Importance of Property Management System in the Hotel Industry
Property Management Systems, also known as PMS is comprehensive application software used in the management of infrastructures as real estate property, government accommodations, hospitality accommodations, intellectual property, manufacturing property and many more.
Property Management Systems are computerized systems that make the control of properties and infrastructure, its maintenance, the legalities, and personnel a lot easier with computer software that is specifically designed for the purpose. Property management systems have replaced the old-fashioned way of managing things using papers, which were both cumbersome and inefficient. It is a perilous task to manage the details of your guests particularly during peak hours of the day and hence a good PMS is the best way to plan and organize the resources to be made available to your guests making the job much more easier at the front desk. It would be best to seek the expertise of a Hotel consultant in India who has years of experiences in the hospitality industry when it comes to choosing the right PMS for your Hotel premise.
Property management systems can be categorized in 4 ways:
- Hospitality industry – In the hospitality industry, property management systems made its debut as early as in the 1980s. In hotels, property management systems had the objectives of coordinating the operational functions of the front office, sales, planning, and reporting. The system can automatically make guest bookings, register guest details and the database, online reservations, telephone and accounts details, food and beverage costing, HR and payroll, etc. Hotel property management systems have also integrated with many third-party solutions to achieve added facilities to give optimum guest satisfaction. The advancement of cloud computing has helped hotel property management systems to expand their service towards new services like guest-facing features. Guest-facing features include online check-in services, room service, guest-staff communication and many more all facilitate via the guest’s mobile phones.
- Local government – Property management systems are beneficial to local government bodies because they can manage large real estate properties like schools, hospitals, parks, social housings, shops, industrial real estates, pubs, etc.
- Manufacturing and logistic industries – Infrastructural property management, control in large warehouses and also manufacturing units can be well organized by a good PMS that will not only help in asset maintenance but also keep a track of the contracts and other accounting aspects required.
- Commercial properties – Property management systems can be used by local property managers to manage the day-to-day operations of their or client commercial properties let it be a house or even a hotel premise.
Advantages of Hotel Property Management Services:
- Hotel property management service can provide enhanced check-in and check-out capabilities to your guests anytime, anywhere using their mobile’s cloud-based hotel PMS. You can free your front-desk staff and use them to provide guest services.
- You can improve you housekeeping efficiency by getting instant mobile updates when guest check-out and the rooms are freed for cleaning.
- Increase your room occupancy by real-time room availability managements across distribution channels.
- You can boost your sales through direct booking.
- You can centralize and secure your customer data. Understand customers buying patterns.
Selecting the appropriate Hotel Property Management Systems:
There are many Hotel Consultants in India that help customers choose hotels suitable for them through property management systems. Hotel property management systems can help you run your hotel more effectively and efficiently, by enabling hotel employees to monitor guest behavior, improving guest satisfaction and making the guest experience better. A quick 6 point to help you select the right PMS would be
- Ask your network in the same industry and also other property managers what they would use and recommend.
- It is of utmost importance that you choose the PMS that best suits and fits your business.
- Have a good comparison of the essential software features and also the pricing whether its a one time cost or a monthly renewal. Most importantly to know if the PMS is cloud-based one is of primary importance as it gives more operational leverage and availability to have a cloud-based one.
- And last but not least to access the operational levels of migrations by doing a test run and make sure that there is no data loss from your current running system.
Trends that work in favor of Hotel PMS:
- Hotel PMS helps you to meet the demands of your guests more effectively and efficiently.
- Hotel PMS allows the mobility of front-desk hotel staffs.
- Hotel PMS helps you manage an evolving workforce.
- Cloud-based Hotel PMS provides the personalized engagement the customers want and the innovation the millennial employees crave for.
Technology is evolving at a very fast pace today and it should be adopted even at a faster rate when it is certain to improve your business. The hotel industry has already transformed itself to a more technology-driven environment and hence it is imperative to say that a good and state of the art PMS system that is built on the latest technology platform is a must in today’s hospitality industry.
