Hotel booking apps have become a necessity in today’s digitally driven market. The apps pose some unique challenges for hoteliers. However, the advantages dwarf these initial speed bumps. Apps make it easier for potential guests to find you and lock in their reservations. Likewise, visibility within the digital ecosystem gives you a significant competitive advantage. The benefits will continue to grow as mobile booking further dominates the industry.

In this article, you’ll learn about the best mobile apps for your unique distribution mix and how to create a solid implementation strategy to increase revenue and overall success.

Table of Contents:

What is a Hotel Booking App?

A hotel booking app is a fairly broad term that encompasses most digital platforms that can be used to search for lodgings and make reservations online. The apps typically let people compare elements like amenities and overall cost. However, there are just as many benefits for hoteliers. An app provides greater exposure for your property, but it also creates a direct line of communication with potential guests. You’re given the chance to market to people without the need for costly direct advertising. The potential guests come to you rather than the other way around. Hoteliers also benefit from features like guest analytics, revenue reports, inventory management, PMS and channel manager integration, rate optimization, and more. The best hotel booking apps also integrate with your existing or newly implemented technologies.

Video: What is the Best Hotel Booking Site? | Expedia vs. Hotels.com vs. Booking.com

Why Hotel Booking Apps are Important for Modern Revenue Strategy?

The world has become heavily integrated with both the internet and mobile technologies. An increase in both of these elements will inevitably increase hotel bookings online. When people always have a method of browsing options by their side, then it’s going to be their preferred method of doing so. Online booking is always growing in popularity, and mobile devices are the preferred way to do so. The statistics prove it, with analytic data demonstrating that the majority of online reservations begin with mobile devices. This marks a significant change for both parties. The hospitality industry stands to gain significantly from exposure and access to new markets. The best hotel booking apps use a sophisticated methodology to link travelers to accommodations that can match their needs. This often means increased target efficiency, which would normally come at a significant cost. Instead, both parties benefit thanks to efficient apps.

What are Hotel Distribution Channels?

Before looking into the best hotel booking apps, you’ll need to consider an important element of how they function – hotel distribution channels. Distribution channels describe how a hotel markets its services to prospective guests.

  • Direct Channels: Direct bookings made through the hotel’s own website or over the phone. It’s the preferred option since there’s no extra cost from 3rd party middlemen.
  • Indirect Channels: Bookings made through third parties like Global Distribution Systems (GDS), Online Travel Agencies (OTA), wholesalers, and metasearch engines. Hotels benefit from extended reach but typically incur extra costs.

If you can manage to leverage these distribution channels, you’ll have a balanced distribution strategy that can provide both advantages. The article “The Most Important Online Distribution Channels for Hotels” provides more insights about the hotel distribution channels.

Video: What are Hotel Distribution Channels?

Key Features to Leverage the Best Hotel Booking Apps

Leveraging the best hotel booking apps means optimizing your property on the available booking platforms. Focusing on the following features will optimize your ROI while increasing hotel bookings through improved viability.

  • Competitive Set Positioning: The best hotel booking apps for hoteliers simplify competitor benchmarking. This allows for a streamlined strategy to build competitive value perception.
  • Strategic Content Management: You can describe and curate photos with the best hotel booking apps to increase conversion rates. Regular updates increase booking rates.
  • Dynamic Pricing Integration: The best hotel booking apps are often able to tie into 3rd party APIs. This allows for real-time updates to create system-wide pricing parity.
  • Review Response Management: Review systems within an app can help you provide prompt responses. Attentive responses increase conversion rates guest confidence, and provide reputation management.
  • Mobile-Specific Promotions: The best hotel booking apps are often paired with mobile-specific promotions that target price-sensitive demographics. This can help improve booking while avoiding larger-scale discounts.
  • Loyalty Program Integration: Booking platforms can link with OTA partners to drive repeated stay conversions from OTA guests.

best hotel booking apps - Key Features to Leverage the Best Hotel Booking Apps

10 Best Hotel Booking Apps for Hoteliers to Increase Room Sales

You can use the best hotel booking apps to improve RevPAR and position yourself ahead of properties with limited presence on channels. Doing so involves understanding each platform’s specific advantages.

