hotel management system methodology

Hotel Management System (HMS): A Comprehensive Development Guide

• August 1, 2023

Hotels have so many tasks in their pipeline to execute! Some of them have different software to do specific tasks, while some use traditional hotel management processes.

Table of Contents

Now think of a situation where the reception area of your hotel is flooded with guests coming with their inquiries, some staff members asking to do entries, and so on. Your reception team must be feeling exhausted about what to answer first as they have to deal with tons of registers or spreadsheets. Or it’s hard to do even if they have hotel management software in place, but not up-to-the mark.

What if all your hotel management tasks can be streamlined in a seamless manner? Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a centralized hotel management system with modules for each hotel task and team to do their part?

If yes, it’s time to create your custom hotel management software, meeting your business needs. But to build an end-to-end hotel management system, you need to know so many things.

Fret not! As we’ve prepared this comprehensive guide on hotel management software development. This blog covers everything you need to know, such as types, features, development processes, cost analysis, and more.

So, let’s align in a queue to pass through and gather all the information about hotel management software development.

What is a Hotel Management System?

The hotel management system (HMS) is a type of hospitality software. It helps you manage your hotel business operations and offer guests a seamless hotel experience. But how does this hospitality software offer such management conveniences?

Using end-to-end hotel management software, you can manage reservations, staff, inventory, billing, and all in one place.

You can even integrate it with third-party apps, such as online hotel booking platforms and payment gateways . So, regardless of the booking platform, you receive reservation notifications right into your all-in-one hotel management system.

Apart from this, are there any other types of hotel-related software you can build? Yes, there are, which we’ll take a look at in the next section.

What are the Different Types of Hotel Management Software?

Of course, to make your hotel management process easy, you need a complete solution with many modules. And those you can even build separately and then integrate them together at your convenience. Keeping it aside, here’s the list of hotel management software types you can build:

Hotel Property Management System (PMS)

A must-have hotel management software type that every hotel business should have. A hotel property management system helps you manage front-desk management, housekeeping, accounting, reporting, and more.

Central Reservation System (CRS)

It is an integrated system that can help you manage hotel tasks, like inventory distribution, rates, reservations, and more in real-time.

A central reservation system gathers your data from systems, like PMS, global distribution systems, internet booking registries, and so on. So you can easily access your hotel data through a single glass pane.

You can even call this CRS solution the backbone of all the hotel management systems you use. The reason is it transfers data from one software to distribution channels.

Hotel Staff Management System

Just like any other business, the hospitality business has a staff divided into specialized teams for different types of jobs. For example, teams for the reception area, room service, kitchen, etc. So, if your hotel entity is a huge one with a big staff, managing them can be a headache.

That’s where your hotel staff management software comes to your rescue. You can build your hotel-specific HRMS with HRA, Daily reporting, etc., to manage your team with task assignments, all in a seamless way.

Online Hotel Booking Engine

If you want to launch your business based on a hotel-related product, you can go for an online hotel booking app development . But what is that? Online Booking Engine is a platform that lets hoteliers list their hotels to get reservations.

One research shows that travelers looking for hotel reservations often come across around 38 sites , and most of them are often online hotel booking engines. Also, they charge hotels and guests for their platform service fees and take commissions for each deal’s success.

Revenue Management System (RMS)

There are travel seasons designated for each corner of the world based on their climate. And the travel season means the best time for hotels to do more business and earn great revenue.

In such cases, having a hotel revenue management system in place can be of great help. Basically, RMS helps hotels optimize their pricing and other revenue streams as per the market demand.

Apart from that, RMS is also equipped with a data analytics feature that helps you study online visitors’ behavior, booking scenarios, and more parameters. Utilizing this study, you can figure out hotel business strategies to offer the best deals to your potential guests.

Housekeeping Management Software

Housekeeping management software can be a standalone app if you want to make it this way. You can also build housekeeping management software as a module to integrate with your HMS. 

Housekeeping management software can be a handy tool for the housekeeping/room service team. It enables them to easily assign and schedule cleaning tasks and maintain high levels of cleanliness and hygiene in your hotel.

Hotel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System

CRM software is a basic need when it comes to getting business and maintaining relationships with clients. If your hotel business is a large hotel chain, like Marriott and Hyatt, you should have this software to connect with guests for them to choose your hotel for their next trips.

So, what’s different about CRM for hotels? What’s the role of CRM in the hotel & hospitality industry?

CRM for hotel management is a cloud-based tool that tracks guest data, such as reservation history, travel preferences, and more. You can use those data for marketing purposes and offer personalized hotel-specific app experiences to app users.

You can use a CRM system for guest profiling, segmentation, personalization, feedback management, loyalty programs, upselling and cross-selling, and more.

Hotel Inventory Management Software

The supplies in the hotel world are vital to maintaining to provide guests with a great stay experience. That’s where the inventory management system for hotels comes in great help. It lets you keep track of your hotel inventory, from kitchen supplies to room goods with bathroom and cleaning essentials. Moreover, with this you can keep your hotel inventory under control.

Hotel Tour Assistance Software

When your hotel covers a large-scale area and has a bit complex and yet many things to explore within the hotel, you need a hotel tour assistance/guiding feature in a hotel-specific experience app.

You can employ AR/VR or metaverse technology to launch your hotel tour experience app that lets your guests explore your hotel space virtually and even while exploring it personally.

It helps your guests to find their rooms easily without any assistance from personnel and even effortlessly explore other hotel attractions.

It is high time to employ AR/VR like web3 technological solutions for the hotel sector as many hotels have adopted or are planning to adopt VR technology to improve their guests’ hospitality experience.

Why Should You Build A Hotel Management Software?

In revolutionizing industries, digital technology plays a crucial role. Even the hotel and hospitality sectors have joined the party of digital transformation .

According to a HotelTechReport survey, 81% of hoteliers voted in favor of using technology to lead their hotel business toward success in the next five years.

Additionally, around 39% of hoteliers believe in technology’s top-most part for improving operational efficiency, whereas 31% vote for transforming guest journeys, 15% for improving business agility, and 13% for future innovation.

Apart from that, 21% of hoteliers have seen technology transforming their hotel business processes, 19% got results in getting more revenue, 18% noticed better customer experience, and 11% noticed reduced operational costs.

Moreover, hotel management system can introduce you to the following benefits:

Easy Inventory Management

Hotels often use different inventory distribution systems for different purposes. A hotel system also helps you easily access and manage your hotel inventory. But how? By centralizing inventory management.

So, say goodbye to your hurdles of going through tons of paperwork and checking processes. And welcome real-time inventory management at your fingertips.

Simplified Reporting

A hotel management system helps to create detailed, filtered, and real-time reports on revenue, occupancy rate, average daily rate, housekeeping, forecasting, marketing and sales, kitchen supplies, and more in just a few clicks.

Thus, you don’t need to go through the hectic hotel analysis part as you can get everything ready with your tech-powered hotel management system.

Streamlined Hotel Management Processes

A hotel management system provides visibility over tasks your teams are aligned with. You can also get information about the free resources to align for the next tasks or emergencies.

Get your team daily reporting and even make it visible to certain staff members with senior ranks to do their part of management work. Not just get staff reporting but also assign tasks to any staff member without going on the field to find them and then tell them what to do next.

Hotel management tasks are often streamlined, but centralized hotel management software can definitely add its plus point.

Save More Time

With easy task assigning, team management, visibility over the hotel staff, and many other areas, hotel management software saves your efforts and time on many mundane tasks.

Not just that, with this, you can even automate many of your hotel management tasks, such as managing room availability, accepting booking requests, payment processes, reporting, task assigning, and much more.

So, automation, visibility, accessibility, and centralized control that your hotel app offers make your work easy and help you save more time on administrative tasks.

Competitive Advantage

Your hotel management system can be a gateway to do many wonders in the hospitality sector. It includes effortless hotel management, offering guests a world-class hospitality experience, the best staff working experience, and more.

So, you can run your hotel business like a tech-savvy business on a service. It sets you apart from your competitors. And a good staying experience makes your guests loyal and spread good words about your entity in their inner circles.

The better experience you provide to your staff, the longer they tend to stay with your business. The happier they are, the better services they can provide to your guests, resulting in better business and brand reputation.

What Features to Implement in a Hotel Management System?

It’s not about adding more features to your hotel management software to make it rich. It’s about adding the right features to your hotel system that make it a useful tool to improve your hotel management operations. So, let’s take a look at some must-have features in your hotel management software:

Reservation Management

When it comes to hotel reservation/booking management, hoteliers highly prefer to make their reservation system centralized. It allows them to track reservations coming from different platforms, including booking, modifications, cancellations, and room assignments.

Front Desk Management

After the reservation confirmation, the work of the reception team, the face of the hotel comes in line. They communicate with guests, allocate rooms by ensuring room cleaning, and even deal with many hotel distributions and subjects.

It can be a plus point to include this feature in your decent hotel software system. So, with this feature, they can streamline check-ins and check-outs, guest profiling, and room key management and room allocation.

Back Office Management

Staff management is an essential task in hotel management, where back office management is the one responsible for staff efficiency. With this feature, you can keep track of your staff, like assigned tasks, breaktime, leave, attendance, etc.

Billing and Invoicing

As a hotel entity dealing with many guests, you certainly don’t want to rely on traditional register practices to note down extra services availed by guests. This will only complicate your billing and invoice generation process.

Your hotel management software should include automatic bills and invoices generation. It helps you keep track of entries with predefined prices. Thus, at the time of check-out, you can generate their bills in just a few clicks.

Your billing and invoices feature can also include the online payment acceptance part.

Reporting and Analytics

Of course, using traditional hotel management practices, you can also gather much data, but to analyze that, it requires much efforts. Thanks to technological advances, hotel management software is now equipped with AI/ML capabilities that can help you harness the power of data through advanced analytics and reporting features.

And this feature should be included in hotel management software to gather quick and real-time insights on revenue and other hotel departments. You can utilize such insights to create marketing and operational strategies and run your hotel business efficiently.

Extra Service Monitoring

Most hotels offer various types of activities and services on their premises, such as cafes, bars, restaurants, swimming pools, gyms, and spa centers. As guests pay more for these services, they do want to try such out.

Some activity areas can be chargeable, while others can be complimentary. By using this system, you can keep track of data on activities/services availed by guests. This data will help identify the services mostly used by guests and how they have contributed to increased profits.

Additionally, this information is useful for monitoring occupied areas and managing rush for certain services/activities.

Security and Access Controls

Your data and your guests’ data are valuable, and you don’t want to risk losing them to hackers. Therefore, when developing software for your hotel, you should prioritize implementing robust security measures and access controls (such as multi-factor authentication, hierarchy-based accessibility, etc.).

It is also essential to ensure that your system complies with the hospitality industry’s regulations. Keeping your software up-to-date with security best practices will help protect your system from cyber threats.

Dynamic Pricing Control

Likewise, to other industries, the hotel sector highly relies on market demand. Peak traveling seasons are the best opportunities for hotel businesses to make business. It’s understandable to manage your room booking charges as per user behaviors and market situations.

Thus, the hotel booking module of your hotel management system should have this dynamic pricing control feature to manage pricing to gain a better conversion rate.

Emails, Notifications, and Surveys

Communication is the key, we all say, and it is even more important when managing the hotel & hospitality business.

