A Q&A with Seaport Hotel About Their SmartStay App

SmartStay: Lauri, how does the SmartStay mobile app fit into your larger marketing plan?

Seaport: Social and mobile media has become an important part of our marketing efforts and we saw incorporating an application into the mix as essential to that progress.

SmartStay: What is the internal sentiment about mobile as a new distribution channel?

Seaport: The team is really excited; so many of our guests & clients, as well as our team members, have smart phones these days. It's important for an independent property such as Seaport to incorporate the latest technology into its operations. We need to be where potential guests are and right now that is on their phones!

SmartStay: I know it is still early given your launch date, but what do you hope/think the benefits will be/are?

Seaport: We hope it will help us increase the familiarization with the Seaport Hotel & Seaport World Trade Center and ultimately, drive new visitors to our website and increase direct bookings.

SmartStay: How do you plan to let guests know about the mobile app? What touch points will are you using to communicate to users that you have a mobile app available for download?

Seaport: We're informing them in various ways including signage in our guestrooms, on our restaurant and bar checks, on the Captivate network in our elevators and soon, on our websites.

SmartStay: What was it like to get started with the content management system and loading all your content into the app prior to launch?

Seaport: It was 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.

SmartStay: How did you go about selecting the content you wanted to feature in the app?

Seaport: We are largely a group hotel however we have a diverse clientele including wedding guests, leisure travelers, as well as visitors to our restaurant and bar. We needed to try and 'touch' each of these clients, albeit briefly, so we included small pieces of information that would assist each.

SmartStay: Have you tried any mobile promotions yet?

Seaport: Yes, we currently have a promotion whereby people can receive an offer code good for a complimentary appetizer in Tamo bar or Aura restaurant, two of our F&B offerings.

SmartStay: What type of travelers are using the SmartStay app?

Seaport: All types of travelers use the app and find it beneficial. We believe it's a good resource for anyone who may have the occasion to visit Boston or specifically, the property.

SmartStay: Have you received any feedback from users?

Seaport: It is still very early but we are eager to hear from our guests and will be sure to share the feedback when it starts rolling in! We are confident that this mobile app will set us apart from our competition and delight guests as a new resource for trip planning and travel.

If you’d like to test out the Seaport SmartStay App you can download it from the Apple App store on your iPhone or from iTunes:  http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/seaport-hotel-boston/id373965812?mt=8

If you would like to learn how you can get an iPhone App for your own hotel please call O'Rourke Hospitality Marketing at 978-465-5955 or send an email to info@smartstayapp.com.

O'Rourke Hospitality Marketing
www.smartstayapp.com
www.orourkehospitality.com


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