Maximizing Efficiency: An Ultimate Guide to Hotel Management Software Features

The hotel industry is dynamic and competitive, with businesses constantly seeking ways to improve efficiency and enhance guest satisfaction. Hotel management software features have become an essential tool in achieving these objectives. From online booking and inventory management to housekeeping and maintenance, hotel management software offers a range of features that can streamline hotel operations and improve the guest experience.

This article will discuss these hotel management software features in detail and provide tips for hotel management selection. Whether you’re running a small boutique hotel or managing a large chain, this article will help you stay ahead of the competition and ensure the success of your business.

What is Hotel Management Software and What Are Its Benefits?

Hotel management software is a computer software system that combines various powerful features such as hotel room management system, hotel employee management system, hotel customer management system, hotel booking system, etc.

The system can not only accurately and timely reflect the current state of the hotel business and housing status, but also quickly realize a series of operations from guest booking to financial reconciliation. It is a statistical database but also a tool that can provide various reports and data analysis, which can make hotel management and operation easier.

What’s more, the hotel management system brings many advantages to hotels as follows, so it is widely used in many information management places such as hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, motels, and hotels. 

Primary Benefits:

• Improve hotel service quality: With the help of the hotel system, hotel staff can quickly get the information and demand of guests, which can help personalize the guest experience and provide better guest service.
• Simplify hotel operations: Hotel management software can automate many of the daily tasks and repetitive tasks involved in hotel operations, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.
• Increase efficiency: System with an intuitive interface and easy-to-operate feature. Powerful and convenient batch processing functions such as quick reservations, front desk contact, and accounting reduce the hotel’s workload and improve work efficiency.
• Enhance hotel security: Hotel software can help ensure the security and privacy of guest data, which is crucial for building trust with customers.
• Strengthen hotel management: Authorization control, strict control of room rates, different room rates must have different discount authorizations, and room rate discount authorizations can be monitored and verified in the form of reports.
• Bring economic benefits: The system has powerful classification and statistical functions, allowing the hotel’s sales department and management to know the occupancy status of repeat customers and contracted units at any time.
• Enhance reporting: The software can generate a wide range of housekeeping reports on various aspects of hotel daily operations, including occupancy rates, revenue, and expenses, which can help hotel managers make more informed decisions.

Top 10 Must-Have Hotel Management Software Features & Tools

For customers, online booking engines provide convenience, allowing them to book and manage reservations from anywhere and at any time. They also offer the ability to compare prices, read reviews, and make informed decisions about where to book.

For businesses, online booking systems help to streamline the reservation process, reducing the need for manual input and reducing the potential for errors. They also offer the ability to track reservations and customer data, which can be used to improve marketing efforts and customer experience. Example of software that offer this feature include Booking.com, Expedia, OpenTable, and Eventbrite.

Feature 2: Hotel Property Management System (PMS)

A property management system (PMS) is a software platform that allows hotel front desk staff to manage and organize guest information, hotel reservations, billing, and other key operations. The system is a comprehensive solution that helps to streamline tasks such as reservation management, check-in, check-out, guest information management, room inventory management, etc. Examples of software that offer this feature include Hotelogix, Maestro PMS, and RoomKeyPMS.

Key feature functions of hotel PMS: 

• Real-time room state 
• Room bookings
• Keys management
• Housekeeping management
• Front desk operations
• Daily audits
• …

Feature 3: Automated Billing and Invoicing

Automated billing and invoicing refer to the use of software tools to generate invoices and manage billing processes automatically, without the need for manual input or intervention. This can help to save time and reduce errors, while also providing businesses with greater visibility into their billing and electronic payment processes.

Automated billing and invoicing typically involve the use of software platforms that can integrate with other business systems, such as accounting and CRM tools. These online platforms can help to automate tasks such as invoice generation, payment tracking, and payment reminders. Examples of software that offer this feature include Rezdy, Cloudbeds, and InnRoad.

Feature 4: Channel Management

Channel management refers to the process of managing the distribution channels through which a product or service is sold to customers. With this feature, hotels can manage their inventory across different channels, such as online travel agencies (OTAs) or direct bookings.

A good channel manager can help hotels to reach their target customers, optimize their occupancy rates, avoid overbooking, maximize sales, build brand awareness, and so on. Examples of software that offer this feature include SiteMinder, Cloudbeds, and Little Hotelier.