- Published in Business, Hospitality Management, Hotel Industry
Content marketing is the key to a successful hotel campaign
For most of its time, the hotel industry has always remained a traditional one. Functioning in its traditional, comfortable background, there haven’t been many innovations in it. But the 21st-century internet era has changed everything for hoteliers.
While traditional ways of marketing their product are still in use, there has been a specialized focus on content marketing. It is the thing of the hour and is a big reason behind the success of many new hotels. Below are some important reasons as to why content marketing is the need of the hour, and why it is a key to a successful hotel campaign-
1. Hyper informed customers- A customer can find out any detail about your which he wants at the click of a finger. This has made the ‘selling’ part quite different in terms of marketing. All a customer looks for these days is a never forgettable experience. They already have quite a good idea about the kind of services they will get from you, so don’t push them towards that direction. Use the USPs of your hotel, and instead of selling it to them, just tell it to them.
2. Having a customer monologue- Drive traffic towards your hotel by engaging in conversation with your potential customers. You can hold online contests on Facebook and Twitter wherein customers can tell their favorite travelogues and win a free night’s stay at your hotel. This is a technique of digital marketing. Digital marketing for hotels has been quite popular these days and has given quite good results to hoteliers.
3. Use of Local locations- If you really wish to build on a specific USP, use the charisma of the place where your hotel is situated. Use some local tourist destination in your ad, mix up your stay experience with the local culture, and advertise it accordingly. You can also combine this with the technique of digital marketing for hotels for the best possible results. Attracting tourists has never been easier.
4. Driving Internet Traffic- Internet is being deemed as the best way for hotels to drive customers to their location. There is a large chunk of people who book their hotels on the internet these days, and this makes SEO (Search Engine Optimization) a very important tool for getting your hotel ranked by Google. If your hotel shows up on the first page of Google, chances are that you will have a lot of customers who will be ready to book their rooms with you.
Conclusion- Content marketing in the form of blog posts, tweets, facebook uploads, and Instagram stories go a long way in making you reach the plethora of your customer base and attract them. The traditional ways of marketing, though still going on have become obsolete with the coming of the internet. The main focus of content marketing should be to initially create interest among people about your business and then convert that same interest in business and profit. You have been blessed with the tools and techniques. It is up to you to put them to good use now.
- Published in Business, Hospitality Management, Hotel Industry
Key points to run your restaurant Kitchen more efficiently.
Being an owner of a hotel or even a hotel or restaurant manager there are several aspects that need to be looked into in detail for running a hotel successfully. Of the various things kitchen is the most primary and essential of all which needs to be uniquely managed and maintained. There are various methods and key points to be considered to efficiently run a kitchen and we shall discuss some of the basic yet most important of them all.
1. Exclusive workstations in the kitchen: Kitchen is the place where a lot of daily operations happen and also a place where there are always chances of major confusions that can happen. It goes without saying that kitchen has to be a place with utmost coordination should take place. Hence to prevent bottlenecks in the kitchen it is always good to have clear workspaces for different duties. The best would be to have separate doors for inventory to enter the kitchen and finished means to go out to be served to your customers. The workstations of the chefs should be equipped with all that’s required for him to perform his duties and should have easy access.
2. A well-streamlined menu: It is not at all a good idea to have a populated menu without rightly evaluating and being sure about what can be served to your customers. Though you would love to impress your customers with unique and various dishes, always take a consensus of your chefs and also the stock of the ingredients and equipment available. The items on your menu need to be what your kitchen can efficiently deliver and it should not be an added burden on the chefs and staffs. The best would be to prepare the menu in consultation with your head chef.
3. Daily preparations: Make sure you get a good guy assigned the task of preparing the kitchen before the start of the day or the start of a new shift. It should be his or her duty to see to it that the kitchen is well stocked with all the needed ingredients as well as other the other equipment all clean and neatly arranged. This will not only save time but also bring an order in the kitchen premise.
