An app can boost your business by streamlining bookings and payments for your bed and breakfast, hotel, or rental property. The best part? You can build it without knowing how to code.
Read on to learn:
- What to do before building your app
- How to build a hotel booking app using Adalo, a no-code tool
- Publishing, marketing, and ensuring your hotel booking app runs smoothly
Let's jump right into the first steps of hotel booking app development.
Getting Started With Hotel Booking App Development
We get it: You’re itching to create a hotel booking app so guests can browse, select, and pay for rooms with just a few taps of their phones. Plus, you won’t need to pay commissions to a third-party app provider if you have a hotel app of your own.
But before we walk you through hotel booking app development, you’ll need a few prerequisites. Nail down the following first:
- Create an account with Adalo, a popular no-code app builder. First, you'll need a platform to create your app, which we believe should be Adalo. Adalo is an app-building platform that requires no technical or coding knowledge.
With Adalo, you won’t be writing any code to build your app: Instead, you’ll use its simple drag-and-drop interface, which functions like photo-editing software. After choosing a template, you’ll be able to arrange your app’s structure. Customize it with your pictures, colors, functionality, and more.
Adalo also allows you to publish your app on 3 enormous platforms: The Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and web. Being able to do this provides ample opportunity to get your app in front of a sizable audience.
Notably, the hotel booking app development cost with Adalo starts at $45/month (billed monthly) — which is much cheaper than hiring a hotel booking app development company to make your app.
- Knowing your app’s features: It goes without saying, but since you’re building a hotel booking app, your app will definitely showcase rooms, allow for online reservations and payments, etc.
Jot down all the functionalities you want to include, so remember to add them when you’re constructing your app.
You should also include other features that make your app stand out from your competitors, like including a messaging app for seamless communication or allowing for push notifications to inform clients about upcoming deals. Write these down, too.
- Wireframes: Just like any other project, you’ll want to draft plans that visualize how you want your app to look. We recommend you don’t use a pencil and paper but instead leverage wireframing, which is using an online tool to create how your app’s screens will look and flow.
Wireframing tools have everything you need to outline your app’s structure — plus, most wireframing services use a drag-and-drop interface, which will give you a feel for app building.
Possessing tech knowledge of a graphic design skillset is unnecessary for successful wireframing. Just sign up for an account with Figma and get started.
The 3 Parts of Every Hotel Booking App
Before we talk about the steps that you’ll take to build your hotel booking app, it’s time for a quick lesson about the 3 parts that make up your app:
- The Frontend: This is the part of your app users will use to see, tap, and book rooms. Also called the User Interface (UI), your frontend features every screen, picture button, and more. You’ll need to build an aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-navigate UI, as a clunky and cluttered one might push users away.
Luckily, Adalo is packed with enough components to create a beautiful frontend: Logically connected screens, gorgeous elements, and sleek features, all customizable to meet your aesthetic needs.
- The Backend: This is the “thinking” part of your app — it retrieves data, confirms bookings, connects to third-party payment platforms to make money, and more.
- The Database: Every byte of information found in your app is stored in your database, which resembles a spreadsheet. Most all info users enter into your app will be stored in your database, such as the following:
- User accounts: usernames, log-on times, rooms purchased, etc.
- Room info: Room size, room features, room prices, and other data about rooms.
- Booking history: Booking data, booking prices, etc.
- Other data types: Special offers, messaging records, and more.
You’ll be able to customize, edit, and expand your Adalo database. And, if you have a database with an external provider like Airtable, Google Sheets, or Xano, you’ll be able to integrate it into your Adalo app without much stress.
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Adalo’s Ecosystem
Here is a list of Adalo’s building resources, which can provide valuable info about building an app. If you ever run into a few speedbumps or you have some questions about applying special features, check out the following:
- Adalo’s Help Documents: Adalo has loads of help documents that help you through nearly any part of the app-building process that you can find. Many of these written tutorials feature some videos, providing you with involved and detailed walk-throughs.
