The rise of millennial travelers has seen sweeping changes envelop hospitality. Guests today enjoy unprecedented levels of convenience – with almost everything they need available via their smartphone. The industry has dutifully kept pace with developments in the mobile environment, with OTAs, hotels and travel agencies launching apps and optimizing their websites for all devices.
Recently, mobile apps for managing back-end operations have also begun appearing in the market. Android and iOS versions of property management systems (PMS), channel managers and other similar tools have been growing in popularity, enabling hoteliers to control operations on the go. And while these apps are more attuned to the hotel’s needs, they inevitably contribute to improving the guest experience as well.
A great guest experience stems from a good hotel management
When core processes within a property are optimized to run efficiently, productivity is enhanced and subsequently, all other departments run smoothly. This is apparent in the way a cloud-based PMS transforms the running of a hotel – automation and better organization of tasks free up the hotel’s staff, enabling them to attend to guests more effectively. With a PMS app, hoteliers have the added edge of being able to carry out such tasks from anywhere, within or outside the property. This also lowers their dependence on additional infrastructure such as traditional workstations. With such limitations eliminated, guests can expect even quicker service. Agents can create new reservations for walk-ins or unexpected arrivals, add room preferences and even check them into the property even if the front office is full. Similarly, at the end of the stay, hoteliers can check-out guests, consolidate folios and even accept payments – right there from their smartphone.
Apps equipped with scanning features, such as Hotelogix’s mobile PMS, have the added functionality of recognizing guest IDs such as the passport or driving license from over 80 countries. This saves the staff from manual entry, allowing them to complete a reservation faster.
Bookings can also be made specifically for groups, corporates or travel agents with previously assigned rates for partners. Even the pricing plan can be adjusted at any time, enabling revenue managers to implement their strategies and change pricing optimally. In an industry where dynamic rates change every hour, having the capability to make such modifications to pricing via mobile can be a significant advantage.
As we approach the end of the year, hotels gearing up for the festive season will witness first-hand the advantages of having a mobile management facility. When pushed to the limit and operating during periods of peak occupancy, anything that can be streamlined or done faster makes a difference!
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