What to Consider Before Investing in a Hotel Channel Manager

Budget

Seeing as most modern hotel channel managers are online cloud-based systems, you won’t have to download any software on your computer. Just make sure that you have access to the internet, and everything can be done online. There are systems at varied price points and most require monthly payments. It could be as low as $25 per month and as high as $350. This is when you have to consider the plan that suits your hotel the most. If you have a small guest house with 5 bedrooms, you can save a lot of money by opting for a cheap option. This is because you don’t need to manage many rooms. There is no need to pay a hundred bucks more for features that you don’t even need. On the other hand, if your hotel is a large scale luxury hotel, it is best not to go cheap for a hotel channel manager. You need to invest in channel manager that can fulfill your needs and that of your customers.

Before you sign up for any hotel channel manager, you should check some of the payment information first. Make sure that there are no hidden costs, especially when the offer is surprisingly low. Some services may show their monthly rates, but you still need to pay more for commission fees. If you do not look at this information, you might end up paying for more than you thought you would have to.

PMS Compatibility

Getting a channel manager that synchronizes with a Property Management System (PMS) will be a massive advantage to your hotel. PMS can process all of the information from the reservations to check-out times for you. There’s no longer any need to handle this task by hand! Still, you need to keep in mind that there might be delays in data transferring depending on the service and PMS providers. It is also possible to ask your PMS provider, if you have one, for recommendations on channel managers that are compatible with them. You are encouraged to get a PMS because it can relieve your workload considerably.

Hotel Channels

The promotion and selling of your hotel rooms can be done by connecting to other channels. It’s great to have a direct channel for people to book a room through your own website. However, there is a higher chance for you to attract more travelers to your hotel when you use other online travel agencies (OTAs) sites, wholesalers, and Global Distribution System (GDS). OTAs are very common among travelers around the world because they can compare prices and look at many options at once. The famous OTAs include booking.com, Expedia.com, and airbnb.com.

Pooled Inventory

This is a strategy that helps you manage your hotel rooms on all channels at the same time. All of the activities made on every channel will be automatically updated for you to check the room availability. Using a pooled inventory will prevent overbooking problems and complaints from hotel guests.

Internet Booking Engine

If the channel manager you are considering is unable to connect to your Internet Booking Engine, it is best to opt for the other ones that offer this option. The Internet Booking Engine or Booking Button allows travelers to book a room directly on your hotel website. If your channel manager offers a Booking Button, you need to check whether you can change the style, color, and font of the button or not. It is crucial to keep your hotel image consistent, and these are the elements that can have significant effects on your branding. Another thing to consider is the responsiveness and functionality of the button.

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