Top Hospitality Apps to Improve the Guest Experience

Hospitality businesses depend on fast, top-tier service to keep guests happy. And with the right hotel management apps, a lot of the processes of running a property can be optimized, automated, and eventually, improved.

The market for hospitality apps is massive, encompassing everything from guest booking software to payment processing solutions. We've narrowed the list and compiled the best software for specific hospitality needs.

Benefits of hotel management apps

Hospitality apps have the potential to redefine hotel management, allowing guests to book and check in remotely, automating important back-end operations, and even offering cost-saving insights.

The right hospitality app can also help venues focus on specific aspects of customer service, while leaving other processes to software automation. Small hospitality venues can use apps to handle tipping and guest entertainment while larger properties automate invoicing, guest communications, and even marketing. These are all tasks that would require dozens of person-hours to complete.

1. ScreenCloud (Best for real-time communications)

ScreenCloud offers digital signage solutions that can optimize several parts of hospitality, from guests' experience to communications. For example, you can set up interactive screens that enable guests access information by simply swiping; no need for a concierge to be present for every request.

Strategically placed digital displays can also delight guests. One in the lobby can feature messaging that welcome guests and deliver critical information, while screens in rooms can show weather information, restaurant recommendations, and even the best amenities in the hotel.

And that’s just the beginning of what businesses can do with ScreenCloud's hospitality digital signage solution.

• Summary: ScreenCloud’s digital signage software empowers hotels to seamlessly communicate with guests in real-time and improve overall efficiency through screens
• Website: screencloud.com/
• Pricing: You can try ScreenCloud for free with a 14-day free trial, or book a demo for more information.

Read more: Digital signage for nightclubs and bars

2. Humanity (Best for workforce management)

Humanity is a nifty app that makes managing an entire workforce a dream. From creating schedules for different days and weeks, to inviting staff members and seeing who’s “clocked in” at any one time, it’s basically a pocket dashboard for your floor. Humanity also facilitates direct bookings, potentially increasing revenue and improving guest experience.

The app combines the functionality of various systems, helping businesses, with features like scheduling employees, tracking staff holiday and measuring and reporting on attendance.

• Summary: Humanity simplifies hospitality operations by consolidating essential functions and offering a top-tier hotel staff management solution.
• Website: tcpsoftware.com/products/humanity/
• Pricing: Humanity starts at $3 per user per month with a free trial available.

3. Alice by Actabl (Best for large hotels)

Alice is a great hotel all-round app that makes both the customer and the staff experience better. Guest-facing features include the ability to contact the concierge or front desk easily and the tools to add tickets for maintenance or cleaning requests.

Staff members can also use it to send internal messages and can manage every aspect of a guest’s experience, from wake-up call requests to room bookings, more easily.

• Summary: Alice provides large hotel groups with on-demand service capabilities, including the ability for guests to communicate via mobile messaging and generate maintenance requests
• Website: actabl.com/alice/
• Pricing: Alice's pricing information is only available on request. Businesses can also book a demo.

4. Little Hotelier (Best for small hotels)

Little Hotelier is an excellent solution for smaller accommodations like bed and breakfasts, guest houses, and campgrounds. Designed specifically for small properties, it offers an all-in-one solution that covers booking management, front desk operations, invoicing, and more.

With the Little Hotelier Mobile App, independent hotels can manage reservations, check guests in and out, and process payments right from their phones. The solution promises to help managers free up more time per guest booking, and improve overall coordination.

• Summary: Little Hotelier combines all reservations in one calendar, allowing hotels to monitor competitor pricing, automate guest communications, and save time.
• Website: littlehotelier.com/
• Pricing: Little Hotelier starts from $30 per month with a 1% booking fee. The service also offers a 30-day free trial.

5. Freshbooks (Best for financial management)

FreshBooks is an ideal app for hospitality venues looking to simplify their financial operations. The solution can handle invoicing, track cash flow, and financial reporting, making it easier to manage the money side of the business. FreshBooks also includes powerful reporting tools that enhance usability and data management, simplifying data analysis and reporting.

With FreshBooks, you can generate professional invoices quickly, automate reminders for payments, and even track expenses by snapping receipts on the go. The app also includes time-tracking features, which are especially useful for venues that offer event services, ensuring accurate billing for staff hours.

• Summary: FreshBooks streamlines accounting with automated billing and detailed financial reports, giving managers more time for operations and customer service.
• Website: freshbooks.com/
• Pricing: FreshBooks starts from $9.50 per month with a 30-day free trial available.

