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Introducing Seating Options: OpenTable lets diners book their favourite seat in the house

OpenTable August 9, 2018

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Do you prefer a stool at the bar to a table? Want to save your spot on a restaurant’s terrace? Now you can with the global roll out of Seating Options, a feature that allows diners to reserve a seat at the bar, counter, a table outside, and more during the reservation process. Not only does the feature give diners the freedom to choose where they want to sit at the restaurant, even before they arrive, but it also increases restaurant availability during peak dining times.

Diners can now easily find restaurants around the globe offering various seating options and table types when searching for reservations across desktop and mobile web, as well as on the OpenTable iOS and Android apps. Alternative seating options are noted with a table icon on restaurant profile pages.

“With Seating Options, diners have the flexibility and freedom to make each dining experience exactly what they desire, whether it’s an awesome scene by the bar or a quiet spot outdoors”, said Joseph Essas, Chief Technology Officer at OpenTable. “It’s also a powerful tool for restaurants, who can now offer diners even more choice while maximising every seat in the house.”

Seating Options is now available globally with nearly a third of restaurants on OpenTable already using the feature.

OpenTable’s Alexa skill now available in the UK on Amazon Echo devices

OpenTable October 30, 2017

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In cooperation with Amazon, we are pleased to announce a new Alexa skill, giving diners the ability to make restaurant reservations at thousands of restaurants across the UK just by asking Alexa.

We’re thrilled to provide diners with an Alexa skill to help them make reservations at thousands of restaurants across the UK using just their voice,” said Adrian Valeriano, VP EMEA at OpenTable. “With OpenTable’s Alexa skill, making a restaurant reservation is as easy as saying ‘Alexa, launch OpenTable’ and making a reservation at your favourite restaurant.”

Using the OpenTable skill, diners can simply ask Alexa to launch OpenTable or just say they would like to make a restaurant reservation and Alexa will advise that OpenTable can be used. Once OpenTable is launched, diners can easily secure a reservation at the restaurant, date and time of their choice. OpenTable’s Alexa skill is available on all Alexa-enabled devices including the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show and Amazon Fire TV.

Share your OpenTable skill for Alexa experiences with us in the comments or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

OpenTable unveils new features optimized for iOS 11 to make sharing and keeping track of reservations even easier

OpenTable September 27, 2017

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At OpenTable, we strive to make finding and booking the perfect table as easy as possible. So, we’re very pleased to announce new features optimized for iOS 11, giving diners across the globe new ways to discover and share restaurants using the latest OpenTable apps for iPhone and iPad.

The new Invite Guests feature lets OpenTable’s iPhone and iPad app users send dining invitations and share restaurant reservation details directly within an iMessage conversation. By simply tapping the “Add Guests” button on the reservation confirmation screen, diners can invite friends, colleagues, or loved ones to join their reservation.

With the new Drag and Drop feature on iPad, diners can now seamlessly drag and drop restaurants from anywhere in the OpenTable app into iMessage conversations. They can also drag and drop upcoming reservations into iCal Apple Maps, and other apps on iPad.

To experience the new features, diners can download the OpenTable apps on the App Store or by visiting https://www.opentable.co.uk/m/mobile-apps/.

 

You can now book reservations through OpenTable’s bot for Messenger

OpenTable April 19, 2017

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We’re thrilled to introduce a new way for you to search and make restaurant reservations directly through Facebook Messenger. With OpenTable’s bot for Messenger, you can make reservations at any of our more than 40,000 restaurants worldwide right in Messenger.

Wish planning a meal with friends was easier? OpenTable’s bot for Messenger allows you to search and suggest available restaurants to friends as well as make reservations through the bot without leaving the app. It’s an easy, collaborative way to pick the perfect spot for a friend’s birthday dinner, a reunion lunch, or an upcoming trip.

“We’re delighted that now our millions of diners will have the ability to plan and book restaurant reservations with their Facebook friends at home and around the world all within Messenger,” noted Catherine Porter, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at OpenTable. “We hope this service helps diners more easily collaborate on dining plans by sharing restaurant suggestions and coordinating a reservation all in one place.”Continue Reading

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