By eviivo and Agoda
In 2025, mobile is an important platform for travel. Not only are travelers booking trips from the palm of their hand – accommodation providers are using mobile apps to manage their businesses from anywhere, at any time.
As more and more travelers have shifted to booking trips from their mobile devices, OTAs and technology providers have responded by equipping accommodation providers with powerful mobile apps – enabling them to manage bookings, update rates, and oversee operations from anywhere.
This evolution creates unprecedented visibility and convenience for hosts, hoteliers, and property managers – provided they develop a strong mobile-first strategy.
Together, Agoda and eviivo enable properties to take full advantage of the mobile travel boom by:
- Optimizing their digital presence for mobile so travelers are more likely to discover and book them
on their phones.
- Choosing a feature-rich mobile property management app that enables them to manage bookings, rates, and operations on the go.
This article explores both areas, beginning with travelers’ use of mobile.
Mobile bookings: How to stand out on smartphones
Travelers are increasingly planning and booking trips entirely from their mobile devices – a trend that is only set to rise. Currently accounting for 37 percent of all travel sales, mobile bookings are expected to increase to 44 percent by 2029.1
This surge in mobile bookings is driven by the rise of travel apps, which have made trip planning and management more convenient, reliable, and user-friendly than ever before.
One example is Agoda’s mobile app. Agoda’s app was the most downloaded travel app of 2024 in Asia (exc. China) according to Data.AI, and the third most downloaded in the world. It offers accommodation providers an unrivaled opportunity to gain exposure globally and in its home region, Asia – anticipated to become the second-largest outbound market for global travel.2
For independent accommodation providers, the potential benefits of attracting mobile bookings are clear.
How can they make the most of this trend?
Run “mobile-only” promotions
As travelers look to book from their smartphones, targeted promotions can help accommodation providers “stop the scroll” and win the booking.
For example, Agoda’s mobile app rate channel lets properties target app users with special discounted rates. Providers can also configure “mobile-only” discounts from a property management system (PMS) such as eviivo Suite™ – targeting travelers who book via Agoda’s app or access the Agoda website on mobile. The discounted rate via the promotion is prominently displayed on Agoda’s mobile listing for the accommodation, enhancing ease of identification of such discounts for mobile users.
Running mobile-only offers on Agoda increases exposure on the OTA’s mobile booking channel, helping accommodation providers:
- Target in-market travelers. People conducting property searches on mobiles are likely to be interested in completing a booking.
- Capitalize on changing consumer habits and meet the growing shift to mobile bookings.
Optimize Agoda listings for mobile
Capturing attention on mobile isn’t the same as standing out in a desktop search. Travelers can search from anywhere, at any moment, amid various distractions – and all from a small screen.
Therefore, accommodation providers should prioritize clarity, speed and visual appeal to increase mobile visibility and bookings. Recommendations include:
- Use mobile-friendly photos. Bright, high-resolution images have greater visual clarity even on small smartphone screens.
- Optimize titles and descriptions for mobile browsing. Use short, descriptive titles. Lead with key benefits in the first two lines. Favor bullet points and short paragraphs, which are easier to read on mobile devices.
- Focus on building positive reviews and ratings. Travelers skim read on mobile and rely on star ratings and reviews. Encourage feedback on Agoda and respond to reviews to show trustworthiness.
- Set accurate amenities and location tags. Mobile users often filter by amenities (e.g., wi-fi, parking, pool) and browse Agoda listings via map view.
- Keep calendar and availability updated. Mobile bookers expect real-time availability. A fully integrated PMS and channel manager such as eviivo Suite can enhance mobile experience by synchronizing availability, rates, and content, so every update is pushed to Agoda automatically.
Mobile property management: Enhancing operations on the go
The shift to mobile isn’t just limited to consumers. Accommodation providers increasingly leverage mobile apps for property management.
According to an eviivo and SurveyMonkey survey, over 91 percent of independent short-term rental hosts, property owners and boutique hoteliers consider a mobile app “extremely important”
to managing their business.3
Why is mobile access so vital?