Channel management refers to the process of managing the distribution channels through which a product or service is sold to customers. With this feature, hotels can manage their inventory across different channels, such as online travel agencies (OTAs) or direct bookings.

A good channel manager can help hotels to reach their target customers, optimize their occupancy rates, avoid overbooking, maximize sales, build brand awareness, and so on. Examples of software that offer this feature include SiteMinder, Cloudbeds, and Little Hotelier.

Feature 5: Guest Relationship Management (GRM)

Guest relationship management (GRM) is a feature that allows hotel staff to manage guest information and interactions. In detail, GRM includes customer data management, guest communication, guest experience management, loyalty program, retention management, etc.

With this feature, hotel staff can personalize the guest experience, create targeted marketing campaigns, and respond to guest feedback. There also allows to reached a large number of potential guests, so that promote the growing of hotel business. Examples of software that offer this feature include Revinate, Guestfolio, and Cendyn.

By analyzing data on guest behavior and preferences, businesses can identify opportunities to improve the guest experience and increase customer loyalty. By monitoring operational metrics and financial performance, businesses can identify areas for cost savings and revenue growth. Examples of software that offer this feature include Duetto, Mews, and RMS Cloud.

Feature 7: Housekeeping and Maintenance Management

Housekeeping and maintenance management in the hospitality industry involves the management and coordination of cleaning and maintenance activities within a hotel, resort, or other hospitality establishments. 

Effective housekeeping and maintenance management can help hospitality business to maintain a higher level of cleanliness and safety, minimize downtime and repair, and more. With this feature, hotels can provide a more comfortable staying environment for consumers, which can help to improve customer satisfaction rate and establish a brand image. Examples of software that offer this feature include Quore, Cloudbeds, and Hotel Effectiveness.

Feature 8: Inventory Management

Inventory management is a basic feature that allows hotel staff to manage inventory across different departments, such as food and beverage or housekeeping. Effective inventory management is critical to ensuring that a hospitality business has the necessary supplies to operate, while minimizing waste and reducing costs. Examples of software that offer this feature include Toast, Cloudbeds, and Maitre’D.

For modern hoteliers, with mobile technology, hotel staff can manage operations on the go, respond to guest requests in real-time, and stay connected with other staff members. It can help hotels to improve the guest experience, increase revenue, and build customer loyalty. Examples of software that offer this feature include ALICE, Cloudbeds, and OPERA Mobile.

Feature 10: Integration with Third-Party Software

Integration with third-party software is a feature that allows hotel management software to integrate with other software systems, such as revenue management system, CRM, or point of sale. With integration serives, hotel staff can create a more comprehensive and seamless solution that can streamline operations and enhance the guest experience. Examples of software that offer this feature include Cloudbeds, Little Hotelier, and WebRezPro.

Some of the best hotel management software tools of 2023

Here, we selected some best hotel management software solutions to simplify your hotel operations, including Cloudbeds, InnRoad, WebRezPro, eZee Absolute.

Cloudbeds

Cloudbeds is a cloud-based hospitality management software that provides a range of features to help hotels, hostels, vacation rentals, and other accommodation providers streamline their operations and increase revenue.

Features:

• Provide real-time and safety payment processing. Make hotel website more secure.
• Powerful and invitive management system, easy to use and without any training. A system can manage all your channels, rooms, and rates.
• Cloudbeds’ channel manager integrates with over 300 online travel agencies (OTAs) and booking channels.
• Commission-free booking engine lets guests book directly from the hotel’s website or social media pages, reducing commissions paid to third-party booking channels.
• Cloudbeds’ revenue management tool helps hoteliers optimize their pricing strategy to maximize revenue and occupancy.

InnRoad

InnRoad is a hotel property management system designed to simplify the daily operations of small and medium-sized hotels, motels, and resorts.

Features:

• Hundreds of top online travel agent sites. Service for all property types, sizes, and experience levels.
• Multiple languages are available. InnRoad is trusted by thousands of properties worldwide.
• Fully integrated suite, including property management system, booking engine, channel manager, credit card processing, and more.
• Allows manage your account at any time and anywhere with an all-in-one mobile friendly property management solution.
• Without third parties, more efficient payments, more security.

