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US hotel operator La Quinta has launched a smartphone reservation app that allows users to reserve a room using just their phone number. The instant reservation will be held for up to four hours, without the need for a credit card, the security method traditionally required.

While currently operating solely across La Quinta’s portfolio of 800 hotels in the USA, Canada and Mexico,...

Orbitz Worldwide has succeeded in reducing losses, helped by continuing improvements from its European focused Ebookers division. And on the back of a positive first quarter, analysts have increased their expected outturn for 2012, but remain concerned that the company will fail to halt the decline in OTA sales volume. 

Ebookers delivered a 33% increase in revenues, helping to...

Tripadvisor’s first ever set of quarterly figures beat market expectations, with revenues up to USD183.7m, 23% ahead of the same period a year previously. Net income was up just 2% on the same basis.

The figures were helped by a 20% year on year increase in click-based advertising revenues, while subscription revenue advanced well, albeit from a low base.

Technology will never replace human hospitality, believes Michael Levie, head of operations at CitizenM hotels.

But if technology lives in a guest’s life when he is not staying at hotels, then it is essential for hotels to offer it when the guest does stay.

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