6. Bamboo HR (Best for HR management)

According to Award.co, the hospitality industry has the highest employee turnover rate of any industry, at 79%. This means that managers have to constantly hire new staff, a time consuming activity for small businesses and many large ones too.

Bamboo HR simplifies this process by tracking applicants, streamlining onboarding, and organizing employee records in one central database. Its custom workflows allow for better employee performance management, reducing the time spent on administrative tasks.

• Summary: Bamboo HR optimizes HR tasks, freeing up managers to focus on guest service and smooth operations.
• Website: bamboohr.com/
• Pricing: Pricing for Bamboo HR is only available on request via the website.

7. YouTube Live (Best for entertainment)

The YouTube Live app helps take care of the entertainment aspect of customer satisfaction in hospitality. It’s part of ScreenCloud’s suite of apps, and hotels can easily integrate it to their displays to broadcast a whole range of videos and entertaining content for their guests. 

The app lets you display YouTube live streams or playlists onto the screens in your network. You can also integrate these into your content schedule (maybe display some useful information for guests, switch to helpful live streams, and them pop up useful info down the line)

• Summary: YouTube Live offers hotels free guest entertainment that integrates easily with existing digital signage, requiring no additional screen setup.
• Website: screencloud.com/apps/youtube-live
• Pricing: YouTube Live is free and available for everyone with a ScreenCloud subscription.

8. GuestPro (Best for integrated hotel management)

GuestPro is a powerful, all-in-one platform that helps hotels optimize guest satisfaction and direct sales. The app claims to reduce errors by 60% and cut manual tasks by 50% and can be integrated along several aspects of daily operations, offering features like booking management and customer relationship management.

GuestPro also supports digital tourism efforts through effective channel management and robust integrations across hotel operations.

• Summary: GuestPro enhances hotel operations through automation, reducing errors, and integrating with essential software.
• Website: guestpro.com/en
• Pricing: GuestPro doesn’t offer pricing information on their website, but you can book a demo.

9. Duve (Best for guest convenience)

Duve’s platform focuses on enhancing guest experience to create a smart hotel experience. With features like online check-ins, upsells, and guest apps, it helps hotels offer seamless service, and collect feedback on their thoughts. 

Hotels will enjoy Duve’s reputation management solution because it allows for opt-in marketing and customized guest surveys.

• Summary: Duve prioritizes guest communication and feedback, helping businesses improve service based on actionable insights.
• Website: duve.com/
• Pricing: Duve starts at $6 per room per month.

10. Gracesoft (Best free hospitality app)

GraceSoft is an award-winning, all-in-one property management solution designed to streamline operations for hospitality venues. Whether you manage a small bed and breakfast or a larger resort, the solution offers tools to handle reservations, payments, housekeeping, and more—all from a single, user-friendly platform.

Gracesoft particularly shines through because of its pricing, starting at a free level, with paid plans for properties that need more. 

• Summary: GraceSoft provides small venues with a free property management plan to streamline daily tasks and deliver a professional guest experience.
• Website: gracesoft.com/
• Pricing: GraceSoft offers a free plan, with paid pricing information available on request.

11.  eTip(Best for tipping)

eTip is a hospitality app that specializes in tipping, making it easy for guests to show their appreciation for excellent service. With eTip, guests can tip hotel staff, restaurant servers, bar tenders, and other service providers with just a few clicks on their mobile phones.

The app allows users to simply scan a QR code and be guided to its tipping area. This user-friendly interface makes it easier for customers to tip at any point in their experience with the property.

• Summary: eTip modernizes tipping with a cashless, contact-free solution.
• Website: etip.io/
• Pricing: eTip does not offer pricing information on the website, but you can request a demo.

Improve the hotel experience with ScreenCloud

Of course, every hospitality venue is unique, so the specific needs for management, operations, and guest experience will differ. Whether you run a large hotel chain or need tools for restaurant management, we believe there's something for everyone in our list of top hospitality apps.

Digital signage is fast becoming a must have tool for hoteliers, with many applications and benefits from welcome boards to information, wayfinding and even self check in kiosks.

Discover the best digital signage tool for hotels from ScreenCloud. Whether you run a single hotel or a growing chain or franchise, ScreenCloud is designed to make your life easier with app integrations and automated content.

Sign up for a free trial today, or schedule a demo to find out more about ScreenCloud for hotels.