When hotels find the right Property Management System (PMS), it’s a game-changer for efficiency. But finding a PMS that scales effectively for hotel chains requires a different approach altogether. Here are the key functionalities you need to look out for.
Much of the hospitality sector agrees on how crucial a PMS is – 86% of hoteliers say it’s the most important system for day-to-day operations, followed by the revenue management system (RMS) and channel manager. This sentiment applies whether it’s for just one hotel, or a chain of hotels. But the way in which a PMS is selected and implemented for a chain is very different.
The number of hotel chains is steadily rising, with almost two-thirds of the investment in the European accommodation sector now done by hotel chains. Hotel chains are becoming more prominent because they can make efficiencies in costs and market to a larger customer base. But investing in technology that can adequately handle the needs of multiple properties takes some careful consideration.
Here are the key PMS functionalities that can help.
1. Multi-property management
The best way to ensure the PMS can be rolled out across multiple properties is to use a PMS that has this specific functionality. SIHOT.MPE can take reservations for multiple properties, create guest profiles from all connected properties, and provide reporting at individual and chain levels.
2. Robust sales tools
The ability to manage and connect sales data is also important to hotel chains. By capturing guest data at any property in the chain, hotel teams can better identify sales opportunities and create more targeted marketing campaigns. The SIHOT.SALES module can help with this.
3. Rate management tools
Managing rates becomes much more complex for chain hotels, as each property will have different competitors, unique selling points, and price points. Having a centralised system for rates is therefore essential. Modules such as SIHOT.RATES+ enables hoteliers to set individual BAR rates for each property – plus use other rate strategies – in one easy-to-manage system.
4. An effective way to communicate
With so many more guests coming through the doors, chain hotels need an efficient and effective way of communicating to them. Using a PMS module that can send out automated pre-stay emails with all the relevant information, plus post-stay follow-ups, can nurture efficiency and long-term brand buy-in. SIHOT.PRE&POST-STAY is a module that can handle all of this and more.
5. Larger inventory handling
More beds across a hotel chain means more rooms to keep track of overall. PMS modules to support this can be invaluable for different hotel teams. Modules such as SIHOT.BEDS can provide an overview of arrivals, departures and on-site guests, and ensure rooms are allocated to maximise occupancy across properties. This also supports group bookings, quickly assigning multiple rooms and enabling group check-in.
6. Electronic invoicing
The larger scale of hotel chains means that automating invoicing becomes a necessity. For example, through SIHOT.PMS, electronic invoices can be generated via a night audit, ensuring guest billing is up-to-date for check-out. Supporting guest payments with an integrated point of sale (POS) functionality such as SIHOT.POS also makes payment processes easier for guests and staff.
7. Easy business insights
For the centralised teams and decision-makers of hotel chains, data and business insights from across the group are vital. Whether it’s to inform management, marketing or operational decisions, the continued success of a hotel chain often hinges on this. Modules such as SIHOT.INSIGHTS support this, incorporating a daily dashboard with the most important information available at a glance.
8. Central reservations
The ability to take and manage all reservations centrally is important to some hotel chains, so finding software to bolt-on to a multi-property system can improve efficiency. SIHOT.CRS is one way of doing this and makes reservation pick-ups easier to manage for individual properties. It also comes with the possibility to add additional services to bookings such as airport transfers, improving ancillary revenue streams.
SIHOT can support your hotel chain to find and integrate the right technology – contact us to find out more.