4. Some preparations to be done ahead of time: Cooking is one thing which cannot be prepared as if the food sans freshness it’s better not to be served at all. Freshness of the mean is very vital but yes there are certain basic elements in the kitchen which can be planned and prepared ahead of time. Identify such key duties that will help in not loosing time while you carry out the core preparations.
5. Inventory system: Inventory is the core of any kitchen and nothing is as bad as running out of key ingredients in the middle of the preparations especially when its peak time. A good and well-planned inventory is the key to an efficiently run kitchen and special care should be taken to restock the same but avoiding wasting food.
6. An employee manual: It is beneficial and essential to have a good standard operating procedure that all your staff has to adhere to. This not only brings a sense of operational streamlining amongst the staffs but also will make the staffs aware of their key responsibilities thereby maintaining the required standards.
7. ‘Staff’, the essential ingredient: One of the most important ingredients for a successfully Kitchen and for that matter any business is its staffs. It is imperative to say that one has to invest time, money and efforts in fetching the best staffs and provide them the required training so that they can perform to your expectations. Always have staffs who seem passionate in the hotel industry and are excited about carrying out the operations to their fullest abilities.
These are some of the basic elements which can contribute to run a kitchen efficiently and effectively and there are many more unique tips which and be add-ons. A well-planned kitchen will yield to a successful running restaurant and kitchen is the key to it of the many other factors. Hence its the first place where a hotel or restaurant owner should start investing in terms of money, time and staffs.
- Published in Hospitality Management, Hotel Industry, Uncategorized
Lighting is an integral part of any hotel
Lighting is an integral part of any hotel infrastructure and it’s very essential that it’s done well as this might influence the review of your guests. Dim and poor lighting will definitely not help in showcasing your hotel infrastructure and facilities to your guests. We shall discuss some very important aspects which need to be looked into for that perfect lighting at your hotel premises.
- Consult the Expert: When lighting is done perfectly well it’s rarely noticed but when it’s not then the first thing criticized is bad lighting. It is always better to consult a lighting expert and allow him to define the way the lighting has to be done as this will avoid mistakes that will attract negatives reviews.
- Blend with the concept: Always have lightings that blend with the concept of the hotel infrastructure and theme. There will be many key elements at the hotel like architectural or decorative aspects that needs to be highlighted or it can even be a painting. Lighting should be able to give an individual identify and flair to the hotel premises.
- Hotel layouts: Lighting should be able to adapt to the room or space and the time. Nowadays the concept of having a free-flowing area is more in common with many activities happening in one large space without demarcations. Hence it’s important that each space is lit up differently according to the primary use of the space.
- Flexible lighting: Having a flexible lighting is a must and most importantly lights need to be bright enough to work at the same time cozy enough to relax. Always have a reading lamp in your rooms and have a switch that would turn off all lights at a go.
- Bright and good lighting: All areas in the hotel should be good lit especially corridors. They are the walking pathway to the various other areas and rooms in a hotel and should have sufficient lighting to aid route orientations for the guests.
- Quality Matters: It’s imperative to imagine the number of guests that come and go and the most of all which is frequently used is the light fittings. This is one thing which is extensively used and this can very well lead to faster wearing out of the material. Always use quality lighting equipment which is robust and durable.
- Efficient Lighting: Today’s trends are LED’s and when it comes to being economical it is the perfect choice without compromising on the efficiency and styles. The benefits are clear and many hotels are replacing all with LED’s.
- Light up according to occasion and events: Hotels and resorts can be a place where diverse events can be organized like a business meeting or a wedding. It is always essential that you ensure the right light for the event which is been held at the premise as every event requires a specific type of lighting and colors that befits the occasion.
- Natural Light is the best: Hotel interior and exteriors perceptions are evolving according to the tastes of the guests. Guests like to feel blended with nature even when they stay in a hotel and hence it is very much required that we understand such preferences. Create your infrastructure that encourages natural light to light up the premise in a very soothing yet bright.