Let’s take the example of the Hilton hotel chain. Its staff has a CRM system, which utilizes it in the right manner, with features for email sending, notifications, and surveys.

Hotel Hilton’s staff sends season, awareness, marketing, praise, and even offer-related emails to inform their customers about hotel memberships, benefits, offers, etc. This is the biggest reason why the Hilton Honors program has over 146 million members globally.

Any customer that books a room with any hotel wants to receive a booking & payment confirmation email. This ensures that their payment is done and received successfully by the hotel and they can check-in to that at the given time without any hurdles.

So, you can expect to send emails and notifications in this manner:

• Booking confirmation
• Before arrival
• After check-in and during the stay
• Post-check-out experience survey email
• Gratitude and expectations for the next stay
• Referral offer emails, etc.

After the booking confirmation, you can even send emails regarding things to do and places to explore nearby hotels and more.

During the stay, you can share their activities to do within the hotel premises, popular hotel dishes to try, bar to explore, parties alert, etc.

After check-out, you can send them emails to survey their staying experience and get feedback and a referral code if they want to suggest your hotel in their network.

So, with your hotel management system integrated with CRM, you can send such emails to your group of customers in just a few clicks without switching to other tabs or browsers.

To manage hotel operations effectively, you need all the essential information readily available at a single glance. It means your hotel management software should include a dashboard displaying data insights in a visual and easily graspable manner.

The dashboard of your hotel management software will showcase information such as total rooms, occupied rooms, vacant rooms with cleanliness status, and more. Moreover, the dashboard can be tailored based on given access and organized according to users’ roles, even allowing customization to suit an individual’s preferences.

These are just a few features that you should implement in your hotel management software. But you can even implement other features depending on your requirements.

Key Factors to Consider When Developing Hotel Management Software

Before you approach any software development agency, you should consider these things to clarify your product requirement to build your effective software product:

Understanding User Needs

Of course, you are designing your hotel management software for your internal staff use. But still, you need to define things that can help to ease the operational efforts of your hotel staff. 

Easy Navigating UI/UX

It’s important to ensure system navigation is easy-to-understand and appealing to users. So, your hotel management system’s UI/UX design plays a vital role in increasing its usability.

Necessary Integrations

Integrations, whether they are internal or third-party, are crucial to make your product whole and end-to-end hotel software. So, to make your hotel management software an all-in-one platform, you can integrate payment gateways, online booking platforms, channel management platform, POS systems, CRM software, accounting software, mobile apps, etc.

Mobile Accessibility

When you think of easy accessibility to your hotel management software, then making it mobile-compatible becomes very much important. Apart from being easy, a mobile version of the hotel management software or a mobile app for hotel management can help you get real-time notifications, digital room keys (if you have smart room door locks), easy task allocation management, quick accessibility, and many other ways.

A Step-by-step Guide on Developing Hotel Management System

Finally, it’s time to go to know the steps to build hotel management software that will make your development journey a buttery ride. So, let’s get started:

Identify Your Requirements

Gather all your hotel management pain points, conduct your competitor research and analysis, do your internet research, and even feel free to use this guide as your reference to identify your requirements.

You can consult hotel software providers to refine your requirements and prepare a proper software product requirement document to send it to IT companies you feel can deliver the solution you need.

The clearer your requirements will be, the more effective hotel management solution you can build for your hotel to be efficient and thrive.

Searching for Hotel Management Software Development Partner

If you want your business-oriented software to be developed effectively, finding the right-fit partner for your project becomes essential. But how do you do that?

To find the best app development partner , start by listing down your preferences, required skill sets, industry experience, and more, and then begin your search.

When assessing hotel management software development partners, consider their total experience, diversity in the portfolio, previously completed projects similar to yours, client testimonials, team strength, communication skills, and the quotation they offer.

Finalize the Technology Stack

Technology selection plays a core role in hotel management software development and in making your product robust and scalable. Considering the complexity of the hotel management software development, you should carefully choose your technology stack.

So, here’s the list of tools and technologies you can choose to develop your hotel management software:

Choose the Engagement Model

In the market, you’ll find many IT companies following different engagement models, such as fix-cost, time & material, dedicated hiring, contractual, and many others. But to keep your expenses lower, you can be smart and pick the right-fit engagement model, offering to utilize your remote team extensively to reap the most benefits.

Though having many choices, we suggest two engagement models you should consider when hiring technical talents. It includes a fixed cost model if your requirements are well-defined and dedicated hiring if your project requirements include some experimentations and varying scope.

HMS Designing

To execute this task, you need to hire UI/UX designers who are very well-skilled to creatively execute the design of your hotel management system that is easy to navigate and appealing.

HMS Development

Now that you have hired the best travel and hospitality software development company , you’ll have to maintain regular communication to know the progress of your project. It helps you get suggestions from developers to make amendments to your hotel software development to make it more effective.

Testing, Bug Fixing, and Hosting

No software is up-to-date when it is being developed. Of course, software needs ongoing touch-ups even after it’s being developed. That’s why along with hotel software development services, you should subscribe for software testing & quality assurance services . It helps you build a power-packed hotel management software and host it in robust servers offering faster performance and top-notch security.

Post Development Update & Support

Your hotel management software is finally in use, but it will not perform the same every time. With time, it also needs updates as per technological updates and trends to ensure its robust performance all the time. Hence, when looking for the product engineering team, you need to ensure that they also provide post-delivery support services.

You have finally gone through the hotel management system development process; now, you do want to know the potential challenges you can face during that.

Key Challenges to Consider When Building a Hotel Management System

Now, let’s get familiar with potential challenges you can face when building a hotel management system:

Meet the Complexity

The hotel management system contains many modules which are highly integrated. And that makes the development process of this product complex to execute smoothly.

Integration with Existing Systems

Your hotel can have different software to manage various tasks. But to integrate them with your newly created system to make it a centralized hotel management system can be a mind-bursting task as it requires understanding the code to integrate seamlessly.

Training and Support

If you’re a hotel that is already using different systems for various functions and your staff have high command, then it can be a bit hard for them to get onboarded to a totally new system. Training and support play a crucial role, but it can be a challenge to give personalized training. There your hotel app development team comes up and provides training and timely software support.

How Much Does it Cost to Build An End-to-end Hotel Management System?

Well, as we are speaking of a high-end hotel management system that takes care of entire hotel operations (which is largely scaled), it can make it difficult to provide the cost estimation without knowing your requirements. But to get a little bit of an idea, you can consider these cost-affecting factors to build your digital hotel system:

• The complexity of the project;
• The size of the team associated with the project;
• The experience and skill set of the team;
• The location of the company you choose;
• Types of tools and technologies you use, including hosting system;
• The need for project management;
• The requirement for the post-development and delivery support.

So, your product engineering cost is designed by considering these factors solely. Being your ideal choice hotel and hospitality app development team, we suggest you go for the dedicated hiring model to avail of maximum benefits in terms of cost and effective development.

However, in dedicated hiring, the hourly pricing can differ as per the changes in the region, as shown in the image given below:

Note: The prices mentioned above are subject to change as per the market demand and scenarios.

How Can MindInventory Help You Build Your Hotel Management System?

Developing the hotel management system can unlock many benefits for your entity from which the efficiency in handling hotel operations and providing guests with the best staying experience can do a lot for your hotel business. And many hotel businesses like yours have already excelled a lot in their business path, and so can you, which starts with an idea of developing a hotel management system and a right-fit partner.

Speaking of which, MindInventory can be your ideal hotel technology partner. From requirement furnishing to design to development with long-time association for improving your hotel system, we can be your one-stop shop for your end-to-end digital hotel technology needs. So, share your requirements with us today and get the ideal hotel software solution that meets your needs.

FAQs on Hotel Management System Development

Of course, that’s why in the software development part, customization stands for. In simple words, yes, you can customize your hotel management system according to your specific needs, as every entity has different challenges to face and needs to satisfy.

Well, it’s a bit tricky to answer as the time to develop hotel management software depends on factors like design and development complexity, the skillsets of the talents you’ve hired, the technology used, and much more.

Of course! In fact, it’s highly advisable for large hotel chains to build their custom hotel management system to manage the work of all their branches from a one-connected, highly integrated system.

Yes, you can convert your desktop-based hotel management software system into a mobile app with cloud connectivity to manage your entire hotel operations at your fingertips.

AVP Sales working at MindInventory, with overall experience of 13+ years, Beant Singh Duggal is evaluating business opportunities and potential markets by analyzing financial feasibility studies and conducting market research. He oversees the efforts to support and assist the organization in identifying and securing new Business opportunities, facilitating efforts to develop, implement and refine standard procedures for researching, collecting, and tracking information about clients including client’s coordinates, pipelines, and previous outsourcing experiences.

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• Travel App Development

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Data Model for a Hotel Management System

Jorge Sandoval is a professor at the Florianópolis Institute of Higher Education (IESGF) in Brazil, where he teaches and researches data science, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and energy and time series forecasting. He also serves as a consultant specializing in data science, Artificial Intelligence, and machine learning for state government sectors like law enforcement and healthcare.

• database design
• example ER diagram

Putting hospitality into visual form with a hotel management system ER diagram.

Consider a busy hotel with efficient check-in and check-out procedures, careful management of room reservations, and many room assignments. Behind the scenes of this orchestrated harmony, a complex database diagram meticulously guides the delicate interaction of guest data, room availability, and financial transactions.

This article delves into the entity-relationship diagram (ER diagram or ERD) for a hotel management system, methodically revealing the countless mechanisms that underpin this operational symphony. We will look into the complex relationships between things like hotels, rooms, visitors, bookings, staff, and payments. We’ll illuminate how important a well-designed database diagram is to providing the seamless experiences that today's travelers demand.

What Is a Data Model? What Is an ER Diagram?

The structure of a database system is shown visually in an entity-relationship (ER) diagram , or ERD, which is used in database design. The main components of it are entities, attributes, and the connections between these entities. Entities represent objects or concepts, like customers, products, or orders, while attributes describe the properties or characteristics of these entities.

Two fundamental ideas in database design—relationships and foreign keys—serve various functions and roles. A relationship is a logical link that connects two database tables and creates a connection between the records in those tables. Business rules and regulations determine these relationships, which may be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many.

A table's foreign key, on the other hand, is a column or combination of columns that refers to the primary key of another table. The table whose primary key the foreign key references is known as the referenced or parent table, and the table containing the foreign key is known as the referring or child table.

The use of a foreign key to ensure referential integrity in the database also ensures the correct maintenance of the relationship between the tables. The number of possible relationships between two entities is expressed using cardinality notations like one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many.

Using ER diagrams makes it simpler for developers and stakeholders to grasp the structure of the system; these diagrams offer a clear and succinct way to communicate the database schema.

Making conceptual, logical, and physical models is a part of database design. Let’s quickly talk about the differences and uses of these models.

The conceptual model, which is frequently developed as part of the initial design process, is a high-level representation of organizational data. This model often contains entities, their connections, and the characteristics of the data. It excludes specific attributes and primary or foreign keys.

Unlike the conceptual model, the logical model adds attributes and primary/foreign keys to the entities and relationships. It depicts the conceptual organization of the database's contents, but it excludes practical information like storage, indexing, etc.

The physical model is adapted from the logical model for a specific database management system (DBMS), such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, etc. It covers all of the physical characteristics of the database, including the storage architecture, access routes, DBMS-specific data types, and indexing. It is the most thorough model.