- Convenience – Busy independent providers juggling multiple roles and responsibilities need round-the-clock access to their business. 29 percent cite the convenience of anywhere, anytime management as the primary reason to download a mobile app.4
- Communication – Mobile improves remote communication with staff (e.g., cleaning and maintenance teams) and other key stakeholders such as property owners. For example, a mobile-friendly cleaning dashboard enables two-way task updates for smoother changeovers.
- Work-life balance – 42 percent of providers consider a mobile app “extremely important” to their work-life balance.5 Mobile access lets operators monitor their accommodation from anywhere, enabling them to step away while staying connected.
However, realizing all these benefits depends on the app’s functionality. While property managers agree that a mobile app is vital, an unexciting option won’t deliver the convenience, smooth communication, and balance
that providers need.
To manage their accommodation effectively from mobile, providers require core capabilities at their fingertips, including the ability to:
Create and confirm bookings
24 percent of providers rank on-the-go booking management as the most important mobile feature.4
This should include confirming bookings across properties and from all sources, including OTAs such as Agoda.
A filterable multi-property, multi-channel mobile calendar streamlines management from anywhere.
Monitor daily activity and KPIs
16 percent of providers prioritize having instant oversight via mobile.
This can include real-time views of the day’s arrivals, departures, and in-house guests, plus exceptions such as card declines, cancellations, and overbookings.
Adjust rates
15 percent of providers most value the ability to update daily rates via mobile. This is especially valuable if updates push automatically to connected OTAs such as Agoda.
Other highly valued mobile features
- Instant push notifications for new bookings, cancellations and guest messages
- Changeover management, including tools to coordinate or assign cleaning and maintenance tasks
- One-click access from the app to the desktop PMS to process and pre-authorize payments
Tip: The award-winning eviivo Mobile app (included with eviivo Suite) lets accommodation providers run their business on the go with a multi-channel, multi-property booking calendar, AI-powered unified inbox, instant notifications, and a real-time activity dashboard. The app’s features help users manage bookings, guest messages, rates, cleaning, and more from their smartphones – enhancing convenience, simplifying operations, and supporting a better work-life balance.
Conclusion
In a world where travelers and accommodation providers are constantly on the move, mobile technology brings convenience to every step.
The combined capabilities of Agoda’s popular booking app and eviivo’s award-winning PMS app offers accommodations exposure to a massive audience while freeing them to manage their operations from anywhere, at any time.
To reap the full potential, providers should implement a mobile-first strategy that:
- Encourages mobile bookings through targeted promotions and optimized listings
- Leverages robust all-in-one app functionality to manage operations, collaborate effectively, and track activity on the move
Mobile technology doesn’t replace guest service. It enhances it, enabling smoother booking journeys and more agile, responsive property management.
As strategic partners, Agoda and eviivo collaborate on diverse technology solutions, continuing to create exceptional, mobile-first experiences for guests and accommodation businesses alike.
Book a free demo of eviivo Suite today and speak to an experienced consultant about the benefits of
eviivo + Agoda.
About Agoda
Agoda, a digital travel platform, helps anyone see the world for less with its great value deals on a global network of over 6 million hotels and holiday properties worldwide, plus flights, activities, and more. Agoda.com and the Agoda mobile app are available in 39 languages and supported by 24/7 customer support. Headquartered in Singapore, Agoda is part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: BKNG) and employs more than 7,000 staff in 27 markets, dedicated to leveraging best-in-class technology to make travel even easier.
About eviivo
eviivo, a market-leading and innovative property management system (PMS), has transformed operations for over 28,000 hospitality businesses across Europe and North America. By replacing clunky legacy systems with a seamless, unified platform, eviivo offers easy, one-click automation from back-office to front-office. The all-in-one PMS enables property managers to handle guest communications, bookings and OTAs on a single, integrated platform, boosting revenue, increasing occupancy, enhancing the guest experience
and future-proofing their business.
1 Euromonitor International, 2024
2 UNWTO, IM, National Statistics Office, December 2023
3 eviivo and SurveyMonkey poll of 1,000 hosts, property owners and boutique hoteliers in the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Iberia, April 2022
4 eviivo website user survey data, August 2025
5 eviivo and SurveyMonkey data, April 2022
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