What are the 5 keys to finding the best hospitality Apps? So much has changed over the last few months. The need for innovation and technology has never been stronger. All industries are looking for ways to improve the way business is done. And, through finding the best hospitality App the hospitality industry is opening new doors to a reality that is increasingly seamless and contactless. But how do you make the right choices?
As hotels start to open up, it’s all about getting guests back again and delivering on a new and more seamless guest experience. Digital innovation, a great hospitality App and hospitality solutions are changing the way we interact with, and serve our clients.
Moreover, with all the difficulties we face due to social distancing, digital innovation is actually opening up new possibilities and revenue streams. The best choice for a hospitality app of 2021 should seamlessly be helping the hospitality industry sell more, entertain better, and most importantly, keep their guests happy. But how do you get there? And how do you find the right hospitality technology partner?
1. What defines the best Hospitality Apps / Technology / Software?
First of all – what are we looking for here? Hotel technology and software go hand in hand – and a great hospitality App is a perfect example. It is essentially technology that helps the hospitality industry improve, for example, the guest experience with less effort.
Lately, the drivers in tech innovation have become contactless, and seamless integrations (API’s). Whereas it used to be that technology, in the hotel or the room, was isolated and performed a specific function. That has all changed now, and for the guest – all the technology should feel and function as one seamless experience.
Today, hotel smart room technology and service automation help to meet the modern guest’s expectations and improve operations. It connects the guest with offerings in real-time via personal devices such as smartphones, and lets them control the full experience, from check-in to check-out – and makes sure they book to come back again. All this becomes very seamless with a customised hospitality app.
Luckily, even though developing hospitality software that integrates with existing hotel technology takes technical expertise and many years of close cooperation with the hospitality industry (for example to know exactly what integrations are needed and how those work) – installing it and reaping the benefits of your hospitality app and associated technologies is much easier, and roll-outs are fairly straight forward.
With tools like the InnSpire Hospitality App, you can have smart room technology rolled out in new or existing hotels. Behind the scenes, InnSpire acts as an integration hub that allows all the best hospitality tools to work together. On the front-end – it’s one seamless and hotel-branded experience for the guest. Imagine making it possible – an almost entirely contactless hotel experience – from check-in to check out.
Tools like ReviewMagic.AI can become key tools in driving guest satisfaction and profitability. By being able to “read” and “understand” actual reviews across virtually all review sites in virtually all languages – an AI tool can be incredibly powerful in mining and presenting the key aspects of what needs to be improved in order to drive higher average review scores and thus the ability to charge a premium.
2. Why do hotels need integration?
Technology has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives and we have almost come to expect it in most services and offerings. If you can book or buy something online – and it’s probably easier than doing it in person – you will.
The situation is no different when it comes to your guests. With the increased need for social distancing and online services, your guests will not only appreciate digitization, but they’ll also prefer it. It’s becoming the new standard feature in hospitality – like for example at the new Melia flagship hotel ME Dubai or LVMH Hospitality’s Cheval Blanc.
In fact, when it comes to the user experience – mobile is king – and so is a connected TV-experience that goes hand in hand with a mobile hospitality app. You want to offer your guests a digital solution that they can access on their browser or through your dedicated branded hotel mobile app. And, when they switch on the TV, they should get the same look and experience.
Did you know that just last year, there were already over 5 billion mobile users? It’s safe to say that your guests will be in that group – and they want to go digital.
Another important fact – over 59% of shoppers have purchased something because the offering was personalized. Now, imagine creating custom offers to different guests or types of guests based on what they liked, purchased previously, or what they opt-in for – this is what award-winning solutions such as GuestMagic.AI can deliver. Don’t limit your guest’s experience, put every offering in the palm of their hand, and in front of their eyes to expand their experience. They have come to enjoy a once in a lifetime experience with you – so let them find everything they need easily!
3. What should a great Hospitality App offer?
The best hospitality apps, aimed at the overall guest experience, should of course offer benefits to the guest AND the hotel.
For the guest, it should offer the ultimate convenience – seamless check-in, easy entertainment, simple Chromecast casting, full control of lights, temperature, and curtains in the room – all the options at their fingertips. For the hotel, it’s all about Apps that increase sales, improve data-driven decision making, create efficiencies, and leverage better reviews.
4. What are the key features to look out for in the best hospitality Apps for 2021?
With the guest experiences in mind, you want something that will streamline the bits people don’t particularly love (like booking and check-in) and boost the experiences they do love (like room service, special offers, perks, and entertainment).
These are the features a great hospitality App should automate and modernize:
Guests can now book and plan ahead of time before their trip with ease.
Online Booking – App
Booking online is the first step in creating a convenient and improved guest experience. You can also use this opportunity to get to know your guest.
Understanding more about who the guest is, and why they’re visiting (business or pleasure, family or honey-moon couple, or business traveler, etc.) will help you to create the best experience and improve sales on each visit.
