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Jordan M Hollander
CEO @ Miyako Hotel Los Angeles
Jordan is the co-founder of Hotel Tech Report, the hotel industry's app store where millions of professionals discover tech tools to transform their businesses. He was previously on the Global Partnerships team at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Prior to his work with SPG, Jordan was Director of Business Development at MWT Hospitality and an equity analyst at Wells Capital Management. Jordan received his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management where he was a Zell Global Entrepreneurship Scholar and a Pritzker Group Venture Fellow.
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QUICK SUMMARY
Having an app for your hotel can significantly facilitate and simplify work within the hotel, but also improve the guest experience by providing them with all the necessary information and services during their stay. It can answer a range of questions, from check-in, room service, towels or checking the opening hours of the hotel outlets. The goal is to reduce tasks, saving hoteliers time that would otherwise be spent on constant inquiries and phone calls from guests, and take hospitality to a higher level.
In order to choose the best guest experience app for your hotel, we surveyed 1680 hoteliers across 88 countries and extracted the most important information that we put into this comprehensive guide. You will find detailed product rankings, feature comparisons, price benchmarking, and integration interoperability that will greatly assist you in making the best decision.
Guest Experience App Software Shortlist
Here are 10 of top Guest Experience Platforms that are covered in this in-depth guide:
Choosing the right Hotel Guest Apps for your hotel depends on several variables some of which come down to personal preference but most of which come down to the characteristics of your property. Is your hotel a small property with limited budget? Or is your property a luxury resort with lots of outlets and high ADR? Below are HTR’s defined key personas based on common property characteristics that typically indicate similar product choices.
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Hotel guest apps provide hoteliers with powerful tools to enhance the guest experience while optimizing hotel operations and increasing profitability. By leveraging guest experience software, hotels can streamline key touchpoints across the guest journey, from check-in to post-stay engagement, creating a more seamless and efficient operation.
A well-designed guest app improves guest communication through real-time messaging channels like WhatsApp, SMS, and social media, allowing hotel staff to promptly address guest needs and service requests. Features like guest feedback collection help general managers monitor satisfaction levels, while guest profiles enable personalized experiences based on guest preferences.
With seamless integration into property management systems (PMS) and management software, hotels can maximize upsell opportunities. Features such as upgrades, rentals, and room service requests within the guest app encourage guests to spend more during their stay. Additionally, by using a digital guest platform, hotels can drive direct bookings, reducing dependency on third-party OTAs.
By automating workflows, guest apps reduce reliance on manual processes, significantly improving operational efficiency. Automation of check-in, concierge services, and service requests allows hotel staff to focus on high-value interactions rather than administrative tasks. Integrated guest experience platforms and management software ensure efficient handling of requests, optimizing staff productivity.
With features like QR code-enabled check-ins and contactless processes, hotels can streamline the front desk experience, reducing queues and freeing up staff for personalized guest interactions. Guest segmentation allows for targeted messaging and promotions, further enhancing the guest experience while reducing unnecessary administrative tasks.
A user-friendly guest experience software aggregates valuable guest information, enabling hotels to refine pricing, optimize segmentation, and tailor offers based on guest preferences. Success stories from leading providers demonstrate how using hotel management and guest experience software improves the customer experience and drives profitability.
Implementing a hotel guest app is no longer a luxury but a necessity in the hospitality industry. Hotels that embrace software solutions with seamless integration into their PMS and hotel operations can significantly improve the guest experience, increase revenue, and achieve greater operational efficiency—ultimately leading to long-term success in an increasingly digital-first landscape.
Hotel guest experience software serves to enhance the hotel guest experience by providing convenient and personalized services.
There are several essential apps that simplify everyday activities and make guests' stay as comfortable as possible:
Guest Engagement Apps: Guest engagement apps provide easy access to hotel services, such as mobile check-in and check-out or access to digital room keys, ordering room service or recommendations for local attractions and activities.
Mobile Check-In/Check-Out Apps: They allow guests to check-in and check-out from the hotel using their mobile devices without waiting in line at the reception desk. With contactless room access, such as digital room keys, mobile check-in/check-out apps make guest’s stay more comfortable.
Concierge and Guest Service Apps: Concierge apps allow guests to book specific activities such as tours, make restaurant reservations, request room service or housekeeping services.
In-Room Experience Apps: In-room experience apps include features related to hotel room amenities. Guests can control room temperature, lighting and entertainment systems or order room service directly from their mobile devices.
Communication and Messaging Apps: Communication and messaging applications enable communication between guests and hotel staff. Guests have the opportunity to ask questions, report problems, or make suggestions through their phones.
Hospitality apps are an inextricable link between guests and your hotel, whether guests are in a hotel room seeking room service or out and about seeking local advice from a concierge.
These are the key functionalities a great hospitality app should deliver:
They undoubtedly improve the guest experience by providing them with information at all times while increasing profitability.
Offering a mobile app (eg Android, iOS/iPhone) instead of a web-based app) provides a richer user experience in terms of content and functionality.
The hotel has more opportunities to increase guest wallet share by sending targeted property-specific notifications and encouraging guest spending.
Guests can submit requests via the mobile app. Whether it's a late check-out request, room service, or a simple request for extra towels, the app should be able to receive and process those requests.
The app offers messaging functionality for guests to interact with staff in real time.
