Smart Practices for the Hotelier: 2) Handling Group Bookings

PRABHASH BHATNAGAR -

Many hoteliers’ dreams have been to enjoy the benefits of group bookings without all the hindrances associated with them. Don’t get me wrong, group bookings are very beneficial and lucrative to any hotel; even at a discounted tariff they guarantee numerous room nights. The problem starts with having to deal with numerous challenges associated with these bookings.

You know what I’m talking about, some of the most obvious challenges include:

  • Managing commissions and rates with the 3rd party who has made the group booking (travel agent, corporate, individual etc.)
  • Managing pay terms – sometimes the payment is made by the person making the booking, sometimes the individual guests make them
  • Managing varied check-in/ check-out timings and dates, as well as requests for numerous early check-ins and late check-outs
  • Managing room preferences or split bookings
  • Check out is an altogether different nightmare, especially with the billing. Who pays for the spa treatments, room service, food at the restaurants etc.

It’s a complete catch 22 situation.

The solution here is an efficient Property Management System, like Hotelogix, that shall help ease a lot of the agony. Hotelogix’s cloud-based PMS takes care of all the hindrances mentioned above. For starters, they offer separate consoles for travel agents and corporate bookings, and they can be managed further by adding specified rates and commissions for different bookers.

Hotelogix has a rate management system which diligently tracks billings and payments and generates specific folios as per the hotel’s instructions. The hotel can be as detailed as required by clearly defining what charges are borne by the guest and what would be taken care of by the booker.

The varied check-in and check-out timings/ dates are also seamlessly managed by Hotelogix. By updating the system with all the required information, everything from the check-in to the billing shall be taken care of. Thus the bête noire, the check-out nightmare, can be managed in a very well-organized manner.

Using a PMS like Hotelogix shall enable hoteliers to enjoy the benefits of Group bookings without being overburdened with the issues associated with them.