- Simple Navigation: There is nothing as frustrating for guests to spend time finding out the switches to the light facilities in a room. Technology has evolved so much that more and more hotels are having touch panels and smart lighting arrangements for better navigation for guests via tablets and phones. But it’s also important that we provide proper guidance to our guests as we cannot expect everyone to be tech-savvy. Even if you have no such facilities installed in your premise keep the switches to be very accessible and visible for your guests.
Do you want to consult us on any aspect regarding Hotel Infrastructure or setting up a new hotel then feel free to call us at (91) 0484 2395833 or mail us info@marghotels.com.
- Published in Business, Hospitality Management, Hotel Industry
How to implement a successful direct booking strategy?
For any efficient hotel revenue management, Direct Booking is always the foremost objectives which are seen as a solid & permanent revenue enhancer. Irrespective of the size of the hotel direct bookings are the topmost recommendations when it comes to rolling out an effective revenue management strategy. If you are in the Hotel industry then it need not be elaborated upon the fact that Online Travel Agents today have become a pivot entity in controlling the hotel room prices. But then the end effect is it leaves very less space for the hotels to create a niche or even a brand entity. This is certainly a negative impact on the hotels who many a time struggles to build a fair value for themselves in the minds of the customers. In such a scenario it goes without saying that it’s the direct booking strategies which need to be more focused upon as that only will help hotels take the advantage of having repeat bookings, and thereby create a brand loyalty which ultimately gets converted to higher revenues and profits.
We try to evaluate in this article the various possible methods via which you can increase your direct bookings.
Increase multi-channel communications with customers: Communication is and always will be the key to a successful marketing strategy. With the exponential growth of the social media and various technological evolutions on the internet, one has to focus on getting as many numbers of channels open with your customers as possible. Email marketing, social media, your website are all possible communication channels via which you can directly start interacting and talking to your customers.
Have your hotel marketing plan to include advertising on the loyalty program via social media and also to invest in targeted marketing via Facebook and Google to get to the right audience instantly. And that’s not all, as an after sales customer service the best to do is to keep your social media chat channels open as your customers can directly speak to you giving you an opportunity for quickly responding.
Your customers have to be your brand ambassadors:
If you are keen on retaining your customers as loyal brand ambassador then it’s imperative to say that your customers have to be rewarded and benefited. A good incentive scheme or a referral program is the best way to make your customers feel privileged thereby increasing the possibility of hotel customer acquisition. If an apt and attractive referral programme is worked out then that will lead to encouraging direct bookings thereby increasing repeat customers to your hotel.
Advertise and showcase the best rates and facilities:
Almost every single time a customer goes to various options on so many online platforms which provide various discounted rates rather when going directly to hotels. No wonder today a customer doesn’t seem to remember the hotel of stay rather the OTA from where he/she made a booking. This doesn’t add any advantage to the hotel as it creates zero brand visibility. The best way to counter it is to implement the best price strategies and well advertise the same with proper highlights of the facilities and infrastructure of your hotel. Only then will customers feel the necessity and see it as an advantage to doing a direct booking at your hotel. Always the best rates should be a direct rate.
Make your hotel experience a unique one:
All said and done ultimately it’s the experience you offer customers that matters the most. If you are successful in giving the unique experience to your customers then that’s the most valuable element which will contribute to customer loyalty. A hotel which offers service is way less preferred to a hotel that offers an experience. Let it be from the decor which speaks about the history and how it makes the premise unique along with your food menu or let it be any other USP which you have, it all adds up to driving more direct bookings. Identify your unique selling points and try to advertise and communicate it well to your customer. That itself will be a major contributor to an increase in your hotel’s direct bookings.
Hence to wind up on what we have discussed, if you are hotelier eager enough to establish your hotel as a well known sought after brand with all intentions of seeing an increase in growth and customer retention then its time you seriously start thinking about your direct bookings.
- Published in Business, Hospitality Management, Hotel Industry