Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Travel Technology

Saveology Hits Boston with Daily Deals

Phil Butler

Saveology, the innovative daily deal startup making headlines of late, has now launched their discount deal website for Boston. Saveology users now have access to more than 28 national and local markets. If it’s simple and carefree you want in “opt in” dealing Boston, now you got it.

Hilton: Listening, Showing, Communicating in the Digital World

Phil Butler

Last week, Hilton extended their Stay Hilton, Go Everywhere campaign with what the hotelier calls the world’s first “iAd interactive” extension for Apple devices. The strategy is pretty simple, take Hilton’s already successful marketing campaign and evangelize it across Apple platforms already adopted by tens of millions. Whether or not Hilton’s so called iAd is a first of its kind or not, the digital engagement is brilliant.

HouseTrip – A Startup Taking Aim At Travel Alternatives

Phil Butler

TechCrunch reported on a fascinating startup in April, a new take on vacation rentals called HouseTrip. The news back then was about the Swiss startup’s $2.7 million in funding from Index Ventures, but today it looks as if the company is spending the money wisely. Let’s take a look under the hood of what my old friend Steve O’Hear called; “another play in the holiday apartments space.”

Taos Ski Valley Leverages VacationRoost for Vacationers

Aleksandr Shatskih

In resort news, Taos Ski Valley has hired VacationRoost to enlighten and empower their reservation services by updating and integrating their systems to provide customers with better support and more options. The platform will help travelers better plan where they stay, their airline accommodations, and help with their rentals and etc., according to the news.

Troopswap Aims to Be Daily Deals for Soldiers [Video]

Phil Butler

Troopswap.com, an innovative deal network for military service people and vets, has announced a 925 thousand dollar round of funding from angel investors. The funding will be used to further expand Troopswap’s innitiatives from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to Washington DC and San Diego, California.

Social Media Puts Airlines and Consumers in Touch

Aleksandr Shatskih

With the Summer travel season underway full tilt, major airlines engage customers via social media channels. Planning a trip or vacation has never been easier, or more socially connected than this year. ExactTarget helps put companies and customers in the digital conversation – better communication, means better customer retention, according to anyone’s news.

Tours4Fun and Hop2 Flight Search Partner

Phil Butler

In budget travel news, sightseeing tour company, Tours4Fun, announced a new partnership with Hop2 Travel for offering direct access for affordable flights. The Los Angeles based tour company will also add Hop2 offerings like car rentals, hotels, and even cruises for their clients. Argo takes a look at this news bit to evaluate some OTA corporate moves – is this news or not? Let’s see.

Skyscanner Shows UK Knows the Way to Emerging Markets

Aleksandr Shatskih

According to a report from UK travel search site Skyscanner, Estonia, Madagascar and Iraq emerge as travel hot spots for UK travelers. Spain is, as always, a favorite among vacationers in Britain, but non-traditional destinations are headlining Summer travel so far.

Terra Firma, Friends, and Travels Shared Through Google +

Phil Butler

If there is one thing concrete that we can say binds all of us, it is good old Terra firma herself. In a very real way, the Earth beneath all our feet, like our own humanity, can teach us a lot about one another. Maybe this is one reason travel is so fantastically popular – as human beings we a

Google + and Really Refined Reviews – Coming Soon

Phil Butler

The suggested Google Travel entity could be just around the corner. According to the news from Tnooz and Kevin May, Google unceremoniously yanked third party reviews from hotels on Google Maps and Google Places, a move May suggests puts Google’s review credibility down there with TripAdvisor’s. But what if?

Crowne Plaza Hotels – Saving Marriages and Sleep

Aleksandr Shatskih

In travel technology news today, Crowne Plaza hotels is testing state of the art “anti-snore” technology at selected hotels. 10 hotels across Europe, the UK, and the Middle East will reportedly implement “snore patrols” to muffle noisy sleepers.

Concur Invests Confidence and Money in Yapta

Phil Butler

In travel technology news today, Concur, an integrated travel and expense management company, announced a $5 million dollar investment in the Yapta airfare and hotel rate tracking service. Accordingly, Cloncur will now use Yapta exclusively for their TripIt Pro user accounts.