Hotel room reservations via smartphones are exploding: customers have new buying habits, and this is also impacting the hotel sector! Users compare establishments with each other on OTAs, and are looking for ever faster solutions to book easily, in just a few clicks! But other habits linked to mobile reservations are emerging: which traveler has not found himself at least once in the situation of reserving a hotel room for the same evening? Faced with all these changes, what solutions are available to you to remain competitive? How to meet all the new requirements of your customers? We tell you everything!
Mobile hotel bookings continue to grow
Reservations from anywhere, anytime
58% of travelers worldwide use a smartphone to plan or book their trip. By using their mobiles to make their hotel reservations, customers are choosing simplicity: they want to book from anywhere, at any time of the day. They no longer wait to be in front of their computer to find the room that suits them. No need to wait for your reception to be open before calling you to find out which rooms are available. As soon as he wishes, and wherever he is, he can book his stay with his mobile.
To meet this customer need, setting up a reservation system on your website is a real advantage. Even today, few hotels offer this solution: by giving your travelers the possibility of booking directly on your website, you stand out from your competitors, and attract the attention of customers!
Last minute reservations
Another trend observed regarding hotel reservations on mobile: last-minute reservations, for the same evening. Often, hotel suppliers prefer a room to be occupied at a lower rate than to be unoccupied: therefore, prices drop as one approaches the date of the stay. Customers have observed it, and are therefore more and more numerous to give way to last-minute reservations. Thanks to your easily configurable booking engine, do not hesitate to set up incentive sales (discounts, packages, free breakfasts, etc.) in order to attract customers to your vacant rooms, in all seasons!
Dematerialized payments
The use of the mobile is done until the end of the purchase process. Now, customers pay with their smartphone, thanks to Apple Pay or Google Pay solutions. To meet this customer need, be sure to give travelers the option of paying for their room reservation with these dematerialized solutions. Your brand image will be significantly improved: you are in the mind of the consumer as a modern and trendy establishment, which facilitates the buying process from A to Z!
The importance of customer reviews to boost mobile bookings
Mobile reservations, yes, but not under any conditions! The purchase is considered, even when it is made via a smartphone. And to boost your booking rates, what really makes the difference is your customer feedback. Highlight them on your website, preferably on the home page of your booking tool. Ask your customers for feedback, directly at the time of check out, or by email, a few days after their departure. Make these comments visible not only on your website, but also on your social media pages!
The benefits of mobile booking
You save time
With hotel reservations on mobile, you no longer have to worry about anything! Everything is automated: the customer comes to your website, selects their room, their dates, and proceeds to payment. He no longer needs to contact you by phone or email to ask you for information: he has all the tools to be perfectly independent, and you can concentrate on what really matters to you: customer reception, exchanges , the daily organization…
Sales synchronized in real time
If the sale is made via an OTA, or another distribution channel, the reservations are synchronized with your reservation system! You have a global, up-to-date and perfectly clear vision of the availabilities you have left, and the prices that are offered: the opportunity to carry out an appropriate communication campaign, in order to offer reductions or cross-selling, and thus reinforce your occupancy rate efficiently.
You improve your online presence
By offering a room reservation on mobile from your website, you improve your online presence and strengthen your notoriety. To effectively face the competition, this tool can be the detail that makes all the difference!
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