Author
Symmons Industries
Software has made its way into every facet of our lives. Software helps speed up processes, gets rid of redundant tasks, and improves productivity. It’s no surprise that hotels have jumped into the technology fray to find cost-effective software and tools to help with everyday processes. Let’s discuss the types of software you could implement into your hotel operations.
Property Management Software
When it comes down to it, you want something that allows you to access all the information about your hotel–from the number of beds that have been reserved to the housekeeping schedule–all within one user-friendly application. That is where Property Management Software (PMS) comes in.
PMS is a software application that takes all the hotel’s accommodations and places it into a centralized and interactive platform.
A typical PMS dashboard provides a snapshot of various hotel processes as you can drill down on specific data, reports, and trend history so you can organize and perform certain tasks. Many PMS systems can either be downloaded onto your computer or can be accessed over the cloud as they may be designed for small or large hotel properties. Standard tasks that this software offers may include:
- Bookings
- Inventory supply management
- Check-ins and check-outs
- Managing hotel rates
- Dining point-of-sale (POS) system
- Bed availability
- Invoicing
In addition to a PMS system, also consider streamlining your housekeeping and building maintenance. There are task management software systems that allow you to send work orders over PDA and phone devices so your staff will know which rooms need to be cleaned and other maintenance issues. You can use water management software to hot water temperatures to better control your water system and ensure hot showers for guests.
Direct Hotel Reservation System
More hotels are bypassing third-party booking sites and making it easier–and cheaper–for guests to book their stay directly with the hotel. A booking engine provides a valuable tool where people can select rooms, decide on rates, and enter the length of their stay online. This tool has fantastic advantages as people will interact with your website directly, look over your offerings, and make payments to reserve their room. It also provides you with the opportunity to engage in upselling and crossing selling options to offer VIP and exclusive reservation packages.
In addition to direct bookings, you also want to effectively manage bookings through other channels to avoid overbooking your rooms. A channel manager is a great tool that allows you to manage both direct and OTA channels so you can view and manage rates while keeping track of availabilities.
Marketing Resources and Tools
When it comes to marketing, you have a range of avenues to take in reaching your hotel customers. The first step in marketing your hotel is to have a user-friendly, well-designed website. Your website is your primary marketing tool, as it allows visitors to learn more about your hotel, amenities, and even the surrounding neighborhood. Make your hotel’s website the best it can be from day one. After developing your website, focus your marketing strategies based on how to best reach your target customers.
Social media is another marketing resource to key into. You can post rates and availability to your audience, feature hotel specials, and interact with guests. In addition, there are other social media marketing tools to be aware of, such as listening tools. Social media listening tools allow you to “hear” what people are saying about your brand. This tactic is accomplished by tracking hashtags, keywords, and brand mentions. Additional resources include analytical tools to track web visitors and traffic and online surveys to conduct marketing research and gauge customer satisfaction.
When it comes to managing every aspect of your hotel, there are applications and tools specifically designed for the Hospitality industry. Seek out the software that best fits the size and scope of your operations, as well as the needs of your guests.
One of your guests’ most basic needs is access to a comfortable and safe shower at any time of day. Avoid surprise hot water outages with Symmons Water Management, a cloud-based software platform to detect and notify you of potential hotel water system problems.
