An App?

[Arks]

I've always ignored all those helpful emails I get from companies saying, your hotel needs an app so people can order room service from their phone. Silly, I thought, Why would I need that.
But today I got this email from Booking, saying...
Make guests feel right at home with a digital welcome book. This app lets you share travel directions, WiFi codes and restaurant tips in a matter of minutes – all packed in a beautiful design that works on phone, tablet or laptop.
[Start my free trial]
Well, the "Start my free trial" button means it's not free after the trial, so that's not gonna happen. But I could see the value of something guests could install on their phone that had all that info: directions to find me, the inn wi-fi code, etc. so they didn't have to print all that out from my welcome email and carry it with them. Most people aren't going to take the time to put the email on their phone, but a simple one click and it's there as an app icon, that could be handy.
Anybody have any thoughts on it, and a free way to get it set up?

 

[user 26]

I saw one called hostfully. It was free to set up for the basic plan and $10 a month for the 'pro' plan. Of course, most things start out free and then .....
I did wonder if it was shared info ... if what you enter goes into a big database ... but it would be so helpful to have updated links to local restaurants and places of interest. Live info is so much more appealing than those books we work so hard on, then ripping out pages or printing new ones that quickly become outdated. I think I would pay for that service, rather than constantly trying to chase down the latest info for my guests.
hostfully. com/ pricing

 

[Morticia]

I think more people have their email on their phone than don't. I'm not likely to download an app to my phone just to get directions, etc about my lodging. On a 2 week vacation that could mean 4 or 5 different apps.
But, that's me. The person who just got a smartphone.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Are QR codes dead? I've thought about doing a web page or blog post that has all that info but isn't shown on my website and giving them a QR code which would take them there.
I guess it could also be just a link they can go to on an unpublished page of my website.

 

[JimBoone]

Dumb question perhaps
What is the benefit of an App vs a responsive website that can be viewed on a phone or tablet?
If we provided a page(s) on a decent responsive site wouldn't it provide the guest with the same experience or benefits?

 

[Arks]

I think more people have their email on their phone than don't. I'm not likely to download an app to my phone just to get directions, etc about my lodging. On a 2 week vacation that could mean 4 or 5 different apps.
But, that's me. The person who just got a smartphone..

But, that's me. The person who just got a smartphone.

You read my mind ;-)
I can see where an app would be more convenient than an email, in that it would be there on your smartphone menu. Just touch it and you have the info, vs. an mail you have to go looking for in your email app. Once the stay is over, apps are easy to delete from the device just by holding down the app icon and selecting delete.

 

[Arks]

I saw one called hostfully. It was free to set up for the basic plan and $10 a month for the 'pro' plan. Of course, most things start out free and then .....
I did wonder if it was shared info ... if what you enter goes into a big database ... but it would be so helpful to have updated links to local restaurants and places of interest. Live info is so much more appealing than those books we work so hard on, then ripping out pages or printing new ones that quickly become outdated. I think I would pay for that service, rather than constantly trying to chase down the latest info for my guests.
hostfully. com/ pricing.

hostfully. com/ pricing

Thanks. I'll take a look!

 

[user 26]

I think it was intended as an air listing help ? but it was being used to show area highlights.

 

[Arks]

Dumb question perhaps
What is the benefit of an App vs a responsive website that can be viewed on a phone or tablet?
If we provided a page(s) on a decent responsive site wouldn't it provide the guest with the same experience or benefits?.

Dumb question perhaps
What is the benefit of an App vs a responsive website that can be viewed on a phone or tablet?
If we provided a page(s) on a decent responsive site wouldn't it provide the guest with the same experience or benefits?

Are QR codes dead? I've thought about doing a web page or blog post that has all that info...

I wouldn't want some of the info, like the inn's wi-fi password, live on a website, even if it's not a web address I openly advertise. This would be info only registered guests would get.
QR codes are for print, like in ads or brochures. In an email or blog post or webpage, better to just give a hyperlink they can click to go to the web page with the info, rather than making them launch their QR reader to read the code that takes them there.

 

[Arks]

I think it was intended as an air listing help ? but it was being used to show area highlights..

I think it was intended as an air listing help ? but it was being used to show area highlights.

I checked it out. Hostfully is not an app. Instead, you give the guest a custom URL they go to and get their info. That could work.
But I checked the app Booking is offering and it's only $4.66/month, so if I'm going to pay, that would be preferable to paying Hostfully $10/month.
I think I'll check out Booking's "try it free for a month" offer. But watch what happens. They'll probably charge it automatically to my booking account after a month, unless I tell them to stop it. And once I tell them, it will probably take 2 months to get it stopped! I know how these things work!!

