5 Best Loyalty Apps for Hotels in 2026 (Cut OTA Costs & Drive Direct Bookings)

5 Best Loyalty Apps for Hotels in 2026
Every hotel owner knows the number that keeps them awake at night. Fifteen to twenty-five per cent. That's what Booking.com, Expedia, and the other online travel agencies (OTAs) take from every reservation they send you. On a £150-per-night room, that's £22-37 gone before the guest even checks in.
Multiply that across thousands of room nights per year, and OTA commissions represent one of the largest single expenses an independent hotel carries — often rivalling staff costs. And what do you get in return? A guest who booked through a platform that owns the relationship, controls the communication, and will happily send them to your competitor next time if the price is £5 cheaper.
The big hotel chains solved this problem decades ago. Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and IHG Rewards have built loyalty ecosystems so powerful that millions of travellers book direct specifically to earn and redeem points. These programmes don't just drive repeat stays — they shift the entire booking decision away from OTAs and onto the hotel's own channels.
Independent and boutique hotels have been locked out of that advantage. Building a custom loyalty app costs six figures. Most hotel management systems offer basic guest retention tools at best. And the assumption has always been that loyalty programmes are something only chains can afford.
That's no longer true. A digital loyalty platform that costs £12 per month can give an independent hotel the same core mechanics that make chain loyalty programmes work: a direct communication channel to every past guest's phone, rewards that incentivise direct booking, and the data to personalise each stay.
At Perkstar, we work with hospitality businesses of all sizes across the UK. We've seen how loyalty tools originally designed for cafés and salons can be adapted — with the right strategy — into powerful guest retention systems for hotels. This guide covers the five loyalty apps worth considering for hotels in 2026.
Why Hotels Need Loyalty More Urgently Than Almost Any Other Business
The hotel industry's economics make loyalty not just valuable but existentially important for independents.
OTA commissions are the single largest controllable cost. Every booking that shifts from Booking.com to your own website or phone line saves you 15-25% instantly. A loyalty programme that gives guests a reason to book direct — even a simple one — is the most effective way to make that shift happen. A returning guest who books through your website because they're earning rewards is worth 15-25% more than the same guest booking through an OTA. At scale, that's the difference between a profitable year and a break-even one.
A first-time guest is worth far more than a single stay — if you can keep them. The average independent hotel converts fewer than 20% of first-time guests into repeat visitors. The rest check out, leave a review (maybe), and never return — not because the experience was bad, but because nothing actively brought them back. With average room rates and on-property spend, moving a guest from one stay per year to two can be worth £300-600 in additional annual revenue per guest. A loyalty programme is the tool that creates that second stay.
On-property spend is where your real margins live. The room rate is important, but the bar tab, the restaurant bill, the spa booking, the room upgrade, the late checkout — these are higher-margin revenue streams that a loyalty programme can directly influence. A points programme that rewards total on-property spend (not just the room booking) incentivises guests to dine in your restaurant instead of going elsewhere, book a spa treatment they were considering, and upgrade their room for extra points.
Chain loyalty programmes have trained travellers to expect rewards. Your guests already participate in Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. They're conditioned to expect loyalty benefits when they travel. An independent hotel without any loyalty offering feels like it's missing something — even if the property itself is vastly more charming than any chain.
Reviews determine your booking volume. On Google, on TripAdvisor, and increasingly on social media, reviews are the primary driver of new bookings for independent hotels. A loyalty programme that rewards reviews systematically builds the online reputation that fills rooms — especially during shoulder seasons when you need every booking you can get.
Seasonal volatility demands tools to fill quiet periods. Every hotel has peak and off-peak. A push notification to past guests promoting a winter weekend package, a midweek offer, or an early-bird seasonal deal reaches the people most likely to book — guests who've already stayed and enjoyed the experience. That direct marketing channel is worth more during quiet months than any OTA promotion.
