Mobile phone apps are redefining the guest experience within the hospitality industry today. These applications are being used in amazing ways to attract new guests as well as capture their loyalty due to the unprecedented convenience they provide. Not only do mobile apps help hotel businesses to improve the guest experience significantly but also help build a comprehensive and expanded database.
Here are a few facts and statistics that will help you understand the importance of hospitality app development in the hospitality industry.
- More than 85% of tourists from around the world use mobile phones while travelling.
- Almost 70% of last-minute hotel bookings are done with the help of a mobile device.
- According to a survey, 75% people say that they prefer to use mobile apps for hotel and other important bookings.
- 88% of hotel guests prefer mobile apps for getting a personalized experience.
With these statistics, it is quite clear that mobile technology is a game-changing development in the hospitality industry in terms of better consumer engagement and service.
Benefits of Hospitality App Development in the Hospitality Industry
The use of mobile apps offers numerous benefits for businesses in the hospitality industry. These include:
1. Boosts the Chances of Getting Business
In today’s technologically advanced world, guests expect hotels to have their own mobile apps. One of the most common ways customers look for businesses in the hospitality industry is by downloading apps. When a customer is trying to make a booking, they expect to be able to do so and interact with the hotel easily using an app. Therefore, if they don’t find an app, they are likely to make a booking elsewhere.
2. Ensures a Smooth Reservation Process
Using the mobile app, the hotel can create a smooth reservation process for the consumers. The customer book, confirm, make chances, buy extras, send and receive messages using the app itself. This helps in ensuring a quicker and less confusing experience for the users.
3. Improves the Brand Loyalty
Brand Loyalty can be made stronger by developing a mobile app for your hotel. Brand loyalty helps ensure the continuity of frequent visitors. Mobile apps can be used to enable booking as well as offer loyalty awards to regular customers. The businesses can also receive instant customer feedback, which can be quite helpful to learn the needs of the customers and improve the customer experience and hotel service. Technology is the best way to reach users in the present time, boost the service quality, and guarantee customer loyalty by offering direct reservations, the best room rates, and offer loyalty points.
4. Helps Gain an Edge over the Competitors
Even now, the number of mobile apps available in the hospitality industry is quite less. Therefore, it is a great time for hotels to gain a competitive edge over other businesses that have not yet developed mobile apps. Most guests demand mobile service wherever they go these days. People use apps such as Uber, LinkedIn, Instagram, Uber Eats, WhatsApp, and many others for their day-to-day requirements. Therefore, the likeliness of visitors to use the services of hotels that have mobile apps is increased in comparison to others.
5. Encourages Direct Communication between Guests and Hotel
Today, the mobile market has become an extremely important sales platform that offers efficient service and enables fast sales. By using mobile apps, the hotels can get in direct touch with their guests and other potential customers and provide them with information about special promotional offers using their own mobile apps. The apps can also be used to add a personal touch to the hotel’s service by providing information such as details of the reservation, places to visit, a welcome text, and more to the guests. The smartphone can even provide the guest with direct access to the room so they do not need to stop at the reception.
6. Allows Guests to Communicate in their Language of Choice
Mobile apps can also help translate communication between the guest and the hotel. For instance, the guests can send a message in their own native language and the app can translate it into English and send it to the hotel. This helps in ensuring that there are no misinterpretations of inquiries or requests.
7. Guarantees Pleasant Stays for Customers
The concierge service can be provided seamlessly to the guests using the hotel’s mobile application as well. A number of hotels also provide maps and guides to the guests for exploring the city. This information can also be provided using the mobile app. The guests can also utilize the app for making dinner or Spa Reservations. The hotels can also encourage guests to leave feedback about their experience at the hotel through social networks.
Now that we understand the importance of introducing mobile apps for your hospitality business, the question arises how can hotels leverage this platform for their business. Let us understand the various ways in which the hospitality industry can adopt mobile technology to offer exceptional service to its customers.
- AI-powered chat bots
- Use of BlockChain Technology
- Use of IoT to offer smart rooms to deliver incomparable comfort and convenience.
- Use of virtual assistant
- Use of VR and AR to offer unmatched booking experience
The hospitality industry is a service industry. The use of mobile technology in this industry helps ensure that the hotel provides a personalized and seamless experience to its customers. To ensure that the mobile app you develop is beneficial for your hotel business, make sure it is solving the user’s problem and providing them with real-time information. If developed correctly, the app can provide an exceptional experience to the guests and help you grow brand affinity. Airbnb is a great example of it, it has adopted mobile apps for its services. Therefore, it is a “must” when it comes to the hospitality industry today.
Having strong features in the app will help provide an excellent customer experience. It will work like a bridge between the hotel and the user and help ensure customer loyalty. This, in turn, helps ensure that the hotel receives more referrals as well as positive reviews that will lead to its growth.