For the database model to function as a database, a number of conditions must be met. Security, accuracy, and data consistency should be given top priority. This implies that each piece of data entered into the system must be accurate and that the model must impose constraints to maintain data integrity. Additionally, the database should guard against unauthorized access to private information, like guest information and payment information.

Flexibility and scalability are also essential to adjust to changing business needs. The database’s future growth should be possible without a complete redesign. As the hotel industry develops, the model should be adaptable enough to incorporate new room layouts, services, and reporting needs.

To make maintenance and troubleshooting easier, the database model should be well documented.  To help developers and administrators comprehend and effectively manage the system, a data model should have clear naming conventions, data dictionaries, and explanations of the schema .

Why Are Data Models for Hotel Database Management Required?

Modern hotels require a hotel management system because it is essential to both their ongoing success and their daily operations. This is accomplished, among other things, by centralizing and streamlining important processes like reservations, check-ins, check-outs, room assignments, billing, and guest services.

Processes are being simplified, which improves operational efficiency and the total guest experience. Hotel personnel can quickly and accurately access guest information, manage room inventory, and handle bookings via a management system; this ensures that rooms are always prepared for new visitors. This degree of productivity is essential for providing outstanding customer service, which in turn encourages favorable feedback from visitors, repeat business, and a solid reputation within the sector.

A hotel management system also offers insightful analytics. Hotels may make wise judgments by gathering and analyzing information on occupancy rates, revenue sources, booking trends, and guest preferences. For instance, they can determine peak booking times, adjust hotel rates based on demand, and target particular consumer demographics with marketing campaigns. This data-driven strategy helps hotels become more profitable while also maintaining their competitiveness in a changing industry.

For example, think about what sets Airbnb apart. A key factor is its digital platform, which is essentially a digital hotel management system. It exemplifies the strength of a system that has been painstakingly designed, allowing millions of hosts all over the world to easily manage their listings, bookings, and interactions with guests.

The Airbnb business model shows that, in the current digital era, an efficient hotel management system is essential for both conventional hotels and cutting-edge platforms.

Building a Hotel Management Data Model

Creating a hotel management system data model involves a systematic process of identifying the entities and their attributes, relationships, and cardinalities to accurately represent the structure and functionality of the system. Here's a detailed breakdown of how such a model is typically created:

1. Identify Entities

The first step is to identify the main entities in the system. In the case of a hotel management system, key entities include the hotel, room, room type, guest, booking, staff, and payment. These represent the primary objects or concepts in the hotel management domain.

2. Define Entity Attributes

For each entity, define its attributes or properties. For example, for the Guest entity, attributes could include FirstName , LastName , DateOfBirth , Address , Phone , and Email . These attributes describe the characteristics of each entity and the information that needs to be stored.

3. Determine Relationships

Analyze how these entities are related to one another. For instance, a Booking is related to both a Guest and a Room , as it involves a guest making a reservation for a specific room. These relationships are crucial for understanding how data flows and how different parts of the system interact.

4. Establish Cardinalities

Cardinality describes how many instances of one entity are related to another entity. For example, in the relationship between Booking and Room , it could be one-to-one (if each booking corresponds to one room), one-to-many (if a booking can include multiple rooms), or many-to-one (if multiple bookings can be associated with one room).

5. Create an Entity-Relationship Diagram

Entity-relationship diagram development requires knowledge of both the logical and physical models of database design. The ERD in the logical model represents the logical structure of the data, including entities, characteristics, and relationships.

We want to store information about objects or concepts called entities, attributes (entities’ traits or properties), relationships (the connections between those entities), and relationship cardinalities.

Understanding the database's data structure, relationships, and constraints is made easier thanks to its logical representation. The ERD acts as a guide for how the database will be implemented in the physical model. In addition, it contains information about the table structures, column data types, and index structures that are particular to the database management system being utilized.

In addition, the model provides information on the indexing, access paths, and storage structure, all of which are crucial for the implementation and improvement of the database. As a result, defining the logical structure of the data and then translating it into a physical model that can be utilized by a DBMS constitutes the process of creating an ERD.

6. Refine and Normalize

Review the model for completeness and accuracy. Normalize the model to reduce redundancy and ensure data integrity.

7. Add Additional Details

You might need to add more information to the model (such as constraints, keys, and data types for attributes), depending on the system's complexity and the particular requirements.

8. Implement in a Physical Database

Once it has been finalized, the model can be implemented in a database management system. To do this, tables must be created and their fields, relationships, and constraints must be based on the ERD.

A hotel management ER diagram is shown below: 

Understanding Entities, Attributes, and Relationships

Entities and attributes.

Entities are the main objects or concepts in a database; they represent distinct categories of information. They are typically organized into tables within the database. For example, hotel management system entities could include Hotel , Room , Guest , and Booking .

Attributes, on the other hand, are the characteristics or properties that describe entities. They define what specific information is stored for each entity. For instance, attributes for the Hotel entity might include HotelName , Address , and Star Rating ; each provides details about a hotel's identity and features.

Entities and attributes collectively structure and organize data within a database, ensuring that information is efficiently stored and managed.

Let’s look at the entities and attributes in our hotel management data model.

The Hotel entity represents an individual hotel property within the system. It serves as the core entity around which all other operations and entities revolve. It stores essential information about each hotel, such as its name, physical address, contact details (phone and email), star rating, check-in time, and check-out time. This data allows the system to manage hotel-specific data and provide accurate information to guests during the booking, check-in, and check-out processes. Its attributes are:

• HotelID : A unique identifier for each hotel. It serves as the primary key for this entity.
• Name : The name of the hotel, providing its distinct identity.
• Address : The physical location of the hotel.
• Phone : The contact phone number for the hotel.
• Email : The contact email address for the hotel.
• Stars : The star rating or level of the hotel, indicating its quality and services.
• CheckinTime : The time at which guests can check in.
• CheckoutTime : The time at which guests are expected to check out.

This table's SQL code is:

2. RoomType

The RoomType entity defines the various categories or types of rooms available in the hotel, categorizing rooms based on their features and pricing. It records and stores information like the type's name, description, price per night, and maximum guest capacity. This data assists in room inventory management, pricing strategies, and helping guests choose rooms that best suit their needs and budget.

• TypeID : A unique identifier for each room type and this table’s primary key of this entity.
• Name : The name of the room type (e.g., Standard, Deluxe), defining the category.
• Description: A brief description of the room type, offering additional details.
• Price per Night : The cost of renting this type of room per night.
• Capacity : The maximum number of guests the room type can accommodate.

The following is this table's SQL code:

The Room entity represents individual hotel rooms, serving as the primary entity for room-related operations and management. Each Room record includes a unique RoomNumber and is associated with a specific Hotel and RoomType . The Room entity also tracks the room's status (e.g., available, occupied, or under maintenance), enabling the system to manage room assignments, occupancy, and maintenance schedules.

• RoomNumber : A unique identifier for each room and the primary key of this entity.
• HotelID : A reference to the hotel the room belongs to, establishing a relationship with the Hotel
• TypeID : A reference to the room type of the room, establishing a relationship with the RoomType
• Status : The current status of the room, which assists in managing room availability.

The Guest entity captures information about the hotel's guests, forming the basis for managing guest stays and services. It stores essential guest details, such as their name, date of birth, address, and contact information (phone and email). This allows the hotel to personalize services, maintain guest histories, and facilitate communication with guests.

• GuestID : A unique identifier for each guest and the primary key of this entity.
• FirstName : The guest's first name.
• LastName : The guest's last name.
• DateOfBirth : The guest's date of birth, for age verification and personalized service.
• Address : The guest's address.
• Phone : The guest's phone number.
• Email : The guest's email address.

The Booking entity manages reservations made by guests for specific rooms on specific dates. Each Booking record is associated with a Guest and a Room , along with check-in and check-out dates. The Booking entity calculates the total price for the stay and assists in managing room availability and guest arrivals and departures.

• BookingID : A unique identifier for each booking and the primary key of this entity.
• GuestID : A reference to the guest making the booking, establishing a relationship with the Guest
• RoomNumber : A reference to the room being booked, establishing a relationship with the Room
• CheckinDate : The date the guest plans to check in.
• CheckoutDate : The date the guest plans to check out.
• Total Price : The total price for the booking.

The Payment entity stores financial transactions related to guest bookings and services. Each Payment record is linked to a specific Booking , detailing the payment amount, date, and method (e.g., credit card, cash). This entity helps in tracking and managing payments, ensuring accurate billing and financial reporting.

• PaymentID : A unique identifier for each payment and the primary key of this entity.
• BookingID : A reference to the booking associated with the payment, establishing a relationship with the Booking
• Amount : The amount of the payment.
• PaymentDate : The date when the payment was made.
• PaymentMethod : The method used for payment (e.g., credit card, cash).

Relationships and Cardinalities

Relationships in the context of a database model describe how different entities or tables within a database are connected or related to each other. These relationships define how data in one entity is associated with data in another entity. Relationships are established through keys or fields in tables; they are essential for organizing and querying data efficiently.

Cardinalities refer to the numerical nature of these relationships, indicating how many instances of one entity are associated with how many instances of another entity. Cardinalities specify whether the relationship is one-to-one (1:1), one-to-many (1:N), or many-to-many (N:N). Cardinalities help define the structure and integrity of the database model.

1.    Hotel–Room

The relationship between the Hotel and Room entities exhibits a one-to-many (1:N) cardinality. This means that one hotel can have multiple rooms, but each room is associated with one specific hotel. In this model, the HotelID in the Room entity serves as a foreign key referencing the Hotel entity; this indicates which hotel a particular room belongs to. This allows hotels with various room types and configurations to efficiently manage their room inventory while ensuring that each room is tied to a specific hotel.

2.    Hotel–Staff

The Hotel and Staff entities are related in a one-to-many (1:N) cardinality, meaning a single hotel can employ multiple staff members, but each staff member is linked to only one hotel. In this model, the HotelID in the Staff entity acts as a foreign key that references the Hotel entity, specifying the hotel to which a particular staff member is affiliated. This structure facilitates the efficient management of staff in hotels with diverse departments and functions while ensuring each staff member is associated with a specific hotel.

3.    RoomType–Room

The connection between the RoomType and Room entities also demonstrates a one-to-many (1:N) cardinality. This implies that each room type can be assigned to multiple rooms, but each room is associated with only one room type. The TypeID attribute in the Room entity acts as a foreign key pointing to the RoomType entity, indicating the specific type of room that it represents. This cardinality allows hotels to offer diverse room categories while maintaining consistency in room type definitions.

4.    4. Guest–Booking:

The relationship between the Guest and Booking entities exhibits a one-to-many (1:N) cardinality as well. This signifies that a guest can make multiple bookings, but each booking is linked to one specific guest. The GuestID attribute in the Booking entity serves as a foreign key referencing the Guest entity, indicating who made the booking. This cardinality facilitates guest-specific booking records, allowing hotels to keep track of reservations made by individual guests over time.

5.    Booking–Room

The connection between the Booking and Room entities represents a one-to-many (1:N) cardinality; a single booking can include multiple rooms, but each room is associated with one booking. The RoomNumber attribute in the Booking entity acts as a foreign key referencing the Room entity, indicating the rooms reserved as part of that booking. This cardinality enables hotels to accommodate various booking scenarios, including reservations for multiple rooms within a single booking.