The 5 Best Loyalty Apps for Hotels
1. Perkstar
Best for: Independent and boutique hotels that want mobile wallet loyalty, direct-booking incentives, on-property spend rewards, and a direct marketing channel to past guests.
Perkstar isn't built specifically for hotels — it's built for independent businesses. But the platform's flexibility makes it adaptable to hotel operations in ways that most hospitality-specific tools can't match, particularly for smaller independent properties that don't need (or can't afford) enterprise hotel loyalty software.
Guests add a loyalty card to their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet by scanning a QR code at check-in, in the room (on the welcome card, the WiFi information, or the mirror), or at the bar or restaurant. No app download. Ten seconds and they're enrolled. From that moment, you have a direct line to their phone that doesn't expire when they check out.
For hotels, a points programme is the strongest foundation. Points based on total on-property spend — room rate, restaurant, bar, spa, minibar, room service — reward guests for spending more with you rather than going offsite. A guest who books a room and eats at your restaurant earns significantly more points than one who books a room and dines elsewhere. The programme subtly incentivises on-property spend without discounting anything.
Perkstar supports eight card types. For hotels, the most powerful combinations include points for everyday guest spend alongside digital gift cards (hotel stays are one of the most popular gift experiences — birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, wedding gifts), a membership for your most loyal guests (a VIP tier with guaranteed room upgrades, late checkout, welcome amenities, or a discounted rate for direct bookings), and discount cards or coupons for targeted off-peak promotions.
The marketing toolkit is where Perkstar delivers the most strategic value for hotels. Unlimited push notifications go to every past guest's lock screen — a channel that bypasses OTA algorithms entirely. Send seasonal promotions directly: "Autumn escapes — 20% bonus points on all midweek stays booked direct in October." Announce events and packages: "Christmas party nights — book now before we sell out." Re-engage lapsed guests: "It's been a while since your last stay — we'd love to welcome you back. Book direct and earn double points."
Geo-fenced notifications can reach guests when they're in your area — useful for hotels in tourist destinations where repeat visitors return to the region but might choose a different property. A notification that arrives when a past guest is nearby can capture a booking that would otherwise go to a competitor.
The referral programme rewards guests who recommend your hotel to friends. In hospitality, word-of-mouth and personal recommendations carry enormous weight — a structured referral system turns that organic behaviour into a trackable growth channel. Google Review rewards build the online reputation that drives new bookings.
The CRM with behavioural segmentation lets you separate business travellers from leisure guests, weekday visitors from weekend ones, and one-time guests from repeat visitors — messaging each with offers that match their travel patterns.
For front-desk operations, the Scanner App lets reception staff scan the guest's wallet card using a phone or tablet. Scanner App Pro connects a hardware barcode scanner for self-service — useful at busy check-in/check-out periods.
Integrations with Mailgun and Twilio give you email and SMS from the same dashboard. Pricing starts at £12 per month on a yearly plan, with a 14-day free trial requiring no credit card.
Start a free 14-day Perkstar trial
2. Mews
Best for: Hotels using Mews as their property management system that want guest engagement and retention features within their existing platform.
Mews is a cloud-based property management system (PMS) designed for modern hotels. It handles reservations, check-in/out, housekeeping, payments, and revenue management. The platform includes guest communication tools and the ability to create packages and promotions within the PMS.
For a hotel already running on Mews, the integrated approach keeps guest data, booking history, and communication in one system. The guest profiles track stay history and preferences, which supports personalised offers and targeted re-engagement.
The loyalty features are part of the broader PMS rather than a dedicated loyalty platform. There's no Apple Wallet or Google Wallet integration for loyalty cards — no persistent presence on the guest's phone after checkout. Push notifications to lock screens aren't available (communication happens through email within the Mews ecosystem). There's no stamp or points card that the guest carries, no referral programme, no Google Review rewards, and no self-service scanning.
Mews is a strong PMS. But for hotels that want loyalty to exist as a visible, tangible card on the guest's phone — one that reminds them of your hotel every time they open their wallet — a dedicated loyalty platform alongside the PMS will deliver what guest communication tools alone can't.
