Poke Stop at Watertown Hotel, Seattle (Photo from MeetMeinSeattle)

Less than one month after its launch, Pokemon Go has become the most downloaded app on Apple’s App Store ever, as well as the mobile game with the most active users in the United States, with a record 21 million users. Nintendo, which owns The Pokemon Company, has seen its stock rise to meteoric highs thanks to the success of Pokemon Go.

However, the Japanese company is not the only business to take advantage. The travel industry has jumped on the bandwagon in a big way. Ryan Solutions, a hospitality CRM company, surveyed 5,000 hotels and resorts and found that nearly 10 percent mentioned Pokemon Go on Twitter from July 6–17. Here are some of the most inventive ways hotels, CVBs and booking sites are taking advantage of the game’s popularity.

1. New York City resident Nick Johnson was the first person to capture all 142 U.S-based Pokemon. It took him just two weeks and a few hundred dollars. After hearing of his achievement, Marriott Rewards contacted him with an offer to sponsor his trip to capture region-specific Pokemon that can only be found overseas.

Throughout his journey, Johnson has stayed at a variety of Marriott properties, such as Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe Hotel and Renaissance Hong Kong. He’s now landed in Australia at Pier One Sydney Harbour, Autograph Collection. The entire trip has been documented by Johnson and Marriott through social media platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram.


2. San Diego Tourism Authority has released a comprehensive guide to catching Pokemon in the seaside city. From downtown San Diego to Legoland California—which features a whopping 40 Poke Stops—the CVB’s guide highlights key Pokemon Gyms and includes a handy map for the most up-to-date listings.

3. Alltherooms.com, a booking site that claims to be the “world’s largest accommodation search engine,” has debuted a feature that shows the types and number of Pokemon available within a 500-foot radius of each property. Search results also reveal the number of Pokemon Gyms and Poke Stops nearby.

AllTheRooms

4. A reviewer on tripadvisor.com gushed about his stay at Villa Royale hotel in Paris, calling it the “best Pokemon Go hotel ever!” Because of its central location, visitors can find Pokemon and Poke Stops aplenty without even leaving the property. In response to the positive review, the hotel’s management team replied with several insider tips on hidden Pokemon Go hotspots that guests might have missed. The manager even encouraged visitors to make the most of their hunts by requesting access to staff-only areas.

5. On July 20, Zipcar, a car rental service, offered free chauffeured rides for Pokemon Go players in Boston. Users simply had to tweet @zipcar to take advantage of the service, which included a handy survival kit of snacks, phone chargers and other game necessities.

6. Pineapple Hospitality, which operates seven boutique hotels on the West Coast, has fully embraced this trend. The company regularly drops in-game lures to attract Pokemon (and players) to its hotels and offers a weekly prize drawing for players who tweet photos with the hashtag #PlayPineapple. Complimentary bicycles are also available for those who want to explore the city.

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