WebRezPro

• Offers an ideal fit for a range of hospitality businesses, including hotels, B&Bs, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
• It is designed to handle both front desk and back-office module, integrating accounting processes seamlessly.
• A commission-free booking engine with the added benefit of upsell options.
• Cover the entire guest cycle, from pre check-in to post check-out.
• Trusted by 2000+ accommodation providers in 45 countries around the globel.

eZee Absolute

• Provide a fully-functions hotel management system, including reservations and offline bookings, PMS mobile app, guests self-service portal, etc.
• It is suitable for a wide range of properties such as resorts, vacation rentals, chains, and serviced apartments.
• Online hotel channel manager maximises your reach by connecting your property to 130+ OTAs, GDS and vacation rental portals.
• Integrated with the finest 500+ third-party solutions to strengthen the grip on your hospitality business.

Choosing an Excellent Hotel PMS System: Characteristics to Consider

Since the internet era, hotel PMS vendors have mushroomed into the international market, leaving hotel owners dazzled and unsure where to start. System selection is not so complex, most worriers come from the unfamiliar with the system. Here are some of the most important aspects of choosing a PMS system for your reference.

1. System Architecture

In the era of big data, Cloud Computing + B/S ” is the trend, and the trend is the king. Whoever has valuable data has the power of speech, and whoever uses data fully can do precise marketing. The greatest use of Cloud computing is big data, which can help hotels save a large number of data and can achieve rapid analysis, real-time monitoring resources, etc

And base on the B/S architecture, the system can add any number of functional modules, which can achieve remote control and multiscreen operation, making PMS nothing impossible! Therefore, choosing a system with Cloud computing + B/S can help your hotel meet the development of modern hotel requirements, and make your hotel never outdated.

2. System Functionality

The functionality of the software can impact the efficiency of hotel operations and ultimately the guest experience. A good PMS system should have comprehensive functionality, which can help hotels manage the entire hotel’s daily tasks from administrative tasks to the lowest level tasks.

What’s more, the systems should have a clean and user-friendly interface that is easy to use without the need for specialized training, which can help you save a lot of time in operation and training. But here is a point you should note the more functions the system is not the better, the most important thing is to meet the business needs of the hotel.

3. Vendor Strength

A good system must have a powerful vendor strength, which includes hard R&D strength and soft service strength. Practice is the only criterion for testing the truth, and only after experiencing the market baptism can we know whether the system is truly mature and stable. And a strong supplier should have the following features: hundreds of brand hotel partners, more than 20 years of production experience, a professional R & D team, a perfect after-sales system, etc.

4. Customization

Select the PMS system which allows customization to fit the hotel’s unique needs and branding. With a custom hotel management system, you can provide your guests with a personalized experience and a more refined service system, so that can make your guests think your hotel is more professional and high-level.

5. High Cost-effectively

Of course, the cost generally is the key factor to determine whether to buy a product. Choosing a PMS system that is cost-effective and provides value for money. And you need to consider the total cost of ownership, including installation, training, maintenance, and ongoing support costs.

6. Security and Data Protection

The PMS system should provide robust security measures to protect the hotel’s data from cyber attacks, as well as provide data backup and disaster recovery options. In addition, reliable customer support and regular software updates are vital for system security and ensure smooth and seamless operation. Therefore, security and data protection is an important and the first point that we cannot ignore when choosing a hotel management system.

Conclusion: Leverage the Benefits of Hotel Management Software to Drive Business Growth & Efficiency

Investing in hotel management system software is a smart decision for any hotel looking to stay competitive and grow its business. In detail, by using hotel management system software solution, you will never take a lot of time on menial tasks like reservations, check-ins, and billing. So that you can focus on making your guests happy and your business booming.

Additionally, by automating a list of tasks, you can reduce the risk of errors or oversights. No more double-booking rooms or misplacing reservation records. Hotel management software can also integrate with other systems, like accounting and point-of-sale, to streamline your entire operation.

And if that’s not enough to convince you, consider that hotel management software can also provide valuable insights into your guests’ behavior and preferences. By analyzing data from the software, you can learn what your guests like and don’t like, which can help you tailor your services to meet their needs.

All in all, automated features and integrations in hotel management software can make your life easier by saving you time, reducing errors, and streamlining your entire operation. Plus, you get the added benefit of valuable insights into your guests’ behavior. It’s a win-win!

As a smart lock supplier with more than twenty years of manufacturing experience from China, we provide a high-tech and advanced smart lock system solution for our hotel guests, while also providing a wide range of hotel operation plans. We wish our customers can find the best and the most suitable hotel management solution, and have a successful  business. If you are also looking for hotel smart lock system, please feel free to contact us!