3. Square Loyalty
Best for: Smaller hotels and B&Bs processing all payments through Square that want automatic loyalty tracking.
Square Loyalty integrates with Square POS. Guests earn points when they pay for anything processed through Square — bar tabs, restaurant meals, spa treatments. For a small hotel or B&B using Square across its food and beverage operations, loyalty tracking happens automatically with no additional steps.
The simplicity is genuine. Points accumulate based on spend, and the analytics show guest spending patterns. For a property where Square handles all on-site transactions, it adds loyalty without complexity.
The limitations are significant for hotels. Square Loyalty only works at the point of sale — it can't reward room bookings processed through your PMS or booking engine. There's no Apple Wallet or Google Wallet integration, so there's no loyalty card on the guest's phone after they leave. No push notifications for seasonal promotions. No referral programme. No Google Review rewards. No gift cards within the loyalty system. The programme only captures on-property spend processed through Square, missing the room revenue that represents most of your total guest value.
4. Loopy Loyalty
Best for: Hotels that want a simple mobile wallet stamp card for rewarding repeat stays.
Loopy Loyalty delivers a digital stamp card through Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. No app download, real-time updates, branded card. For a hotel that wants a straightforward "stay 5 times, earn a free night" or "collect stamps towards a room upgrade" programme, Loopy Loyalty provides a clean wallet-based solution.
The persistent wallet presence is valuable for hotels specifically because it keeps your property visible on the guest's phone for months or years after checkout — a lasting reminder every time they open their wallet to pay for anything.
The limitations are substantial for the hotel use case. Stamps are the only programme type. There's no points system for rewarding on-property spend across restaurant, bar, and spa. No memberships for VIP guest tiers. No digital gift cards. No push notifications for seasonal campaigns or off-peak promotions. No referral programme. No Google Review rewards. No CRM or segmentation. For a hotel where driving direct bookings, increasing on-property spend, and filling off-peak periods are the primary goals, a stamp-only approach misses the most valuable revenue opportunities.
5. Stamp Me
Best for: Hotels with on-site food and beverage outlets that want a familiar digital punch card for the restaurant or bar.
Stamp Me digitises the paper punch card. Guests collect stamps via QR code or NFC through the Stamp Me app. For a hotel looking to drive repeat visits to its on-site restaurant or bar — rather than the hotel stay itself — Stamp Me provides a simple programme for that specific use case.
Multi-location support works for hotel groups, and the concept is universally understood. The NFC option is quick for bar and restaurant transactions.
The friction is the app requirement — guests must download the Stamp Me app. For hotel guests who are passing through and may not return for months (if ever), asking them to download an app for a stamp card is a difficult sell. The programme also doesn't capture room bookings, can't send seasonal stay promotions, and has no marketing automation for re-engaging past guests between visits.
Quick Comparison: Loyalty Apps for Hotels
Feature | Perkstar | Mews | Square Loyalty | Loopy Loyalty | Stamp Me |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apple Wallet & Google Wallet | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Limited |
Card Types | 8 (Stamp, Points, Membership, Multipass, Discount, Coupon, Cashback, Gift Cards) | Guest profiles/packages | Points only | Stamps only | Stamps only |
Rewards On-Property Spend (F&B, spa, upgrades) | ✅ (points system) | Within PMS | ✅ (Square transactions only) | ❌ (stamps per stay) | ❌ (stamps per visit to F&B) |
VIP Guest Membership Tier | ✅ | Within PMS | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Direct-Booking Promotions | ✅ (push notifications) | Email within PMS | ❌ | Limited | ❌ |
Off-Peak / Seasonal Campaigns | ✅ (scheduled push notifications) | Email campaigns | ❌ | Limited | ❌ |
Digital Gift Cards (hotel stays) | ✅ | Within PMS | Via Square | ❌ | ❌ |
Geo-Fenced Notifications | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Referral Programme | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Google Review Rewards | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Guest Segmentation | ✅ Advanced (business vs leisure, one-time vs repeat) | Guest profiles | Basic | Basic | Basic |
Email & SMS Integration | ✅ (Mailgun & Twilio) | Within PMS | Limited | ❌ | ❌ |
Property Management Features | ❌ (loyalty-focused) | ✅ (full PMS) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Requires App Download | ❌ | ❌ (web-based) | ❌ (POS-based) | ❌ | ✅ |
Free Trial | 14 days (no card required) | Demo-based | 30 days | ✅ | Varies |
Starting Price | From £12/mo (yearly) | Custom pricing | From $13/mo (usage-based) | From $25/mo | From $35/mo |
Real-World Scenario: How a Loyalty Programme Shifts an Independent Hotel's Revenue From OTAs to Direct
Feature tables compare platforms. This section shows what loyalty looks like from the moment a guest walks into reception to the moment they book their next stay — months later, directly through your website.
