Online destination hotels.com has introduced an iPad application to make booking accommodations easier and faster for consumers.

The hotels.com iPad app also incorporates daily deals. The app is available for free download in Apple’s App Store.

“Travelers are relying more on mobile devices,” said Taylor Cole, director of public relations and social media North America for hotels.com, Dallas.

“With two decades as a leader in the travel industry, it’s important that we grow and change with the industry to meet our customers’ needs,” she said.

Hotels.com is part of the Expedia group and claims to offer 140,000 accommodation places for consumers.

Last-minute booking
Via the app, users can book from a range of hotel.com’s properties in 200 countries.

The app is available in 30 languages and uses GPS technology to find nearby hotels.

Consumers can also view 2.5 million user-generated reviews when researching their ideal hotel.

Once done selecting a hotel, consumers can compare room prices.

Users can find nearby hotels using GPS

Additonally, users can store their account and payment information inside the app, and access their reward points.

“When adding a booking feature on an app, which is something that favors the Web, it is important to think about location and how it affects the experience,” said Scott Schwarzhoff, vice president of marketing at Appcelerator, Mountain View, CA.

“On mobile, you have to expand what booking means to include researching, the physical act of booking and sharing the experience afterwards,” he said.

Mr. Schwarzhoff is not affiliated with hotels.com. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Mobile stays
Hotels.com is not the only accommodations destination hopping on the mobile bandwagon.

Hotel chain Choice Hotels recently relaunched a mobile site to drive booking conversions (see story).

Additionally, Travelocity.com recently launched a daily deal program called Dashing Deals that lets consumers book last-minute travel deals at discounted prices (see story).

Booking is a huge growth area for mobile, especially for accommodations because consumers want to book things on-the-go last minute.

“Mobile is a perfect complement to the travel industry,” Ms. Cole said.

“You can shop, book, learn and explore new destinations all from your mobile device,” she said.

“Plus with enhanced features like GPS as with the Hotels.com mobile app, you can receive exclusive offers and deals while you’re in route to a hotel in your area.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York