Before we start things off, we’ve got some surprising figures that will be enough to blow your mind. About 45% of travelers use mobile apps to book their accommodations and tours from their preferred mobile devices. Without a shadow of a doubt, mobile apps have transformed and modified every industry in the world.
Whether it is healthcare, education, fashion and e-commerce, real estate, or finance. Almost every industry in the world has been shaped by mobile apps. That being said, the hotel business is no different. The hotel business is one of the most affected and touched industries with has revolutionized every aspect.
From viewing the hotels to booking them, every step can now be done with a hotel booking app development. Do you know the Global Online Hotel Booking Software Market size is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2 % to hit USD 25.3 Billion during the forecast period of 2021-2029?
These figures will continue to increase as people rely more on technologies and innovations. Till now we’ve just discussed how beneficial hotel mobile app development will be for the customers. Another side of hotel booking app development that we haven’t touched yet is how helpful and valuable it’ll be for the hotel business itself.
Hotel booking mobile app development is an extremely valuable tool for the hotel business itself as it simplifies and streamlines operations, unlike any other platform. Whether you’re a seasoned hotelier looking to adapt to the digital era or an ambitious entrepreneur dreaming of a thriving hotel business, this blog will provide you with insights that can transform your vision into reality. So without further ado let’s get started.
Statistics Of Hotel Booking Apps
Online Hotel Booking in the US market size (2024-2029)
Hotel Statistics in 2024 according to SiteMinder
- Hotel occupancy will increase by 2.5% globally next year.
- The average daily rate (ADR) of hotels is projected to grow by 4.9% in the next 12 months.
- The hotel market in the US is worth more than $106 billion.
- By 2027, more than 160 million ‘users’ will be a part of the hotel market.
- There are more than 90,000 hotels in the US.
- The average US occupancy rate is just under 65%.
- The U.S. accommodation industry employs about 1.6 million people.
- Almost 60% of all hotel bookings are now made online, a figure that has been steadily increasing.
Market Overview:
According to a report by Strait Research: Almost 60% of all hotel bookings are now made online, a figure that has been steadily increasing.
10 Reasons Hotel Booking App Development Is Important For Your Hotel Business
A hotel mobile app development can take your hotel business to a whole new level.
Here are the 10 reasons why you need a mobile app to grow.
1. Enhanced Visibility Of Hotel Business
Whenever a customer or traveler searches for a hotel to book, they have countless options. Now imagine a customers have 100 hotels to choose from. Some of the options are better than you. Then what are the chances they are going to choose your hotel?
Answer: Almost zero.
Now you must be wondering how can i make this zero to 100. Well, it’s easy. All you need is a hotel app development solution. Hotel booking app development stands as a pivotal strategy for hotels seeking to thrive in a highly competitive market. If you wish your hotel to show up every time customers search or even think about booking a hotel; all you need is a hotel booking app.
As we’ve discussed abou that people relying more and more on mobile apps to plan their trips and secure accommodations. Now as an owner of a hotel business if you invest in a hotel booking app development you’ve a greater chance to create a strong presence on the digital landscape. A full-scale hotel booking app development contains all the information that is sufficient for a person to book the hotel like real-time room availability, pricing, and promotions.
2. Improves Customer Experience
So before we start with the second reason we’ve a question for you. What’s the one thing that is common in every successful established hotel?
Can you answer it?
Yeah, you’ve answered it right “excellent customer service”. When it comes to the hotel business, providing an exceptional customer experience is everything. If you fail in offering it to your customers you will start losing customers and brand reputation. And if you did it right no one can stop you from becoming one of the best hotels.
Here you might be wondering what hotel reservation app development has to do with excellent customer service.
Hang on! It has everything to do with it.
Firstly, a well-crafted hotel booking app development comes with a user-friendly interface, so guests can easily explore rooms, amenities, and services. An easy-to-navigate and simplified application interface is one of the top tips for developing a thriving hotel app.
Secondly, with the help of a hotel booking mobile app, you can gather guest data and make tailor recommendations and offers which makes a better customer experience.
Below we’ve listed how a dedicated hotel booking app development improves customer experience.
- Book a hotel room with fingertips
- Straightforward reservations
- Cut down the need for third-party platforms
- Instant communication
- Mobile check-in and check-out options
3. Enables Direct Bookings
Hotel booking app development introduces a new and unique method to book a hotel room from anywhere in the world. Unlike the traditional way where you’ve to visit the hotel reception physically to book a room. With the help of a hotel booking app, every step is streamlined and automated and it takes a few seconds to book a hotel.
