Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Taps Ingenico for Mobile Payment Push

Shangri-La, for those not familiar with mythological places, was described in the novel Lost Horizon as a peaceful valley where all its inhabitants lived in harmony. That’s kind of how we know it’s fiction, sadly, but its eponymous namesake, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, is eager to give the name that little extra push. To that end, it’s promoting harmony and peace within its own operations by partnering with Ingenico to add mobile payments capability to its mobile app, making paying for a stay that much more, well, harmonious.

With Ingenico’s help, the new Shangri-La app allows for faster, easier bookings as well as mobile check-in and check-out functions. It’s also easier to manage reward points and redeem those points for rewards, which makes the whole idea of reward points that much more rational. Plus, Shangri-La can turn to Ingenico Connect, which opens up several new payment options and makes sure that, no matter what a guest’s platform of choice, it’s likely to be accepted.

Ingenico’s senior vice president of global online business, Gabriel de Montessus, noted “Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts represent the pinnacle in luxury and customer service, and they understand very well that the payment experience is an integral part of how their guests perceive their relationship with the company. Whether it is through the website, call center, an Online Travel Agency or now through this innovative new mobile app, we are proud to support Shangri-La in their ongoing drive to optimize how they let their guests complete their stay.”

Travel can be a wonderful, restful activity full of fun and new experiences, making memories that last a lifetime. It can also be a disastrous experience full of unpleasantness and occasional muggings. The more that travel-based businesses can do to ensure that travelers experience the first concept and avoid the second, the more likely it is that travelers will come back.

Shangri-La is certainly doing its part, and may well pull in some fresh business out of this thanks to jaded, previously-burned travelers who want that “wonderful, restful” breed of travel with fast and easy check-in, check-out, and everything in between. Mobile payments will almost certainly help on that front.