Emma runs a 28-room boutique hotel in the Cotswolds. The property is beautiful, the reviews are strong (4.6 on Google, 4.5 on TripAdvisor), and occupancy averages 72% across the year. But 65% of her bookings come through Booking.com and Expedia, costing her roughly £58,000 per year in OTA commissions. She has no structured way to re-engage past guests, no loyalty programme, and no direct marketing channel beyond an email newsletter that gets a 14% open rate.
Week one — enrolling guests during the stay. Emma places QR codes in three locations: on the welcome card in each room, at the bar, and at reception. The message: "Join our guest rewards — earn points on everything during your stay and on future direct bookings." Guests scan the QR code and add a loyalty card to their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet while unpacking, waiting for dinner, or settling in at the bar. Within the first month, 85 guests enrol — roughly 40% of all guests during the period.
She sets up a points programme: 1 point per pound spent on room rate (direct bookings only), restaurant, bar, and spa. Points don't apply to OTA bookings — a deliberate incentive to book direct next time.
Month one — on-property spend increases. With the points programme in place, Emma's team has a natural conversation starter: "You'll earn points on everything during your stay — dinner, drinks, spa treatments. It all counts towards your next reward." The reframing is subtle but effective. Guests who might have gone to the pub down the road for dinner instead eat at the hotel restaurant — because the restaurant meal earns them points. In the first two months, on-property F&B spend per guest increases by approximately 12%. For a 28-room hotel averaging 20 occupied rooms per night, that's meaningful monthly revenue.
Month two — the direct-booking push. Emma sends her first push notification to the 85 enrolled guests: "Book direct for your next stay and earn double points. Our autumn weekend packages are live — call us or visit our website." The notification hits lock screens — not email inboxes. The response rate is dramatically higher than her email newsletter.
Within three weeks, 11 guests book directly through the hotel website or by phone — guests who would almost certainly have used Booking.com otherwise. At an average room rate of £165 per night for an average 2-night stay, that's 11 bookings worth £3,630 in room revenue. The OTA commission saved: approximately £545-900 on those bookings alone. In a single push notification.
Emma starts sending direct-booking promotions monthly — seasonal packages, midweek offers, bank holiday deals. Each one reaches every enrolled guest directly. Over six months, the proportion of direct bookings increases from 35% to 48%. The annual OTA commission saving from that shift: approximately £11,600.
Month two — seasonal fill for the quiet period. January and February are Emma's quietest months. She sends a push notification in early January: "New Year, new escape. Midweek winter stays from £120 per night — cosy rooms, roaring fire, your points waiting." The notification reaches 140+ enrolled guests (the database has grown). She fills 23 room nights in January that would have otherwise sat empty. At £120 per night, that's £2,760 in January revenue generated by a single free push notification.
Month three — VIP membership for repeat guests. Emma identifies her most frequent guests — 18 people who've stayed twice or more in the past year — and sends them a targeted push notification inviting them to join a VIP membership tier: guaranteed room upgrade on every stay, complimentary welcome amenity, late checkout, and 10% off direct-booked rates. Twelve guests accept.
