Did you know the global hotel and resort market size was expected to reach 1.21 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023?
Consequently, the demands on hoteliers to provide exceptional guest experiences while efficiently managing operations have become paramount.
Hotel management software is a solution that can significantly elevate your business and streamline processes, enhance customer satisfaction, and boost overall efficiency.
However, with the abundance of choices, it can be challenging to identify the best hotel management software fit for your unique needs.
That’s where we step in – we’ve handpicked the 5 best hotel management software that can redefine the way you run your business.
Let’s dive in!
What is Hotel Management Software?
Hotel Management Software (HMS) is a comprehensive solution that streamlines and automates the various operational aspects of managing a hotel.
Therefore, it integrates multiple functions and processes into a centralized platform, providing hoteliers with efficient tools to handle:
- reservations,
- check-ins & check-outs,
- billing,
- housekeeping, etc.
What Are The Key Features of Hotel Management Software?
Overall features can vary depending on the hotel management software, but there are key features that the majority of advanced HMS provide.
1. Reservation Management
This feature enables hoteliers to manage room reservations efficiently. Usually, it includes a user-friendly interface for staff to
- input reservation details,
- check room availability in real-time,
- and confirm bookings.
In addition, they can specify room types, occupancy details, check-in and check-out dates, and any special requests.
2. Front Desk Operations
The front desk module is the linchpin of hotel operations, which often includes tools for guest registration, key card issuance, and room status tracking.
Thus, it helps you manage guest check-ins and check-outs and assists with room assignments.
3. Billing and Invoicing
Billing and invoicing features automate financial transactions, including room charges, additional services, and taxes.
Thus, they generate accurate invoices, integrate with payment gateways for secure transactions, and provide detailed billing information.
In a nutshell, they streamline the financial aspects of the hotel’s operation.
4. Housekeeping Management
Housekeeping features assist in managing and tracking the cleaning and maintenance of rooms.
For example, hotel staff can assign cleaning tasks, monitor room status in real time, and track housekeeping performance.
This way, you can ensure that rooms are ready for check-in promptly and that they maintain overall cleanliness.
5. Point of Sale (POS) Integration
Integration with POS systems allows seamless management of on-site restaurants, bars, and other amenities.
Therefore, the POS module enables staff to:
- process orders,
- manage inventory, and
- generate consolidated bills for guests.
Overall, POS systems ensure that all charges are accurate and part of the guest’s final bill.
6. Reporting and Analytics
Hoteliers can access reports on occupancy rates, revenue, guest demographics, and other crucial metrics.
In addition, reporting features provide insights into key performance indicators and help data-driven decision-making.
Finally, advanced analytics tools may also predict trends and assist in strategic planning.
7. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
The CRM system maintains guest profiles, preferences, and history, providing valuable information for personalized services, loyalty programs, and targeted marketing efforts.
8. Channel Management
Channel management features ensure accurate and synchronized room availability across various online booking channels.
Thus, the system automatically updates room availability, rates, and inventory on online travel agencies and other booking platforms.
This way, you reduce the risk of overbooking or double bookings.
9. Security and Access Control
Security features ensure the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information, while secure login processes and data encryption contribute to safeguarding guest information.
10. Mobile Accessibility
Staff can manage reservations, check room status, and access important information from mobile devices.
In addition, guests can use mobile apps for check-in, check-out, and accessing hotel services.
Naturally, depending on the scale and size of your business, you may not need all of the above features, but they serve as a good reference to what to pay attention to.
5 Best Hotel Management Software to Elevate Your Business
1. OTA SYNC
OTA SYNC is an all-in-one hotel property management software that helps property owners seamlessly manage bookings and operations within a single app.
Thus, the software covers every step of the booking process, with features and functionalities that can be categorized into 3 big groups:
- Property Management System,
- Channel Manager, and
- Booking Engine.
Furthermore, OTA SYNC provides integrations with Paypal, Stripe, AdriaScan, HubSpot, Zoho, etc.
In addition, OTA SYNC also has a 2-way XML connection with all major OTAs such as Booking.com, AirBnB, Expedia Group, CTrip, HotelBeds, WebBeds, etc.
On top of that, OTA SYNC offers an open API.
