New Apps Aim to Streamline the Travel Process

launched two apps this week to help make choices for travelers easier. Both conform to the desires of Millennials (and other travelers) for quick and easy services that do away with talking, instead delivering what you want at the push of a button.

In fact, the new Hotels.com Concierge is powered by the aptly named Button Marketplace, a platform that connects consumers to products available within the marketplace. Research by Hotels.com indicated that 46 percent of travelers would like to use a mobile concierge service, especially for restaurant reservations, directions and tickets to tourist attractions.

“Mobile is changing the way people travel, and at the forefront of that we’re constantly innovating and investing in mobile, to offer more than just hotel bookings. We want to make our customers’ lives easier before, during and after their trip,” says Daniel Craig, Senior Director of Mobile at Hotels.com.

While Hotels.com plans to have a ticketing service available soon for the app, the virtual concierge uses your hotel’s location to provide transportation by Uber, food delivery by delivery.com, restaurant reservations through Open Table and activities through Groupon. These, of course, are all things you could do anyway if you had the applicable apps on your smartphone. The aim of Hotels.com’s concierge is to make connecting to these services easier by grouping them together.

Also, remember that the activities suggested may be limited to what Groupon or other tied-in services offer. These may or may not be the most interesting or signature activities for the location.

You might find out more about your destination with Hotels.com Apple TV app, also new. Designed to inspire your travels before your trip, the new app features “600 different activities to choose from across hundreds of destinations,” according to Hotels.com.

Depending on the breakdown, that may or may not provide more than a few choices for each destination. Each activity is accompanied by high-definition images as well as recommendations on where to stay. Videos should be available soon.

“We want travelers to use the app for inspiration, to give them new ideas on destinations to visit and activities to try. It’s also perfect for group bookings, as friends and family can gather around the TV to choose their holiday together,” says Craig.

Both of Hotels.com’s apps provide destination information. The Apple TV app targets those in the process of choosing a trip while the Concierge delivers services at your hotel. Both services are helpful; just remember that not all the available choices are delivered by either app.

You might want to check with the property’s human concierge to find that out-of-the-way café with the terrific chocolate croissants or the surfing school in Waikiki that specializes in teaching kids.