LobbyFriend Inc.
LobbyFriend is a temporary social network that allows guests staying at a particular hotel to create profiles (with basic personal info like gender and profession) and interact with other guests while on site. Once a hotelier debuts the app, guests receive a PIN at check-in, which they can use to "enter" the virtual lobby at that hotel. From there, they can connect through the property’s “news feed” to chat with other guests, request info about the destination and receive notifications of special events or deals at the hotel (as well as deals from paying vendors). LobbyFriend is free, although upgrades like booking engines and brand customization cost hoteliers extra, said LobbyFriend’s co-founder, Mohit Kumar.

Available In: App Store, Android Market, Blackberry (June 2012)
Cost: Free

Pocket
The handy Pocket app allows busy hoteliers on the go to store interesting articles, videos or Web pages for later use and then access them without an Internet connection (during a flight, for example). The New York Times and TechCrunch have called it “DVR for the Web.” With its recent update in early May, Pocket has improved the way users can view these saved articles by installing the ability to swipe left or right to enable page flipping, enhancing “Dark theme” and “Sepia theme” to improve readability at night and increasing maximum font size. Pocket also enables users to save things from more than 300 different apps, such as Twitter and Flipboard. 

Available In: App Store, Android Market
Cost: Free

Minutes per room
The Minutes per room app is a simple, easy-to-use app that increases a hotel housekeeping staff’s productivity and saves money on payroll. Hotel managers simply input the name of the room attendant and start plugging in the numbers, and this housekeeping time calculator figures out exactly how long attendants should take to clean their assigned rooms or areas. For example, if a room is categorized as a “checkout,” it might take more time to clean. Managers can also add breaks or lunch to the housekeeper’s total time and email the report for further bookkeeping.

Available In: App Store
Cost: $4.99

Choice Hotels International
Here’s one for the tens of thousands of Choice franchisees out there. Choice Hotels’ new iPad app, released earlier this month, gives users the same capabilities of its successful iPhone app, including the ability to book or cancel reservations as well as share deals they’ve booked via social-media platforms. In addition to social media sharing, users can send their feedback and suggestions directly to the Choice Hotels Mobile Team. The iPad app also has some exclusive features, such as the ability to compare specific hotels and save a Choice property as a favorite. In the next update, Choice hopes to include turn-by-turn driving directions and My Dashboard.

Available In: App Store
Cost: Free

Blink Booking
Hoteliers trying to unload some last-minute inventory? If they blink they might miss the chance to have their rooms featured as one of Blink Booking’s four daily deals. The app picks the best of the best from small boutiques to big-box chains in major European cities—at a steep discount. Rooms, which must be booked same day, are up to 75% off.

Available In: App Store, Android Market
Cost: Free