Key Features
✨ The OTA Sync Dashboard
The dashboard’s clean layout makes navigating and managing operations easy and intuitive.
Thus, from a centralized place, you can access, manage, and review all the features and subcategories:
- Calendar
- Reservations
- Guests
- Invoices
- Statistics and Reports.
✨ Calendar
The Calendar allows you to check all the prices, registrations, and restrictions in a single place. Furthermore, you can see all the updates and changes.
✨ Channel Manager
Simplifies and optimizes the distribution of hotel room inventory across various online channels.
Thus, it enables hoteliers to manage and update room availability, rates, and bookings in real time, ensuring consistency.
Moreover, with automated updates, the channel manager reduces the risk of manual errors, which can lead to overbooking and underselling.
✨ Booking Engine
Allows guests to book rooms directly and provides a user-friendly interface for visitors to check room availability, view pricing, and complete secure bookings in real time.
✨ OTA Payments
OTA Payments is a fully integrated payment gateway that uses automation to process transactions instantly.
Therefore, it enables hotels or rental businesses to accept customer payments through various online, in-store, or mobile channels.
✨ Statistics & Reports
Deep analytics tools provide valuable statistics into the number of nights your guests have stayed, your average and max revenue, occupancy by month, etc.
Overall, OTA SYNC is a robust yet easy-to-use platform that helps you facilitate booking processes and operations.
Pricing
Pricing starts from €22.08 per month for 1 property with 1 room. The price depends on the number of properties and rooms.
Regardless of the pricing plan, each comes with a 14-day free trial.
OTA SYNC: Pros & Cons
Pros:
🟢 A robust set of features.
🟢 A centralized and easy-to-use dashboard.
🟢 Easy onboarding without the need for account manager assistance
Cons:
🔴 Lacks Online check-in and Upselling features, but they are coming soon.
2. Eviivo
Eviivo is a cloud-based booking and property management platform that caters to boutique hotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, and campgrounds.
The platform provides multiple management tools, ranging from property to payment management.
In addition, Eviivo also has a mobile app, allowing you to get instant notifications and instantly check availability.
Key Features
✨ Property Manager – Helps you manage guests, bookings, and staff. It provides:
- Quick Views of the arrivals, departures, incoming bookings, etc.
- Integrated Travel Agency Connections – Identifies OTA bookings by source.
- Instant Card Management – Automatic card validation and retrieval.
- Exception Management – Identifies deposits due, no-show fees, or expired cards.
✨ Channel Manager – Provides fully automated connections to all the major online travel agencies and two-way sync of rates, content, and availability.
✨ Payment Manager – Contactless payment with full native Level 1 PCI compliance.
✨ Guest Manager – Provides 24/7 guest responsiveness when you aren’t available and enables you to create automated email templates.
✨ Performance Manager – Shows key performance indicators, graphics, reports, etc., which you can easily download as an Excel or CSV file.
Pricing
Prices depend on the number of properties and range between $40 and $125.
Eviivo: Pros & Cons
Pros:
🟢 A very detailed info collecting.
🟢 In-depth planning.
🟢 Lots of resources on how to use software for optimal results.
Cons:
🔴 Poor customer service.
🔴 Time-consuming onboarding.
🔴 Non-intuitive user interface for guests.
3. ThinkReservations
ThinkReservations is a property management system managing a wide range of tasks,
from reservations over accounting to taxes and housekeeping.
Its front desk-centered solutions cater to hotels and boutique hotels, B&Bs and inns, motels, and vacation rentals.
ThinkReservations integrates with numerous distribution channels, payment gateways, etc., such as Airbnb, RemoteLock, OpenKey, Expedia, etc.
Key Features
✨ Booking Engine – Offers multiple rates at once, special offers and discounts, automates follow-up tasks after booking, etc.
✨ Drag and drop Reservation Calendar – Different colors and icons indicate reservation details you can see in one place.
✨ Full report suite – provides various statistics and reports such as reservation statistics, tax calculations, booking pace analysis, etc.
✨ Channel Management – Automatically updates availability, rates, and restrictions with Expedia, Booking.com, Airbnb, etc., and eliminates double bookings.
