Hotel Software

Hotel software refers to specialized systems designed for managing hotel operations and guest services. It’s vital for streamlining processes like reservations, billing, and customer management, thereby enhancing efficiency, improving guest experiences, and ultimately boosting hotel profitability and competitive edge.

Key Takeaways

  • Property Management System (PMS): Essential for managing bookings and administrative tasks, PMS systems increase visibility and streamline operations across hotel departments.
  • Revenue Management System (RMS): RMS software utilizes algorithms for optimal room pricing, balancing demand and pricing strategies, and maximizing revenue.
  • Distribution Channel Manager: Connects hotel inventory to various online channels, managing prices and availability to prevent overbooking and target niche markets effectively.
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Enhances guest experience through personalized communication and targeted marketing, leveraging customer data.
  • Central Reservation System (CRS): Centralizes reservations from various channels, increasing efficiency in booking processes and inventory management.

Introduction

Hotel software helps hotels streamline their processes resulting in increased revenue, cost reductions, and improved guest experiences. But which hotel software solutions does a hotel need? In this article, you will learn about the most useful hotel management software systems that will help ease your day-to-day operations.

What is Hotel Software?

Hotel software allows hotel owners or managers to streamline their administrative tasks while simultaneously cutting costs and increasing bookings. The software system isn’t just important for the day-to-day operations of a hotel, but it also plays a vital role in the overall guest experience.

What Are The Main Benefits of Hotel Software?

With the advances in technology, the software needs of a business change over time. If the current software you use for your hotel is outdated, it may be holding your business back and stop you from gaining productivity. By choosing the right hotel software, you can benefit from the following features:

  • Reduce costs by automating tasks
  • Increase revenue by automating marketing and revenue management
  • Enhance staff efficiency
  • Improve productivity
  • Streamline accounts
  • Replace paperwork processes
  • Communicate more effectively with customers
  • Keep your booking dashboard updated at all times
  • Charge extra for late arrivals or check-ins/check-outs
  • Customize check-in/check-out email templates
  • Personalise bookings and price plans

Hotel Software Solutions Every Hotel Needs To Consider

Automating day-to-day tasks is essential to achieving guest satisfaction as it helps the hotel manager provide a quality and reliable service, every time. Below are the latest hotel management software solutions every hotel owner should use.

1. Property Management System (PMS)

PMS is a system that facilitates a hotel’s booking management and admin tasks. A property management system doesn’t just automate operations across the various departments in the hotel. It has now developed into a platform that helps hotels gain more visibility and enables them to reach out to the audience to increase bookings. This software allows hotel owners to process e-payment collection and manage room inventory for accurate allocation. This last feature prevents over-bookings or even duplicate reservations. It is also possible to use a PMS system to send confirmation emails to customers after they make a booking. This function is part of the front-desk module, and some systems even allow the customer to reserve the room and the activities offered by the hotel.

Find more detailed information about property management systems in the articles:

2. Revenue Management System (RMS)

RMS helps hotels create prices for their rooms based on algorithms. RMS software aims to improve pricing strategies to sell more rooms at optimal rates. Since the hotel industry is highly dynamic, using a revenue management system is crucial. Some of the main advantages of this hotel software include strategic pricing and higher revenue, but hotels can use many more benefits. Firstly, RMS lowers costs by considering the room rates during the low and high seasons. As a result, the hotel manager can plan in advance and lower costs by avoiding unnecessary expenses.

In the article “Revenue Management System (RMS): What Are the Advantages?” you find more detailed information about RMS systems and some of the main features and advantages associated with RMS software solutions.

3. Distribution Channel Manager

Channel managers are highly valuable for hotels of all sizes. The role of a distribution channel manager is to connect the hotel’s inventory to multiple online travel channels or agencies. This will allow you to manage your hotel’s prices and availability across all online marketing channels. A channel manager helps avoid overbooking and prevent other costly mistakes since it can report booking sources. The hotel owner can then determine which online channels or portals best fit their niche market. With such sophisticated tactics and systems, interested travelers can quickly find the accommodation they need.

In the article “Hotel Distribution Channel Manager: What Are the Advantages?” you find more information about distribution channel management in the hotel industry and the role a distribution channel manager can play.

4. Rate Shopper Software

This hotel software has the benefit of simple graphics and easy-to-use reporting tools that help hotel owners optimize room rates in line with demand. You can obtain real-time data about your competitors, including their prices and current promotions, using rate shopper software. In addition to disclosing useful information about other hotels, this software will also allow you to keep an eye on your rankings using tracking events in your local area and obtaining statistics about the average prices charged by the hotels in your area. The main benefit of using this software is learning about the local hotel industry to stay ahead of the competition.

5. Reputation and Review Management Software

Reputation and review management software is designed to track online users’ feedback on services and products. It is a system that helps spread the customer’s positive reviews through relevant online platforms. Building a reputation with positive reviews can only be good for hotel owners as they can increase their sales this way. Hotels use this software to promote their business and capture negative customer reviews. It is also a useful tool that helps hotel owners monitor social media posts about their services. Simply put, this software allows you to monitor what your guests say about your hotel by sending you alerts. You can then respond to these reviews and rectify the issue quickly.

6. Mobile CheckIn App

Hotel owners focus on mobile apps as they provide instant access to many self-service options. For hotel owners, the mobile check-in app reduces the need for a front desk service so the staff can focus on other tasks. Some advantages of using a mobile check-in app include saving time in check-ins, communicating with guests before arrival, (via the app), and increasing revenue by allowing guests to upgrade their rooms, book dinner, or tours.

7. Online Booking Engine

The goal of every hotel is to sell more rooms and increase profit. But without an online booking engine, you’ll have to rely mainly on phone calls to make bookings. An online booking system is an essential and effective tool that will significantly increase bookings as it allows users to make secure reservations on the hotel’s own website. If your hotel is listed on a social media site, the online booking engine can also be used for making direct bookings. This tool is available 24/7 and allows visitors to book a room whenever possible.

8. Website Builder

Every hotel must have a website to gain maximum visibility. A website builder tool helps hotels create a website for their business. There are two types of website builders: online and offline.

The offline website builders allow you to download and install the tool on your PC. You can then build your website and upload all the saved files to a Web host. The online website builders are just as easy to use as the offline ones by allowing beginner or experienced hotel owners to create a website within a few minutes using dragging and dropping elements. Thanks to the convenient and easy-to-use website builder software, you don’t need any experience or coding knowledge to create your own website. Many website builders have a special template for hotels, which helps hotel owners to create a hotel website in no time.

As different technologies in the hospitality industry constantly evolve, choosing the right hotel software for improving service and making the process run smoother is almost obligatory. With so many advantages offered by well-chosen software, every hotel owner or manager should strive to use such systems for their business.

More Information About Hotel Management Software

Would you like to learn more about hotel management software solutions that can help you to grow your hotel business? In the following articles, you will find more information about the most important hotel management software for hotels:

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten
Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. I am specialized in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have over 15 years of experience developing, implementing, and managing revenue management and marketing strategies and processes for individual properties and multi-properties.