Mobile hotel bookings on the rise

One in five business trips will be booked from smartphones or tablet PCs by 2014.

One in five business trips will be booked from smartphones or tablet PCs by 2014.

The increased significance of mobile solutions was highlighted by hotel portal HRS as its announced a tripling in sales in the mobile bookings segment between 2010 and 2011.

The mobile reservations share of total sales reached approximately three per cent last year and is expected to double in 2012.

This comes as business travellers are booking more hotels via apps and mobile websites.

Almost one third of business travellers have now booked a hotel room from a mobile device, according to an HRS study.

UK and Ireland managing director Jon West said: “Mobile applications have become a significant sales channel for HRS and its hotel partners. The high annual growth rates confirm the increasing significance of mobile solutions.

“Business travellers in particular often book spontaneously and at short notice. Mobile booking tools thus enable travellers to react to circumstantial changes and spontaneously reschedule their stay, for example, to cater for a last-minute meeting.”

A new version of the HRS iPhone app, which was launched in autumn 2011, has made the top 10 most downloaded travel applications in 89 countries.