Ten key qualities to look for in a Channel Manager

Whether you run a hotel, B&B, or holiday rental, maximising bookings and occupancy rates is a top priority. Strong online visibility across multiple Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and metasearch platforms is crucial. However, manually managing prices and availability on each of these channels is time-consuming and prone to errors. That’s where a reliable Channel Manager comes in. To help you make the right decision, we will explore the ten most important qualities your hotel Channel Manager should possess, ensuring efficient rate management and synchronised availability across all connected channels.

1. Quality connections to a wide range of OTAs

A quality Channel Manager should establish a stable connection with a diverse array of booking platforms, including international players like Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Trivago, and popular local OTAs. This enables your property to reach a broader audience and maximise online visibility.

2. Easy management of standard and calculated rate plans

Rate plans are at the base of every successful pricing strategy. Your Channel Manager should allow you to create at least five calculated rate plans with specific restrictions derived from your standard rate plan. This way, when you make any changes to your default rate plan, you don’t need to update each of your other rate plans individually. Make sure you can add/subtract fixed amounts (e.g. for breakfast) and percentages.

3. Central dashboard to update prices and availabilities in bulk

Efficiently managing rates is essential for staying competitive. Look for a Channel Manager that lets you update prices and availabilities in bulk from one central dashboard, saving you time and effort. This enables you to respond swiftly to market trends and to quickly close certain rooms when necessary.

4. Channel-specific settings and rate calculations

A good Channel Manager allows you to customise settings for each booking channel easily. For example, you may want to increase your rates by 10% on certain OTAs that charge high commission fees and by 5% on other OTAs. Thanks to additional calculations like this, your prices are automatically adjusted, and you don’t have to create separate rate plans per channel.

5. Instant synchronisation to avoid double bookings 

A Channel Manager should ensure real-time synchronisation of availability across all connected channels. Real-time synchronisation eliminates the risk of double bookings and enhances guest satisfaction.

6. Automatic data collection and reporting

To fine-tune your distribution strategy, you need to know where your bookings are coming from. Therefore your Channel Manager should offer automatic data collection and generate comprehensive reports, so you can closely monitor your channels’ performance, identify trends and make the proper adjustments to your distribution mix.

7. Integration with a Revenue Management System (RMS)

A Channel Manager and Revenue Management System like RoomPriceGenie are the perfect combo to optimise and automate your rate management. Based on market analysis, the RMS helps you automatically set the right prices at the right time to maximise your revenue per available room (RevPAR) and profit margins. 

8. Seamless connection with your Booking Engine

While connecting to OTAs is crucial, it’s equally important to prioritise your direct bookings. A seamless integration with the booking engine on your website is essential to eliminate the risk of overbookings or inconsistencies and to maintain accurate reporting.

9. Smooth integration with your Property Management System (PMS)

Choose a Channel Manager that seamlessly integrates with your chosen Property Management System. This integration simplifies data exchange between the two systems, including prices, restrictions and reservations, streamlining your operations and ensuring accuracy.

10. Responsive customer support

Lastly, excellent customer support in your own language is vital when choosing your Channel Manager software. Look for a provider that offers personal assistance when it comes to quickly resolving urgent technical issues and providing thorough training so that you can use the product to its full potential.

Is your Channel Manager supporting all these essential qualities? 

Grab your chance to try the Cubilis by Stardekk software for free. With Cubilis, you can count on strong connectivity with over 400 partners, a user-friendly Booking Engine and personal support in multiple languages. Request your free 14-day trial here and experience the many advantages of connecting RoomPriceGenie with Cubilis.