 

[user 26]

What about Around me or Near me ? or What's Around Me ... Free
They are on google play and itunes. Show restaurants and things
Maybe your fortune lies in creating an app
If I knew how, I might give it a shot.
You've got me thinking ... wondering if a b&b could install an app like this ad free for whats around me is like 2.99 ... make it accessible as a guide to guests. hmmmm

 

[Arks]

OK, now I've checked out the one Booking offers. It says...
Unique link to each welcome book for easy sharing
So it's not an app, a program that appears on their phone menu. Instead, you give the guest a link to a customized webpage just like with Hostfully, but at half the price. If the guest is a nerd, they can add the link as an icon on their phone menu, but not many would know how to do that.
No wonder it works across multiple platforms. It's just a webpage they read in their device's web browser. False advertising!

 

[user 26]

so here is a screen grab for aroundme on itunes ... is also on
what if this was accessed by the innkeeper and used as the source of info?
there is also findnearme for places nearby in the app store on iphone
I think you are on to something.

 

[Highlands John]

If this is a single app with lots of hotels plugged into it and the appearance is tailored to each I can see it could become popular.
If they're going to create an app for your business I can't see many people being bothered to download an app when they stay with you that they're then going to probably want to delete once they leave.

 

[GoodScout]

One of the things you'll have to decide is if you're "app worthy."
Millenials have lots of rooms on their screens, but they don't add apps willy-nilly. Real estate is valuable. They often go through a purge to clean out apps they don't use often.
Make sure whatever you're providing in an app is significant.

 

[JimBoone]

Dumb question perhaps
What is the benefit of an App vs a responsive website that can be viewed on a phone or tablet?
If we provided a page(s) on a decent responsive site wouldn't it provide the guest with the same experience or benefits?.

Dumb question perhaps
What is the benefit of an App vs a responsive website that can be viewed on a phone or tablet?
If we provided a page(s) on a decent responsive site wouldn't it provide the guest with the same experience or benefits?

Are QR codes dead? I've thought about doing a web page or blog post that has all that info...

I wouldn't want some of the info, like the inn's wi-fi password, live on a website, even if it's not a web address I openly advertise. This would be info only registered guests would get.
QR codes are for print, like in ads or brochures. In an email or blog post or webpage, better to just give a hyperlink they can click to go to the web page with the info, rather than making them launch their QR reader to read the code that takes them there.
.

I wouldn't want some of the info, like the inn's wi-fi password, live on a website, even if it's not a web address I openly advertise. This would be info only registered guests would get.

The original text said "travel directions, Wi-Fi codes and restaurant tips, now true I might not want my Wi-Fi code on my website, and how to turn on the TV receiver or the heater is really only useful after you have become a guest, but 2 out of 3, travel directions and restaurant tips could be useful to anyone visiting our website.
And, okay, another dumb question, after I become a registered guest how do I connect my laptop to the internet to view the welcome book if I don't already know the Wi-Fi code or is it just on the internet on someone else site being distributed to me after I booked online, still seems it would have to be on the net somewhere subject to being hacked.

 

[Arks]

Dumb question perhaps
What is the benefit of an App vs a responsive website that can be viewed on a phone or tablet?
If we provided a page(s) on a decent responsive site wouldn't it provide the guest with the same experience or benefits?.

Dumb question perhaps
What is the benefit of an App vs a responsive website that can be viewed on a phone or tablet?
If we provided a page(s) on a decent responsive site wouldn't it provide the guest with the same experience or benefits?

Are QR codes dead? I've thought about doing a web page or blog post that has all that info...

I wouldn't want some of the info, like the inn's wi-fi password, live on a website, even if it's not a web address I openly advertise. This would be info only registered guests would get.
QR codes are for print, like in ads or brochures. In an email or blog post or webpage, better to just give a hyperlink they can click to go to the web page with the info, rather than making them launch their QR reader to read the code that takes them there.
.

I wouldn't want some of the info, like the inn's wi-fi password, live on a website, even if it's not a web address I openly advertise. This would be info only registered guests would get.

The original text said "travel directions, Wi-Fi codes and restaurant tips, now true I might not want my Wi-Fi code on my website, and how to turn on the TV receiver or the heater is really only useful after you have become a guest, but 2 out of 3, travel directions and restaurant tips could be useful to anyone visiting our website.
And, okay, another dumb question, after I become a registered guest how do I connect my laptop to the internet to view the welcome book if I don't already know the Wi-Fi code or is it just on the internet on someone else site being distributed to me after I booked online, still seems it would have to be on the net somewhere subject to being hacked.
.

And, okay, another dumb question, after I become a registered guest how do I connect my laptop to the internet to view the welcome book if I don't already know the Wi-Fi code...

I was thinking about an app installed on the device, with the info on the device. Not something that shows info from the cloud that would require an internet connection to read.