International Airport, VA.
Google Wallet Google Wallet, which is an application that
securely stores a customer's credit card information, provides an
expedited checkout process on mobile devices. Guests can now pay for
their hotel stay with just a few quick clicks on their smartphone.
Google Wallet guarantees a safe secure platform that allows customers to
seamlessly make purchases. As Google expands their offerings in the
travel industry, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group began its pilot with this
application on December 18. After selecting their hotel in Google Hotel
Finder, customers on mobile devices can use this product when they see a
"Buy with Google" button to complete their reservation. For guests that
do not currently have a Google Wallet account, information is saved
securely the first time when they book a hotel through this method. Once
a customer's information is stored, this feature allows for a two-click
booking solution without continuously needing to fill in information
fields. Google Wallet is an efficient way to book a stay giving guests
another option in addition to being able to pay with other credit cards
such as American Express, Visa, MasterCard (News - Alert), and Discover.
Google Wallet Loyalty API further enhances the guest experience by
offering added benefits regarding Club CarlsonSM, the loyalty
program for Carlson Rezidor, including a one-click to join option for
guests wishing to join Club Carlson as well as account information
on-the-go such as real-time Gold Points® balance updates
including auto-migration from Silver Elite, Gold Elite and Concierge
levels. Carlson Rezidor is able to further engage with Club Carlson
members providing guests with relevant notifications and messages based
on geo-targeting through Google NOW integration. Google Wallet Loyalty
API allows guests to easily earn and redeem Club Carlson Gold Points.
Carlson Rezidor hotel group expects Google Wallet Loyalty API to be
available to guests by late Q1 2014.
Google Indoor Maps Another Google application that Carlson
Rezidor is implementing is Google Indoor Maps. These static renderings
are based off of CAD drawings and floor plans, which provide guests with
the convenience of seeing a business' floor plan in an easy-to-view map.
Google Indoor Maps for businesses are available for desktop computers
and mobile devices. Currently this application is in pilot testing at
the Radisson
Blu Mall of America. Carlson Rezidor is looking into expanding this
offering to include other full service managed hotels in the near future.
Google Mobile Click-to-Call Google Mobile Click-to-Call
allows customers the opportunity to be one-click away from contacting a
business directly. Carlson Rezidor participates in Mobile Click-to-Call
enabling guests that conduct a search on their smartphone to be
one-click away from calling the reservations center directly. This is an
added benefit to guests providing an easy, straightforward way to speak
with a hotel representative.
About Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Carlson
Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world's largest and most dynamic
hotel groups. The portfolio of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group includes
more than 1,300 hotels in operation and under development, a global
footprint spanning 100 countries and territories and a powerful set of
global brands (Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Park Plaza®,
Park Inn® by Radisson, Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM
and Hotel Missoni). The group plans to grow the portfolio to nearly
1,500 hotels in operation and under development by 2015. In most of the
group's hotels, guests can benefit from the loyalty program Club CarlsonSM,
one of the most rewarding loyalty programs in the world. Carlson Rezidor
Hotel Group and its brands employ more than 85,000 people.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., and
Brussels, Belgium.
www.carlsonrezidor.com
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