9 Travel Concerns Met by Mobile

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Branded apps have come a long way from the days of booking only. Today’s travelers have means of eliminating a majority of top concerns at the tips of their fingers. Here are nine ways major brands are easing the guest journey:

  1. Traffic: As much fun as it would be to have an app to erase traffic jams before we arrive at them, hotels are doing the next best thing by texting guests about known traffic issues. This includes construction, parking availability, and best route information.
  2. Lines: Most people say that five minutes is too long to wait for check-in. Waiting in line for any reason is a pain, but at the end of what could have been a frustrating journey, being met with a queue can test the patience of a saint. Now, there’s an app for that. Guests can check in as they arrive, and can even use their phone as a room key.
  3. Room Ready Notifications: Early arrivals and late check outs happen. When they happen at the same time in peak season, guests can be left waiting and wondering. Today’s mobile apps can help managers track every stage of the room, then text guests to let them know as soon as it is ready.
  4. Setting Appointments: Guests can easily find available spa times or dinner reservations at the hotel and book them directly from the app. Further, hotels can send push notifications, perhaps with an added discount or perk, to fill down times or cancellations at the last minute.
  5. Personalized Service: Hotel apps give travelers a way to text requests (like cribs, food preferences, extra pillows) before arrival in order to ensure everything is ready upon arrival.
  6. Maintenance Requests: When staff is using an app that works in conjunction with guest facing apps, guests can see when their request has been accepted and how long it will take to be fulfilled.
  7. Getting Lost: Integrated maps and beacons can help travelers find their way around a large resort, and local maps available through the app can be kept up to date so guests do not get lost.
  8. Off Site Experience: Virtual concierge recommendations are supplied directly from the hotel – this means that guests are no longer depending on often unreliable apps and hotels can offer a curated, and trusted, experience even off-site.
  9. Hidden Fees: I do not have to cite the amount of surveys done that have found that guests do not like hidden fees as they’re checking out. Hotel apps can provide an itemized list of fees for guests to review and discuss long before checkout time.