Wynn Las Vegas resort and casino is targeting vacationers with a new application to generate new business and improve the customer experience.

The application, available on the iPhone and Android platforms, includes multimedia content focusing on the hotel?s lodgings, entertainment, gaming, shopping and eating opportunities. Users can click to call the Wynn?s staff to reserve rooms, restaurant tables and show tickets.

?We?re very interested in leveraging the mobile space as an extension of our guest service,? said Wynn Wu, director of e-strategies at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, Las Vegas. ?Our app provides us with a unique opportunity to connect with our guests in an immediate and relevant manner by providing them with rich content at their finger tips.?

The application was developed using the Mobile Roadie Pro application development platform.

?The strategy was two-fold,? said Michael Schneider, CEO of Mobile Roadie, Los Angeles. ?One, Wynn wanted to get people into the resort by giving them information on entertaining, dining, resort options, gaming options, etcetera.

?And, for people at the resort, the app gives them a useful tool that lets them figure out where they want to eat dinner, what shows they want to see, what part of the casinos to go to,? he said. ?Wynn went mobile because mobile is where it?s at.

?You?re not going to have a laptop open when you?re walking around [the resort].?

How it works
The Wynn application is available for free in Apple?s App Store and Android Market.

When users launch it, they access a home page that lets them navigate to all of the application's features.

Here is a screen grab of the application?s home page:

The ?Rooms? section features a slideshow with photographs of all the resort?s different lodgings, which users can click on to pull up detailed information and user comments about rooms.

Room pages also include click-to-call functionality so prospective guests can make reservations right there.

Here is a screen grab of a room page:

The ?Shopping? section features the same slideshow format as the Rooms feature, and displays information about the different luxury brands and merchants selling products at the Wynn, including Cartier, Chanel and Hermes.

The ?Dining? section includes information such as menus from the different restaurants at the resort.

Users can also designate whether they are looking for fine dining experiences or more casual fare.

The feature also includes click-to-call functionality that lets users jump right into the reservation process from the application.

From ?Clubs? users can find nightlife locations at the Wynn, and click to call venues to reserve tables in advance.

The ?Shows? section displays entertainment offerings, such as country singer Garth Brooks.

Users can find contact information for any of the resort?s different divisions in the ?Reserve? section.

Additionally, ?Gallery? and ?Videos? sections include photo and video content, respectively.

Finally, users can manually search for anything in the application by clicking on a magnifying glass icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

Mobile hospitality tools
Companies in the travel and hospitality sector have increasingly been turning to mobile initiatives to try to generate interest in their offerings.

For example, Hilton Hotels activated a 360-degree marketing campaign that included an iPhone application earlier this year (see story).

Likewise, Intercontintental Hotel Group recently pushed a loyalty program through mobile social network Gowalla (see story).

This is Wynn?s first mobile application.

The company is excited both by the promotional opportunities mobile allows and as a tool for improving customer?s lodging experiences.

?Let?s say you?re at the pool, and you want to order room service,? Mr. Schneider said. ?It is probably more convenient to whip out your mobile phone and order right there.

?Mobile is giving you a more intimate experience and personalizing it, right at your fingertips,? he said. ?It gives you what you want, when you want it.

?That is the advantage that mobile has,? he said.

Final Take
Peter Finocchiaro, editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York