Travel trend small hotels should watch — The travel app

Travel trends small hotels should watch — The travel app

Mobile is becoming increasingly prevalent in the travel industry, with more than half of travellers booking a trip via their smart phone.

As travellers look to simplify the way they book, plan and experience their holidays, demand for mobile applications is rising.

Travel apps exist in various forms. From price comparison apps and in-room apps, to route planning and geo targeted apps. In 2017, travellers are relying on technology to streamline their holiday experiences more than ever.

Travel apps are here to stay, and we’ll likely see many more intuitive tools rolled out over the next few years. The way mobile is heading in the travel industry, hotels would be wise to consider developing their own smart applications for these tech hungry travellers.

Hotels have a number of options to think about which we’ll discuss later in this post. But for starters, let’s look at app popularity in the travel industry now.

Travel app stats

• In a survey by Ask Your Target Market, 17% said they’ve used multiple mobile travel apps at some point
• 22% said they’ve used one travel related app
• 28% said they’re at least somewhat likely to download travel related apps this year
• 49% of those who’ve already used a travel app will be likely to download more this year
• 19% will look for apps that help them find deals and discounts
• 17% will look for apps that allow them to research travel or accommodations
• 17% will look for apps that facilitate route planning and navigation
• 16% want apps that allow them to research restaurants and local attractions
• 15% will look for apps that offer reviews of attractions and destinations
• 14% want apps that allow them to book their travel and accommodation

Mobile application uses in travel

Hotel apps

Many hotels have developed their own apps to improve customer service and make their guest’s lives easier.

For example, The Four Seasons Hotel has gone all out with an app that brings simplicity to almost every aspect of their guest’s stay. Guests can check in and out while on the go. They can rearrange housekeeping, order room service, or make a dinner reservation.

The app even lets you discover the best routes from the hotel to local attractions, order a taxi or request personal items.

The Four Seasons weren’t the first to fashion such an app. Many other hotels such as the Marriott, the Ritz-Carlton and Starwood have offered theirs for some time. But what the Four Seasons lacked in timeliness, they more than made up for with the apps impressive range of features.

For guests who’d rather not ring the front desk or speak to a human to get what they want, the Four Seasons app puts convenience at the forefront with a simple click.

Booking apps

Getting a good deal is important to the price conscious traveller. Before booking, guests will compare various properties and prices to ensure they’re getting the best value.

In fact, according to Adweek, 55% of travellers will consider up to 5 properties before selecting a hotel.

And consider this… In 2016, 65% of hotel reservations were made from smart phones, according to an Eye for Travel survey. Due to emerging markets in Europe and Asia, travel industry analysts expect this figure to increase significantly through 2017 and beyond.

Travel comparison and booking apps play a vital role in the booking process. Booking apps give guests the flexibility to complete reservations in the moment. They’re no longer booking holidays months or weeks in advance.

Booking apps make the need for real-time, on-demand bookings a reality. Hotels must consider this development when implementing their mobile strategy.

Planning apps

From storing travel documents to organising day trips, planning apps are growing in popularity with travellers looking for a stress-free break.

For example, TripIt is an app that helps travellers store all their travel documents in one view. This includes flight tickets, rental car reservations, travel confirmations, hotel bookings and more.

With TripIt, guests no longer need to root around their email accounts for reservation numbers or flight numbers. It’s all accessible in one window through the app.

A different kind of planning app called LonelyPlanet, lets travellers discover destinations they’d like to travel to. Travellers can add places to favourites with things they’d like to see and do while they’re in an area. In combination with their Trips app, users can share photos and videos with friends and family.

When they’re out and about they have access to more information, links, maps and more.

With more travellers placing emphasis on experiences over the materialistic, hotels should consider offering simple attraction based information to further deepen the guest experience.

Localisation apps

Localisation apps offer travellers relevant offers and recommendations based on their location and travelling preferences.

Take Booking.com, the app delivers consistent value by using APIs. These capture purchase history, location factors and traveller profiles to convert guests through highly relevant experience recommendations.

Another app called All Events in City lets users see all the events happening in the city they’re visiting. Users can set their preferences so they receive personalised recommendations, and the app even lets them see where their friends are going.

How can hotels leverage this data?

There are thousands of travel apps on the market that offer singular functionality. But where the best apps succeed is through multifunctionality — those covering the wider spectrum of travelling experiences. Apps like booking.com and TripAdvisor.

Instead of having one app that lets guests check in and order room service, and another app guests must download to plan their day trips, the key is streamlined integration and ultimate convenience for guests.

The most effective apps use consumer insights to offer the most relevant, all-round recommendations for an immersive travelling experience.

Hotels can do more to offer greater value and personalisation to their guests, and intuitive apps are an outstanding tool to facilitate this need.

As mentioned above, the Four Seasons Hotel app have gone above and beyond to bring about a do-everything app. An app that has thought about not only what guests will need while they’re at the hotel, but what they’ll need before they arrive and when they’re out in the area.

These all-inclusive apps meet the needs of today’s travellers. Demand for travel apps is growing. If hotels want to offer guests the kind of experience they’ve come to expect on their holidays, owners should consider the humble app as a way to enrich guests lives from the moment they book, to the moment they leave.