Managing a hotel in today’s evolving hospitality industry is exciting but can also come with complex issues that are restricting your full potential. As technology has advanced, so have guest expectations as they want more speed, convenience and personalisation during their stay. So, relying on spreadsheets and manual systems is not efficient in keeping up with the demand of the ever-changing hotel industry.  

That’s why a hotel PMS can get you back on track by centralising your core hotel management components in one place. According to our recent AI report, hoteliers are using on average 5 systems to run their operations, which adds up to 453 hours per person per year lost by having to switch between them. It’s a lot more than a booking tool; it’s the backbone of your hotel that connects everything from reservations, payments, revenue and guest data into a simple platform that you control.  

Here are the key benefits you will see when adopting a hotel PMS system:  

• Core functions in one place – Instead of juggling multiple systems that are working independently, you can manage everything in one central platform to eliminate errors and improve your operational efficiency.  
• Transformed guest experiences – Give guests a unique stay with access to guest profiles and preferences ahead of time so you can create tailored offers and upsell items.  
• See data in real-time – Use live dashboards and instant reporting insights that can help you forecast revenue and make informed decisions that benefit the team and operational efficiency.  
• Seamless integration with other systems – Modern hotel PMS platforms can easily integrate with your current tech stack such as CRS, RMS, CRM and booking engines, so you can streamline workflows and keep everything on one page.  
• Manual task automation – Those mundane manual tasks can be a thing of the past as integrating a PMS platform will automate time-consuming admin like revenue reporting or guest communications so you can focus on more important areas of the hotel business. 

Finding the right PMS for your hotel doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. Think of it as finding the technology that you want to support teams and guest experiences that also drives revenue and profitability. With that in mind, here are 7 core features we think you need that are found in a PMS platform:  

1. Centralise your reservations 

Keeping your reservations from all channels in one place can significantly help reduce manual errors and risks of overbooking. Using real-time availability updates and rate adjustments means you can maximise your occupancy without the added stress.   

2. Channel management integration 

Having multiple distribution channels can lead to more problems than you might think but integrating them into your PMS platform ensures your rates and inventory are always connected. This helps you maximise revenue and maintain consistency as everything is talking to each other.  

3. Sync guest profiles and CRM data 

Personalisation doesn’t have to be hard, and with a PMS that stores detailed guest data, you will have full visibility of their preferences, stay history and loyalty status to give them a unique guest experience. This data can set you apart from the competition as it drives repeat bookings and increases your guest satisfaction.  

4. Automated billing and payment processing 

Handling payments is one of the most important processes for your hotel, so it needs to be accurate and quick. Using a hotel PMS will ensure payment gateways are secure and checkouts are smooth with fast invoicing and payment completions.  

5. Maintenance management 

Using a hotel PMS that has instant maintenance tracking and housekeeping statuses ensures your rooms are ready to go before any issues arise. This gives staff the reassurance that operations are running smoothly and under control.  

6. Real-time reporting and analytics 

Making decisions is one thing in a hotel business, but a PMS platform can give you data-driven insights that support them. With forecasting tools and real-time occupancy reporting, you will have all the answers to plan an effective and strategic operation. Our Guestline Evo AI integration takes real-time reporting and your PMS one step further with quicker and more accurate data, helping future-proof your hotel operations.

7. Cloud-based accessibility and security 

Scalability only happens if your tech can keep up. Using cloud-based technology provides you with remote access opportunities and automatic updates that are crucial if you are always on the move. Stay in control anywhere at any time to always be in the loop.  

A hotel PMS can be your saviour in more ways than one, so how can it help solve those common challenges you might find hard to shake? Here are 5 ways a hotel PMS can find the answer to those blockers.  

1. Overbookings and manual reservation errors 

How a hotel PMS solves it: A PMS that is integrated with your channel management software can automatically sync OTA rates and connect your direct booking engines to eradicate overbooking risk and reduce manual errors.  

2. Fragmented guest data 

How a hotel PMS solves it: Centralising guest profiles and preferences to create tailored experiences and upsells that drive repeat bookings and increase marketing revenue.  

3. Inefficient check-in/check-out processes 

How a hotel PMS solves it: Integrating digital check-in kiosks and mobile keys helps reduce the pressures of the front desk and wait times so guests can begin their stay quickly and efficiently. With Welcome Break, they saw a huge reduction in their check-in times going from 4 minutes to 45 seconds just by digitising their processes. It also made them more sustainable by saving mountains of paperwork equivalent to 57 trees.

4. Lack of operational visibility 

How a hotel PMS solves it: Creating real-time operational dashboards from hotel data collected from the connected systems enables teams to always have visibility across departments and the overall business.  

5. Limited reporting and forecasting 

How a hotel PMS solves it: Using advanced RMS and forecasting tools with your PMS platform helps you predict demand using market trends and historical data, as well as giving you the insights to adjust pricing accordingly to maximise revenue.  