Hotel technology today should be able to create a uniquely tailored guest experience for different types of guests. Here, what you likely need, is an integrated hospitality App, as part of a complete API-based ecosystem for your hospitality solutions. Connecting to sources of guest data such as a CRM like Cendyn™ or PMS like Oracle’s Opera™ can help create a more personal journey.
Guests can directly check in and get their digital hotel key using your app.
Checking in – App
Surveys have shown that guests that have to spend even 5 minutes at check-in get irritated. Why not eliminate the need for physical check-in all together, and go digital?
What is required here, among other things, is a tight and solid hospitality integration to your PMS-system – whether it’s Opera, SMS (Springer Miller Systems), Infor, Protel, Maestro, Agilisys, etc. This is something a great hotel App developer will guide you through and get done.
Mobile Key – connected door locks – Phone or App
The pandemic has shown us that commonly touched areas are hotspots. Help your guests feel safe and secure by offering contactless door opening capabilities, using smart door locks or “mobile key”. Oh, and why not digitize the keycard while you’re at it.
There are several providers of smart door locks to integrate to, but some good examples are Vingcard or Dormakaba.
Entertainment system (TV) Controlling – App or voice control
Take entertainment to the next level with your hospitality solutions. Clearly, the Hospitality App should control the TV-system, removing the need for a normal remote control.
As an example, the InnSpire experience offers voice or App-controlled entertainment that can be connected to your guests’ favorite media streaming options – so guests can watch Netflix™, HBO™, and other popular content, using Chromecast™ – just like at home.
Order your food from anywhere in the hotel.
Ordering Food & Beverage – App, TV or Voice
Guests love the convenience of ordering room service, but what about pool service? Up your sales by offering service anywhere (sometimes called H-commerce or Marketplace).
Letting your guests order online also eliminates language barrier issues that often happen over the phone. No miscommunication mishaps when it’s ordered online.
Control everything – in room control (GRMS)
For a contactless experience to be optimal, as much as possible should be controlled through the hospitality App or the TV-system. Here, hotel App API integrations become crucial. You will want to ensure that your partner can integrate into a multitude of in-rooms control systems or GRMS, such as Crestron™, Lutron™, Interel™, Inncom™, or Vitrea™, and are flexible to keep growing that list.
Order laundry etc – App / TV / Voice control
Guests don’t want to worry about laundry while traveling. Solve their dirty laundry issue with the click of a button.
Easy Payment Solutions – App / Phone / TV
If AliPay, WePay, and Apple Pay are foreign concepts to you, you’re missing out on a big chunk of your potential sales. By integrating contactless mobile payment options, hotels can potentially see up to 30% more sales.
Enrol/utilize loyalty points – App / TV
It’s important to boost customer loyalty in a time when repeat sales are crucial. By offering loyalty points and other benefits to repeat customers you can ensure continued support and a great customer experience.
Checking out with ease via your Hospitality App or TV app.
Check out – App / TV / Voice control
A quick check out is as important as that streamlined check-in. Guests need to be somewhere, don’t hold them back. Say goodbye online – maybe even order their taxi while you’re at it.
Hotel offers made easy using the Mobile and TV interfaces.
Send out personalized guest offerings like spa deals and lunch specials – App/ TV
If your guests opt-in, a great way to keep them in the loop is through personalized offerings. Did they go for a spa treatment, send them the latest specials. Were they on a business trip? Make sure they get a discount offer for their next visit.
Real-time rate/review – App / TV / Voice control
Reviews have a huge impact on your business, but it seems impossible to manage them and more importantly, avoid them. Luckily nothing could be further from the truth. As an example, using the InnSpire app you can help guests rate their experience in real-time, helping you to resolve issues before they become a negative review.
Also, by offering guests an in-house platform where they can air their grievances, you’re taking them off the public platforms where a bad review can do harm.
5. Choosing The Best Hospitality App For Your Needs
Choosing a smart solution to create your hotel mobile app with, is crucial. A hotel app is only as good as it’s integrations. You want something that is functional on a deep and integrated level – otherwise, you’re really just creating another website. Looking at Virgin Hotels for example, the focus was very much on creating one consistent seamless experience, where also the interactive TV is a central piece. While at the Melia flagship ME Dubai in the UAE, the mobile App really drives everything from check-in to check-out – including mobile key (smart door-locks) and so much more.
Getting an App that is future-proof, scalable, modular, and very well integrated is key – from a team that knows hospitality inside and out, specifically.
The guests’ journey should be improved by taking every aspect of their experience and making it easy. Many are looking for the right partner to make this happen. This is why reviews and feedback on InnSpire’s solutions are so important. “Flawless in-room entertainment environment”, “one solution that truly does it all”, and “50,000 USD revenue per month just through the InnSpire interfaces” is some of the feedback we’ve received over the years.
If you’re looking for Hospitality Apps that takes the hotel guest experience journey AND your hotel to the next level – do make sure to research and compare many potential partners. Our hope is that our fully integrated Hotel App and hospitality solutions are the digital solutions you’ve been looking for – if you are aiming to create a premium seamless experience for a contactless post Covid-19 environment.