The hospitality industry is ever-evolving with new trends changing the dynamics of hotel operations and marketing. Taking bookings, allotting accommodations, managing operations, amenities and staff, keeping track of housekeeping and maintenance, customer relationship management etc, has become a breeze with the help of essential hotel technologies.
However, there are still some hotels that are nervous about making use of essential hotel technologies. It can be due to various reasons, - lack of knowledge, cost, confusion or scepticism. However, if a hotel will not adopt the required technology, then it will fall behind the competitors who make use of it and improve their operations and guest experience.
Essential Hotel Technologies For Your Business
We have listed some of the most essential technologies for hotels that will help your business and make it more efficient. Based on your requirements and scale of operations, you can check which technology suits you the most.
1. Property Management System (PMS)
The first technology your hotel needs to incorporate is a Property Management System, also known as PMS. A Cloud-Based PMS system is one which can be accessed using an internet connection, anywhere you want. You have a secure login that you can use to access the cloud-based PMS.
You can use a PMS for not only managing but also automating several operations of the hotels such as bookings, front office, guest check-in/check-out and many others. With the help of PMS, you can integrate other essential hotel technologies to make your business smoother.
A Mobile PMS can also help you keep track of your hotel operations such as reservations, check-in/check-out, checking OTA, and inventory; all at your fingertips.
2. Booking Engine
Your hotel website is the best source to get direct bookings, however, without a booking engine, you will not be able to optimize your hotel website as a bookings generator. A Booking Engine is a SaaS (software as a service) application that integrates the hotel’s website and the PMS, allowing the guest to book room nights through the website itself. A booking engine also helps in social media integration. You can integrate PMS with other essential hotel technologies.
3. Channel Manager
Even if Direct Bookings can save commissions and give you more control over your business, OTAs are still relevant. The reason is that it helps in marketing and it's also convenient for the customers to go on OTA platforms and get a list of hotels based on location, budget and preference. It has now emerged as one of the most essential hotel technologies.
However, managing so many OTA listings is challenging, especially the rates on each of them. This is where a channel manager comes into the picture. A channel manager helps you manage multiple properties in one go. You will not need to log in to each and every OTA individual to manage it. Instead, you can save time and manage it all in one place.
4. POS System
For efficient billing of the various purchases of services and products at the hotel, a POS Outlet is required. For example, if you have a restaurant, you will not have to manage all the bills in one place.
You can let the POS Outlet manage the billing for the amenities assigned to them and then during checkout, you can bill them all at once or you can clear the payments before the checkout. This is where a POS System will help you. A smart POS system will help you streamline your operations, especially if integrated with PMS and other essential hotel technologies.
5. Contactless Technology
Contactless Technology has always been around. It is after the Covid - 19 Pandemic that it has grown exponentially. With contactless solutions, guests can customize their stay, request services and make payments for rooms and amenities without any human contact. It makes things convenient for the hotel and the guests. This new hotel technology will help you stay ahead in the game.
6. Revenue Management System
Without revenue management, you will not be able to gain sufficient revenue to generate profits. Revenue management is all about assigning the right room to the right guest and at the right price. Revenue management is about optimizing your room inventory and your amenities to generate maximum revenue. It's an essential hotel technology that cannot be ignored.
One needs to have a track of demand, prices, competitors and seasonality to formulate a revenue strategy and implement it. With a strong revenue management system, you will be able to optimise data to make the most out of revenue management. You can also inculcate dynamic pricing into your strategy seamlessly with the help of hotel technology.
Hotel technologies are now emerging as an essential part of hotel operations. With their help of them, you will be able to improve the efficiency of the business and make it more profitable. Read our blogs to know more about the hospitality industry and its trends, challenges and potential.
Essential Hotel Technologies - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which hotel technologies are emerging?
Technology has now become an integral part of hotel management. Some of the technologies for hotels are Property Management systems (PMS). Point Of Sale System (POS), Channel Manager, Revenue Management System and Booking Engine.
What Are Cloud-Based PMS Systems?
Cloud-Based management systems are those that can be accessed anywhere with the help of secure login on the internet.
I don’t have a budget for essential hotel technologies. What should I do?
There are many affordable hotel technologies available in the market. In the long run, it will save you money and make your work more efficient. However, which technology to use and how much should you pay for it depends on your budget, scale and preferences.
Is Revenue Management Important?
Revenue management is one of the most important aspects of hospitality management. It involves providing the right guest, the right room, at the right price and at the right time.
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