A hotel booking app is a website or application travelers use to book hotel stays, often on mobile devices. Travelers use these apps to research, book, and pay for accommodations. Many of these apps have different features and provide useful resources for travelers. For example, they might offer articles on why you should visit a destination like Qatar https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/7-reasons-why-qatar-should-your-next-travel-destination-1739242 to help you plan your trip.
Popular examples include Booking.com, Airbnb, and HotelTonight.
Why should you use the best hotel booking apps?
Hotel booking apps are a dominant source of bookings for accommodation providers, as travelers now book their trips online more often than not.
Travelers can spend up to 12 weeks researching a trip and visit up to 38 websites before purchasing. With the online travel industry generating $667.55 billion in revenue in 2023, booking apps — along with your hotel’s website — are where the money is.
Being present on the most popular booking apps helps your hotel become a top consideration for travelers. The wider you cast your net, the better. A channel manager lets you list your inventory on as many booking apps as you want without risking double bookings or inaccurate inventory.
What are the most popular hotel booking and travel apps?
The most-used apps include global marketplaces, metasearch engines, and regional specialists. Travelers often compare and book on Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Airbnb, Agoda, Trip.com, Kayak, and Trivago. Strong regional players include Wotif in Australia and RedDoorz in Southeast Asia. For deals and last-minute bookings, Hopper, HotelTonight, Hotwire, and Lastminute.com are popular.
Cheapest hotel app
There’s no single “cheapest” hotel app, as budget accommodations are available on all of them. However, specific apps like HostelWorld focus exclusively on hostels, a generally cheaper option. Hotels.com is also known for affordable accommodations. Travelers might also use metasearch apps like Trivago or local apps like Australia’s Wotif to compare prices easily.
Discount hotel app
Many hotel apps offer exclusive discounts or deals. Hopper is a fast-growing mobile app that provides personalized deals, while Kayak is another strong metasearch option for finding the best prices.
Last-minute hotel booking app
The aptly named Lastminute.com is one of the most popular choices for travelers securing rooms at short notice. HotelTonight is a similar app used frequently for last-minute bookings. Hotwire is less popular but also advertises last-minute deals.
RedDoorz hotel booking app
RedDoorz is a popular hotel booking app for Asian destinations like Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Listing on this platform gives hotels access to motivated travelers searching specifically in these regions.
Key takeaways:
- Offer competitive rates everywhere: Since there’s no single “cheapest” app, distribute competitive rates across multiple platforms to attract budget-conscious travelers.
- Target last-minute bookers: Save some rooms for apps like Lastminute.com and HotelTonight to attract spontaneous travelers.
- Use regional apps: List on apps popular with your target guests (like Wotif for Australians or RedDoorz for Southeast Asians) to reach local audiences.
Best hotel booking app in the USA
According to SiteMinder’s Hotel Booking Trends, which measures revenue generation, the best booking apps for US hotels are:
- com;
- Expedia;
- Agoda;
- Airbnb;
- HotelTonight;
- Hostelworld Group;
- Webbeds;
- Hopper;
- HotelsCombined.
Note: Direct bookings on hotel websites are the third-highest revenue source for US hotels, while Global Distribution Systems (GDS) rank fifth.
Best hotel booking app in Europe
The top booking apps vary by country in Europe. Here are the top performers in key markets:
- UK: Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, Trip.com.
- Spain: Booking.com, Expedia, Jet2holidays.
- Italy: Booking.com, Expedia, Hostelworld Group, Agoda.
- Germany: Booking.com, Expedia, HRS, Hostelworld Group.
- France: Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, Hostelworld Group.
The best app depends on your hotel’s goals and target audience. For instance, Trip.com is a prominent channel in the UK because the country attracts many travelers from China.