28.07.2025
Do's & Don'ts of Hotel Mobile Apps in 2025: From Booking to Beyond the Stay
Discover the essential do’s and don’ts of creating a mobile app that guests want to use — not just at check-in, but throughout their entire journey. Learn how to build an experience that’s valuable, connected, and unforgettable.
Hotel mobile apps used to be a nice-to-have. Today, it should be a strategic command center not just for guests, but for the entire hotel operation. Yet, despite all the potential, many hotel apps still fall short: they offer little value beyond check-in, feel disconnected from the stay, and often end up being deleted before the guest even checks out.
In 2025, mobile-first strategies are no longer just a tech trend; they're a guest expectation. Guests are accustomed to controlling their lives through their phones, from food delivery to banking, and they now expect the same level of control and convenience from hotels.
I've worked with hotels that made their apps indispensable to guests, and others that quietly buried their app project after months of silence. The difference? Clarity of purpose, innovative design, and full ecosystem integration.
Here are the do's and don'ts every hotel should know when building a mobile app experience that lasts beyond the booking.
10 DO's
1. Make a valuable app throughout the guest journey
Your app should do more than offer pre-arrival information. It should stay relevant from booking to post-stay. Think: mobile check-in, room access, real-time service requests, on-property offers, and post-stay feedback.
2. Integrate real-time service ordering and messaging
Whether ordering food, requesting fresh towels, or chatting with reception, your app should be a direct line to your hotel services. Guests expect fast, frictionless interactions.
3. Include mobile key and digital check-in features
Physical keys and front desk lines are fading. Digital key access and check-in empower guests to control their arrival, a minor feature that drives enormous satisfaction.
4. Connect your app with in-room tech like TV casting or room controls
An app that lets guests stream Netflix to the TV or adjust lighting and climate is not just cool, it's genuinely helpful. These integrations enhance comfort and boost perceived innovation.
5. Personalize the content and offers in the app
Guests should see what's relevant to them: a family-friendly tour, a couple's spa discount, or late check-out after a long flight. Use data to surface the right suggestions.
6. Offer value even if the guest never downloads it
Progressive web apps or QR-based web interfaces can replicate much of the app experience. Some guests may not want to download anything; make sure they're not left behind.
7. Make the UI intuitive and consistent with your brand
A sleek app with intuitive navigation and clear calls to action reflects your hotel's quality. Bad UX sends the opposite message.
8. Enable feedback and ratings within the app
You can encourage mid-stay feedback or prompt guests to rate services right after use. It helps resolve problems quickly and builds review volume after the stay.
9. Keep the content fresh and centralized
Menus, offers, and opening hours are subject to change. Make sure your content is managed in one place and reflects real-time accuracy across all guest-facing screens.
10. Build a post-stay communication flow
The app shouldn't go silent at check-out. Push personalized offers, loyalty rewards, or thank-you messages after the stay to extend the relationship.
10 DON'Ts
1. Don't assume guests will download your app just because it exists
Please give them a reason: mobile key, special offers, or faster service. Make the value clear, and make onboarding effortless.
2. Don't make the app a digital version of a printed compendium
A static list of hotel info is not an app; it's a brochure. Utilize interactive features that enable guests to engage, not just read.
3. Don't separate the app from on-property experiences
The guest will feel a disconnect if the app doesn't communicate with your PMS, POS, or in-room systems. Integration matters more than bells and whistles.
4. Don't overload the app with every hotel detail at once
Clutter kills engagement. Prioritize features guests need in the moment, based on their stage in the journey.
5. Don't spam users with irrelevant promotions
Push notifications can delight or annoy. Personalize your messages and respect timing and frequency.
6. Don't ignore analytics
Track what features guests use, where they drop off, and what drives conversion. Without data, you're guessing.
7. Don't neglect onboarding and awareness
Promote the app pre-arrival, at check-in, and in-room. If the guest is unaware of its existence or its significance, usage will suffer.
8. Don't forget accessibility
Your app should work for every user, regardless of language, device, or physical ability. Inclusivity is not optional.
9. Don't develop the app in isolation from staff
The front desk, housekeeping, and F&B staff should all know how the app works, where it assists, and how to support it.
10. Don't stop at check-out
If your app has no role after the guest leaves, it'll be deleted. Extend its usefulness with loyalty integration, thank-you offers, or digital receipts.
Conclusion
A hotel app in 2025 is more than just a digital brochure. It's an extension of your service, brand, and operational intelligence. The best hotel apps aren't flashy. They're frictionless.
They let the guests do what they need, when they want, from wherever they are. This drives upsell, improves communication, reduces pressure on staff, and creates stickier post-stay relationships.
So, if you're building or rethinking your app strategy, don't just ask, "What should our app do?" Ask, "What should our guests be able to do and how can our app make that easier?"
The difference between a deleted app and a daily-used one is purpose. Design for the guest, build for the journey, and connect every tap to a tangible value.
Ready to Bring Your Hotel App Strategy to Life?
If you’re looking to build a mobile app that guests actually use — and love — we’re here to help. From mobile key to smart integrations, Hoteza offers everything you need to create a seamless, connected experience.
Book a demo and see how it works in action.
