Business Travelers' Top Three Mobile Apps

A recent study by Omni Hotel and Resorts found that business travelers' top three 'must have' mobile applications is: adjusting travel plans while on the move,  making dinner reservations and checking into hotels.  Smartphones bring productivity tools for the business traveler that were unimaginable just a few years ago.  In addition to the obvious business needs, the survey also found that business travelers utilized social applications to take care of personal needs such as updating Facebook, checking the latest sports results, looking for the nearest coffee shop and generally being able to stay in touch with family and friends.  Indeed the new iPhone's FaceTime App is going to be an essential for staying in touch with family while away on business.  

What this survey suggests for the hotel industry is that free Wi-Fi should be a part of their strategy, providing added value to the business traveler.  Opportunities therefore exist for targeted mobile Ads or special promotions, perhaps as a way to pay for free connectivity, but essentially to promote brand awareness and customer loyalty. Additionally, there are new technologies that actually allow your smartphone to become your key card, which is clearly very convenient.  There are many marketing opportunities for hotels who invest in  smartphone Apps, to gain competitive advantage.