1. An app will help you enhance the guest experience
You can offer a seamless guest experience and make your guests feel special by giving all the information that they need at their fingertips. Guests can use your hotel app to read your recommendations on things to do, get directions, discover services you offer, peruse your restaurant menu, book a table or spa treatments and much more.
A mobile app integrates with your hotel PMS, door locks and other systems and enables you to take the guest experience to the next level. You can give your guests the ability to check-in through the app, use a mobile key to access their room, request items and chat with your team when they want and ultimately give guests the power to chose how they want to engage with you.
2. Mobile apps help increase your hotel revenue and in-stay spend
Create a new revenue stream with your app. You can promote special offers, winter packages and deals at your restaurant or spa with push notifications and amplify your message. An app for your property helps you earn more from every booking by encouraging restaurant/spa bookings and room upgrades. It enables your guests to easily order extra items or in-room service from their own phone, whether they are in their room or out and about.
3. Your own branded app can boost your direct bookings
You can use your own hotel app to create a close marketing group of highly engaged customers, encourage direct bookings through the app and reduce OTA commission.
George Westwell, Director of Cheval Residences, said: “Since its introduction the Cheval App has become a digital extension of our concierge team, generating new conversations with hundreds of in-house and prospective guests. The platform has also generated revenue directly via our mobile booking platform and via the in-apartment ordering system”.
4. You can save time and costs
You can save your staff time and reduce costs by digitising your guest directory and creating your own branded app for iOS and Android devices. Your app lets your staff focus on improving the guest experience and become a sustainable business by reducing the amount of paper printed every year. This will help you show that your hotel is environmentally friendly.
5. An app can improve your operational efficiency
85% of international travellers have a mobile device while exploring the world, so it is no surprise that 70% of guests want to use their phone to speed up check-in. You can enable your guests to check-in through the app and use digital door key to access their room. This will enable you to streamline your guest experience and avoid lengthy queues at reception.
6. Maintain and improve brand awareness for your hotel
If you have more than one property, an app enables you to showcase your entire portfolio of properties so that your guests staying in one of them will see all the others. This will help you not only to promote your unique brand, but also to cross-sell to your current guests, especially business travellers.
7. Wrap all your guest-facing technology within your hotel app
Your hotel app helps you to bring all your hotel guest-facing technology within one single mobile platform for Android and iOS and deliver a seamless guest experience. For example, here at Criton, we have partnered with industry-leading technology providers to offer you the very best hotel technology all in one place; from PMS integration for in-app check-in to loyalty programme, guest messaging, digital door key, guest reviews and location-based push notifications.
8. An app enables you to support your entire guest journey
Offer a seamless guest experience by giving your guests an app that they can use before, during and post-stay. Eliminate queues at reception and offer speedy check-in, mobile door key and tourist information pre-stay. Engage with your guests and increase in-stay spend with push notifications, in-app ordering and messaging. Receive more feedback, reviews and win guests loyalty by staying in touch with them even after their trip.
9. Increase guest loyalty and save on commission
As we all know, loyal guests are important for a number of reasons. They like your property and amenities, they are likely to spend more and very likely to book again directly.
The Hilton’s loyalty programme, Hilton Honors, has gained 65 million members since origin in 1987, who account for 52% of room nights. Members have increased by 9 million since HHonors app capabilities. Hilton serve 160 million guest bookings per year of which 30% are website direct. These stats clearly show the importance of having a loyal clientele.
You can include your loyalty programme within your own app and make it easier for guests to see the benefits they would gain by becoming members and to book their next stay directly.
10. A mobile app helps your hotel be seen as an innovator in the industry
Having an app not only helps you cater to your mobile-friendly guests but it also enhances your brand image and helps you to be seen as an innovator in the hospitality and travel space. For example, luxury hotel Tigerlily gained a lot of press coverage in 2019 when they announced their brand new guest app.
This post originally appeared on the Criton website and is reproduced with their permission.