✨ Integrated Credit Card Processing – Enables you to provide 24/7 booking and receive online payments through direct connections with Heartland Payment Systems, MPI, Stripe, and Braintree.
Pricing
Pricing options are available upon request.
ThinkReservations: Pros & Cons
Pros:
🟢 Multiple integration options.
🟢 Various features to streamline front-desk operations.
🟢 Responsive custom support service.
Cons:
🔴 Steeper extra commission for OTA bookings.
🔴 Additional cost if you want to add certain features.
🔴 Lack of customization capabilities for gift certificates.
4. RoomKeyPMS
RoomKeyPMS is property management software specialized in integrating POS and CRM systems.
Therefore, it covers multiple hotel operations, spanning customer relations to POS transactions.
RoomKey PMS integrates with diverse systems, such as Flexipass, Aloha, Booking.com, Duetto, etc.
Key Features
✨ Property Management Software – Automates real-time changes to rates, restrictions, and reservations, identifies and merges duplicate guest records, etc.
✨ Payments and Processing – Provides integrated PMS and processing features, automated night audit procedures, payments via swipe, dip and tap, etc.
✨ Mobile guest – Enables mobile check-ins and check-outs, digital keys, etc.
✨ Rate Shopper – Provides daily reports outlining competitor rates, demand forecasts, and TripAdvisor rankings.
Pricing
Pricing is available upon request, and it depends on the size of your property.
RoomKeys PMS: Pros & Cons
Pros:
🟢 Integration with POS and CRM systems.
🟢 A rich library of resources, including how-to guides, cheat sheets, videos, etc..
🟢 Intuitive and user-friendly interface.
Cons:
🔴 Doesn’t work on Apple computers and iPads.
🔴 Sometimes, the app glitches and has a problem loading.
🔴 Not too many advanced functions for merging reservations.
5. Cloudbeds
Cloudbeds is a cloud-based hotel management software for small to midsize hotels, vacation rentals, hostels, and B&Bs.
It covers a wide range of features, such as:
- front office management,
- central reservations,
- housekeeping management,
- online booking engine,
- customer relationship management (CRM), etc.
You can access all the features from one centralized platform.
Furthermore, it has a Marketplace with multiple integrations with Adriascan, Akia, 4Suites, Autohost, Duve, etc.
Key Features
✨ Property Management System – Provides tools such as a drag-and-drop calendar and real-time data of the day’s arrivals, departures, reservations, etc.
✨ Channel Manager – Manage all your channels, rooms, and rates in one place to avoid overbookings.
✨ Booking Engine – Integrates with websites to capture reservations from all distribution channels. It also helps with multiple rates, discounts, special offers, etc.
✨ Pricing Intelligence Engine – Enables you to adjust and control your rate strategy with customizable rules, alerts, and automation based on your parameters.
✨ Integrated Payment System – Ensures that all guest card data and payment information goes directly to the reservation in the PMS.
Pricing
Pricing depends on the type of property you run and the Cloudbed’s features you’d like to use.
Cloudbed: Pros & Cons
Pros:
🟢 Multiple integrations.
🟢 A vast library of learning materials and guides.
🟢 A robust set of features.
Cons:
🔴 Customer service has room for further improvement in efficiency.
🔴 Steep price when you include add-ons and fees.
🔴 Can glitch and not sync the data properly.
Wrapping It Up
Although choosing the right HMS can be daunting, usually requiring lots of trial and error, our list of the best hotel management software should get you started.
Naturally, the choice will also depend on your needs and budget.
However, most HMS solutions nowadays cover only one part of the problem or address specific functionality rather than complete hotel management.
But not OTA SYNC. 🔥
Why Should You Go for OTA SYNC?
OTA SYNC is robust property management software that covers every step of the booking process and enables you to:
✅ Do easy onboarding that doesn’t require external assistance.
✅ Manage multiple properties from a single dashboard without switching from one account to another.
✅ Get valuable and in-depth analytics to see how well your property performs.
✅ Easy setup of different tax settings that are specific for different markets.
✅ Benefit from premium management functionalities such as housekeeping management, guest experience, event management within a property, etc.
Ready to take OTA SYNC for a spin?
Sign up for OTA SYNC today and revolutionize your hospitality business.
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