Location Based Hotel Booking

Well, the news is out, we now have location-based hotel booking in WorldMate Live both on mobile and on the web. The great thing about it is that it's so easy to explain. I was at a meeting with a VC a few weeks ago, and we were talking about online booking, and the guy says - "you know, I never have to do it, I just tell my secretary - find me a 4-star near the meeting, and it's done".

So in essence - that's what we launched. "Find me a 4-star near my meeting.". The meetings are there, the hotels are there, they're all laid out on a map, and hey presto! You got what you need. Try it. I'd love to hear what you think.

The Intelligent Travel Agent - Now In Your Holster

Earlier this week we have soft-launched our latest achievement and great hope for the future – our first m-commerce service. WorldMate Live now enables users to book hotel stays directly on their phones.

So what's the big deal you may ask? There are a zillion websites with hotel bookings, no?

But do you want to surf those websites on your mobile?

If you're traveling tomorrow and need a last second solution – wouldn't you rather have someone who tells you "well, you forgot to book, but no worries – I have 3 hotels just around the corner from where your meetings are tomorrow. They're also all 4-stars under $200 a night, best of all - one of them is a Hilton, so you're getting points on your HHonors card."

Well – that's exactly the WorldMate Live way of doing it. Hotel search that is based on the location of your meetings, your brand and budget preferences, and that reminds you to book in case you're embarking on a trip and haven't done so already – and then lets you complete the booking right on your smartphone with a few clicks.

And once you book – all the information flows into your WorldMate Live itinerary so WorldMate can guide you straight there.

Our version 1.0 implementation is integrated with our BlackBerry version of WorldMate Live and includes access to all Hotels.com inventory and prices. Pretty soon we will add platforms and inventory, as well as continue improving the user experience (adding AGPS and much more).

Safe Travels!