Here’s some food for thought… One of the biggest ironies is that we, as a generation, are spoilt for choice but very few of us know exactly what we are looking for! Technology has brought us so many amazing gifts, over the past few decades, that some of us could get overwhelmed by it all and get lost trying to keep up.
But there is a choice even at this point- you can either succumb to the choice-fatigue and do things traditionally or as you always did, OR you can do your bit of research and inquire and choose the best option to take your business higher than ever. I highly recommend the latter when it comes to picking the right Hotel Reservation System.
Let me establish this much right at the outset- A Hotel reservation System or a Hotel Reservation Software is non-negotiable in this day and age. More and more travelers are turning to technology for a lot of their decisions and you simply cannot afford to lag. You need to, at least, keep up with them, if not surpass them. And if we were to pick one all-inclusive system that would put all business-related woes of a hotelier to rest, it would have to be a Hotel Reservation Software (HRS).
Now, chances are, you already have a system in place and are aware of the importance of a Hotel Reservation System. But are you a 100% sure that your system is giving you the returns it is supposed to? Unless your answer to this question is a resounding “YES”, you are going to have to read till the end, because you should strongly consider looking for another Online Hotel room reservation system.
Here are 5 reasons why you need to replace your current Hotel Reservation System:
1. It doesn’t allow ‘anytime-anywhere’ access
This is your golden egg. The possibility of being connected to your hotel data even you are not physically present there, brings you so many opportunities, as a hotelier. You can monitor reservations, cancellations, bookings from various sources, your revenue, the occupancy over any given period and even your staff’s performance, in the click of a button, on the go.
Not just this, a truly comprehensive HRS also gives you powerful reporting features which you can link to your inbox at any frequency you prefer- daily, weekly, etc. Minimal dependencies and maximum updates.
Unless your system guarantees you all this, you need to replace your current Hotel Reservation System.
2. You still suffer from overbooking, under-booking or double-booking
Overbooking may be a common issue faced by hoteliers, but that doesn’t mean it is not a serious one. It can affect your guest experience massively which could, in turn, affect your revenue. By investing in a solid Online Hotel Room Reservation Software, you eliminate the chances of overbooking, under-booking and double-bookings. This is because they are connected to channel managers which update inventory and rate-related details across all channels in real-time.
When updates between HRS and OTAs happen in real-time, these will no longer be an issue for you. And when you don’t have irate guests who are victims of overbooking standing at your frontdesk, your guest experience and reviews are bound to be better. And this is always good news, isn’t it!
If your system cannot do this, you need to replace your current Hotel Reservation System right away.
3. You have no control over guest experience or guest loyalty
In the previous point, we discussed one aspect of guest experience and how to avoid it by addressing overbooking. But guest experience is much more than just that. It involves everything, right from what your online ratings and reviews are, how long it takes for them to make a reservation with you, to how smooth and quick the check-in process takes, whether your staff are polite, helpful and proactive, and so much more!How can you make sure your Hotel Reservation System takes care of all this? By investing in a robust system which allows:
- a mobile hotel management app to make your guests’ life easier. Quicker check-ins and check-outs
- seamless communication between inter-departmental staff to ensure that all your guests’ needs are recorded, followed-up on and fulfilled
- Integration with review sites to coax ‘on-the-fence’ travelers about making a booking with you
- Inspiring guest loyalty by nurturing your association with them, consistently- automate emails to send promotional/customized emails, wish them on occasions, etc.
Wondering if your current system is capable of doing all this? It’s time for a replacement!
PS: Agreed. Not everything relating to guest experience can be handled by a Hotel Reservation Software. However, when you have a system in place to take care of all the points listed above, you will have that much more time to focus on other things about your hotel’s guest experience which require human intervention or the human touch.
4. Your hotel’s operational efficiency is far from perfect
The purpose of a Hotel Reservation System is to streamline and automate processes which otherwise consume a lot of manual effort and time. Gone are the days when you would have to log in manually and update rate and inventory details after every reservation on all your OTAs & vice versa! A Channel manager does just that, and lots more, of course. Just integrate whatever add-ons you need to your HRS and you will understand how easy it is to improve operational efficiency in a hotel.
Be it taking notes for the housekeeping, sending a message to a POS, arranging for a pickup, customizing a package for a guest whose birthday it is, offering a discount to a VIP guest- everything is possible on a Hotel Reservation System which is cloud-based, robust and comprehensive, in the click of a button.
You need such a system to taste greater success. Make the switch now!
5. It doesn’t support Mobile Hotel apps
Like we already discussed, mobile hotel management apps are extremely helpful to hoteliers, in more ways than one.
- They make otherwise tedious tasks easier (check-ins, checkouts, cancellations)
- They help lower dependencies because anyone can access the system from their phones
- Most importantly, they give you the flexibility to stay updated in real-time, even on the go
Mobile hotel PMS app, or mobile hotel management apps are an absolute must-have in your Hotel Reservation System. You cannot afford to carry out tasks the way they were carried out a decade ago- this should be your competitive edge. You need to be mobile-first because that is where a good majority of your guests are!
If your system doesn’t support a mobile app integration, and you don’t need it anymore.
You could know the benefits of a Hotel Reservation System and still be unsure about which system to choose. And that is exactly why we bring you this post. As a hotelier, choosing the best Online Hotel Room Reservation System can bring you all these benefits listed above and more.
