The Best Hotel Management Software

Discover the all-in-one Hotel Management Software (HMS) that will become the cornerstone of your hotel’s technology ecosystem. With a single vendor, gain access to essential digital tools, including a Property Management System (PMS), booking engine, website, and channel manager.

Every team member will benefit from its features, and it seamlessly integrates with all tools in your tech stack. That’s why it's crucial to research and identify the HMS that best aligns with your hotel's unique requirements.

A Comprehensive Guide: How to Select the Perfect HMS

Choosing the right Hotel Management System (HMS) is crucial for streamlining your hotel operations. An HMS goes beyond the capabilities of a traditional Property Management System (PMS), offering additional tools such as a booking engine, website builder, and channel manager, providing a complete solution for your hotel.

When selecting an HMS, prioritize systems with excellent design and user experience to enhance daily tasks. Evaluate the system's reliability by reviewing vendor uptime records to ensure stability. Ensure compliance with data security and payment processing standards, and seek out vendors offering reliable 24/7 customer support. 

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Seamless integration with your existing tech infrastructure is essential for efficient operations, so verify compatibility. Transparency in pricing is vital to understand the total cost of ownership. For those managing multiple properties, opt for an HMS that can handle complex operations effectively.

This guide will assist you in identifying the best Hotel Management Software vendors, the key questions to ask during demos, and how to read unbiased reviews from fellow hoteliers. By focusing on user experience, pricing, functionality, and support, you'll find an HMS that not only meets but enhances your hotel management needs.

Rankings & Reviews: Top 10 Hotel Software

Selecting the right Hotel Management Software for your hotel involves several factors, some influenced by personal preference but primarily determined by your property's unique characteristics. Is your hotel a small property with a limited budget, or a luxury resort with multiple outlets and high ADR? Every property has distinct characteristics, needs, preferences, and budgets.

Visitor

Visitor is a cutting-edge, all-in-one hotel management system designed for independent hotels, B&Bs, hostels, apartments, and vacation rentals. It combines a property management system, channel manager, booking engine, and payment platform into one seamless solution. 

Additional features include front-desk system, revenue management, your own website, mobile app, and more. As one of the most connected solutions available, Visitor offers many integrations with business solutions such as Airbnb, Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Expedia. Try it free for 14 days with no credit card required.

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WebRezPro

WebRezPro is a comprehensive property management platform offering features like online scheduling, customer support, and robust integration capabilities. Reviewers praise its user-friendly interface, responsive customer service, seamless website integration, and frequent updates with relevant features. 

However, some users have reported issues, noting that the system feels outdated and clunky, with slow data navigation, a lack of a modern interface, limited training resources, inflexible templates, and a challenging customer interface.

Cloudbeds

Cloudbeds is the premier platform revolutionizing Property Management Systems (PMS) for the hospitality industry, serving tens of thousands of properties across over 150 countries. Designed from the ground up to be seamlessly unified and scalable, the award-winning Cloudbeds Platform integrates solutions that modernize hotel operations, distribution, guest experience, and data analytics.

HotelRunner

HotelRunner is a freemium, cloud-based platform for online sales, digital marketing, and channel management, designed to help hotels and travel agencies enhance and streamline their online presence. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, HotelRunner assists in the transition from offline to online, creating innovative sales channels, enhancing international brand recognition, reaching a broader customer base, and increasing profits.

RMS Hotel

RMS Hotel is a cloud-based property management and reservation system tailored for service accommodation businesses. It offers efficient reservation management and real-time online bookings integrated with channel management. With over 35 years of experience in hospitality technology across more than 30 countries, this feature-rich and user-friendly system empowers you to boost bookings, enhance revenue, streamline operations, engage and market to guests effectively, and provide mobile check-in/check-out options.

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SynXis Property Hub

Streamline your hotel operations and distribution with SynXis Property Hub. Place guests at the heart of every interaction, simplifying daily operations and enhancing guest engagement.

Agilysys Visual One

A comprehensive all-in-one solution designed for full-service resorts, boutiques, and hotels. This fully integrated suite of property management solutions meets the rigorous standards of the world's most prestigious resorts.

eZee FrontDesk Hotel PMS

eZee FrontDesk is a versatile software designed for hotels and motels, serving as a maintenance, reservation, management, billing, and property management system (PMS). Ideal for hotels with 10-500 rooms, it offers a range of features including Reservation Center, Front Desk Operations, Profile Management, Rate and Revenue Management, Back Office Operations, In-House Operations, Event Management, Analytics, Reporting, and more.

