Best Hotel Management Software - Page 8

What is Hotel Management Software?

Hotels are extremely complex machines with many moving parts. From front desk workers to housecleaning staff, concierges to restaurant cooks and servers, hotels require considerable coordination and organization to ensure guests are enjoying themselves. And since hotels are so involved, there is no one software solution that will fit every hotel’s business model. Hotel management software can look like a lot of different things, but the end goal is always to make sure the hotel runs smoothly and efficiently.

For instance, reservations are the backbone of the hotel industry, and in this day and age, booking a hotel online is an expected feature. For everything from small hotels or boutique hotels to huge hotel chains, no reservations means no business. For that reason, reservation software is a mainstay component of hotel management tools.

Customers expect a certain level of convenience, and that means elements such as online bookings, virtual check-in and check-out, and flexible services. Hoteliers are turning more to cloud-based solutions over on-premise options because of the easy implementation and integrations. Increasingly, smart hotel software is becoming available to provide a completely customizable experience for customers. With innovations such as using customers’ mobile devices as room keys or in-room television remotes, the world of technology is opening up for the hospitality business.

Why Use Hotel Management Software?

Hospitality management is difficult. The day-to-day operations of a hotel are often elaborate and entangled, involving many different individuals in many different roles. In some ways, chain hotels have many advantages over independent hotels, given that some resources such as marketing and sales may already be provided. However, hotel management software can be an equalizer that streamlines processes that were once manual and required communication with several different departments.

Aside from reservations, hotels may need accounting tools, marketing tools, hotel property management (PMS) tools, housekeeping tools, sales tools, and more. Hotel management software is built to meet some or all of these needs to ease some of the pain of running a hotel and hospitality business. For instance, the advantage of having one tool that handles both front desk check-in and housekeeping is that front desk workers will know in real time which rooms are ready for new guests, allowing guests that arrive early to receive a room rather than being forced to wait until a certain time.

But the obvious advantage is the opportunity to save money by using one tool that does the work of several. Utilizing hotel management software allows hoteliers to save both money and precious time, since implementing one tool is much faster than implementing and integrating several. And if you already own several tools, hotel management software will often integrate with some if not all of the tools already in use. Property management, not to mention hotel management, is complex and involved, and hotel management solutions seek to ease some of those burdens.

What are the Different Kinds of Hotel Management Software?

Hotel management software is a broad category. The end goal of every hotel management solution is to aid with the running of a hotel, resort, or bed and breakfast, but that may look different for every organization. Because every business is unique, the array of features offered by hotel management software varies from solution to solution. Listed here are some common iterations.

Bookings-focused – Hotel booking is crucial to maintaining a hospitality business, so there are many hotel management tools that focus heavily on online booking features that either integrate with a hotel’s website or with other online booking engines. Payment gateways and billing features may also feature heavily.

Operations-focused – As mentioned earlier, hotels have many moving pieces that require constant organization. Hotel management tools that focus on operations will have plenty of accounting, employee scheduling, inventory management, and possibly even sales and marketing features. The goal with these solutions is to improve operational efficiency and lower costs while increasing revenue.

Property management-focused – PMS, or property management tools, are essentially end-to-end solutions that cover all aspects of a hotel’s business. Hotel management software that is also considered a PMS will have many features that touch on every important facet of the business, from front desk to back office.

Hotel Management Software Features

• Booking/reservation manager: A means for guests to make reservations online, as well as a way to monitor availability, change reservations, and possibly make group bookings (wedding blocks, for example)
• Front desk/front office operations: Guest check-in and check-out, room allocation, housekeeping, laundry management, and guest profiles
• Channel management: Planning room availability and rates, managing bookings from multiple channels in one place, dashboards to easily relay information
• Property management: Inventory, facility, and maintenance management
• Mobile support: Access to features from mobile devices
• Sales and marketing tools: Tools to drive sales and bring more customers to the hotel, such as CRM and SEO
• Analytics: Reporting on key metrics such as guest trends and finances

Trends Related to Hotel Management Software

The hospitality industry is seeing more than a few tech trends take hold. Both IoT (internet of things) and AI are driving innovation in the hospitality industry.

Smart hotel software – Artificial intelligence applied to hotel software can provide insights into guest behavior and trends, as well as find opportunities for increased efficiency. Customer service can also benefit from AI with chatbots freeing up time to focus on guests.

Mobile check-in – The front desk has become somewhat passé, potentially leading to wait times for tired guests. Mobile check-in allows guests to check in themselves using kiosks in the lobby or with staff members posted around the lobby holding mobile devices.

Smart rooms – To facilitate mobile check-in, some hotels are using mobile phones as room keys. Mobile phones can also be used to control room televisions, temperature, and curtains. Room phones may also be replaced with a customer’s own mobile phone, allowing them to text or chat with hotel staff rather than calling the front desk or concierge.

Software and Services Related to Hotel Management Software

Hotel reservations software allows hotels to create online reservations portals that integrate with a current website. These tools enable customers to book, change, or cancel reservations while processing payments or loyalty rewards.

Property management software is primarily meant for real estate businesses, but does contain facility management features that may be helpful for a hotel.

Travel agency software and tour operator software may interact with online reservations portals, allowing travel agents to book accomodations for their clients.

Accounting software aids with back office financial tracking, while core HR software maintains employee records, schedules, and payroll.

Event management software may also be helpful for the planning and running of hotel events such as weddings, corporate meetings, conferences, and charity events.