6.    Booking–Payment

The relationship between the Booking and Payment entities showcases a one-to-many (1:N) cardinality. This implies that one booking can be associated with multiple payment transactions, but each payment is linked to a single booking. The BookingID attribute in the Payment entity serves as a foreign key referencing the Booking entity, connecting each payment to the corresponding booking. This cardinality allows hotels to manage payment records associated with individual bookings, ensuring accurate financial tracking.

Beyond the Hotel Management Data Model

The hotel management database model plays a pivotal role in efficiently managing hotel operations, guest services, and financial transactions. Its entities and attributes collectively form a comprehensive representation of a hotel's ecosystem, allowing for precise storage and retrieval of information. By leveraging this model, hotels can streamline their booking processes, room allocation, and payment tracking while enhancing guest experiences through personalized services.

Depending on your specific requirements, you may need to extend our example hotel data model to include additional entities or attributes, such as maintenance records, housekeeping assignments, and more. You can also  implement this model in a relational database management system to build the actual database.

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• Hotel Management Information System: What They Are and Why They Matter
• April 18, 2024

Technology’s footprint in the hospitality sector is undeniable, transforming how hotels operate and engage with guests. At the forefront of this evolution is the hotel management information system (HMIS), a pivotal tool for any modern hotel. Let’s unpack what HMIS entails and why it’s a game-changer for hotels.

What is a Hotel Management Information System?

A hotel management information system (HMIS) acts as the technological backbone of hotel operations, integrating various software solutions to manage daily activities efficiently. From online bookings to room services, HMIS covers all bases, ensuring smooth operations across departments.

Key Components of HMIS

Hotel management information systems are pivotal for operational efficiency in hospitality. Integrating various functionalities, these systems manage bookings, customer interactions, and backend operations seamlessly, offering a comprehensive suite for modern hotel management needs.

Real-Time Access and Data Management

A cornerstone of modern HMIS is its ability to provide real-time access to critical data such as guest contact information, online bookings, and room services. This immediacy ensures that any changes or updates in the system reflect instantly across all platforms, enabling staff to address guest needs without delay and manage operations efficiently.

Integration with Daily Operations

HMIS seamlessly integrates with a hotel’s day-to-day operations, from housekeeping and maintenance schedules to sales and marketing initiatives. This integration allows for streamlined processes, reducing the likelihood of errors and ensuring smooth operation.

For instance, scheduling software can notify housekeeping staff of last-minute room changes, while sales and marketing tools can target guests with personalized offers based on their preferences.

Centralized Control and Management

At the heart of HMIS is the Property Management System (PMS) is a centralized platform for managing bookings, billing, guest interactions, and more. The PMS is instrumental in coordinating the various aspects of hotel operations. Making it easier for managers to oversee and control every facet of their property from a single interface.

Why Should Your Hotel Implement HMIS?

Deciding to integrate a Hotel Management Information System (HMIS) into your hotel’s operations isn’t just a step towards modernization. It’s a strategic move towards unlocking benefits that can revolutionize how your hotel operates and serves its guests. Below are compelling reasons why implementing HMIS is not just beneficial but essential for contemporary hotels.

Streamlining Operations and Boosting Efficiency

HMIS significantly reduces manual work by automating routine tasks, allowing your staff to concentrate on delivering superior guest experiences. This automation spans everything from online bookings to real-time updates on room status, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing room for error.

Elevating the Guest Experience

By leveraging detailed insights into guest preferences and behavior, HMIS enables personalized guest interactions—from tailored room services to customized sales and marketing efforts. This level of personalization is key to improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Enhancing Data Security

With the increasing importance of contact information and personal data, HMIS ensures robust data protection and privacy measures are in place. This safeguards guest information, builds trust, and complies with global data protection regulations.

Facilitating Better Decision Making

HMIS provides valuable data and analytics that help hotel management make informed decisions. From understanding booking trends to optimizing room rates, the insights garnered can significantly impact your hotel’s strategy and profitability.

Improving Communication Across Departments

A well-integrated HMIS fosters seamless communication between different hotel departments, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Whether it’s housekeeping staff needing real-time updates on room occupancy or the front desk coordinating with the point of sale (POS) systems for guest charges, efficient communication leads to smoother operations and an enhanced guest experience.

Maximizing Revenue Through Dynamic Pricing

HMIS allows hotels to adopt dynamic pricing strategies by analyzing market demand, competitor pricing, and room availability in real-time. This ensures your hotel remains competitive while maximizing revenue opportunities during peak and off-peak seasons.

Expanding Market Reach Through Integrated Channel Management

Incorporating Omni Hotelier’s Channel Manager within your HMIS framework amplifies your hotel’s visibility across multiple booking channels. This not only simplifies managing online bookings. This also expands your market reach, attracting a wider audience and potentially increasing bookings.

Omni’s Channel Manager: Enhancing HMIS Capabilities

Omni’s Channel Manager is a crucial component of an effective hotel management information system. Our Channel Manager enable seamless distribution across various booking platforms. By automating the synchronization of availability and rates in real-time, it reduces overbooking and maximizes revenue opportunities, ensuring operational data is consistently updated and accurate.

Integrated with broader HMIS functionalities, Omni’s Channel Manager facilitates a cohesive management approach. It enhances guest satisfaction by ensuring that offers and availability are consistent across all channels, which is essential for maintaining a hotel’s reputation and operational efficiency.

Leverage Cutting-Edge HMIS with Omni Hotelier

Embrace the future of hotel management with Omni Hotelier’s advanced HMIS solutions. Our systems are designed to streamline operations, enhance guest experiences, and boost your hotel’s efficiency. Don’t miss out on the benefits of our integrated technology. Book a demo today and see how Omni Hotelier can transform your property management.

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8 Hotel Management Processes to Deliver a ⭐5 Star⭐ Experience

To confirm then, 6.33 billion dollars is a lot of money.

Here at Process Street , we have asked ‘why’? Why is this leading hotel brand so successful?

We believe the key to unlocking this kind of success is aligned with delivering a 5-star experience consistently. To achieve this, you need effective hotel management processes  and workflows .

Hotel management is defined as “ the management of all things related to the hotel business “. That could be the management of hotel check in, to managing deep cleaning processes. It is taking control of all processes ongoing in your hotel’s business.

Along with adopting a strategic and organized approach , hotel management also has to be versatile . Versatility enables hotel management processes to keep up with a rapidly changing business world. From technological changes , changes in customer expectations and needs, to environmental changes , hotel management systems have to be forward thinking and progressive to adapt.

At Process Street we recognize attributes such as these and their influence in creating a successful hotel management system. That is why we have constructed this pack of 8 hotel management templates, designed to provide organized , strategic, efficient and versatile processes for you to manage your hotel, in a time effective manner , and deliver a 5-star experience.

Our hotel management quicklinks!

The 8 template s provided document the most common hotel management processes, tasks, and actions. The templates provided in this pack are as follows:

• Menu Planning Template
• Hotel Sustainability Audit
• Hotel Check In Procedure Template
• Hotel Check Out Procedure Template
• Deep Cleaning Checklist
• Monthly Housekeeping Inspection Checklist
• Hotel Safety Inspection Checklist
• Training Hotel Employees Template

These templates can be accessed freely and easily edited to tailor the templates to your specific hotel business.

Menu planning template

When it comes to eating out, ‘customer behavior’ is changing. Less and less people are opting to sit down at a restaurant for a meal. A sector that was once rapidly growing, has diminished. Restaurant groups are expected to remain static in terms of their growth from 2017 and onwards .

Advertisement for your restaurant is critical in this climate, and your menu acts as a vital advertisement tool both online and offline. The menu contents and design can be used to communicate what kind of experience the guest will have at your restaurant. It is a great marketing and selling point, meaning both attention and care are needed in its creation and alteration.

Alerting your menu regularly, such as adding a new trending dish, or altering meal plans in accordance with changing seasons, will give you a competitive advantage . Our Menu Planning Template makes this easy for you.

We have outlined each important step in the Menu Planning Template using our subtask feature. You can check off the tasks to meticulously manage your menu planning process. This assures details are not forgotten and eases use from your end. We have carefully considered each step to help you create a great menu for your restaurant.

Click here to access the Menu Planning Template

Hotel sustainability audit

With the – evidentially supported – theorized “ collapse of civilization as we know it “, it has never before been this critical for businesses around the world to adopt sustainable actions .

As stressed by Mark Carney governor for the Bank of England , there is a strong link between the health of our natural world and the global economy. This link transcends down to business level. Achieving local sustainability will provide long-term economic success for your hotel business .

We created the Hotel Sustainability Audit to ease the process of adapting your business to acquire sustainability, in response to our changing environment.

Our Hotel Sustainability Audit has been designed to adhere to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Criteria for Tourism Industry version 3, December 2016 .

By working through the audit, checking off each sustainable action as it is implemented into your business, you will obtain a final report summarising your hotel’s efforts to achieve sustainability.

Click here to access the Hotel Sustainability Audit template

Hotel check in procedure template

The hotel check-in procedure has evolved over the years, ultimately becoming faster. Contemplate the room key, for instance, the traditional room key has been replaced with a card, then a room code and now an even faster more efficient virtual key .

Our Hotel Check In Procedure Template offers another avenue for progression towards a more efficient and faster check in process, by standardizing the procedure.

Standardizing your check in process , increases productivity , quality , and ultimately creates a swift system for checking guests into your hotel.

What guest wouldn’t want that?

In addition, the Check in Procedure in a Hotel template also delivers a dynamic element to this otherwise standard procedure. Our condition logic feature adapts the check in procedure to fit your specific circumstance.

For example, whether the guest has pre-booked or just walked in, having two standardized processes to deal with either guest “type” means our check in procedure is  standardized, yet changing to fit various situations.  

Click here to access the Hotel Check in Procedure Template

Hotel Check out procedure template

Delivering a 5-star experience involves meeting customer expectations at both ends of their hotel experience. Intertwined with a speedy check in procedure, comes the need for a speedy check out procedure.

Our Hotel Check Out Procedure Template is an aid to guide you through the guest checkout process, with the aim to increase the efficiency of this process. One way the Check Out Procedure in a Hotel checklist can do this is by reducing human error .

Key tasks such as ‘ensuring additional guest account charges are identified’, are not forgotten. Progression through the template is not possible unless vital tasks as such are completed.

Just like the Hotel Check In Procedure Template, the Hotel Check Out Procedure Template uses our conditional logic feature to create the same processes that are standardized, yet changing to fit various situations.

Click here to access the Hotel Check Out Procedure Template

Deep cleaning inspection checklist

84% of travelers rated cleanliness as a “very important factor” to consider when choosing their hotel accommodation. With the rise of sites such as TripAdvisor and PhoCusWright , a bad review in regards to an unclean hotel room can have damaging impacts on your hotel’s business. In response, it seems logical your hotel needs an organized and strategic deep cleaning process in place.

Deep cleaning is defined as an “ extremely thorough clean of a place .” By thorough, we mean a meticulous, comprehensive and all-encompassing cleaning procedure. Our Deep Cleaning Checklist is just this and has organized the bedroom deep cleaning process into strategic categories simplifying a potentially complex task.

The checklist also acts as a record, making it easy to visualize what rooms have been deep cleaned and when. No room will ever be forgotten about.