- The Adalo Forum: Looking to connect with other people around the world who are also using Adalo to build apps for their hotels? The Adalo Forum is the most likely place to find folks on app-building journeys similar to yours.
You can also get answers to any questions about how to implement technical functionalities, connect to an API, or anything else from the seasoned Adalo users who frequent Adalo’s Forum.
- The Adalo Academy: Are you more of a “traditional learner” who prefers structure through lessons, modules, and tutorials? If so, the Adalo Academy is for you — you’ll get access to dozens of classes that will give you a proper understanding of the Adalo building interface.
It’s time to build!
How To Develop A Booking App: 6 Steps
Step 1: Get Your Booking App Template
Adalo comes with nearly 40 different fully loaded templates. Since you’ll be building a hotel booking app, we recommend that you get Adalo’s appointments app template. It comes with premade functionalities like a booking tool and a Stripe integration, which we’ll talk about later.
You’ll also find premade screens, which you can reconfigure by adding your hotel’s pictures, hotel info, and anything else, along with a database and backend.
Step 2: Customizing Your Hotel Booking App
As we’ve said time and again, Adalo allows you to transform your booking template into your own unique, on-brand app catered to your hotel’s features. You’ll cobble your hotel app together using Adalo’s building interface, made up of these 3 parts:
- Adalo’s Building Canvas: Found at your screen’s center, this is literally the “canvas on which you’ll paint your app.” Your app’s screens all live here, and you can access each one by clicking on it on the Building Canvas.
Additionally, you can also edit parts of your app directly on your building canvas. Just use your cursor to move pictures, text boxes, and buttons to the right where you want them to be on your app.
- The Horizontal Ribbon: The Horizontal Ribbon stretches across the top of your screen, and its main functionality is providing a place to access your Adalo account settings and preview your app.
- The Editing Dashboard: More or less the “control center” of your app building interface, Adalo’s Editing Dashboard falls vertically down the left-hand side of your screen. You’ll use this to access various tools to create your app.
You’ll find buttons that let you change your app’s colors, edit your database, add or delete pages, publish to the app stores, and much more.
Your Editing Dashboard: An Overview of the Functions
With 9 total buttons, the Editing Dashboard is where you'll spend the most time when you’re putting together your app. Each button, represented by an icon, serves its special building functionality, which you can see by covering it with your cursor.
Here’s a brief overview of your Editing Dashboard’s 9 different functionalities:
- The Colorful “+”: There’s a reason why this button is at the very top of your Editing Dashboard — it’s essentially the most important button. You’ll push this to add new screens, forms, buttons, pictures, lists, and much more.
- Branding (artist’s palette icon): As the icon suggests, you can change up a screen or element’s colors with this functionality. Additionally, you’ll be able to pick your app’s font type with the branding button.
- Screens (a screen icon): Press this button to see a list of all your app’s screens in one place. You can navigate through your entire list of screens and add new ones by clicking the “Add Screen” button at the bottom of your list.
- Database Collections (a spreadsheet icon): You guessed it — your database lives here. We’ll dive deep into database configuration in our next step.
- Settings (a bicycle sprocket icon): You’ll use this to write a general app description, connect APIs, and a few more functionalities.
- Publish (a checkmark icon): When you’re nearing the end of your app-building journey, you’ll use this button to publish to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. In Step 6, we’ll briefly discuss the steps to publish to both app stores.
- Analytics (a chart icon): This function is one you’ll visit quite often. After your app has been published, you want to see your app’s users, their locations, and your most popular screens.
- Version History (a rectangle icon): Want to build several different versions of your app and test them out by publishing one, gathering feedback, and then publishing another?
You’ll be delighted that Adalo lets you create up to 10 different versions of your app — although you can only publish one at a time, so use this button to access your app’s different versions.
