The Most Important Features of a Good Hotel Reservation System
The technique through which visitors may make secure online bookings is called a hotel reservation system. In essence, the hotel's booking engine and website are connected together, thus the hotel incurs no additional expenses when compared to utilizing an OTA. In the travel and tourist industry, online reservations account for roughly 63% of yearly income, or roughly $756 billion. You'll be able to manage online bookings more effectively if you use a reliable hotel reservation system and use it to automate reservation operations while decreasing the chance of manual mistakes and company losses.
Guests can pick how long they want to stay, what sort of accommodation they want, add-ons, and pay securely online using hotel reservation system software. In this article, we’ll go in-depth about what a hotel reservation system is, and what are its must-have features. So let’s get started.
What exactly is a hotel reservation system?
A hotel reservation system is a software application that enables clients to book directly with the hotel online, bypassing the need for middlemen. The software basically processes online reservations made through the hotel's website and then sends this information to the hotel's own backend so that it can be conveniently accessible. Hotel personnel then manage the reservations. With the rise of the Millennial traveler, more than 700 million individuals are predicted to book exclusively online by 2023, therefore having an online reservation system is essential for accessing a larger audience.
Most essential features of a hotel reservation system
- Online payment processing
Making payments online has become more comfortable for your guests, and it is currently their preferred mode of payment.
It is simple and fast for people to book hotel rooms directly through your website, and if they are unable to do so, they may choose to stay in a competitor's hotel. According to Tnooz, over half of customers cancel their online trip reservations early due to payment issues. "The checkout process took too lengthy," they said, and "the payment method I wanted to use wasn't accessible."
In order to avoid this problem, make certain that your hotel reservation system:
● Allows overseas travelers to pay using their credit or debit cards. UnionPay, for example, is widely used in China.
● Supports the most widely used and reliable online payment options, such as PayPal.
● Can convert your accommodation rates into an international traveler's preferred currency.
As a small hotel, your future success hinges on your ability to provide a secure online payment interface through your reservation system.
- Automated guest communications
Automatic emails have grown commonplace in the travel business, to the point where your guests expect to receive a confirmation email after making a reservation.
- Reservation confirmation email
This is an automatic email issued by your hotel's reservation system after a guest submits their information to confirm a reservation. Because most reservations need a credit card, the goal of this email is to reassure your guests that their reservation was successful. It also assures customers that your hotel is real and that their sensitive payment information is safe and secure with you.
- Preparation for their stay
Now that their stay is approaching, the goal of this email is to ensure that everything goes smoothly, to get them enthusiastic about their stay with you, and to provide you with an opportunity to earn additional money. Remind them of their check-in and check-out timings, as well as your terms and conditions and whether they can use mobile check-in (especially your late check-in and late check-out policies).
Also, inform them of the items they'll need to check-in (ID, their reservation number, etc). Finally, some of your excess products and services can be upsold.
- Integrated channel manager
You must market your property to online travel brokers in order to boost your distribution and increase your online bookings (OTAs). However, without a channel manager, managing various channels and keeping your inventory and current pricing updated might be tough.
A channel manager enables you to continuously display your live inventory and current rates across all channels, including your own website.
Utilizing a solution with integrated channel management streamlines the process. When a room is booked at your hotel, all of your channels are automatically updated, ensuring that your availability is always up to date.
- Advanced reporting
Select a central reservation system that allows you to create customized reports with useful information about your property.
You may see your daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly performance at a glance using these reports. You may also see payment history and outstanding balances.
These reports should be straightforward to develop, generate, and analyze, and they should help you make the best decisions for your hotel.
- Mobile app
It's infuriating to be bogged down by admin when you'd rather be communicating with your guests, which is why finding an online reservation system with mobile technology is critical.
This allows you to run your business from wherever you are using your choice mobile device. Finally, you'll be more efficient and able to focus on the vital goal of providing an excellent client experience.
Conclusion
Before you choose a hotel reservation system, make sure it has the capabilities you need. It's a terrific way to streamline your daily activities and provide your clients the option of booking directly with your hotel rather than through third-party websites.
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