Hotel Guest App: What is it actually for?

A hotel guest app consolidates the information, services, and contact methods guests need during their stay onto their smartphones. For the hotel, it makes these services accessible without every request having to go through the front desk.

Breakfast hours, spa bookings, room service, Wi-Fi credentials, or messaging the team: multiple actions can be brought together in one digital environment.

Its value depends less on the number of features offered and more on the tasks it genuinely simplifies for both guests and staff.

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Providing access to useful information during the stay

At 9 p.m., a guest wants to know what time breakfast is the next morning. Another wants to know when the pool closes. These are simple questions, yet they are asked daily in many establishments.

A guest app allows you to group practical information in a space accessible from the traveler's phone: hours, Wi-Fi, available services, menus, house rules, or local recommendations.

Guests can access it via a link sent before their arrival or by scanning a QR code in the hotel. GetWelcom supports both access methods for its guest app.

This organization prevents guests from having to search through multiple sources and reduces the number of inquiries directed to the front desk for information that is already available.

The same principle is detailed in our article on the information to make accessible to reduce repetitive calls to the front desk.

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How is it different from a digital room directory?

The two tools are closely linked.

The A digital room directory primarily organizes the information a guest needs: hours, hotel services, house rules, or local recommendations.

A guest app adds the ability to take action based on that content. Travelers can view a service and then make a request, book an activity, or contact the hotel from the same interface. The GetWelcom guest app, for example, allows you to manage services like room service, the spa, or housekeeping.

This distinction is important when choosing which content to highlight. A page dedicated to the spa becomes much more useful when it also allows the guest to take the next step.

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Allowing guests to book services from their phones

A guest who wants to book a treatment or order room service might otherwise have to call the front desk, wait for an answer, and then be redirected to the relevant department.

With a Guest App, the action can start directly from the content being viewed.

GetWelcom allows travelers to book services, order meals, or check out activities offered by the property right from their smartphone.

For a hotel with a spa, restaurant, or activities, this capability shortens the journey between discovering a service and the guest making a request.

This feature can also address very specific needs. A family-friendly hotel can, for example, showcase its children's activities and manage sign-ups based on available slots. This approach is detailed in our article on managing Kids Club bookings.

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Give more visibility to hotel services

Some services remain underutilized simply because guests discover them too late.

A traveler might learn about a massage available on the very morning of their departure. A family might walk past a poster announcing an activity scheduled for the next day without noticing it.

The Guest App makes these offers visible while the guest is still on-site and able to book them.

The hotel can showcase breakfast, an activity, a late check-out, or any service available during the stay. GetWelcom also allows you to update information from the back office whenever hours, prices, or offers change.

This logic complements the work done before arrival. Our article on extras to offer before the stay explains how certain services can already be presented during the pre-stay period.

During the stay, the Guest App provides a second point of contact for services that are still available.

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Provide an additional contact channel with the front desk

Not all requests involve a booking.

A guest might need an extra pillow, want to report an issue in their room, or simply have a question.

The GetWelcom messaging system allows the traveler to send a message to the property from the app, before or during their stay. The team then receives the request and can integrate it into their standard workflow.

This channel is particularly useful when the guest prefers to write rather than call or walk down to the front desk.

For properties that wish to maintain a solution similar to the in-room phone, digital telephony can also complement this journey. GetWelcom offers a solution that allows the traveler to contact the hotel from their smartphone.

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Update information without reprinting materials

A change in spa hours or a temporary restaurant closure often requires updating multiple signs when the information is provided on paper.

With a Guest App, the team can update content from their management interface. The version viewed by the guest is then updated instantly. GetWelcom, in particular, allows you to modify information in real time from its back office.

This flexibility is useful for hours, menus, seasonal services, or events organized during the stay.

It also prevents an outdated version of the guest directory from circulating for weeks after a change has been made.

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Facilitate access to information for international guests

Even perfectly visible information can be difficult to understand when it is only provided in one language.

The GetWelcom Guest App includes multilingual access, and the platform features an automatic content translation.

Foreign travelers can thus check hours, services, and hotel information from their smartphones in a language they understand.

For staff, this also reduces the number of translation requests at the front desk, especially for frequently asked practical questions.

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A useful Guest App must be easy to find

Installing a Guest App does not guarantee it will be used.

Access to it must be available whenever the traveler needs it. A link can be sent before arrival, and a QR code can be displayed in the room or in common areas.

The placement of the QR code should match the intended use. In a room, guests will primarily look for Wi-Fi, breakfast, or room service information. Near the spa, the same access point can be used to check hours and available treatments.

Our article on QR codes in hotels details the locations and content best suited for each moment of the stay.

GetWelcom also recommends multiplying relevant access points and keeping content up to date to encourage the use of the Room Directory or Guest App.

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What is the impact on hotel staff?

The operational value becomes clear when the Guest App handles routine requests, leaving your team free to focus on situations that require their personal attention.

At the Golden Tulip Martigues Provence, the front office manager noted by GetWelcom explains that guests find answers more easily and repetitive questions have decreased.

Another advantage is the ease of updates: a single change made in the back office eliminates the need to revise multiple printed materials or separate pages.

The usage statistics provided in the GetWelcom Guest App also help identify which services guests are actually using.

This data can guide very concrete decisions: making a service more visible, moving frequently searched information, or revising a section that receives little traffic.

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The Guest App is part of a broader guest journey

At GetWelcom, the Guest App is part of a suite that covers several stages of the guest's stay.

Before arrival, online check-in helps prepare for the guest's arrival and collect necessary information. During the stay, the Guest App provides access to hotel content, services, and contact channels.

Journey information can then be linked to your PMS and CRM, depending on the integration used. The GetWelcom CRM solution, in particular, combines digital check-in, the Guest App, and guest data into a single, unified journey.

Finally, satisfaction can be measured during the stay, allowing you to detect any issues early enough for your team to step in and resolve them.

This continuity ensures the Guest App is not treated as an isolated tool. It becomes one of the primary touchpoints for the guest in their relationship with the hotel.

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Before launching a Guest App, start with real-world requests

For a few days, keep track of the requests received at the front desk and the services guests are trying to book.

If the same questions about Wi-Fi, opening hours, or breakfast come up every day, this information must be immediately accessible. If the spa or room service generate a high volume of calls, their booking process deserves a more direct path. If certain offers remain unknown, their visibility can be improved within the app.

This observation provides a concrete foundation for organizing your Guest App around the specific needs of your property.

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Discover the GetWelcom Guest App

The GetWelcom Guest App brings together hotel information, services, bookings, and contact details in one space accessible directly from the guest's smartphone.

It can be customized with the establishment's branding and updated via the back office.

Request a GetWelcom demo

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