Hotel property management systems have been around since the 1980s, and were originally designed purely to automate tasks and drive efficiencies for front of house operations.
There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then, and now not only are all good property management systems cloud-based – available any time, anywhere, on any device; eminently scalable and automatically updated – but they are more like a wheel and cog mechanism, with various integrations providing the extra solutions hotels need, which can be plugged into the system.
“If the PMS is the hub, the integrations are its satellites”
If the PMS is the hub, then integrations are its satellites, which enhance the overall capability and offer increasingly sophisticated options to hoteliers, sometimes on a ‘pick and mix’ basis, and sometimes as an integrated offering. In the former case, hotels may have more choice, but have also got to set up and manage the integrations themselves; in the latter, the PMS host has chosen the most helpful integrations and included them on their customers’ behalf, and manages the relationships.
Rezcontrol has taken the second route, to make life as easy as possible for its customers – while recognizing that other systems therefore have the capacity to offer more options. In either scenario, all good PMS systems will include some or all of the following, to ensure a comprehensive and seamless experience between the PMS and their vital extra functionalities:
- Table reservations
- EPOS
- Booking engine
- OTAs
- Channel management
- Review platforms
- Gift voucher, bookable events and ticketing
- Accounting
- CRM
As an example, a map of the Rezcontrol engine room looks like this, with numerous options which all complement each other coming off the core functions of front of house, back office, distribution and F&B.
Don’t forget to KISS – ‘Keep it simple, stupid!’
While a PMS looks – and is – pretty complex, the end result should be streamlined simplicity, for users and hotel guests alike. A guest should be able to find the best deals and book in a couple of clicks; add any extras and have the opportunity to check in online and coordinate pretty much any aspect of their stay, from restaurant reservations to spa bookings, all in one place as the core PMS and its integrations work seamlessly together.
From the hotel’s perspective, vast amounts of manual processes are removed, at the same time removing the potential for human error while saving endless hours of staff time – and generating revenue opportunities along the way. So as an example, early check-ins and late check-outs can be proposed via the PMS’ guest engagement tools, using automated hotel-branded emails, and bookings of these services will both generate extra revenue and alert housekeeping. Similarly, a room cancellation can automatically cancel a related table booking to free up the table for rebooking.
The importance of automated dynamic pricing to the booking engine
In the end, a key goal of all hotels and bookable accommodation is to increase revenue and margin. This enables them to improve their offering, invest in their property, retain quality staff and in many cases give back to their communities.
This is where a relatively new integration technology comes into play – automated dynamic pricing, such as that provided by RoomPriceGenie.
The genius is, once the pricing strategy parameters have been set, it runs itself. Hotels can set key dates (such as local festivals), known low periods and so forth, to make the most of demand at peak times and boost bookings in slow ones. This can be set by the week, day or even hour, to push out the best pricing to the associated OTAs through the PMS channel manager. It will even monitor competitors and adjust accordingly, as well as including sophisticated reporting which can predict patterns based on past experience.
With pricing updates up to 12 times a day, programmable up to 18 months into the future, it’s no wonder hotels are choosing to go on autopilot, while seeing around 20% in revenue increase, and saving hours a week on rate management. Automated pricing adds enormous value to any PMS, and to any hotel on its books.
Rezcontrol offers its customers the ability to automate their pricing strategy through the PMS itself, making this one of our most valuable integrations. The whole is truly greater than the sum of the parts.
Want to learn more about how RoomPriceGenie can help you?
Book a demo of and learn how hoteliers like you are using RoomPriceGenie to drive revenue through better pricing.
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