Auckland,
16
May
2016
|
23:39
Europe/Amsterdam

Booking.com's New Booking Messages Interface Empowers Customers to Personalise Their Stay in the Palm of Their Hand

New chat functionality enables guests and accommodation providers to instantly communicate and connect both before and during the stay

Booking.com’s New Booking Messages Interface Empowers Customers to

Personalise Their Stay in the Palm of Their Hand

New chat functionality enables guests and accommodation providers to instantly communicate and connect both before and during the stay

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, MAY 04TH 2016 – Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, announced the release of its new Booking Messages interface, a chat-inspired communication platform that enables customers and accommodation providers to effortlessly connect with each other from the moment a booking is made. In addition to being able to initiate any kind of conversation they’d like with the accommodation, all Booking.com customers around the world can now quickly and conveniently manage the most common stay-related requests in just a few taps. The Booking Messages interface features automatically pre-translated templates for certain predefined requests, including arranging check-in and check-out times, as well as questions about parking and bed preferences—all in real-time and with a familiar, chat-like interface.

“We’re always looking at innovative ways that we can create an even more seamless travel experience for our customers,” said David Vismans, Chief Product Officer at Booking.com. “We know that 75% of our customers prefer self-service options to take care of simple requests. With the new Booking Messages interface, customers can literally customise and manage their trips in the palm of their hand. This technology takes away the worry of a busy reception desk, different time zones, or friction of communication between people speaking different languages.”

Although the technology is now available to all customers, Booking Messages is being rolled out to Booking.com’s accommodation partners in phases to integrate within Booking.com’s current Pulse app, a mobile platform for partners that keeps them up-to-date with the most relevant and time-sensitive news related to their property, including check-ins and check-outs for the day, new bookings, and now with the addition of Booking Messages, special requests from their Booking.com guests. With more than 150,000 accommodation providers already actively using the Pulse app, more and more customers will soon have access to this instantaneous communication channel for all of their stay-related requests. Full rollout of the chat interface to partners is expected over the coming months.

The new Booking Messages interface is now available to customers in both the Android and iOS versions of the Booking.com app, as well as the web versions of Booking.com on desktop, mobile, and tablet.

Current features include:

  • Expedited convenience in just a few taps for the most common customer requests (and partner responses) from the time of booking, all with auto-translation into all 42 languages supported by Booking.com
  • Easy-to-use, chat-like interface that replaces email by centralising all communication with the property in one place
  • Automatic integration into the Booking.com website and apps, as well as in the Pulse app for Booking.com accommodation partners

Additional features, such as complete translation support for all open text conversations in the app, express check-in, check-in reviews, and additional options for in-stay conversations and services, such as restaurant bookings or spa treatments that specific properties may offer, are currently in testing and are expected to be rolled out shortly.

CONTACT DETAILS FOR BOOKING.COM:

For further information, contact the Booking.com NZ Press Office:

Holly Hatch- Stevens, Mango Communications

Hollyh@thisismango.co.nz / 09 306 1800 / 020 403 15178

About Booking.com:

Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property – from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don’t pay booking fees – ever. The Booking.com website is available in 42 languages, offers over 895,000 hotels and accommodations including more than 419,000 vacation rental properties and covers over 88,000 destinations in 224 countries and territories worldwide. It features over 86M reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With over 19 years of experience and a team of over 10,000 dedicated employees in over 174 offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team, which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience.

Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com.