- Hire an expert (a spikey-circle icon): Did you start building your app, but then life got hectic, but you still want to finish it? Outsource your app-building to an Adalo expert. Here’s a list of Adalo pros from around the world, along with their rates and contact info.
Step 3: Building Your Database
Helpfully, Adalo has a fully configurable database, which you can access by pressing the “Screens” button on your Editing Dashboard. After doing so, you’ll see a list of your database collections, and your data groups will be organized into spreadsheets.
When you click on the collection you want to edit, a list of properties will appear as a drop-down list. Your properties are the classes of data with each collection. For instance, in a “Users” collection, your properties can include usernames, emails, profile pictures, and more.
Editing your properties is simple: Click on an individual property and use the editing box to configure it. You can also add new properties by selecting the “Add New Property” button at the bottom of your list.
Similarly, you’ll be able to add new databases by clicking the “Add to Database” button at the bottom of your collections list.
Connecting an External Database
Some folks already have a database built with a third-party provider like Google Sheets, Airtable, or Xano. Don’t worry — you won’t need to make the same database twice. From your “Screens” functionality, just scroll down to “Connect External Databases,” push the button, and follow the instructions. Your external database should be good to go.
Step 4: Adding Functionalities
Adding functionalities like a booking form, payment integration, booking calendar, and more is a crucial step that can make your app stand out from the rest. We’ll go over creating a booking feature, how to plug in your Stripe integration, and how to find other add-ons.
Configuring your Booking Feature
First, from your “Screens” button, scroll down to the “Book a Class” screen and select it. Because you’re creating a hotel booking app, you’ll want to change the title of your screen, which you can do by clicking the editing button next to the title and changing the name to “Book a Room” (or any other title that fits).
Next, ensure the booking form collects all the info you need. If you want to configure the form further, press the colorful “+” button and find the forms or elements that work for you. Then, click the form and select the database to which you want it to connect.
You can create new fields and edit colors and styles by clicking the “Fields Tab” from the “Setup” button.
Setting Up Payments
You’ll want to give your clients the opportunity to pay right from your app. This makes life easy for them (and you) — plus, most other booking apps take payments. Luckily, Adalo has a convenient Stripe integration that’s super easy to set up.
First, hop over to Stripe’s account setup page, follow the directions, and create your account. Then, return to Adalo, press the “+” button, and find the Stripe form. Configure it with the needed information, drag it over to your payments screen, and you’re set.
Adding New Components and More
The “+” button has components, sections, screens, and features selection. You can scroll through these to add new forms, elements, and custom-made screens. Adding these is as simple as dragging them over from this part of the Editing Dashboard to the desired screen.
Adalo has a Components Marketplace full of additional features, like a messaging function, a mention input, a star-rater, and many, many more. Some components are free, and others cost between $10 and $45. Adding these components to your booking app can give it some extra oomph and make the customer experience more enjoyable.
Step 5: How To Preview Your Booking App
Want to see how your booking app looks and functions on mobile and desktop devices? On your Horizontal Ribbon, click the green “Preview App” button, navigate to “Staging Preview,” and you’ll see a live version of your app.
Importantly, preview each of your screens and check for typos while confirming that each button or link opens up to the right place. Get any problems you find fixed at once — lingering issues will most likely make the publishing process long and painful.
Step 6: Publishing on the Web in the App Stores
When you build your app with Adalo, you’ll be able to publish it on the web, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store. Adalo also features a responsive app builder, meaning you won’t need to make drastic changes to the same iteration of your app that you publish on these three platforms.
Let's talk about publishing your app to the web, which can be done by executing these tasks:
- On your horizontal ribbon, navigate to your profile button.
- Scroll down to “Settings” and select “Domain.” Type in your domain (www.domain.co). Visit GoDaddy if you don’t have a domain.
- Return to your Editing Dashboard, hit the “Publish” icon, and complete the steps. Soon, your web app will be on Google.
