NORWALK, Conn.—Priceline.com, part of The Priceline Group, announced a partnership with General Motors, launching the rollout of a priceline.com-powered hotel booking service through the new Chevrolet AppShop. The partnership will be unveiled at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show.
Through the partnership, Chevrolet customers will have two ways to locate and book Priceline hotel rooms while on-the-go. The first option allows Chevrolet’s OnStar customers immediate access to live advisors through a press of their blue OnStar button. These advisors can connect to priceline.com inventory and search for nearby hotel options and book drivers the hotel room of their choice. In addition, all Chevrolet consumers with app-capable vehicles will be able to download a custom priceline.com app within the new Chevrolet AppShop, coming later this year. By accessing the app directly, drivers will be connected to hotel inventory and enjoy a vehicle centric hotel booking experience.
“Hotels are one of the most requested categories GM’s OnStar customers seek information about while traveling, and we see an immense opportunity to fulfill a strong consumer need,” said Brett Keller, chief marketing office of priceline.com. “We built a custom priceline.com app for Chevrolet owners that gives last-minute bookers the ability to locate, compare, and book their preferred hotel in seconds with the touch of a button.”
Mobile technology is transforming the travel landscape, helping to free travelers from the burden of planning everything far in advance. With access to last-minute deals and the flexibility to conduct location-based searches in real-time, mobile users can tap the best pricing and inventory up until moments before they check-in.
“New mobile technologies allow consumers to wait until the last minute to find their favorite place to stay for the night, and more and more are choosing to do so,” said Keller. “In fact, after 6pm, nearly 70% of our same-day bookings are from mobile devices. This behavior increases during the holidays, and we expect this trend to continue.”
Access to Priceline’s inventory directly through the OnStar button will be available in early 2014 on a limited basis, with a broader rollout planned for later in the year.
The priceline.com app will be free for download to all properly-equipped Chevrolets with MyLink infotainment systems. GM’s AppShop will be available this summer on select 2015 U.S. and Canadian models, including the Corvette, Equinox, Impala, Malibu, Volt, Silverado and Silverado HD.
