Standard International, the parent company of The Standard Hotels, is ramping up to steal third-party booking applications’ thunder via a new in-house app for booking rooms the same night at its properties, suggesting that hotel marketers may need to offer last-minute bookings within their own branded apps.

The hospitality marketer will be the first hotel group to leverage its own immediate instant booking on mobile, which may spike fear among third-party apps that offer extensive inventories of last-minute available rooms from a slew of brands. The entire booking process is expected to take up to 30 seconds, which will likely entice time-strapped consumers.

“Across all of our properties, we noticed a shift in our customer’s booking trends so we created One Night Standard to serve the unique lifestyles of The Standard’s guests, who are typically adventurous and spontaneous,” said Joey Jalleo, vice president of culture and communications at Standard International, New York.

“As a leading lifestyle and hospitality brand, we wanted to cater to these changing booking patterns and allow our guests the opportunity to book freely with minimal planning.”

Impromptu booking
Although the booking sector continues to grow more crowded, offering in-house last-minute options may resonate well with guests who have a particular affinity for a certain brand or are members of a marketer’s mobile loyalty platform.

The One Night Standard app hopes to serve the lifestyles of Standard customers while also inspiring spontaneous travel. Users are also guaranteed the lowest available rates for same-day reservations at its properties.

Rooms at The Standard Hotels in Miami, Los Angeles and New York are currently able to be booked for as low as $99 through May 3.

“The Standard has always been at the forefront of experience creation and One Night Standard allows for a wholly new experience within the realms of hospitality and entertainment,” Mr. Jalleo said. “With so many food and beverage outlets, enjoyment and spontaneity at our properties lends itself to late night social interactions.

Guests may view a countdown ticker showing when their rooms will be available

“Our customers, loyal and new, aren’t just traveling hotel guests, they’re already in our bars, restaurants, and clubs; they’re eager to check out the rooms and book on a whim — this app allows for that.”

Once users sign into the app, they may check availability in their location of choice and tap to confirm. After the first transaction, credentials and payment method are automatically saved, providing the entire checkout process to be completed in less than 30 seconds.

Guests can make same-day reservations from three p.m. on that day, through five a.m. the following morning, with the options of a standard 12 p.m. checkout or a late checkout at three p.m. Consumers seeking an even later checkout may have the ability to book a second night.

The app, which may be downloaded from the Google Play store, iTunes app store and OneNightStandard.com, also features a daily countdown to alert users worldwide when their rooms will become available.

Upholding the branded experience
One Night Standard aims to uphold the experience that Standard Hotels offer and was created with a spin on the brand’s penchant for playful design, featuring an interface with a curated rotation of initial images from photographer Skye Parrott.

The app may spur other hotel marketers to begin developing standalone apps for their properties’ rooms, as consumers increasingly turn to booking apps for their accommodation needs.

HotelsByDay, a recent mobile application that offers users intra-day hotel options and flexible daytime room stays, hopes to edge out other booking app competitors due to its novel approach at targeting business travelers in need of quiet rooms between flights (see story).

Meanwhile, Booking.com is rolling out the first travel app with booking capabilities for the Apple Watch, enabling consumers to select and book hotel accommodations directly from their wrists while also supplementing the commerce potential of wearables for the travel and hospitality industry (see story).

“Industry-wide, you’re seeing mobile leading the trend in bookings,” Mr. Jalleo said. “More and more technology is a part of the travel experience and mobile bookings are growing by 40 percent annually.

“Other hotel brands have created apps that put a Web site in an app or add features for use during your stay, but One Night Standard is unique in that it suits our guest’s evolving consumer trends, which we see as booking windows are shortening and immediacy has become paramount.”

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York