The Deep Cleaning Checklist effectively reports issues such as breakages, as the housekeepers are able to leave notes which can be sent in an email to relevant personnel. Notes from all deep cleaning processes are maintained on record.

Click here to access the Deep Cleaning Check

Monthly Housekeeping checklist

As mentioned before, the cleanliness of your hotel is extremely important, even more so with the rise of popular customer review and recommendation sites. Bad reviews could damage your hotel’s reputation, with negative reports spreading across the internet space like wildfire.

With this in mind, we created a Monthly Housekeeping Inspection Checklist to organize the assessment of your hotel’s cleanliness and upkeep.

Similar to the Hotel Safety Inspection Checklist and the Hotel Sustainability Audit, as you work through the Monthly Housekeeping Inspection Checklist by checking off each task with confirmation of its completion, you can add and record your own notes. These notes are compiled at the end of the template to produce a general housekeeping report. The report summarises what housekeeping activities are being done well, and other areas in need of improvement.

Click here to access the Monthly Housekeeping Inspection Checklist

Hotel safety inspection checklist

Safety in the workplace has improved over the years. Fortunately, we are no longer in the early 18th century, with very limited safety regulations. Unfortunately, accidents in the workplace can, and still, happen

Trips, cuts, and burns are to name only a few common workplace injuries. Correct safety procedures must be carried out to ensure your hotel is not in an injury statistic.

Our Hotel Safety Inspection Checklist has been designed to adhere to Grosslight Insurance. Inc Hospitality Safety Inspection Checklist . Our checklist has organized the process of inspecting your hotel’s safety attainment for you so you can productively and efficiently make sure your hotel meets the required safety standards.

The Hotel Safety Inspection Checklist is coordinated into categories. Notes from each category are pulled through to produce a final report for your records. This way, you can keep track of when each safety inspection was executed, and the results.

Click here to access the Hotel Safety Inspection checklist

Training hotel employees template

Increasing desires and demands of guests as an evolving change is a challenge to keep up with. While seemingly contradictory for a cultural experience, more and more guests are wanting to bring the comforts of home with them on vacation. Securing positive guest-staff relationships is one way to bring a homely vibe to your hotel.

For this, your employees need to be trained well with an emphasis on training exceptional communication and customer service skills . Such skills are a learned art, but with an effective training plan can be taught to the standard required.

By considering common mistakes employee training programs often make, we have created the Training Hotel Employees Template to avoid such errors.

For example, one common mistake employee training programs often make is a lack of planning and poor timing . Fortunately, we at Process Street have planned for you, creating a thorough and organized template to aid you in training your employees. We have used our dynamic due date feature so timings and deadlines of your training process are met.

Click here to access the Training Hotel Employees Template

Manage your way to 5-star hotel management success

There you have it, Process Street ’s complete template pack as a helping hand for you to obtain successful hotel management processes in a changing business climate.

Are there any hotel management processes you would like us to cover that we have missed? If so, please let us know in the comments below. We always love to obtain feedback and find out about the processes you want to see in our next template pack.

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Jane Courtnell

Hi there, I am a Junior Content Writer at Process Street. I graduated in Biology, specializing in Environmental Science at Imperial College London. During my degree, I developed an enthusiasm for writing to communicate environmental issues. I continued my studies at Imperial College's Business School, and with this, my writing progressed looking at sustainability in a business sense. When I am not writing I enjoy being in the mountains, running and rock climbing. Follow me at @JaneCourtnell.

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A comprehensive guide to hotel management software

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By Cloudbeds

From increasing occupancy to generating direct bookings and increasing ADR, lodging operators have a lot on their plate. As the hospitality industry becomes more complex, the role of technology to help streamline operations and automate processes becomes increasingly important. 

Cloudbeds’ State of Independent Lodging Report surveyed thousands of independent properties and came to an important conclusion – owners and operators can’t do everything alone. This year, more properties will invest in technology to help create new revenue opportunities, build better websites , manage marketing campaigns, automate services, and improve the guest experience.  

There’s real power in having robust hotel management software that frees you up to focus on the guest rather than waste time on repetitive administrative tasks. Having the right tool can mean the difference between working on your business and working in it. Smaller properties are especially vulnerable to getting sucked into the current of daily operations, as the teams are small and almost always owner/operator driven.

To minimize frustrations and manage your property with ease and sophistication that impresses guests, consider hotel management software (HMS). In this guide, we break down the importance of a modern HMS solution, the features to look for, and how to choose the right provider.  

Why you need hotel management software

In a recent interview with Skift , Cloudbeds’ CEO, Adam Harris, commented on the state of technology adoption in the hotel industry, saying, “the average percentage of spend for technology is a fraction of what it should be. The number one reason why we don’t sign a customer up is not that they went to a competitor, but because they’re afraid of change.”

Here’s why hoteliers need to jump the hurdle of change and adopt hotel management software today.

Your time is valuable.

As a busy hotelier, every second of the day counts. 

Say your run a 15-room luxury inn nestled in the foothills. To keep it simple, we’ll only consider room revenue. The inn is high-end, with an average rate of $425 per night. At full occupancy , that’s $6,375 in potential revenue each day. At its average occupancy rate of 72%, the average revenue per night is $4,590. There are 24 hours in a day, so that’s $191.25 of revenue per hour. 

What happens when you spend 15 minutes taking a guest’s reservation over the phone rather than allowing the self-service booking many guests prefer? That 15 minutes costs you $47.82 in revenue. If you were to invest that 15 minutes (or $47.82) into marketing or technology that earned a new booking, you’d nearly quadruple your money.

Now, consider your day. What’s each hour worth for both yourself and your staff? Is everyone spending time on value-creating tasks that deliver the greatest return? How is using manual methods to operate your property affecting your overall revenue?

Your time is money, so spend it on value-driven activities – such as creating a profitable hotel distribution strategy .

You’re busy enough as it is.

No matter what type of property you run, from a large or small hotel, motel, hostel, or campground, there’s always something that needs to be done: a candidate to interview, a guest to greet, a marketing campaign to launch, or a maintenance issue to fix .

Amidst the chaos, wouldn’t it be nice to have a reliable solution to lend you a hand? This is where your hotel management software can save the day. A robust HMS provides peace of mind and helps keep things under control in the following ways:

• One platform to run your property. Managing multiple systems is a hassle – especially for smaller operations. A helpful hotel management solution will combine multiple functionalities, such as a booking engine, PMS, channel manager, digital marketing, guest engagement, and reporting.
• Accessible from anywhere. Modern HMS runs in the cloud. This means you can get real-time updates and check in on business from anywhere with internet access – even after you’ve gone home for the day. 
• Reduce guest complaints . Accidentally losing a guest reservation, forgetting to handle a special request, or mishandling credit card information are surefire ways to get complaints. An HMS will organize your guest information and provide opportunities to personalize service through guest messaging tools. 
• Manages the back office. Payments, invoices, cash drawers, and financial reports are much easier to manage when your systems are connected and pulled from the same data source.
• Experienced support. You can’t do everything alone. Your HMS vendor should act as an extension of your team, providing expertise and support to help you manage and grow your business. 

The ultimate goal is to maintain profitability and free up your time so you can work more efficiently and have less stress (and maybe even treat yourself to a vacation!). 

Sanj Gidda, Director of the George Street Hotel and Bocardo Hotel, has seen firsthand the advantages of using a modern HMS as a Cloudbeds customer. Prior to adopting the Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform, Sanj used an on-premise system with non-existent support, payments challenges, and a poorly integrated channel manager, making day-to-day operations “confusing, labor-intensive, archaic, and frustrating.”

After making the switch to Cloudbeds, Sanj recommends that other properties do the same, especially those without dedicated IT teams. With Cloudbeds, Sanj says he has access to a team of people who strive to understand and support his strategy and considers the Cloudbeds team to be an extension of his own. Another bonus? Sanj says that with a cloud platform, he was able to vacation to Mexico, where he was “literally on a beach, making decisions thanks to the real-time data in Cloudbeds.” 

Your guests expect flawless operations.

There are certain areas where quirky is cool and valued by guests: decor, location, and unique amenities. However, there are some expectations that properties of all sizes must meet. Good hotel property management software gives you the support you need to be flawless in the operational areas that matter most.

The right hotel management software helps you meet those expectations by providing:

• An online booking engine. Guests can book their reservations on your website rather than calling. An online booking or reservation system empowers guests and gives staff more time away from the phone to handle other priorities.
• Synchronized pricing and availability. One of the major problems with manual inventory management is noncompetitive pricing and availability. There will always be a gap between when the hotel reservation agent takes a phone booking and when that room is removed from inventory elsewhere. Sometimes, a channel may be overlooked, leading to double bookings – and displeased guests. Since inventory on an HMS with a channel manager is synced from a central pool, room statuses are always up-to-date. 
• Localization. To attract more guests, you need to consider international visitors and make booking easier for speakers of other languages. Offering a booking path in multiple languages gives your property a global appeal that broadens your demographics. Guest engagement platforms also provide vital translation functionality so you can communicate with guests, no matter their language.
• Guest communication. With the rise of chatbots and messaging tools across all business types, travelers expect to be able to communicate with their lodging provider before, during, and after their stay. Whether they have a question about check-in times, need something delivered to their room, or want to let you know about a staff member that made their day, today’s hotels need to provide two-way communication between their hotel and its guests.  

Your staff training and communication could be better

Training new staff is part of any business but is even more crucial in an industry with turnover as high as the hotel industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover report , the hospitality industry has the highest turnover rate of any sector at 86.3%.

When you don’t have an organized system or use complicated technology, the training process can be time-consuming and frustrating for everyone. Running your front office operations should be simple enough for any new staff member to pick up quickly so you don’t waste precious energy whenever you have a new hire.

Efficient hotel management software features include:

• An intuitive and user-friendly interface . It just makes sense – and works in the way that you would expect. For example, having a unified calendar view with drag-and-drop functionality that allows staff to easily assign rooms.
• Reports that reduce errors and manual busywork . With the proper HMS, you can eliminate the need for your staff to spend an entire shift in a spreadsheet or write reports by hand. Instead, your team can focus on analyzing the reports prepared by your HMS so they can identify trends and make action plans.   
• Housekeeping management. The front desk should be able to view the status of each room right in the HMS dashboard and assign housekeepers to prioritize cleaning. This visibility reduces communication lapses and helps staff be more efficient.

  The Cloudbeds Hospitality   Platforms has an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that cuts down training times and improves the user experience.

The hospitality industry is constantly shifting

The beauty of working with a modern, cloud-based hospitality platform is that it’s updated regularly, so the technology is always fresh and ready to support the changing needs of your property. New features and functionality lead the way to better methods of engaging with guests and operating your property profitably. Nonetheless, your hospitality management system should encourage connections to other hospitality technology with a robust menu of integrations so that you can craft the ideal tech stack.

9 important features of hotel management software

Independent hotels stand to boost productivity and gain revenue by adopting hotel management software. The power lies in the comprehensive nature of a system that works together to achieve the best business outcomes.  

Hotel management software must do one thing well: help you run your hotel better. It’s not meant to be an additional burden to manage.

Digital hotel management software eliminates silos and streamlines operations across the entire business. With full transparency and shared visibility, the whole team works from the same information. Hospitality software reduces service lapses and makes guests (not to mention your staff) happier.