Booking.com – Best for Global Reach

Booking.com has an impressive level of market penetration, with over four hundred million visitors each month from two hundred and twenty-six countries and territories. This makes it one of the best OTA platforms for hotels. The platform’s Genius loyalty program can also boost overall visibility. However, this does come with the weight of extra discounts. You’ll also find impressive analytics, which includes market comparisons, conversion rates, and records of cancellations. The “Preferred Partner Program” is of special interest to revenue managers as it can provide up to 40% increases in visibility, but that does come with an increased commission rate. Add in its other features like market-specific optimizations and support for multiple languages, and it’s easy to see why it’s among the best hotel booking apps, even with the additional commission costs. The article “Booking Admin: Increase Bookings with your Booking.com Listing!” provides more information about how to use this app to optimize your listing and attract more bookings.

Video: Maximize your Booking.com Bookings with Visibility Booster

Expedia – Best for Package Distribution

Expedia earns its place among the best hotel booking apps in part because of its impressive reach. The platform has had over 145 million downloads and is used in over 75 countries. The platform’s scope goes beyond what you might suspect due to its subsidiaries. When you’re using Expedia, you’re linked to Travelocity and Hotels.com. Users will also enjoy powerful analytic tools that can analyze patterns in booking, market trends, and pricing. The system’s market insights add greater context to these numbers and their use in developing a pricing strategy. Likewise, its Rev+ can search out options for rate adjustment based on metrics derived from demand data. Expedia’s commission rate is around 15-30%, and package bookings have lower rates. If you want to find more information about how Expedia can optimize your hotel listing and maximize bookings, read “Expedia Login: How to Optimize Your Expedia Extranet for More Bookings.”

Video: How Does Expedia Travel Ads Help Hoteliers to Increase Direct Bookings?

Hotels.com – Best for Repeat Guest Potential

Hotels.com is part of the Expedia Group and is among the top OTA platforms for hotels looking to increase repeat customers. One reason the platform has been so successful in this endeavor is its “collect 10 nights, get one free” model. This gives people a strong reason to commit to repeat stays and has shown an increase in repeat bookings of around 22%. Hotels.com also offers a “Secret Prices” option, which can dramatically increase visibility. However, the feature does come with a need for stronger discounting. The Preferred Partner program also offers options for increased visibility. Properties can even leverage the system’s set analysis tools for competitive benchmarking.

Video: Hotels.com Affiliate Program | Earn Money from Hotels.com

Agoda – Best for Asian Market Penetration

Agoda is a channel that optimizes your exposure to travelers from Asian markets. This market penetration includes Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. The conversion rate for Western properties reaching out to the Asian market is typically around three to five times higher than with competing platforms. Another element that ranks Agoda among the best hotel booking apps is its revenue management options. You can leverage inventory allocation and rate plans to optimize your yields during both high and low seasons. The platform’s commission rates are around 18-25%, operating through a merchant model. You also have options for increased visibility through Agoda’s bidding system. Agoda’s price matching should also be of special interest to revenue managers.

Video: How to List Property on Agoda

HotelTonight – Best for Distressed Inventory Management

HotelTonight is now owned by Airbnb and provides some strong options for last-minute inventory. This is one of the best mobile hotel reservation platforms for unsold rooms that need to be filled as quickly as possible. One of HotelTonight’s strongest demographics is travelers who are making a spontaneous decision to stop for the night. Tools like GeoRates make it easier to specifically target travelers by location. Its “Daily Drop” increases visibility even more, but requires greater discounts. On average, 60-70% of unsold rooms are successfully converted.

Priceline – Best for Opaque Distribution

Priceline is one of the best hotel reservation management apps if you’re interested in opaque distribution. Using “Express Deals” will let your property remain unnamed in the system until booking is finalized. This makes it an ideal option to move distressed inventory. The commission rate when doing so is between 18% and 22%. Priceline’s options for opaque distribution can go even further through “Name Your Own Price,” which balances higher discounts with controlled inventory management. The “PriceBreakers” option often achieves an additional conversion rate of 30%.