The major trends in hospitality apps include:
Hospitality Internet of Things: A mobile app should allow your guests to have complete control over their stay and room experience by being able to use their phones to access their guest rooms, turn on the lights, adjust the thermostat and access the TV.
Personalization: By mapping data across multiple guest touchpoints, hotel applications can use data modeling of guest behavior to personalize needs during their stay.
Contactless check-in: Guests have the option to skip the front desk and go straight to their rooms upon arrival with the mobile check-in feature within their apps.
- Do you build apps that can integrate into my hotel brand app? Hotel brands need access to a complete SDK to make app functionality within their branded app. Some vendors also provide white-label apps that can be branded to your property, or fully customized app builds for additional functionality. - Can guests use your mobile app for mobile room key? A hotel mobile app should securely create a mobile key for your guest reservations. It’s critical for any hotel app to integrate with many industry-wide lock vendors and hardware partners to provide a seamless experience. - Will your app integrate with my existing loyalty program? Hotel apps add the most value for repeat guests. By integrating into your loyalty program, not only will you get a higher ROI by encouraging loyalty members to download the application, but you will also be able to serve up more targeted offerings. Increased adoption and more targeted offerings combined remove friction between guests and their desires on property services while driving increased revenue uptake.
- Property management system: To capture and relay guest info to and from App to PMS easily and allow guests to check-in from their phone - Point of sale (POS): An integration between your POS system and your mobile app allows guests to make purchases within the app, either from your in-room dining menu or in-app retail store. - Staff collaboration software: For seamless ordering of service requests and to communicate effortlessly with the staff regardless of where the guest is. Apps connecting guests directly to staff in an interactive format make hotel management a breeze. - Mobile key solutions: Your mobile app should integrate with mobile key solutions, which allows guests to use their mobile device as a room key. This streamlines the guest experience and reduces friction at the front desk. - Loyalty programs: Your mobile app should integrate with your existing loyalty program and provide your loyalty members with easy access to their loyalty profiles, benefits, and points.
In the wake of the pandemic, the hotel industry has undergone a massive digital transformation with automation and digital solutions spreading throughout hotel properties of all shapes and sizes. Travelers are demanding more control over their stay and personalized experiences than ever before. A hotel mobile app is a downloadable digital solution for smartphones and tablets that serves as a key touchpoint for hoteliers to elevate their guests' experience during their stay. Mobile apps allow hotels to connect with their guests and expose their services and offerings through another, more direct, channel - increasing guest engagement and expanding reach with offers and hotel services. Having a mobile app also opens up a clear line of communication between hotels and guests. In addition to accessing hotel information, such as services and amenities, guests can check-in remotely, place service requests, order room service, and engage with all the hotel’s offerings, all in a single place. Offering a mobile app is a key differentiator for hotel guests.
Canary Technologies' guest experience platform for 2024 as named in the 2024. This comprehensive mobile app, available for both iOS and Android devices, offers a range of functionalities designed to enhance the guest journey and streamline hotel operations. The app facilitates a contactless check-in process, allowing guests to bypass the front desk through mobile or online check-in, which contributes to a seamless experience from the moment of arrival.
The app is integrated with property management systems (PMS), which helps in automating workflows and improving operational efficiency. This integration enables real-time updates and notifications, enhancing guest satisfaction by ensuring that guest requests and service requests are addressed promptly. The app also supports in-app functionalities like room service ordering, making service requests, and accessing concierge services, all designed to enhance guest engagement and convenience.
For hoteliers, the app provides tools for upselling and direct bookings, which can improve revenue while reducing dependency on third-party booking platforms. The guest experience app also supports QR code functionalities for accessing hotel services and automates messaging through SMS, enhancing the contactless and user-friendly nature of the guest services.
With its focus on automating and streamlining hotel services, enhancing guest satisfaction, and integrating smoothly with existing hotel management systems, the guest experience app from Canary Technologies stands out as a robust solution in the hospitality industry, particularly for hotel chains, hotel groups, and boutiques seeking to elevate their guest experience.
A guest service app is a digital tool designed for the hospitality industry to enhance the guest experience at hotels, resorts, and other accommodations. This type of app is typically available on mobile devices, both iOS and Android, as well as a web app, allowing guests to access various hotel services conveniently from their own devices.
Key functionalities of a guest service app include:
Mobile Check-In/Check-Out: Allows guests to check in or out of their accommodations without needing to visit the front desk, facilitating a contactless and streamlined arrival or departure. Room Service: Enables guests to order room service directly through the app, providing a convenient and efficient way to request food and beverages. Service Requests: Guests can request additional services like extra pillows, toiletries, or maintenance directly from the app. Concierge Services: Provides information and booking capabilities for local attractions, transportation, and more, similar to a traditional concierge but accessible via the guest's mobile device. Notifications and Messaging: Sends real-time updates and messages to guests about their stay, special offers, and other relevant information. Direct Bookings and Upselling: Facilitates direct bookings through the app and offers upgrades or additional services, enhancing revenue opportunities for the hotel. Integration with Hotel Systems: Often integrated with the hotel’s property management systems (PMS) and point of sale systems (POS), which helps streamline operations and improve service delivery. Guest service apps aim to make the hotel experience more convenient, personalized, and satisfying for guests, while also improving operational efficiency and guest engagement for hoteliers.
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