There seems to be no slowing down in the desire for travel companies to launch (or reboot) applications for a population that’s increasingly tuned into mobile devices. Here’s a look a three new free travel apps—beyond the new JetBlue app we wrote about a few weeks ago—that recently have hit the market.

AFAR
The media company with the gorgeous glossy travel magazine that launched in late 2009 recently released an iPhone app with a focus around Highlights. These bits of travel inspiration include a photo, title, description and location of a recommended travel experience. The app launched with 4,000 Highlights, with more being added daily. There’s also a contest running through the end of March for users to upload their highlights for a chance to win a trip to India. AFAR says that a version for Android phones will be released soon. Now how about some wildlife photos to inspire me to go on an adventurous safari in Africa?

TravelZoo
One of the earliest travel deal sites on the Internet, TravelZoo has launched a mobile website and added an Android app to join its existing iPhone app offering (introduced in August 2011). Mobile users can quickly access TravelZoo’s traditional Top 20 weekly deals listing, Local Deals, Entertainment Deals, Travel Deals and Last Minute discounts, which is not a category found on the company’s main website. The Android app features local deals based on users’ detected location. According to Tnooz, 17.5 percent of traffic to TravelZoo.com was already coming from mobile devices.

Travelocity
Last-minute deals for travel bookings on mobile devices—especially for hotel rooms—are gaining in popularity. Travelocity already went after this market last year when it enhanced its iPhone app for same-day hotel deals and some local information. The company has now launched an iPad app that offers additional discounts for flights, hotels and rental cars at rates through the app that are better than what’s available on the Travelocity website. In addition, app users get daily mobile-only deals. They also can access their Travelocity accounts through the app, which can auto-fill in purchase information to speed the close of the transaction.

Photo: AFAR

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For all those who blame travel for their tendency to fall in and out of a healthy routine, Atlanta-based InterContinental Hotels Group is launching a new brand for the U.S. market that aims to eliminate that excuse.

IHG plans to announce the first EVEN Hotel location in the second quarter of 2012 and to open its doors in 2013. The new wellness-themed properties will see investment of $150 million over the next three years. Amenities at these hotels will include:

• Workout-ready guest rooms with features such as a coat rack that doubles as a pull-up bar
• Group exercise activities
• Equipment rental
• Free tips and travel fitness advice
• Menu emphasis on healthy options, with free mini-smoothies in addition to morning coffee
• Restrooms built for healthy rejuvenation, with natural lighting, LED dimmers, antibacterial wipes and hypoallergenic linens

EVEN hotels will be priced mid-scale, according to a report in HotelNewsNow, which also lists cities IHG is eyeing for development: San Francisco; Los Angeles; San Diego; Boston; New York; Washington, D.C.; Seattle; Minneapolis; and Austin, Texas. According to HotelNewsNow, IHG is aiming to open 100 properties over the next five years, and the first locations will be conversions of existing hotels with 100 to 200 rooms.

Photo: InterContinental Hotels Group

Related posts:
Opening and Running a Hotel the IHG Way
IHG $1 Billion Re-branding of Holiday Inn Nears Completion