Trivago – Best for Competitive Intelligence

Trivago is better seen as a metasearch agent rather than as a full OTA. The service charges on a cost-per-click model to direct web traffic to sites that offer booking options. The system also provides numerous competitive intelligence tools for hoteliers. For example, the Business Studio lets you see how properties are displayed on different booking channels, along with metrics like price comparisons for parity. This makes it easier to maximize visibility and cohesion over multiple OTAs. Trivago itself influences around 8% of OTA bookings.

Video: Improve Your Hotel’s Online Marketing Performance with Trivago

KAYAK – Best for Corporate Travel Visibility

KAYAK provides a number of features that hold special appeal to anyone aiming for visibility in corporate travel. The app for Business provides several options tailored for travel management on a corporate level, leveraging the more unconstrained views of cost. It’s also among the best hotel booking apps for staying competitive, as it offers price alerts that can fit into rate adjustment strategies. KAYAK’s metasearch model also raises visibility with high-intent travelers who are actively weighing their options. On top of that, the platform’s direct partnership program gives hotels the ability to highlight the benefits of direct booking.

Airbnb – Best for Boutique Hotel Distribution

Airbnb rose to fame through vacation rentals, but it’s grown into a full platform for independent hotels and boutiques. This is a significant evolution, as Airbnb has over 150 million users. Likewise, the commission rates are typically lower than with other OTAs at 14-16%. It’s among the best hotel booking apps, partly because of its growth. For example, it’s “Airbnb for Work” that directly focuses on business travel. Travel on business-related ventures has been traditionally hotel-dominated but is currently growing three times faster than leisure bookings on Airbnb. Independent hotels currently report 12-18% boosts in incremental bookings. The length of stay with Airbnb is usually longer, at 4.2 to 2.1 nights. Likewise, earlier booking windows can be seen with a difference of 24 to 14 days. If you want to find detailed information about how to maximize revenue earned on the Airbnb app, read “Airbnb Pricing Strategies: Ultimate Guide for Revenue Management.”

Video: Airbnb – How Hotels Can Also Use the Platform to Diversify Their Online Distribution

Luxury Escapes – Best for Premium Property Positioning

Luxury Escapes leans into the demographic of more affluent travelers who are happy to pay extra to receive extra. As such, Luxury Escapes emphasizes curated offers and value-adds rather than the discounts typically leveraged by the other best hotel booking apps. Marketing on the platform tends to use storytelling to enhance branding and perceived value beyond what’s typically seen with OTA listings. As a brand enhancement, Luxury Escapes often provides a 15-20% boost in direct bookings through brand awareness. The platform’s commission ranges from 20% to 30%.

How Can Hotel Booking Apps Help Optimize Your Revenue

Revenue optimization is an important part of the best hotel booking apps. Planning for OTA to maximize your potential can help boost your RevPAR even after accounting for commission costs. The following are among the app’s most important contributions.

Extended Market Reach

Visibility is directly tied to occupancy rates, and the best hotel booking apps help you attract that attention. The systems extend beyond your normal marketing limits to reach individuals from all over the world. This exposure can give even independent properties a similar level of exposure as major brands. It’s a way of reaching the eyes of potential guests when they’re still in the planning phase of their trip, even if your marketing is limited.

Inventory Segmentation Capabilities

The best hotel booking apps are amazing aids for strategic planning with inventory controls, rate plans, and more. You can easily create targeted pricing strategies and deploy them by advance purchase windows, channel, length of stay, type of room, etc. Likewise, most apps offer tools that can scale restrictions by market condition or date. These strategies can boost ADR over the full distribution mix.

Market Intelligence Access

Booking platforms can provide market insights such as demand forecasts, competitive set performance, and overall pricing trends. These data points can be used for rate optimization and RevPAR growth, which pushes beyond what would be possible with internal data alone. You can essentially see trends as they emerge and act before they impact bookings. This allows for a strategic, proactive approach. The best hotel booking apps give you a broad overview of the larger market.

