Hotels have long been the undisputed choice of accommodation for tourists, but they’re not always the ideal choice. With group traveling and corporate trips becoming more common, vacationers can get quite cramped in small hotel rooms. Companies are also beginning to realize the detrimental effects that staying in a single hotel room can have on their employee productivity. Serviced apartments are the prefect solution in this regard. With more space all round and even a kitchen, guests can truly feel ‘at home’ in a way they never can in a hotel property.
Service apartments also work out cheaper for long stays – it’s not uncommon for companies to hire professionals for several months at a time, while accommodating them in expensive hotels during the entire time. However, running a serviced apartment has its own set of challenges, most of them quite different from running a hotel. Additionally, these properties do not have the sort of manpower that hotels have at their disposal. Property management technology can enable the smooth running of a serviced apartment – improving efficiency while boosting profit at the same time.
Organized Reservations
Managing reservations can get complicated. With so many distribution channels available today it can get difficult to manage multiple reservations coming in. A reservation management system can help organize incoming bookings and auto-populates the bookings so as to maximize room availability. In addition, managers can anticipate the arrival of large families or even corporate groups with special requests such as a cook. Moreover, the system can track and save guest preferences along with their details, building profiles for individual bookings that can be referred to again. This allows the property to align itself to the guest’s preferences during his next visit.
Auto-generated Folios
With a property management system, most activities become automated. So everytime a guest requests a service, the software tracks the room and adds the corresponding amount to the person’s room rate. The manager can add any other expenses to be charged to the guest to their respective folio at any point during their stay. Last minute charges from any point-of-sale terminals can also be included in the bill during check-out. This automation of folio generation saves managers from the hassle of having to deal with human errors in the billing process, something which can get quite unpleasant.
Real-time Connectivity
With millions of visitors browsing through OTA sites everyday, overbookings can ensue if preventive measure are not taken. By integrating the property management software to channel managers in real-time, a good distribution system can not only display the live inventory of the property, but even eliminate double-bookings. Unsold or cancelled inventory from OTAs can also be displayed on the apartment’s own website, boosting direct bookings. Real-time integration also allows the various other software used by the property to connect with one another and share information, optimizing overall resource usage.
More Time for Staff
Unlike regular hotels that employ personnel to undertake specific duties within each department, a serviced apartment has much fewer employees. As a result, staff usually wear multiple hats and may need to cater to areas outside their role to a certain extent based on the necessity. This emphasizes the importance of time saved – a PMS automates a number of activities within the property that would otherwise need to be carried out by the staff. With management technology, properties can save hours of time for their staff, which can be directed towards assisting the guests with any concerns they may have.
Hotel rates can be intimidating for long stays but that’s not the only concern people have today. After a long day of work in a foreign city, tired professionals can feel suffocated in a small room and this can hamper their productivity. Companies are growing aware of this and are turning to serviced apartments in greater numbers. With modern technology and old-school hospitality, your serviced apartment can become the first choice in the area!