Small hotel software is essential for the operation of any accommodation establishment, whether it is a hotel, glamping or a hostel.
Regardless of the size of your hotel, it is essential to have hotel management software that allows you to visualize the performance of your establishment and have control over what you do on a day-to-day basis. This software system is called PMS, which stands for Property Management System .
With the technological development in which we are immersed today, it is necessary for small, medium and large hotels to have this type of technological tools (hotel PMS) that allow them to manage the operation by optimizing times and controlling the operation of their properties.
In this blog we mention key features that you should consider when choosing the PMS for small hotels that best suits your needs and allows you to be more efficient in the management of your establishment:
7 features to choose the best PMS software for your hotel
- Whether you have a small hotel or not, you should consider a PMS that allows you to record all the transactional information that passes through the establishment: the most relevant reservation data, the check-in process, date changes or a clarifying note from a guest, are features that will help you efficiently manage each reservation.
- It must have a user-friendly interface that allows you to consult information quickly. Actions such as viewing daily availability with a single click, or being able to quickly search for a guest by name are essential for the operation of your hotel.
- It must have a reporting and statistics module to evaluate management and make decisions. Software for small hotels will surely give you valuable information that you previously thought you could not count on.
- It is important that it is open to integrations with other systems in order to be able to evolve the services it offers you in the future.
- It is recommended that the PMS for small hotels be as comprehensive as possible. This means that it not only serves to record transactions, but also allows you to manage reservations, have connectivity with different sales channels , and have reservations through your website, among other functionalities.
- You can manage the different levels of permissions for your hotel’s users. This point is very important because not only one person will have access to the information; therefore, regardless of whether it is a small or large hotel, you will want to keep some modules protected.
- If possible, look for PMS options for small hotels that are cloud-based and web-enabled. This will allow you to access your hotel’s information from anywhere.
Manual administration or with hotel software?
Some establishments decide to manage all the information manually because they are considered small; however, there are hotel software options on the market such as LobbyPMS that are priced and functionally suitable for these establishments, and that allow them to save themselves headaches. Below, we want to tell you about some of them:
Challenges you will encounter if you manage hotel information manually
| CHALLENGE | MANAGING INFORMATION MANUALLY | MANAGING INFORMATION WITH A PMS |
| The manager would like to see what occupancy you closed with the last 5 nights. | It will take you time to count each reservation and depending on how you have them organized you will have to extract the information day by day. |
With one click you can find your daily hotel activities. |
| A housekeeper would like to see which rooms are available. | You may see some Excel file that will probably not tell you if the guest has checked out or not, and therefore you will have to go check each room yourself. |
With one click on the software you can find the rooms that have already been checked out and those that are still available. |
| Marketing and Sales: A sales executive wants to know what the main revenue generators are for his hotel. | The necessary information is not found, because generally when we do the manual process we only take the name and document as required information. |
You can find all the information about how much a channel, company or client has produced for you in any period you like. |
| A customer calls because he wants to make a reservation in the same room and under the same conditions as last time. | The guest waits a long time in line, while the receptionist searches through the files to find out what his last choice was. |
With hotel software you can search by customer name and you will have the information instantly. |
| A guest goes to reception and requests an extension of stay in the same room type. | It may happen that you confirm the extension and do not realize that in another file you had a reservation checking in on one of the days, so you will have an overbooking problem. |
It clearly shows you on the calendar whether you have availability for the same type of room or not, without any errors. |
| The Comptroller’s Office wants to conduct an audit on which of the rooms delivered had income | There may be occupied or used rooms that did not generate income or you may have occupied rooms that have already been checked out but have not yet been paid. This can cause confusion and will take time to get the exact data. |
You can filter paid reservations, reservations, check-out or check-in, among others, which will allow you to have the information online and up to date. |
These are just a few examples of what you experience on a day-to-day basis and why hotel software can help you be more efficient.
Other aspects to consider when choosing a PMS for small hotels
We have already talked about the features and importance of having hotel software. Additionally, there are other aspects that are no longer related to functionality, but that you should take into consideration when choosing your PMS:
- Keep in mind that this PMS should be very user-friendly and easy to learn. It is important that you do not have to invest a lot of time in configurations and training for its use, because you will have staff turnover, and it is not optimal to invest 3 days in training a new member, when there are many important things that will require your valuable time.
- As long as you are in a place with a good connection, it is ideal if this PMS is in the cloud, since you will have a connection from anywhere to be able to check your hotel information.
- Whether the hotel software has basic functionalities or is scalable as you need more functionalities, you should avoid making a large investment and only using half of its functionalities.
- In some cases, it is key to have local or Spanish support, as well as handling of your currency.
- Keep in mind that the idea is that you can make adjustments or changes yourself, without having to go to support.