Enhanced Visibility During Need Periods

You can easily leverage increased visibility for short-term occupancy through “flash sales,” “mobile-only” deals, and similar promotions. This can help you deal with periods of fluctuation to even out variables such as seasonal demand. The best hotel booking apps let you further hone this concept for targeted promotional timing that can match specific demographics.

Ancillary Revenue Opportunities

Most of a property’s value-added and ancillary services can be promoted and sold through the best hotel booking apps. Spa or dining packages, room upgrades, and changes to check-in/out times are all options. The systems often take this a step further by strategically placing the opportunities at points where the chance of conversion is highest. Additionally, the platforms can provide enhanced post-booking communication options that will both add opportunities for upgrades and create a better experience for guests. You can read more detailed information about revenue maximization in the article “The Five Building Blocks of Hotel Revenue Maximization.”

best hotel booking apps - How Can Hotel Booking Apps Help Optimize Your Revenue

Tips for Maximizing Return on Distribution Investment

You can ensure you’re getting the most out of the best hotel booking apps by managing commission costs and integrating these tips into your overall strategy.

  • Implement Rate Parity: You can stay distinct with value-adds while sticking with a stable base rate. This incentivizes direct booking.
  • Leverage Ranking Algorithms: The best hotel booking apps provide more elements related to visibility than just price. Guest reviews, response time, and content quality all influence ranking algorithms.
  • Use Stay Restrictions: Prevent dilution during high-demand periods by leveraging minimum stay requirements. This minimizes disruption of the short-stays with extra value.
  • Monitor Attribution: Last-click attribution is just one data point. Use the best hotel booking apps to research attribution with hotel direct channels and informed commission costs.
  • Maintain Consistency: You can use the best hotel booking apps to stay consistent with your branding, including photography, messaging, and descriptions. Accuracy ensures guests know what to expect and aren’t disappointed.
  • Manage Reviews Proactively: A well-planned response program ensures you discover reviews and respond to them across all platforms in a way that increases both conversion rates and ratings.

Video: Hotel Distribution Strategy: Must-Have Tips for Maximum Profitability

What to Consider When Managing Hotel Booking App Distribution

You’ll also need to keep some additional factors in mind when optimizing your channel to ensure your strategic planning and brand positioning.

  • Commission Structure Analysis: Your full acquisition costs go beyond base rates. The best hotel booking apps can help you work with promotional requirements, processing fees, and placement fees.
  • Extranet Management Resources: Working with platforms requires a proper assessment of resources. You might need additional staff allocation to manage everything.
  • Channel Conversion Performance: The best hotel booking apps will help you track booking-to-inquiry ratios. When you see disparities, look for price positioning or content problems.
  • Mobile-Specific Optimization: Because booking often begins on mobile, conduct audits with the best hotel booking apps to ensure your content displays correctly.
  • Cancellation Policy Alignment: Test your policies to identify their impact on materialization and conversion rates. Alignment involves a balance between revenue and booking volume.
  • Channel Manager Integration: The best hotel booking apps help ensure reliable channel management. Issues such as connectivity problems can lead to lower positioning on hotel booking platforms for hospitality businesses.

Digital Marketing Trends for Hotels

The best hotel booking apps are an important element of digital marketing. However, the apps are only one piece of a larger puzzle. The ideal distribution strategy will incorporate a variety of different high-tech solutions into a singular whole that benefits booking patterns over all possible channels.

You’ll learn about methods to incorporate VR, voice search, data-driven marketing, AI, and more into your business plan in the article “Beyond the Basics: 6 Digital Marketing Trends for Hotels.”

Best Practices for Managing Length of Stay Restrictions

You can often optimize your distribution strategy over multiple booking platforms through strategic length-of-stay management. The careful use of length of stay management will let you harmonize the relationship between average daily rate and occupancy.

You can learn about the different forms of length-of-stay management and how to optimally leverage them in the article “Best Practices for Managing Length of Stay Restrictions in Hotels.”

Best hotel booking apps provide inherent benefits across almost all usage scenarios. However, the best of the best is always going to be unique to your own needs. So take a moment and consider which one speaks to you most strongly.

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.