The travel industry has evolved since the turn of the century and there has been a dramatic shift in travellers' expectations for customer service. As smartphones become increasingly common, people find it much more convenient searching for hotels and vacation rentals on them.
Travel agencies, aggregators, and hotel websites must cater to omnichannel shoppers today who switch between desktop, mobile, and web apps. Developing a hotel booking app is therefore a good way to provide enhanced customer support, conveniently book flights and hotels, and more.
Learn how to create a hotel booking app, what features to include, and how much it costs.
Many people wish to take a break from the repetitive nature of life and mundane work. Choosing a place to stay is usually the most time-consuming part of such a plan. And, having an app to help with the process makes everything much more convenient.
The travel and hospitality industry has been growing at a rapid pace in the last few years with more and more people looking for ways to break away from the boring monotony of everyday life. Hotel booking apps have gained a lot of popularity by reducing the tediousness of finding and booking a place to stay.
Hotel booking apps play a huge role in influencing the decision-making process of a major percentage of travellers. Some of the benefits these apps provide include:
Check-in apps simplify registrations and reduce long queues at reception, improving the guest experience and increasing employee productivity.
Your staff can save money and time with a mobile hotel reservation app.
With an app, hotel businesses can connect with customers directly building brand loyalty.
With a branded mobile app, you can reach out to your audience and win them over. Features such as in-app messages, chatbots, push notifications, etc can be used for this purpose.
Mobile apps can be used to gather valuable insights into how people respond to the services provided by a business. Customer visits, bookings, satisfaction level with the services offered, etc can be used to analyse and improve the services.
You have two options when developing hotel booking mobile apps.
1.You can assign the entire process of development, such as research and analysis, design, development, quality check, deployment, etc to a hotel booking mobile app development company such as Neetable.
2.Understand the process thoroughly and build it yourself.
Hotel booking apps typically operate on three types of business models.
Using this type of business model, the app owner buys a certain number of hotel rooms wholesale at a discounted rate from the hotel. E.g., Expedia.
You can earn money from your hotel booking app through the advertising model. Redirecting users to hotel websites is how app owners make money. E.g., Tripadvisor.
One of the main reasons for this app's popularity is that it's very easy to use. Users browsing through hotel booking apps for a comfortable place to stay are presented with a wide selection of hotels offering flexible prices. Once the user has found something to his liking, he can make the booking directly on the app. E.g., booking.com.
Popular hotel chains such as Ritz-Carlton, Grand Hyatt, and Marriott have apps specifically designed to integrate all of their brands and resorts into one app. Having a personal app for your hotels you can ensure that your guests feel welcomed by being able to add any special requests through the app.
When your users want to look for a suitable accommodation for their purpose, sorting through a long list of options can be a cumbersome process. A search criterion based on different parameters can make this easier.
With a GPS integration enabled on your app, users can be allowed to search for hotels near them to make it even more convenient.
The Filter option allows the user to focus on options catering to their preferences such as budget, ratings and reviews, proximity, etc.
Sorting further allows the user to prioritize based on set preferences.
With features such as a photo gallery, ratings and feedbacks from past travellers, etc, you can make the process of picking out a destination easier for a user.
The payment gateway is the end of the funnel. Ensure that you provide an easy and safe transactional experience for your users. There are some hotels that allow payment at the time of check-in, which may be the preferred mode of payment for customers. But if a user wants to pay in advance, provide several payment options.
When a booking is completed or the user returns, registration offers extra benefits, as it enables tracking of user activity and providing personalized information. You may register on the website, through your social media account, or by email.
A user can create a wish-list, choose the language, currency, and more, as well as keep track of their booking history. This feature can be used to enable personalized offers and discounts based on the data in the profile.
Most hotel booking sites practice a free cancellation policy extending up to the day of check-in. This assures the customers that they are free to change their mind.
The hotel can be experienced first-hand through photographs, videos, and a virtual tour using 360-degree images.
Customer location should be taken into consideration when designing a personalized app.
By analyzing the data from the dashboard, admin can enhance his decision-making. For e.g., during low booking seasons, bookings can be offered at a discounted rate.
Through push notifications, customers are notified about all new features added to the app, including discounts and offers.
Third-party integrations, such as Ola, Uber, etc., make it quite easy for users to book a mode of travel.
Using the app, users can browse a long list of hotels and select a hotel based on price and comfort.
A third-party integration also allows users to reserve a table at their desired restaurant in advance.
In addition to booking hotels, your app should provide a trip organizer to help users plan their entire trip.
The cost of mobile app development for a hotel business is comprised of various factors such as:
You must also consider the number of resources you need, which may vary depending on the type of application, number of features, and how complex the project is.
The development cost also depends on the country where services are offered. Have a look at the hourly rates of developers based on their location.
Travel & hospitality is embracing online, mobile, and all-in-one approaches as the norm. Technology is reshaping the market in a big way. You can either be a part of the future or a thing of the past. Ensure that your decision is well-considered and smart. Let's discuss your project. Connect with us
Step 1. A user searches for and books a hotel room for his stay.
Step 2. The availability of the room is then updated across the system.
Step 3. The user then receives a confirmation mail with other required details on successful booking.
Step 4. Review requests and also promo codes can be sent to the user to encourage him to use the service again.
A hotel booking mobile app development cost can start from $25,000 depending on the platform developed on and also the scale and complexity of the project.
If you have decided to build a hotel booking app, you can either develop it yourself with the help of your in-house team or you could outsource it to a leading hotel booking app development company like Neetable.
As mentioned above developers cost details, average hourly rate:
It depends on developer experience it may change.