When it comes down to selecting the best hotel management software for your independent hospitality business, these are key features to look for.

Watch this short video to learn about the nine main features.  

1. Cloud-based

Modern and powerful SaaS is cloud-based. This is in opposition to solutions that host hardware on-premise. Cloud computing technology is affordable, scalable, and fast. It’s also much easier to update regularly than a system that requires expensive physical upgrades. Cloud-based HMS can also be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, so you don’t have to physically be at your property to check in on your business.

2. Intuitive interface

In an industry that competes so vigorously for talent, why spend precious time training employees on a system that takes ages to load and makes it impossible to find what you need? Employees want simple tools that are easy to use and learn. Similarly, owners and managers often need to train new staff regularly, so user-friendly hotel management software makes a business run smoother.

3. Integrated booking engine

An HMS with an integrated booking engine can help streamline reservation management, allowing guests to book reservations themselves which leads to more direct bookings . And, when it includes a payment processing tool , you can receive new bookings on your website 24/7.

An embedded booking engine gives you much more control to offer bundles and packages that reflect different guest interests. Added personalization can bring incremental revenue to hotels, no matter the property’s size.  

An efficient booking engine will:

• Include multiple languages and currencies . Choose an engine with localization support to attract and accommodate international visitors.
• Accept secure payments. Take reservations on your website around the clock and assure guests that their payment is secure with a reputable payment gateway . 
• Offer a rate comparison tool. Another powerful way to build trust and convert more bookings is with a Rate Check widget. Be transparent and give users the confidence that they’re getting the best rate on your website.
• Be customizable . Your booking engine should seamlessly match your website design to be consistent with your brand and not feel out of place. 
• Integrate with your PMS and channel manager . Reservations made on your website should automatically sync with your hotel property management system and across all your OTA channels so you don’t get overbookings. 
• Can be added to your social media profiles. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to capture additional bookings via your different social channels. Many travelers use Instagram and TikTok’s mobile apps for travel research, and by providing a link in your bio, you can convert these users.

4. Detailed reports

Robust reporting enables hoteliers to make data-driven decisions. Using data to improve operations and marketing strategies used to be a privilege for big-budget hotels only. Not anymore! With the right hotel management software, independent hotels can make smart decisions with data and create comprehensive reports that give visibility into your property’s finances, daily activities, analytics, and more. 

Detailed reports give you more clarity over your business efforts. Once you know exactly how much revenue each OTA generates for you, you can develop a channel mix that delivers the highest ROI. Dynamic reporting modules should let you create reports in-browser, as emails, or as downloadable spreadsheets and PDFs with the ability to filter by marketing channel, room type, year, specials, and other key parameters.

The Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform offers a variety of reports to analyze your daily operations and finances.

5. Channel manager

A channel manager organizes how your inventory is distributed across online travel agencies such as Booking.com , Airbnb, and Expedia. When integrated with your hotel management software, the channel manager will update your availability on your calendar in real-time. Other benefits of having a channel manager as part of your hotel management software include: 

• More visibility and guests. Connecting to different types of OTAs using your channel manager will give you the benefit of displaying your property to a larger number of potential guests from around the world. Also, you’ll be able to find smaller, more niche OTAs that will attract your ideal guest and charge lower commissions.  
• No more overbookings. When you have a channel manager that’s synced with your hotel management software, gone will be the days of manually updating your availability across multiple channels and having various logins to different extranets. Nothing beats the ease and convenience of having all of your tools in sync. 
• Greater control over your rates and availability. With a channel manager, you can set different pricing and availability on a per-channel basis, so you have full reign over how you sell your property. 

6. Revenue management

Your hotel rates shouldn’t be “set it and forget it.” To maximize revenue, your pricing needs to be dynamic and consider factors like competitors’ rates and local events that may affect your profits. It’s not feasible to constantly adjust your pricing manually. With automation, pricing can be adjusted intelligently to reflect real-time demand.  

Ideally, your hotel management software should automate at least some of your pricing decisions. Depending on the size and complexity of your property, it’s crucial to have access to everything from a pricing intelligence engine to a full-blown revenue management solution .

7. Digital marketing 

It’s not enough to just distribute your inventory via OTAs if you want to maximize revenue and be in control of your guest data. A digital marketing solution helps hotels build awareness and drive bookings across multiple channels, contributing to a more well-balanced distribution strategy.

Look for hotel management software that offers a hospitality-focused marketing solution that includes features such as:

• Beautifully designed and optimized websites. Your website is the foundation of your marketing strategy and plays an important role in establishing trust with travelers and guests. Your website should be modernly designed, easy to use, and optimized for mobile.
• Metasearch advertising . 75% of travelers use metasearch in their search process , making it a critical platform for lodging operators to be active on. Metasearch advertising can help you increase visibility on platforms like Google Hotel Ads and Trivago so that travelers book direct. 
• Business listings maintenance. Accurate business listings across your Google Business Profile, online directories, and other apps are crucial in boosting your presence in organic and paid search. 

8. Guest engagement 

The guest journey has become more complex, with lodging operators expected to engage with guests from discovery to post-stay. An increased level of engagement not only results in more satisfied guests but also helps to increase revenue via upsells and add-ons and streamlines operations through automation. 

With guest engagement tools, lodging operations can connect with guests at every touchpoint, including:

• Discovery. Utilize Livechat to answer traveler questions and move them to book at a faster rate. 
• Pre-arrival. Send pre-arrival communication via SMS, WhatsApp, or Messenger to get guests excited about their stay, offer upsells or add-ons, and answer any questions. 
• Arrival. Provide contactless check-in options and streamline the process with digital registration cards, key codes, and e-signatures to save your staff time and ensure guests can get started with their vacation as fast as possible. 
• In-stay. Use automation to have your team quickly work through guest requests and catch any service issues while guests are still on property.
• Post-stay. Manage, respond to, and track guest’ reviews in real-time and send automated messages to capture guest feedback .  

9. Robust integrations

The final feature of a well-rounded and powerful hotel management software is the ability to connect with third-party integrations. Integrations are tools and services that you can link to your HMS to get specific jobs done. For example, if you have a restaurant or cafe at your property, you could link a point of sale (POS) system to your hotel management software so your guests can easily charge purchases to their rooms.

Look for a hotel management software vendor that easily connects to your preferred third-party solutions. This integrations-friendly approach is a sign that the software provider wants to empower its customers. 

The end result of any hotel management software has to be relationship-building. It’s all about empowering hoteliers with strong and user-friendly technology in order to free up time to build more personal interactions with guests.

Evaluating HMS solutions 

When selecting a new hotel management software solution, the process should be considered with patience and care. A lot is riding on this decision: as the hub of your property, your HMS plays a pivotal role in successful operations. Here are some critical steps when evaluating software solutions.

• Prioritize functionality. Before starting to research vendors, take the time to prioritize the functionality you’re looking for. Depending on your property type, you’ll require different functionality. Vacation rentals, for example, need more automation since they usually operate without front desk staff. To start, list your top three priorities by the level of importance. Most likely, you won’t find a provider that covers 100% of your hotel management software needs, but if you begin by identifying your must-have features, you’ll be able to evaluate your options with a more critical eye. 
• Make a master list. Start researching. Drop your keyword, such as “hotel management software,” into a search engine to see what comes up in both paid ads and organic results. You can also review hospitality tech conference websites to see which companies are exhibiting at trade shows. Leverage unbiased reviews on reputable sites, like Capterra or Hotel Tech Report, to learn firsthand which tools are recommended  – and by whom.
•  Ask your network. Once you have your list of software options, you can start asking around your hospitality connections to hear first-hand experiences from colleagues and acquaintances about the vendors and tech tools on your list. You may discover patterns that can inform your decisions: a vendor with repeated positive feedback may move up the list, while one with more negative feedback may need to be crossed off. 
• Set up demos. When you’ve narrowed down your list of favorites, get a firsthand look at the software by setting up demos. Be diligent in selecting your top 3-5 options to explore further. You can always expand your search once again if the demos disappoint. 

For some, Step 4 is the most unpleasant part of the process. However, rushing through the software demo stage can lead to false assumptions and unrealistic expectations. Take your time during this phase, and really get to know the software companies under consideration. This is a long-term relationship and there’s no need to rush into something that may not be the best fit for your property.

To guide you in your selection of the right hotel management software, we’ve suggested a few questions to ask each vendor during the demo process.

How often do you roll out product updates?

Why it matters: Older systems that use locally installed hardware have the disadvantage of infrequent software updates and limited availability for customization. Newer hotel management software is often cloud-based , meaning the system will have software updates and upgrades done automatically without needing a specialized property visit from a technician. The hospitality industry is constantly changing, so software that can easily keep pace with industry demands will better support your hotel business in the long run. If the software is missing a feature you’d like to have, ask if that feature is on the product roadmap. As mentioned, no software is likely to have 100% of the features you want, but modern HMS is always evolving and improving to meet the needs of its customers.  

How customizable is your system? Do you integrate with other software tools I use?

Why it matters: Every property is different, and each business has its own needs. That’s why it’s so important for hotel management software to be flexible and customizable. Even when selecting a hotel management suite that meets most of your needs, you want to know the flexibility you have to plug in other solutions over time as your business grows and evolves.

What training and ongoing support do you provide?

Why it matters: Switching from one system to another or implementing an entirely new one altogether is daunting. You’ll have to transfer reservations, get familiar with the system, and train your staff. Look for a software provider that will diligently work with you to help you get onboarded. Some may even offer a dedicated onboarding specialist to help you with personalized training. After your initial setup, consider what support is available to help you with any questions, like a library of knowledge base articles , training videos, and access to a support team.

How do you ensure data security?

Why it matters:  Data hackers are a real threat to any business. For all of its tremendous benefits, cloud-based software can be more sensitive to security breaches. Talk to your software vendor about their security measures to keep your and your guests’ data safe. Some software may even feature different user-based permissions to keep sensitive data visible to only a few specific users. 

Do you have case studies and references?

Why it matters: References can offer first-hand perspectives of what it’s like to work with the vendor and software system. A case study of a property similar to yours could help reveal the potential benefits of working with the provider. You may also want to request additional references to get a well-rounded perspective from fellow hotels in the business.

What different tools are included?

Why it matters: As you already may know, running an independent hotel takes a lot of work. You may not have the budget to hire specialized staff positions like a revenue manager or marketing professional. Hotel management software that offers a versatile toolset to optimize hotel operations will provide you with a lot more than just a property management system, channel manager, and booking engine.

What’s your customer service philosophy?

Why it matters: If you become a customer, you’ll want to know what to expect from your software provider if you have an issue with the system. It’s a good sign when a company has taken the time to provide 24/7 support in multiple languages across different channels (ie. live chat and email). It demonstrates a commitment to the customer – and an understanding that a product is only as good as the people supporting it.

What is your average onboarding time?

Why it matters: Onboarding any new software takes time. For larger properties, the training period can be a bit longer. By asking about the average onboarding time for properties of your size, you can set a realistic benchmark for yourself.

What happens if I’m not happy in the first 30 days?

Why it matters: You need the confidence of the guarantee. If the vendor doesn’t have confidence in its own product, why should you? Be sure to evaluate your software provider’s cancellation policy because you don’t want to be stuck with a flawed system and a company that will make you jump through hoops to leave. 