The second traditional way that can be avoided with a hotel booking application is where guests reserve rooms directly through your hotel rather than relying on third-party platforms. The second way is yet better than the first one where you have to visit the hotel physically Still this method has a problem which is you’ve to pay a fee to the online travel agencies (OTAs) for their service.
However, with a hotel booking mobile app you can avoid the commission and perform the function by yourself within a few seconds. Moreover, direct bookings often yield higher profit margins, as you gain more control over pricing and can offer exclusive promotions.
4. Customers Have Real-Time Updates and Information
Having a hotel booking app can make your hotel business and guest experience even better by providing real-time updates and information. When it comes to delivering real-time information to customers nothing can be compared to mobile apps. When we talk about the hotel business it becomes indispensable for hotel management to provide real-time updates them.
From checking room availability and keeping tabs on pricing and promotions to providing information about amenities, services, local events, and even weather forecasts, hotel booking apps empower travelers with comprehensive and current information.
5. Push Notifications Can Be Sent
Push notifications can be a great tool and resource for the hotel business to get more customers and increase revenue if utilized correctly and potentially by the app management. Here many of you will be wondering how sending notifications can help hotels make more revenue.
Push notifications provide an instant channel for direct communication with guests, enabling you to send timely messages and alerts directly to their mobile devices. This real-time capability has numerous advantages, including personalized offers based on guest preferences, enhancing the guest experience, and boosting revenue. By sending updates about on-site amenities, services, local attractions, or special events, hotels can keep guests engaged and informed throughout their stay.
6. Online Check-In and Check-Out
Hotel booking apps not only allow people to view and book hotels but there are tons of other functions as well that can be done with peace of mind. Among them, one of the top highlighted features is online check-in and check-out functionality. This is one of the compelling reasons why more and more hotels are turning to application.
This feature not only aligns with the evolving preferences of modern travelers but also significantly enhances the guest experience. Nowadays the hotel’s apps which are built by the hotel booking app development company have this feature. It enables travelers and guests to avoid the long queues at the front desk and complete the check-in process conveniently before even arriving at the hotel.
Similarly, online check-out allows guests to settle their bills, review charges, and receive their receipts digitally, all without the need to visit the front desk. This streamlined process adds to guest satisfaction by providing a hassle-free departure experience.
7. Hotel Booking Apps Streamline Various Operations
Hotel Booking App development is mutually beneficial for the customers and the business.
Wondering how?
No fret! We’ve got you covered.
A hotel booking app simplifies and automates several tasks that were previously done physically. For instance, record keeping was one of the functions of the hotel business that required human intervention. But with the help of a hotel booking app it can be done digitally – means no human effort will be required which makes entire hotel management more efficient and cost-effective.
From managing room availability, pricing, and reservations to processing payments securely, these apps automate a plethora of tasks that would otherwise require significant manual effort. This not only reduces the workload on your staff but also minimizes the chances of human errors.
Moreover, hotel apps often integrate with property management systems (PMS) and other backend software, ensuring that data is synchronized in real-time across all departments. This real-time data sharing enhances coordination among different hotel functions, such as housekeeping, front desk, and billing, resulting in a more seamless guest experience.
8. Gives Competitive Advantage
The hotel industry has become overwhelmingly competitive in recent years. Due to this customers have countless hotels to choose from. Therefore, it becomes complicated for hotel owners to get more customers. Especially if you’re a start-up hotel without any online presence getting new travelers under such fierce competition will always be a dream.
However, there’s one way start-up hotels can surpass even the biggest name in the hotel industry by building a feature-rich mobile app development for hotels. Moreover, there’s no doubt that more and more hotels are now embracing hotel booking mobile app development. However, a majority of hotels are still relying on outdated traditional ways which opens the opportunity for startups.
3 reasons why hotel booking through an application is better than traditional booking methods.
- Hotel booking apps provide unparalleled convenience and accessibility. Travelers can browse, compare, and book accommodations anytime, anywhere, using their smartphones or tablets.
- Hotel booking apps offer real-time information about room availability, rates, and promotions.
- Many hotel booking apps provide exclusive deals, discounts, and loyalty programs for users. These incentives can include lower rates, complimentary upgrades, or cashback rewards, enticing travelers to book through the app.
9. Reviews and Ratings
“One positive word from the past or existing customer about the brand is more effective than 1000 sentences from the brand itself.”