Canary Technologies

Simple, intuitive, and secure hospitality solutions. Canary Technologies is revolutionizing the hotel technology landscape with the industry's first mobile web Guest Management System and acclaimed Digital Authorizations solutions. Trusted by thousands of hotels across over 65 countries, including Four Seasons, Choice Hotels, Standard Hotels, and Ace Hotel Group, Canary digitizes operations from post-booking to checkout.

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protel PMS

protel by Planet offers a robust technology suite for your hotel business, supported by a global team of local partners. Its innovative app store, accessible directly through the protel PMS, has revolutionized hotel operations and vendor interactions. As the first cloud-native PMS and app platform launched in 2009, protel has expanded its operations internationally to over 90 countries, playing a pivotal role in shaping technological advancements across the hospitality industry.

How Do Hoteliers Benefit from Hotel Management Software?

Hotel management software is a vital tool for smaller properties like B&Bs and guest houses, designed to streamline front desk operations, back-office tasks, and point-of-sale (POS) functions, especially when staffing is limited. This comprehensive solution integrates core property management functionalities with channel management to prevent overbookings and connect with travel agents like Expedia. 

It also includes an online booking engine, hotel website, guest service portal, housekeeping, maintenance, event management, email marketing, text messaging, customized reporting, surveys, rate management, dynamic pricing, sales lead generation, POS, payment gateway, and more.

Increase ADR (Average Daily Rate) 

By leveraging key components of the HMS, properties can track guest behavior and target market upgrades, add-ons, and packages through the reservation and online booking process. Historical occupancy trend reports enable dynamic pricing strategies to boost ADR during high-demand periods. The rate manager, integrated with the channel manager, allows for restriction-based pricing adjustments to maximize ADR during peak times.

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Grow Occupancy

To boost occupancy, your system must adapt swiftly to booking trends. A true all-in-one HMS offers pace reporting variances, helping properties identify low-occupancy periods and make immediate price adjustments across all channels. It also facilitates quick, targeted email marketing campaigns and the creation of special packages to attract guests during slower periods.

Save Time & Money

All-in-one hospitality software bundles various automation tools and services into a unified solution, enhancing system integration and operational visibility. Leading providers offer a built-in channel manager with live, two-way direct connections to major OTAs and GDSs, eliminating the need for intermediaries and saving time and money. 

Live room inventory updates across OTAs/GDSs streamline operations, though many all-in-one HMS providers also connect with top-rated CRS platforms.

By implementing an all-in-one HMS, properties can increase revenue, improve occupancy, and achieve greater operational efficiency, making it an invaluable investment for hoteliers.

Key Features of an All-in-One Hotel Management System

An All-in-One Hotel Management System (HMS) is essential for hoteliers looking to streamline operations and enhance guest experiences. Modern, often cloud-based, and user-friendly, these systems encompass several key features and functionalities.

✅ Property management system (PMS): the central hub for reservation and front desk operations, automating check-ins, reservations, and guest check-outs in real-time.

✅ Booking engine: integrated with the hotel's website to facilitate direct online bookings and maximize occupancy.

✅ Channel manager: manages multiple online travel agencies (OTAs) and distribution channels to prevent overbookings and ensure consistent pricing.

✅ Revenue management: aids in rate management and pricing strategies to maximize profitability.

✅ Point-of-sale (POS): handles payment processing and invoicing for various hotel services, including upselling opportunities.

✅ Customer relationship management (CRM): manages guest information for personalized messaging and customer support.

✅ Integration: seamless connectivity with OTAs, social media, and third-party software solutions like Expedia and Airbnb.

✅ Mobile app: provides an intuitive mobile app for guests and hotel staff, enhancing the guest experience and usability.

✅ All-in-one solution: suitable for various property types, including hotels, motels, inns, hostels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, campgrounds, and hotel chains.

✅ Cloud-based: ensures accessibility and real-time updates from anywhere, allowing remote property management.

✅ Guest experience: enhances guest experience through efficient check-ins, messaging, and online booking capabilities.

✅ Front office & back office: manages both front desk operations and back-office tasks like inventory management and accounting.

✅ Payment processing: ensures secure credit card transactions and payment processing.

✅ Social media integration: facilitates marketing and guest engagement through social media platforms.

✅ Direct bookings: encourages guests to book directly through the hotel's website, reducing OTA commission fees.

✅ Ease of use: offers a user-friendly interface for both staff and guests to navigate effortlessly.

✅ Maximize profitability: aims to increase revenue and profitability through efficient operations and pricing strategies.

