Technology Guests Really Want

A guest’s phone is crowded real estate. For hotels, that has produced a clear symptom: app fatigue. Many properties pour resources into an app that ends up in the digital graveyard of low download rates, or gets deleted the moment the room key is handed back at the front desk.

In our view, the problem is not the technology. It is purpose. If an app is a digital brochure, it is noise. To get past the download barrier, design a utility.

What is the golden rule for a hotel app?

Utility over information. Guests do not download an app to read the hotel’s history. They download it to make the stay easier. We would build the features that remove friction:

• A way around the front desk line. For many guests, skipping the line is the strongest reason to download. A digital key and mobile check-in turn the app from an accessory into a tool.
• Check-in and check-out that happen in the app. Moving the arrival and departure paperwork there frees staff for human hospitality.

Does an app earn its keep? Evidence is mixed but encouraging. In J.D. Power’s 2025 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index, based on 39,219 branded hotel guests who stayed between May 2024 and May 2025, overall satisfaction was 699 on a 1,000-point scale among guests who had their hotel’s app downloaded, 68 points higher than among guests who did not use their brand’s app. That is an association. Guests who download an app may already be more engaged, so we read it as a hint, not proof.

How should real-time services work?

Room service and concierge requests have traditionally been slow and prone to error. An app can shorten the path. In our view the best versions do three things:

• Ordering in two taps. Real photos and clear delivery times, with fewer phone calls for staff.
• Easy requests. A guest can ask for extra towels or a local recommendation in one message.
• Context. Requests land with the right team, with the guest’s details attached.

We explored the same instinct in why guests abandon your booking engine: a guest should not have to repeat themselves.

Why should strategy follow data and not guesswork?

Many hospitality apps fail because they are built on assumptions. We start with friction analysis: find exactly where the guest journey breaks, then design technology to repair those points. If guests regularly ask for airport transport, the app can offer it before they ask. That is anticipation, not marketing. We look at the data side in how data brings the personal touch back to hospitality.

How do you connect an app to older systems?

This is often the real challenge. Property management systems can be old and do not always work well with other software. We would not try to replace them overnight. The practical approach is an integration layer that lets those systems communicate with a modern guest interface.

That is the idea behind Zenda, our hospitality platform. According to the Zenda site, it offers one branded app for the stay, with mobile check-in and digital keys, an AI concierge for conversational booking, mobile food and drink ordering, restaurant reservations, and a loyalty program with a single points balance. It lists integrations with property management systems such as Opera, Mews, Stayntouch, and Cloudbeds, and with point of sale, golf, and access control systems. See more of our approach in our work.

From accessory to necessity

Overcoming app fatigue takes a change in mindset. It is not about how many features fit in the code. It is about how many tasks you can take off the guest’s plate. When an app saves a guest 15 minutes of waiting and gives them control of the stay, the question changes from “Why should I download this?” to “How could I stay here without it?”

To see the platform, visit zenda.cx. To talk through what your guests would use, get in touch. Our services cover strategy, design, and mobile development for hospitality.