Despite the overwhelming adversity the hospitality industry faced in 2020, there is reason to hope for a significant rebound in 2021. The promise of vaccines and robust consumer demand should be major factors in leading the way, but hotels will have to adapt to the conditions of the New Normal to ensure the health, safety and comfort of their guests and staff. At the forefront of these strategies are hotel apps. A mobile app is an essential technology at every phase of the guest experience - pre-arrival, arrival, in-room, food & beverage, amenities and departure. The goal is to make guest interactions as touch-free as possible and the app can be used to facilitate communication, reduce physical touch points, provide social distancing measures, and implement safety regulations. The app can also be used to track employee movements for exposure tracing purposes. The January Hotel Business Review will report on how some hotels are using mobile apps to offer guests and employees a superior experience and a sense of safety and protection