What are hotel management apps and why do they matter?

With so much to think about as a modern hotelier, including how to respond to growing customer needs while maximising revenue and efficiency, you need to find solutions that make running a property much easier.

Hotel management apps are one way of both increasing performance at your business and generally making life easier. This blog will tell you everything you need to know.

What are hotel management apps?

Hotel management apps are software tools that make the everyday running of your property easier. They enable you to automate processes and expand your capabilities to achieve business goals.

Some of the tasks they’ll help your hotel with include making more money per booking, improving guest feedback and review scores, improving guest communication and experience, boosting direct bookings, and more.

Why is app technology important for your hotel?

Apps are becoming extremely important for your hotel to deliver on its promise of quality. As the hotel and travel industries attempt to wrestle back control post-COVID-19, it’s important to do everything possible to get back on top.

Your guests expect a personalised and convenient experience, and apps allow you to adapt to this growing need by prioritising data, technology, and connectivity.

They improve your ability to know what guests want and to provide the appropriate services. The tradition of limiting service and interaction to just your hotel staff and physical property is being outgrown by the ability of technology to automate and make many processes easier for guests.

With changed behaviours, altered preferences, and new expectations from guests, some hotels may need to rethink their approach, or look for help they hadn’t considered previously.

The world of hotel apps offers a wealth of opportunity to do just that.

What are the benefits of using an app to manage bookings or guest experience?

Hotel apps are often designed to complement and enhance the way you attract, serve, and gain value from your guests.

This might include direct booking plug-in apps, such as Triptease, that reduce your reliance on OTAs by giving your booking engine greater functionality. Or it might be an app that helps guests self-serve, via remote check-in for example.

A full list of how you can use hotel management apps at your property include:

• Guest experience and communication – Your guests are not just money symbols, they have the potential to be brand ambassadors. Apps can help you keep on top of communication and personalisation.
• Check-in and contactless experience – Use apps to automate and make the check-in process safe. The more time-efficient travellers become, the more time-efficiency they crave. The more convenience they’re offered, the more they want. Check-in and check-out are one of the most important places where this can be improved.
• Upselling – Any action you take at your hotel should benefit the guest first and foremost but if you can find ways to increase revenue too, all the better. The timing, tone, and regularity with which you upsell is the key to the success of your efforts. Make sure your offers to guests are appropriate in this new era – such as a room with no ‘neighbours’.
• Reputation management – Without an established and positive reputation on the web your hotel won’t capture the amount of reservations you need to run a successful business. There are apps that can take the hassle out of the entire process.
• Transport services – Convenience, safety, punctuality – all are extremely important to guests and only grow more so. Part of the guest experience with your hotel is travelling to your location. Many apps can help you organise services for your guests and keep in touch with them while in transit.

Additionally, using apps to help manage your property will ultimately make you more efficient and give you greater flexibility when it comes to technology integration, as well as more access to reports and analysis.

What are some of the best apps available for your hotel?

For a full list of the best apps available for your hotel, visit SiteMinder’s Hotel App Store here.

Some examples of best-in-class apps include:

• GuestJoy – Upselling
• Beonprice – Revenue management
• Duve – Review and reputation management
• EasyWay – Contactless experience
• Bookboost – Guest messaging
• GuestPro CRM – CRM and marketing
• Chekin – Keyless entry

Each app will have its own set of strengths and weaknesses so what’s right for you will depend on the individual nature of your hotel and the goals you have in mind.