$125K a Day on Marriott Mobile --- That’s the Daily Yield for the First 100 Days of Direct Mobile Internet Bookings

Bookings Spiked During Recent Snow and Ice Storms that Wreaked Havoc on Air Travel.

Increasingly, the business world revolves around one indispensible tool when it comes to communications on the go, the Internet-enabled PDA or mobile device. Marriott.com’s website built specifically for mobile devices – Marriott Mobile -- generated more then $1.25 million in gross revenue in the first 100 days after introducing direct mobile Internet bookings.

Recent snow and ice storms in the Northeast that paralyzed air travel showed how indispensible Internet-enabled mobile devices are, as well as the direct mobile Internet bookings. For example, traffic to Marriott Mobile spiked by 15 percent December 12 from the previous day as stranded travelers searched for available hotel rooms. From the road or the airport, it’s nice to know you’re only a few taps away from a place to stay especially if you encounter ice and snow on the way. Typically, nearly one in three hotel bookings made over the first 100 days were for reservations that very same day.

When originally launched three years ago, Marriott Mobile required the additional step of calling the hotel or reservations center to complete the booking. Today, with the enhanced booking capability, it is perfect for unwired travelers on the go.

In addition to researching Marriott hotels throughout the world – including photos -- and making reservations, Marriott Mobile gives Marriott Rewards members access to their accounts. Travelers who are not members can easily sign up for Marriott Rewards right on the spot, from the back seat of a taxi or while waiting for a flight departure. If a business traveler forgets to pack the printout of directions from the airport to the hotel, it is quickly accessible on Marriott Mobile. For customers who prefer to speak with an agent, customer service phone numbers are still provided.

When people access Marriott.com on their browsers, servers detect the signal from their mobile devices and redirect them to Marriott Mobile. In addition, the mobile website is optimized to automatically fit within the screen size of the device.