By Estela Bolton


The hotel property management system (PMS) allows hospitality groups to automate operations individually at each of their properties while still being able to coordinate activities as a group. Everything from reservations and the front office to housekeeping and accounting can be automated and managed by the software. Some of the more desirable features in such a PMS are discussed below.

The most important feature to look for is integration with the reservations network and yield management system. It's not possible to explain the technical aspects here, but the summary of it is that anyone making a reservation will be offered an automated process where the room rates per night are decided based on occupancy rates and demand at that moment. Standard features include single-screen reservations, group booking facility and one-step check-ins.

A very desirable feature is for the software to store guest history and produce it as required. As soon as the name field in the form is filled in, the database is checked to see if the same guest has stayed at the hotel previously. If a matching record is found, the rest of the fields are populated automatically. It makes the booking process work even faster.

Being able to see the guest's history instantly is also helpful for front-desk staff who can then acknowledge and welcome repeat guests to make them feel at home. It helps provide better service since the staff knows what the guests need. For example, if the history shows that the guest is a big spender, they can be offered free upgrades and other free amenities.

The same database scan may also prove useful for and loss-prevention and enhanced security. Every hospitality company maintains a record of blacklisted people who should not be allowed to stay. Some are guests who have unpaid bills, while others may have been caught stealing, doing something improper or causing damage to hotel property.

The PMS can also be linked with operational systems such as door-locks and pay per view, along with POS units for in-house restaurants, bars and convenience stores. The same system can also handle HR, inventory and other back-office operations which do not require interactions with guests. All this data will flow into a centralized database that can be used not just for billing and accounting, but also for creating detailed reports for analysis.

Another advantage of having a single system take care of everything is that it greatly reduces the need for IT spending on hardware, upgrades, staff training and salaries. Single log-ins for each user improves security and user management. Use of mobile apps and cloud solutions for this software further enhances productivity and reduces the need for IT infrastructure.

At the end of the day, the hospitality business remains a huge and complex setup that must remain operational round the clock. It involves hundreds of guests and employees, regular maintenance and lots of hard work. An experienced GM leading a competent team can pull it off and keep guests happy with personalized care and attention. But this is only possible if the hotel property management system is handling all the routine tasks, so that the staff can focus on the details.




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