When finding the best hotel tech for your property, you don’t want to throw anything and everything into the mix. You need to take a step back and see which tech can help streamline your operations and maximise revenue. Here are some top tips on how to get it right the first time.  

• Find your ideal hotel PMS 

Essentially, your hotel PMS is the heart of your tech stack as it handles everything from your reservations, guest profiles, housekeeping, billing and reporting. Choosing a cloud-based hotel PMS will enable you to integrate it easily with other systems and scale as your property does.  

• Identify operational gaps 

Before adding new tech, you need to map out your operations and where your team need extra support. Think about what could be restricting your business or where errors are occurring more than they should. A few common operational gaps could be: 

• Lack of guest communication and follow-ups. 
• Limited reporting and forecasting.  
• Overbookings and missed reservations.  
• Reliance on paper spreadsheets and invoicing.  
• Long queues and front desk pressures due to manual and outdated systems.  

When you recognise these gaps, you’ll know which tech tools can deliver the most impact for your hotel needs. 

• Prioritise integration over special features 

A successful tech stack will only work if its connected systems are in sync. Look for software solutions that integrate easily with your hotel PMS such as distribution managers, direct booking engines, CRM and revenue management systems. This reduces the risk of duplicated data and ensures real-time updates across platforms. 

• Focus on guest experience 

Whatever technology decision you make, it should always improve the guest journey. Guest-facing tech such as digital check-ins, mobile keys and automated pre-arrival messages are no longer luxuries, but  expectations for the modern traveller. Ensure your tech stack supports personalisation and convenience at every touchpoint so you can deliver the best guest experience. 

• Think about the long-term goal 

Avoid looking at hotel solutions that are only a temporary fix and instead choose tech providers that offer a suite of integrated tools that scale to your business. At Access Hospitality, our hotel tech stacks and PMS platform helps you get started on building the foundations for your hotel to start improving your operations and give you results.

So, where do you start with selecting the right hotel PMS for your business? It is an important decision for any hotelier, so to help you get the PMS wheels going, here are some of our top tips on what to think about when you are making those decisions.  

• Recognise your operational needs 

Before looking at the hotel PMS features, think about your needs as an operation. Ask yourself, do you need multi-property management, advanced reporting or digital check-ins? A clear list of priorities prevents you from paying for unnecessary add-ons and gives you clarity on what to look out for. 

• Think about how your PMS will integrate 

Your hotel PMS should work seamlessly with your existing tools without any interference. If you purchase a PMS with poor integration, this may lead to inaccurate data and more manual admin which will increase your workload, not automate it. 

• Look for real-time reporting and analytics 

Data is what drives decisions, so you need to ensure your hotel PMS provides actionable insights on pricing, guest data and booking trends for the most part. Advanced systems even offer forecasting tools for smarter pricing strategies, but it is best to see what you need first and then build your tech stack from there. 

• Is it easy to use? 

A hotel PMS with all the latest features is useless if your team struggles to use it. It is best to look for intuitive dashboards and simple navigations that enable teams to embrace it quickly and easily to reduce errors and boost motivation.  

• Try before you buy  

Always see the hotel PMS system in action by requesting a live demo or speak to the team that lets you test the software before signing a contract. Involve your whole team in the process so you can get feedback and make an actionable decision.  

Now you know what you need from a hotel PMS, here’s why ours is the perfect fit for your hotel business.  

• Built for operational efficiency 

Our hotel PMS brings your operational functions into one place, whether that is reservations, guest profiles, payments and revenue so you can manage everything from a single dashboard.  

• Integrates seamlessly into your tech stack  

If a PMS can’t easily integrate into your tech, then it is not going to work. Our hotel PMS effortlessly integrates with your systems to ensure real-time data and insights are in sync across your operation to reduce manual admin and help you make smarter decisions.  

• AI-powered reporting and forecasting 

Instant insights are crucial to help you plan forecasting strategies and anticipate booking trends. Our PMS, now supported by Access Evo, helps you collate your hotel data into one platform to give you full visibility of your performance metrics in real-time without the hassle.  

• Designed for your guest journey  

We know that every hotelier’s main focus is ensuring the guest experience is the best it can be. Our hotel PMS helps personalise your guest journeys from pre-arrival messaging to digitalised check-ins driven by guest data that will keep them coming back.  

Check out our hotel PMS platform today. 

In this guide, we have explored the areas where a hotel PMS can help improve your hotel operations and start embracing the new age of hotel technology. We have looked at the main features of a hotel PMS, how you can choose the right one and why building a hotel tech stack is crucial in making your business a success in today’s hotel industry.  

With Guestline from Access Hospitality, we want to make your hotel operation as smooth as possible, with the latest tech solutions that will give you clarity and ease to any challenge you might be facing. Using real-time insights and data-driven dashboards, our hotel PMS is the perfect fit for any hotel business starting out or wanting to find the next steps in their journey.