Top 10 hotel management software providers

So, you have your requirements defined and your questions ready. The next step is to evaluate solutions. Here we’ve compiled 10 of the best hotel management systems on the market that you should consider in your search.

1. The Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform

Cloudbeds is the winner of the 2023 HotelTechAward for Best Hotel Management Software , along with five other accolades. The Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform enables tens of thousands of lodging businesses in more than 150 countries worldwide to grow and thrive. The platform is unified, modern, and intuitive and is enhanced by a comprehensive marketplace of third-party integrations. It streamlines operations, optimizes revenue, delights guests, and provides valuable insights for independent hoteliers.

2. Little Hotelier

Founded in 2012, Little Hotelier is an all-in-one hotel management system designed for small accommodation providers. Based in Sydney, Australia, the company helps over 9,000 properties worldwide and has been named the #2 Best Hotel Management System by 2023 HotelTechAwards. Little Hotelier is powered by Siteminder, offering a platform that is simple, easy to set up, and provides 24/7 customer support.

3. RoomRaccoon

RoomRaccoon is an all-in-one cloud-based software made for independent hotels, B&Bs, and apartments, founded in 2017 and based in the Netherlands. With over 1,500 clients around the world, it has been nominated as a finalist in Hotel Tech Report’s “Best Hotel Management System” category in the 2023 HotelTechAwards.

4. ResNexus

With over 3,200 customers worldwide, ResNexus is an all-in-one, cloud-based property management software for lodging businesses of all shapes and sizes. Launched in 2004 and based in the US, the company earned Hotel Tech Report’s level III Global Customer Support Certification (GCSC) in 2022.

5. ThinkReservations

Founded in 2012 and based in the US, ThinkReservations helps over 1,800 businesses mainly in North America. Their software includes an all-in-one property management system, online booking engine, and channel manager, with a customer satisfaction rate of 4.9/5 on Capterra.

6. WebRezPro

Trusted by over 2,000 accommodation providers in 45 countries, WebRezPro offers an all-in-one hospitality software organized into three main departments: front desk, back office, and accounting. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Canada, the company has been named one of the top 10 Best Places to Work in Hotel Tech by the 2022 HotelTechAwards.

Headquartered in the US, RMS delivers a cloud technology trusted by more than 7,000 properties across 70 countries, also rated Top 5 PMS Systems on Hotel Tech Report. With over 35 years of experience, RMS Cloud offers a fully integrated property management solution to run a hospitality business from anywhere, at any time, and from any device. 

innRoad is an award-winning hotel management software that’s trusted by thousands of hotels around the world. Designed specifically for independent hoteliers, the company was founded in 2007, and it’s based in New York, US. Their fully integrated suite serves all property types, sizes, and experience levels.

Launched in 2011 and headquartered in the UK, eviivo provides an integrated cloud-based property management software used by 20,000 independent properties. Recently, the company earned the Best Hotel Property Management Platform 2022 by Tech Times and it allows property owners, hoteliers, and hosts to manage guests, bookings, and online travel agencies in one single platform.

10. InnQuest

Founded in 2014 in Florida, US, InnQuest is used by more than 5,500 hospitality industry properties in over 100 countries. The technology provider for the hospitality business recently earned a Certification of Excellence from Hotel Tech Report, developing a comprehensive solution with a Hotel PMS, Channel Manager, Hotel CRM, and others to maximize the guest experience.

Getting started with your hotel management system

Congratulations! You’ve selected a hotel management system. Now that the big decision has been made, it’s time to focus on implementation. Ideally, you’ve already socialized the new tool with your team, so this process is less about introducing the new solution and more about adjusting workflows.

Implementation starts with an honest appraisal of current operations: where are the existing bottlenecks? What do you hope to get out of the software? Who are the designated internal advocates? How will we assess the success of this new software tool? Let these answers shape your approach to fully leveraging the power of your hotel management software. 

We’ve spent years building and refining our hotel management software and have a deep well of past experiences to match the best implementation approach to each client. From getting started to maintaining momentum, here’s how to get the most out of your new platform. 

Set your rates

Setting rates is one of the more complex tasks that hoteliers regularly face. Careful analysis of your property’s performance and fluctuations in local market demand can help you find the right price.

Consider setting a rate plan in your hotel management system to streamline this process. That way, several OTA channels can base their pricing on your established rate plan. Then you can adjust rates on individual channels via the extranet to take advantage of any channel-specific pricing tools.  

Another option is to set a channel-specific difference. This allows you to adjust the pricing of each room type by a set amount or percentage on that channel – without having to log into the extranet. The system will simply take the base rate and then add (or subtract) accordingly. 

Every time you update your base rates, the prices will adjust according to these settings, giving you more dynamic rate control without having to do rate management on multiple channels individually. As with most distribution and revenue management aspects, revisit rates regularly to monitor for accuracy and consistency. You may also consider using a revenue management tool to help you select the best rates for your property based on local events and your competitors.  

Map your inventory

One of the biggest mistakes hotels can make when onboarding new software is inaccurate room mapping: identifying and connecting your property’s room types to your third-party distribution channels or OTAs. Accurately mapping your room names, descriptions, features, and amenities means that they are displayed the same across channels. This practice ensures that your rooms are primed for conversion and help avoid confusion when guests make comparisons across different channels – plus, it helps with SEO and streamlines your own revenue management efforts. 

The mapping process can get quite complicated, as rooms must match across your channel manager, property management system, and third-party distribution channels. But it’s important: improperly mapped inventory can lead to overbookings, lost reservations, and other miscommunications.  

The ideal approach is to practice one-to-one mapping, which maps one room type in an OTA to one room type in your HMS. We recommend focusing on room types rather than individual rooms to achieve this.

Some distribution platforms, such as Expedia, require room types. Others, such as Airbnb, allow individual rooms. If your property is a bed-and-breakfast with unique rooms, it’s still preferable to use room types – unless you plan never to use the major distribution channels. The mapping process can be a pain, so if you ever think you might distribute inventory elsewhere, use room types to future-proof your mapping.

Connect your channels

Once you’ve set up your rates and finished mapping, it’s time to connect your channels. Remember that each distribution channel requires its own account, and most hotel management software won’t sign up on your behalf. Choose your desired distribution channels, make individual accounts, and then return to your HMS to connect those channels. 

Automate your communications

Guest communication is one of the most powerful tools within your hotel management software. How you communicate with past and future guests sets the tone for the relationship and your guests’ level of satisfaction.

To properly automate guest communications, focus on these areas as a starting point:

• Confirmation email: Ensure that you automatically send a confirmation email for each booking; never do this manually! Guests expect instant confirmations and want to know that their chosen hotel is responsive, organized, and legitimate. 
• Pre-arrival email: A few days before a guest arrives, send a “we look forward to welcoming you” email. This message can include important details of their upcoming stay (thus reducing calls to the front desk), including destination information and special offers for on-property amenities. It’s a valuable touchpoint because guests are most likely to be thinking about their upcoming trip.   
• Post-stay email: In today’s digital economy, reviews are gold! An email requesting feedback and reviews encourages guests to share their experiences. There’s also an opportunity to identify potential problems before they end up online. 

Once you’ve set up these basic touchpoints, consider what you want your guest engagement strategy to look like. Based on your target demographics, does it make sense for you to send messages via SMS or messenger? How can you earn incremental revenue through upsells? An HMS with guest engagement functionality can help you become more sophisticated in your communication strategy.

Build out your direct booking strategy

A comprehensive hotel management system should include a commission-free booking engine to serve as your direct booking channel. To get the most out of your hotel management software, take the time to integrate your booking engine into your hotel website and customize it to match your site’s design.  

If applicable, take advantage of your HMS provider’s expertise and see if they can help you to build an eCommerce-optimized website to help drive more traffic and increase conversion rates. 

To further increase visibility, consider other marketing channels like metasearch advertising, retargeting ads, and optimized business listings. Always reach out to your provider to see if they have any suggestions on optimizing your digital marketing efforts – they work with hundreds of properties and have a good idea of what works best for lodging operators. 

The Vaquero Motel in Bandera, Texas, was attracted to the Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform because of the toolkit it offered, which he referred to as a “one-stop shop” with a PMS, payments processor, website, and digital marketing solution. 

Owner, Carlos Gonzalez, worked with Cloudbeds to streamline operations and grow the motel’s online presence. Using Cloudbeds’ team of digital marketing experts, The Vaquero Motel implemented an SEO-enhanced and fully integrated website with a mobile-friendly booking engine and metasearch advertising across platforms like Tripadvisor, Google Hotel Ads, and Trivago. This effort has resulted in a 5X ROI on marketing spend with increased brand awareness leading to a more robust direct booking strategy.

Train your staff

Training is the most time-intensive part of this process. It’s also one of the behaviors that define top-performing properties: those who prioritize training unlock greater value from their hotel management software. 

In addition to upfront implementation, don’t neglect ongoing training. It’s not always feasible or realistic to train staff on every last detail at the outset. Start with the essential things people need to know for their day-to-day, and then gradually introduce new features as appropriate.   

It may be beneficial to develop a process for training that can be repeated as needed. If your hotel management software is user-friendly and built for ease of use, the training process will be much easier. 

Integrate with purpose

The best hotel management software integrates with various platforms, tools, and services. As you move beyond setting up the essentials, such as inventory allocation, rates, and channels, you’ll want to focus on integrations .

Start with the integrations that fulfill a need or are most valuable to you. Maybe you need more robust accounting capabilities or want to implement keyless entry at your property. The good news is that with modern hotel management software, you can customize your system and tools to your liking. 

Maintain momentum

Finally, maintain momentum. Hotel management software isn’t a “set it and forget it” thing. It’s an ally that can become a valuable asset in building a profitable hospitality business. Consult your metrics often, and adjust areas that seem to be underperforming your expectations. A steady approach leads to consistent results – and that’s how you get the most out of your hotel management software!

Making the switch to a modern HMS solution

Adopting a modern, cloud-based HMS solution is a game-changer for independent properties. With automatic updates, new features, and everything you need in one platform, you’ll not only save everyone on your team time but increase revenue and deliver better guest experiences. 

The Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform offers lodging businesses of all sizes a powerful, intuitive, and unified solution that includes everything you need to run your property. The core platform consists of an award-winning PMS, channel manager, and booking engine with additional tools to increase revenue, delight guests and streamline day-to-day operations, including a pricing intelligence engine, digital marketing service, guest engagement functionality, a robust integration marketplace, secure payment solution, and open-API. 

The opportunities are endless with Cloudbeds, and our team is here every step of the way. From a dedicated onboarding coach to hundreds of training videos in Cloudbeds University , we’re committed to ensuring that you and your entire team are using the system to its full advantage. 

Want to see how the Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform works? Book a demo

About Cloudbeds

Cloudbeds is the leading platform redefining the concept of PMS for the hospitality industry, serving tens of thousands of properties in more than 150 countries worldwide. Built from the ground up to be masterfully unified and scalable, the award-winning Cloudbeds Platform brings together built-in and integrated solutions that modernize hotel operations, distribution, guest experience, and data & analytics.

Founded in 2012, Cloudbeds has been named a top PMS, Hotel Management System and Channel Manager (2021-2024) by Hotel Tech Report, World’s Best Hotel PMS Solutions Provider (2022) by World Travel Awards, and recognized in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 in 2023. 

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Hotel Management System (HMS): A complete guide

Hospitality is an ever-changing industry that requires fast-paced technological solutions. Hoteliers need a trustworthy management system to keep guests happy and everything running well.

