Hotel Guest Apps in 2025: What the Data Says About Features Guests Actually Use
Over the last decade, hotel guest apps have gone from nice-to-have amenities to essential pieces of the guest experience puzzle. What used to be considered futuristic — mobile check-in, digital room keys, and instant messaging with the front desk — is now standard operating procedure for leading brands. But not all guest apps are created equal, and the difference between an app that delights and one that frustrates guests often comes down to the details.
Staying ahead of guest expectations requires more than intuition; it requires real data. Having a great guest experience platform is an essential component of any profitable and optimized hotel tech stack.
You’ve probably heard about leading guest experience solutions like Canary Technologies and Duve that have won multiple HotelTechAwards for their innovations but may not yet fully understand the capabilities and features of these leading platforms.
According to HotelTechReport’s 2025 State of Hotel Guest Tech Report, based on a global survey of over 400 recent hotel guests, nearly half of all travelers already prefer to check out using their smartphones. That number is even higher among millennials and luxury guests. In other words, guests aren’t just open to mobile-driven experiences — they’re actively expecting them. As an industry analyst who spends a great deal of time evaluating hospitality technology, I can confidently say that hotels ignoring these signals are at risk of falling behind.
Mobile Key Integration
Mobile key functionality has quickly become table stakes. Guests don’t just want the convenience of bypassing the front desk — they demand it. The most effective implementations go beyond Bluetooth entry to integrate with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, offering express mode capabilities that allow doors to unlock without guests fumbling with their phones. The technology even accounts for practical use cases, like power reserve features that allow key functionality on near-dead phone batteries. While these enhancements may seem minor, they are the difference between a guest remembering your property as effortless and modern or as outdated and frustrating.
Guest Messaging
Guest messaging sits at the core of modern guest engagement. Hospitality may be a human business, but today’s guests increasingly prefer to communicate digitally via a hotel text messaging system. Whether through in-app chat, SMS, or WhatsApp, messaging transforms service delivery — and smart automation makes it scalable. According to HotelTechReport’s 2025 State of Hotel Guest Tech Report, 70% of guests now find chatbots helpful for simple inquiries, and 39% would use one just to ask for the Wi-Fi password. This highlights not only the acceptance of conversational AI but also the growing expectation for instant answers to routine questions. The best guest apps pair automated responses with human escalation, enabling teams to handle high volumes of requests while focusing their attention where it matters most.
Contactless Check-in and Check-out
Contactless check-in and check-out features, once considered a pandemic workaround, are now firmly part of the standard guest journey. The most innovative hotel guest apps allow travelers to verify identity, pre-authorize payments, select preferences, and receive room numbers and digital keys before ever stepping onto the property. On the flip side, hotel check in software helps guests avoid lines and friction at departure. The data backs this up: HotelTechReport’s 2025 study found that almost half of guests prefer to check out using their smartphones, underscoring the need for digital solutions that deliver both speed and convenience. For luxury travelers, expectations are even higher — 43% expect not to wait in line at all.
Room service ordering
Room service has evolved from clunky phone-based ordering to a sleek digital experience. Guests now expect to browse visual menus, customize orders, and schedule deliveries at their convenience. According to the same report, nearly half of guests already use technology other than the phone to order room service. This shift has created new revenue opportunities for hotels, as digital platforms enable intelligent upsells like drink pairings or premium add-ons. When implemented well, room service ordering through a guest app boosts average check sizes, enhances guest satisfaction, and reduces operational bottlenecks.
Spa and ancillary service bookings
Ancillary revenue streams are becoming increasingly important, and hotels need to make it as easy as possible for guests to book spa treatments, activities, and other add-ons. Convenience is key — if guests need to call or visit the concierge desk to secure appointments, conversion rates will suffer. The best hotel guest apps integrate real-time booking engines that display availability, pricing, and service details in a frictionless, mobile-friendly format. Hotels that prioritize this feature not only drive more revenue but also enhance the perception of their property as guest-centric and digitally forward.
Personalization and guest profiles
Personalization has moved from novelty to necessity. Today’s travelers, particularly millennials — who are 57% more likely to be influenced by hotel technology choices, according to HotelTechReport’s findings — expect experiences tailored to their preferences. A well-designed cloud based guest app stores past behavior, loyalty program status, and known preferences to deliver targeted promotions and suggestions. Whether it’s recommending a late check-out offer to a repeat business traveler or highlighting spa availability to a leisure guest, these micro-moments of personalization drive both satisfaction and incremental revenue.
Multilingual and accessibility features
Hospitality is a global business, and technology must reflect that. The best guest apps seamlessly support multiple languages and comply with accessibility standards to accommodate guests with disabilities. Automatic language detection, clear translation, and inclusive design are no longer optional — they are table stakes for properties that want to welcome guests from around the world and all walks of life. Those that fail in this area risk alienating key demographics and diminishing their brand reputation.
PMS, POS, and CRM integration
While the guest-facing interface gets all the attention, what happens behind the scenes is just as important. Integration with a hotel’s property management system, point-of-sale platform, and CRM ensures that guest preferences, transactions, and reservations flow seamlessly across departments. A guest who orders room service through the app should see that charge reflected in real time on their folio, and spa bookings should sync with staff schedules without manual intervention. Operational efficiency, accuracy, and guest satisfaction all depend on how well these systems communicate.
Push notifications and offers
Push notifications, when used with care, are among the most powerful engagement tools in a hotelier’s digital toolkit. The key is relevance and timing. Alerts that let guests know their room is ready, promote flash sales for spa appointments, or offer last-minute upgrade opportunities can feel like personalized concierge service rather than marketing. According to HotelTechReport’s research, luxury guests are especially receptive to geolocated marketing offers, demonstrating that well-timed, location-based notifications can enhance both guest experiences and revenue outcomes.
Real-time ratings and feedback collection
Finally, the most innovative hotel guest apps close the loop with real-time feedback collection. Asking guests for ratings after key service interactions — like check-in, room service delivery, or spa visits — allows hotel teams to respond before minor issues escalate. Low scores can trigger internal alerts, enabling quick action that can turn a potentially negative review into a positive recovery moment. In a world where 48% of guests consider online reviews the main factor in choosing a hotel, according to HotelTechReport’s 2025 State of Hotel Guest Tech Report, the ability to resolve issues proactively is not just good practice; it’s mission-critical.
A hotel guest app is no longer a novelty; it’s a strategic asset that directly impacts guest satisfaction, operational efficiency, and revenue growth. The properties that will thrive in the coming years are those that treat their guest app as an extension of the guest experience — one that’s personalized, frictionless, and deeply integrated into the hotel’s broader technology ecosystem. For hoteliers looking to explore best-in-class solutions, HotelTechReport.com is an excellent starting point, offering verified reviews and in-depth analysis to guide purchasing decisions. The future of hotel technology isn’t coming — it’s here, and the data couldn’t be clearer: guests are ready.
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