This quote applies to every industry. Because potential customers give more value to past customers than the words coming out of the brand itself. That being said, the hotel industry relies more on reviews and feedback than anything else.
Whenever a person books a room in the hotel he always checks out the reviews first. A dedicated hotel booking app development is equipped with a plethora of features. Among them, one of the prominent features is reviews and ratings. Hotel booking app development allows your guests to leave reviews and ratings directly within the app.
3 reasons why getting reviews and feedback is important for a hotel business.
- It offers valuable feedback that can help you identify areas for improvement and enhance the guest experience.
- Positive reviews and high ratings can also boost your hotel’s reputation, attracting more potential customers.
- Secondly, having reviews and ratings within your app fosters trust among potential guests.
10. Save Investment
A simple hotel booking app development costs around $20,000 to $30,000. On the other hand, a complex hotel booking app can cost up to $100,000. Many of you will be wondering if building a mobile app for the hotel business is worth it.
Well, the answer is yes.
Every penny you invest in building a mobile app will be turned into hundreds and thousands of dollars. For many of you, this seems like a massive investment. But if we see the results we get by building a mobile app can never be ignored. Generating more revenue in the future is not only the cost-benefit of building a mobile app.
Here are 2 more benefits in terms of cost.
- Reduces the need for expensive third-party booking platforms.
- A hotel mobile app is capable of performing various functions cutting down labor – ultimately lowering labor costs and increasing staff productivity.
Challenges of Hotel Booking App
Apart from several benefits of hotel booking app development for both hotel businesses and travelers, there are a few challenges and limitations as well. Here are some common ones to consider.
1- Initial Investment:
Opting for the development of a high-quality hotel booking app requires a significant investment in terms of resources, time, and money. This includes hiring skilled developers, designers, and testers and investing in the technological infrastructure.
2- Technical Complexity
Creating a strong and user-friendly hotel booking app involves dealing with several technical complexities. These complexities include integration with third-party systems (eg: payment gateways, and property management systems), ensuring data security and privacy compliance, and optimizing performance across different devices and platforms.
3- Competition
The hotel booking apps market is highly competitive as there are already various hotel booking apps in the market. Standing out from the market and attracting new customers can be a challenging task, especially for new entrants.
4- User Experience
Providing a seamless and innovative user experience is crucial for the success of hotel booking apps. Whereas this process is not that simple, it requires detailed research, testing, and continuous optimization to address usability issues, navigation challenges, and compatibility across devices.
5- Data Accuracy And Integration
It is highly crucial to maintain accurate and up-to-date information about hotel availability, pricing, amenities, and promotions to provide a positive user experience. Also, ensuring seamless integration to the backend system such as property management systems, and inventory databases is important for real-time updates and synchronization.
6- Customer Support
Offering customer support is necessary to address user inquiries, resolve issues, and provide assistance throughout the booking process. Implementing effective support channels, such as live chat, email, or phone support, requires dedicated resources and infrastructure.
7- Adoption and Retention
Encouraging users to download and install the app and retaining their engagement over time can be challenging. Offering incentives, personalized experiences, and loyalty programs can help drive adoption and retention, but it requires ongoing efforts and investment in customer relationship management.
8- Security Concerns
Protecting user data and ensuring transaction security is paramount for building trust and credibility with users. Implementing robust security measures, such as encryption, authentication, and compliance with data protection regulations, is essential to reduce security risks and protect user information.
In the End, having a hotel booking app for your business can help you greatly to succeed. It can help you to improve visibility, enhance customer experience, enable direct bookings, provide real-time updates, enable push notifications, offer online check-in/out, and streamline operations can give you a competitive advantage. However, there are a few challenges as well as we have discussed in this blog. So, by investing in the hotel booking app, you can stay ahead in the competitive market and provide better services to your guests, leading to increased revenue and customer satisfaction.
FAQs
What is the purpose of hotel booking apps?
The main purpose of the hotel booking apps is to simplify the hotel booking procedure. They provide a convenient platform for users to browse, compare, and book hotels. It enhances the overall travel experience of the users.
Why is direct booking important for hotels?
Direct booking is important for hotels because it allows them to third-party platforms and retain control over pricing and promotions. It leads to higher profit margins, enables direct communication with guests, and strengthens brand loyalty.
What is the function of a booking app?
The function of the booking app is to streamline the hotel reservation process. It allows users to check the availability of rooms, view pricing and promotions, make reservations, and receive real-time updates and notifications. It enhances the efficiency and convenience of hotel booking for guests and hoteliers.