Publishing to the Apple App and Google Play Stores
Publishing a hotel booking app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store involves a few more steps than publishing to the web. However, publishing on the app stores is crucial to popularizing your app. Both platforms have a combined monthly visitor traffic of over 1 billion.
Before you begin the app store publishing process, you’ll need to take a few preparatory steps:
- Researching your competitors for description writing: In the app store search bars, type in keywords like “hotel booking app” and “hotel app.” Read the descriptions of the top 2 or 3 apps in the results, and note the keywords used.
Then, begin writing your app description, including your competitors’ keywords and a few synonyms of your own. This can help your app rank for more keywords in the app store search results, possibly getting your app in front of more users.
*Pro tip: Both app stores limit your description to 4,000 characters, but we want to emphasize that you don’t need to write a super lengthy description. It’s a good idea to keep your app description brief and powerful — a long description might annoy some people, pushing them to abandon all intentions of downloading your app.
- Provide only the best screenshots and videos: The app stores allow you to submit screenshots and videos that highlight your app’s functionalities. Submit the most beautiful shots and videos that clearly illustrate specific functions you offer, like booking a room, taking payments, and anything else.
You’ll probably push people away from your app if you provide low-quality screenshots and videos because they might think your app performs poorly and you’re an unprofessional app builder. So, take care when submitting these.
- Create a unique, eye-catching app icon: Every app has an icon that will appear next to its title in the app store. When folks download your app to their phones, your icon will be the tile on their phones’ screens that they tap whenever they need to use it.
So, it’s crucial that your app icon looks the part and is on-brand. Don’t worry — you can build your very own app icon yourself without any graphic design experience. Check out an icon-building platform like Looka to get your unique icon idea off the ground.
Now, it’s time to start taking the steps to publish your app on the app stores.
Publishing a Hotel Booking App on the Apple App Store
Navigate to the iOS developer site, create an account, and pay Apple’s $99 developer fee. Follow the steps and enroll in Apple’s app-testing program, Testflight, which lets users download your app to their iOS devices, try out your app, and provide you with feedback.
Consider this tester feedback and use it to improve your app. Doing so can improve your app’s performance and iron out any wrinkles that might hinder it.
Now, return to Adalo’s Editing Dashboard, push the “Publish” button, and complete the instructions for publishing to the iOS App Store. Apple’s app approval process generally takes 1-2 business days, though it may take longer if your app requires adjustments.
Publishing on the Google Play Store
Just like with Apple, you’ll start by going over to Android’s developer page, creating an account, and paying a one-time $25 enrollment fee. Sign up for Google’s app-testing program, which is similar to Testflight.
After testing has finished and you’ve perfected your app, return to Adalo, press “Publish,” and follow the Android steps. In most cases, Google should approve your app within a few days, though it can take longer if there are issues with the app.
Next Steps: Marketing and Maintenance
Once your app is live in the app stores, you’ll probably want to work on getting as many downloads as possible. Just follow these directions:
- Start by promoting your app on all your social media feeds. Be sure to provide a link to your app’s page on the app stores so your followers can easily download your app.
- Then, optimize your app store presence. You can add jet fuel to your app marketing campaign, have a look at the app-promotion article we published. It’s full of insights and tactics you can execute daily, which should get you more users.
- Track your analytics. You can also see the number of your app’s daily visitors, where they’re from, and which screens are the most popular by accessing your “Analytics” tool on your Editing Dashboard.
Check up on your analytics daily — you’ll be able to see which rooms are being viewed the most and which aren’t, allowing you to make educated changes to your app so you can appeal to a broader audience.
Occasionally, you might encounter bugs and other technical difficulties. You’ll need to fix these issues immediately, as they’ll most directly contribute to a bad experience for all those using your app. Neglecting your app’s problems will tarnish your reputation and lead to fewer Ultimately, hotel booking app development is a game that never ends. You’ll always need to put in at least a little marketing effort while keeping a close eye on your app’s performance. However, doing so can significantly bolster your hotel operations and contribute to a more robust bottom line.