✅ Upgrades: allows for easy system upgrades and customization to adapt to evolving business needs.

✅ Invoicing: generates invoices for various services and tracks payments.

✅ Central reservation: centralizes reservation management across different channels.

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Additional Features to Consider

• Intuitive & easy-to-use interface: a user-friendly interface minimizes mistakes and enhances operational efficiency.
• Mobile & tablet optimized: ensures staff can access the system on the go, and managers can monitor performance remotely.
• Clear visibility of the grid: enables quick access to key guest information, special events, and billing status.
• Guest profiles: stores guest contact information, stay history, and preferences for personalized experiences and easier repeat bookings.

Hoteliers use these features to streamline operations, increase direct bookings, and provide exceptional guest experiences, regardless of property size or type. Leading hotel management software solutions like Cloudbeds, Visitor, and WebRezPro offer comprehensive solutions tailored to the hotel industry's needs.

What to Expect During the Implementation of New Hotel Management Software

Implementing new hotel management software (HMS) should be a streamlined process. A successful HMS provider will start with a comprehensive kickoff call, outlining the full scope of the implementation project and ensuring clear communication with key decision-makers.

Key steps to expect during implementation:

• Kickoff call: the provider will share the implementation plan and ensure all key decision-makers understand their vital roles in the process.
• Data import: importing data from the current system, including previous guest experience and reservation data, to ensure historical data is available for reporting.
• Setup: setting up gateway connections and configuring rooms, rates, and third-party integrations.
• Training: providing training for your team to ensure they are comfortable with the new system.

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Timeline Expectations

⌛ Smaller properties: expect a 3-week onboarding period.

⌛ Larger properties: plan for 4+ weeks, due to more complex integrations.

Efficient onboarding and diligent setup are essential for a smooth transition to the new system, enabling your property to quickly reap the benefits of the new HMS.

Conclusion

Choosing the right Hotel Management Software (HMS) is a critical decision that can significantly impact the efficiency and success of your hotel operations. With the evolution of technology and the integration of essential tools like PMS, booking engines, and channel managers into comprehensive platforms, hoteliers now have unprecedented opportunities to streamline operations, enhance guest experiences, and maximize revenue.

By focusing on factors such as system reliability, user-friendly interfaces, seamless integration capabilities, robust customer support, and transparent pricing models, hoteliers can find an HMS that not only meets but exceeds their specific business needs. 

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Whether managing a small boutique hotel or a large resort, the benefits of adopting a modern HMS extend beyond operational efficiency to include improved guest satisfaction and increased profitability through direct bookings and effective revenue management strategies.

As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, investing in the right HMS is not just about adopting new technology but about future-proofing your business and staying competitive in a dynamic market. By leveraging the insights and recommendations outlined in this guide, hoteliers can confidently navigate the landscape of HMS solutions and make informed decisions that pave the way for sustainable growth and success in the hospitality sector.

Top Hotel Management Software FAQs

❓ What is the main benefit of using Hotel Management Software (HMS)?

Hotel Management Software streamlines operations by integrating essential tools like Property Management System (PMS), booking engine, website management, and channel manager into a single platform. This integration enhances efficiency, boosts revenue through direct bookings, and improves guest experience.

❓ How do I choose the right Hotel Management Software for my hotel?

Choosing the right HMS involves considering factors such as the size and type of your property, budget, desired features like integrated channel management and mobile compatibility, reliability, customer support quality, and ease of integration with existing systems. Evaluating these criteria helps in selecting an HMS that best fits your hotel's unique needs.

❓ What features should I prioritize when selecting Hotel Management Software?

Key features to prioritize include a user-friendly PMS for efficient front desk operations, a robust booking engine to maximize direct bookings, comprehensive revenue management tools for pricing strategies, seamless integration with OTAs and other distribution channels, secure payment processing, and excellent customer support available 24/7.

❓ How does Hotel Management Software help increase revenue and occupancy?

HMS optimizes revenue by allowing dynamic pricing based on occupancy trends and guest behavior analysis. It also enhances occupancy rates through efficient channel management, quick response to booking trends, targeted marketing campaigns, and the creation of attractive packages and promotions to attract guests during low-demand periods.

❓ What should I expect during the implementation of new Hotel Management Software?

During implementation, expect a detailed kickoff call outlining the project scope and roles of key stakeholders. Data import from existing systems ensures historical data availability. Setup involves configuring rooms, rates, and integrations. Training sessions equip staff with the necessary skills to use the new system effectively. Smaller properties typically complete onboarding in about three weeks, while larger properties with complex integrations may require four or more weeks.