The membership doesn't cost Emma much to deliver (upgrades are based on availability, the welcome amenity is a £8 bottle of local wine), but the perceived value is high. Membership guests book directly every time (they'd lose their benefits through an OTA), and their average annual stays increase from 2.1 to 3.4.
Month three — gift cards sell the experience. Emma enables digital gift cards: £100, £200, and £300 denominations. "Give someone a Cotswolds escape" is an irresistible gift concept for anniversaries, milestone birthdays, and Christmas. She promotes them through push notifications ahead of Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Christmas.
Gift card sales in the first six months: £4,800. Every redeemed gift card brings in a new guest — and many gift card stays generate additional on-property spend above the card value. Several gift card recipients become loyalty members themselves and return independently.
Month three — referrals bring high-value guests. Emma activates the referral programme. Existing guests earn 50 bonus points for every friend who books a direct stay. Hotel guests are natural recommenders — "you have to stay at this place in the Cotswolds" is a common conversation among friends. In six months, 14 new bookings arrive through referrals. Referred guests have a higher average nightly rate (£178 vs £155 for OTA guests) and higher on-property spend, because they arrive with specific recommendations from someone they trust.
Month four — Google Reviews strengthen the direct channel. Emma turns on Google Review rewards. Guests who leave a review earn 20 bonus points. Over twelve weeks, her Google rating moves from 4.6 to 4.8 and her review count grows significantly. For an independent hotel competing against chain properties in Google search, that rating improvement translates directly into more direct website visits and enquiries.
After six months:
220+ enrolled guests (growing with every check-in)
Direct bookings increased from 35% to 48% of total (saving approximately £11,600/year in OTA commissions)
On-property F&B spend up roughly 12% per guest
23 room nights filled in the quietest month via push notification
12 VIP members with average stays increasing from 2.1 to 3.4 per year
£4,800 in gift card sales
14 new bookings via referrals
Google rating 4.6 → 4.8
Monthly cost: £12
Emma didn't renovate. Didn't hire a revenue manager. Didn't build a custom app. She added a loyalty programme that puts her hotel on every past guest's phone, gives them a reason to book direct, and reaches them with seasonal offers through a channel that OTAs can't intercept. The £11,600 in annual OTA commission savings alone represents a 967x return on the programme's £144 annual cost.
Three Mistakes Hotels Make With Guest Loyalty
1. Accepting OTA dominance as inevitable. Most independent hotels assume that 60-70% OTA bookings is "just how it is." It isn't. A loyalty programme that rewards direct bookings with points (and explicitly excludes OTA bookings from earning rewards) creates a tangible reason for guests to book through your website or phone. The shift doesn't happen overnight, but hotels using this strategy consistently report direct booking increases of 10-15 percentage points within the first year.
2. Only communicating with past guests through email newsletters. Email open rates for hotel newsletters average 15-20%. Push notifications to a mobile wallet card deliver with near-100% reach. The difference is the difference between a seasonal promotion being seen by 30 people and being seen by 200. For filling off-peak periods and promoting direct booking packages, push notifications outperform email by a significant margin.
3. Not rewarding on-property spend. If your loyalty programme only rewards room bookings, you're ignoring the highest-margin revenue streams: restaurant, bar, spa, and extras. A points programme that rewards total on-property spend gives guests a reason to dine at your restaurant instead of going offsite, book a spa treatment they were considering, and say yes to the room upgrade. Every pound spent on-property earns towards their next reward — and every pound spent on-property goes directly to your bottom line at full margin.
Ready to Try It at Your Hotel?
If you want a loyalty programme that shifts bookings from OTAs to direct, rewards on-property spend, fills off-peak rooms through push notifications, and builds the Google reviews that drive new guests — start a free 14-day Perkstar trial. No credit card required. Your personal account manager can help you configure the programme for your property, or you can set it up yourself in an afternoon.
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