But what is a hotel management system, and why is this software crucial to modern hospitality businesses?

Today we’re exploring everything you need to know about hotel property management systems. From the different options available to the top software features, we’re looking at how this system could benefit your hotel business.

What is a Hotel Management System (HMS)?

Hotel management systems provide tailored solutions to keep your hotel business operating optimally..

The software is optimised for the hospitality industry and operates as a central database for all hotel information. All necessary data is accessible to management and employees in one secure location. These days, HMS’ are cloud-based for easy online access.

Data flows to and from all the different departments as all features are connected.

Managers use this system to schedule, manage, and view daily operations all in one place. Plus, other staff can log in and view data relevant to them too. All information in one place, viewable by everyone.

What is a Property Management System (PMS)?

A hotel PMS handles room bookings and all booking channels. This includes check ins, front desk operations, billing and invoicing, and reporting and analytics.

PMS also provides room maintenance and cleaning data, helping staff prepare suites for new guests and maintaining customer relationships.

Learn more: What is a hotel PMS?

Difference between a HMS and a PMS?

A Hotel Management System (HMS) is a software that is specifically designed to manage a hotel. A Property Management System (PMS)  is a software that focuses on simplifying the management process for a building manager or facility manager, as well as other parties involved in the management of the property, such as investors and owners of the property. The difference between a PMS and a HMS is that a PMS has only a small fraction of the features that a HMS has to offer.

Main Features of Hotel Management Systems

HMSs offer different modules depending on your hospitality business needs. However, there are certain features all hoteliers should look out for.

1. Reservations & Bookings

Managing bookings through a reliable reservation system is a must for all hotels. Without reservation management, a PMS system won’t be able to manage your bookings and therefore, your hotel’s revenue.

Well-managed reservations reduce the chance of unplanned overbookings, improve the guests’ experience and help generate revenue.

Hotel PMSs connect with multiple distribution channels ( via a channel manager) , including OTAs (Online Travel Agents), Google and travel agencies. This interconnectivity ensures your bookings are filed and accurate, regardless of the online channel used.

Channel managers are ideal if your main bookings aren’t coming in via a booking engine on your hotel’s website .

2. Customer Relationship Tools

Building trust with your guest base is essential. But, keeping track of rewards, points and guest preferences can be tricky.

A PMS with an integrated CRM (customer relationship management tool) can offer features to track guest rewards, points and preferences.

Nothing beats personalised services, and a great CRM is the perfect tool for hoteliers to deliver amazing guest experiences and keep guests coming back for more.

3. Real-time updates

Keeping track of everything is crucial when you’re managing staff. PMS software provides real-time updates for maintenance, conference and banqueting and housekeeping staff. Meet successful room turnover in its smoothest state.

4. User-friendly interface

A PMS software with millions of features is excellent, but it’s not worth much if it’s confusing. Ideally, you want a PMS software your team can quickly adapt to. This will ensure your daily hotel business can continue without fuss.

5. Extra integrations

Another feature to consider is the ability for extra integrations. Some PMS systems offer additional revenue management features, online booking engines (for direct bookings), and channel manager options to connect your PMS to OTAs. Forget one travel agent connection, you can now connect your hotel to big providers like Expeda, GoogleHotels, and Agoda in a few simple steps. Hotel operations and your annual revenue will thank you!

Ready to browse different types of hotel management systems? Once you’ve settled on the features you want, it’s time to explore your options. The two different types of hotel management systems are POS and PMS.

Both systems ultimately help to improve your guest experience and revenue via precise data management. POS and PMS aren’t the same, so get clear on which suits your hotel’s needs. Software that combines POS and PMS is available, ideal for any hotel chain with additional food and beverage department needs.

Benefits of Hotel Management Systems

Here are some of the benefits hotel software could offer your business.

1. Higher satisfaction for guests

A PMS with an integrated booking engine and front desk features will establish higher trust between you and your guests through positive interactions. From an easy check-in to personalised rewards, a PMS system is integral to building higher satisfaction for visitors. Whether you specialise in vacation rentals or hostels, keeping guests happy is the goal.

2. Better online visibility

Many factors affect your online visibility, including using the right software. Independent hotels and hostels regularly implement guest-facing software to improve their online positioning. Hotel website chatbots and guest portals upsell your experience, putting the customer first every time.

Smartphone optimisation is an important factor here. Consumers are more likely to book via a mobile phone or app. So, a PMS with smartphone-optimised tech is essential for assistance and queries.

3. Less time on admin tasks

We’re all busy, so saving time on admin tasks is an obvious benefit. A cloud PMS software with a great booking system will save you hours. With admin and event management completed, you can spend more time making your guests comfortable.

4. Improved revenue management systems

Revenue management is a central factor in all businesses. With the right hotel PMS, you can use pricing tools to manage your revenue. You can set prices depending on seasonal demand, thanks to accurate data updates. Goodbye standard prices. Hello, customised rates and special offers.

5. Reliable daily reports

Data never lies. So, catching up on daily reports is a must for all independent hoteliers and hotel chains. Back-office teams can make key operations and marketing decisions with the latest numbers. Plus, real-time data is available whenever you need it.

6. Increased bookings

Ultimately, each feature in your property management system works together to increase your revenue. Revpar is integral to your hotel’s success , and cloud-based solutions can help with the heavy lifting. From promoting your hotel on more OTAs to offering real-time occupancy data, PMS software is on your side. Direct booking channels and channel managers are critical features to look for.

Learn more:  5 Simple steps to create great Hotel Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) +4 ready-to-go templates

Hotel Management System price

Finding a property management system with appropriate pricing is crucial. However, pricing often depends on your hotel’s statistics. Your hotel property type, location, and the number of rooms all affect your bespoke price. Many PMS providers provide customised quotes based on your needs.

For the best deal? Consider all options. Shopping around different providers can help you make your decision.

Find out more about our Cloud PMS

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Business process management in hotels: with a focus on delivering quality guest service

• Published: 10 March 2018
• Volume 53 , pages 2305–2322, ( 2019 )

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• Ali İhsan Özdemir   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9616-3060 1 ,
• Abdullah Çolak 1 &
• Jerina Shmilli 2  

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In this study business process management as a tool of improvement service quality is introduced and it is examined that how it can be used to improve service quality in hotel sector. It is assumed that re-engineering of the business processes in hotel may contribute to optimize the operational processes and service by focusing on guest service. All the interactions and transactions between the guest and the hotel during her/his stay, determine the type and nature of front office operations. The stages of guest stay are: (a) pre-arrival, (b) arrival and accommodation, (c) stay, and (d) departure. Each steps are analyzed and business process improvements are applied by case study approach in a hotel which is one of the biggest hotel in Tirana, Albania. As a result of this study valuable recommendations are developed to enhance guest service quality.

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Reproduced with permission from Weske et al. ( 1220 )

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Reproduced with permission from Ould ( 1995 )

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Özdemir, A.İ., Çolak, A. & Shmilli, J. Business process management in hotels: with a focus on delivering quality guest service. Qual Quant 53 , 2305–2322 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-018-0727-4

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A Comprehensive Hotel Management System Introduction

Jan 10, 2024 | Knowledge Centre , Resources

In this digital age, hotels not only need to provide high-quality services and execute them efficiently, but also refine their customer base and deepen their marketing capabilities to grow continuously. This means that traditional client/server (C/S) architecture-based hotel systems have proven to be inadequate and unable to keep up with the rapidly changing market pace.

Modern hotels require more advanced and comprehensive technological means to achieve efficient management and meet customer demands. The importance of hotel management systems lies here.

Here, we will introduce a comprehensive hotel management system introduction to help hotel owners and related professionals gain a deeper understanding, choose wisely, and fully leverage hotel management systems to achieve maximum business benefits.

Table of Contents

Definition & Purpose of Hotel Management System

Hotel Management System (HMS) is a centralized control system specially designed for the hotel industry. It is mainly used to assist hotels in efficiently managing daily operations and services.

By integrating software and hardware, the system allows hotel business planning, decision-making, organization, scheduling, execution, and control. Its management scope covers the entire life cycle of hotel operations, including but not limited to hotel reservations, room allocation, bill settlement, inventory management, employee management, and various report generation.

Common reports such as arrival reports,  guest information reports, employee working reports, hotel revenue reports, door lock unlocking reports, and hotel channel analysis reports.

This system aims to increase operational efficiency, optimize service quality, and improve the customer experience at the hotel .

The main functions of the hotel management system include:

• Room reservation and allocation management: Provide a powerful system allowing customers to book online. And using intelligent algorithms for room allocation, to ensure optimal use of hotel room resources and increase room occupancy rates.
• Comprehensive personnel management: Store enterprise employee information through the database, and achieve centralized storage and unified management of these data to ensure efficient use of hotel personnel resources.
• Improve work efficiency: Provide complete work plan arrangements and personnel allocation systems. Enable staff to complete various hotel management tasks more reasonably and efficiently.
• Cost accounting: Develop detailed expense budgets so that companies can better control expenses and reduce costs. Through the support of accounting software, hotels can carry out effective cost management, ensure the rational use of resources, and maximize profitability.
• Data analysis and report generation: Collect and analyze various types of data, and generate detailed reports. Providing decision-marking support for hotel management. Through data-driven management, the system helps hotels better understand market demand and customer preferences and formulate precise marketing strategies.

The comprehensive design and functional architecture of the hotel management system make it an indispensable management tool for the hospitality industry. Assisting hotels in adapting to the intensely competitive market environment and the ever-changing industry with comprehensive and refined management methods.

Key Components of Modern Hotel Management Systems

1. hotel property management system (pms).

Responsible for daily hotel operations, including booking requests, front desk operations, accounting management, customer information, etc.

Serving as the central hub for hotel operations, the Property Management System (PMS) goes beyond front desk customer service. It covers various administrative tasks, including basic reservation functions, room management, housekeeping management, pricing strategy formulation, financial analysis, and more.

Common PMS software includes Opera Cloud PMS, Amadeus PMS, Micros-Fidelio, etc. Besides PMS, hotels also rely on the integration of multiple systems to achieve comprehensive management and service. These systems collaborate to help hotels provide excellent customer service while simplifying management processes.

Overall, the PMS plays an indispensable role in modern hotel management. It provides strong support for the hospitality industry to better meet customer needs, improve hotel service quality, and maintain competitiveness.

2. Central Reservation System (CRS)

Centralizes all reservation information from different channels, providing hotels with convenient and unified management tools.

The Central Reservation System (CRS) acts as the manager for a hotel’s global reservation channels. Its primary responsibility is to integrate various online reservation platforms, ensuring consistency in hotel information across different booking channels, including room availability, prices, promotional information, etc.

By updating these key pieces of information in real-time and publishing them to various channels (such as online travel websites, online travel agents, corporate clients, and individual travelers) CRS provides an efficient reservation management solution for hotels.

In summary, CRS is crucial for efficient operation and customer interaction in the hotel business. It not only expands the hotel’s market coverage but also provides powerful tools for adapting to changing market environments.

3. Online Booking Engine

Allows guests to choose room types, view prices, make online payments, and ensures synchronization with CRS and PMS data.

The online booking engine is specifically designed for real-time online booking by customers. It provides guests with a user-friendly interface for convenient room selection, real-time price viewing, and secure online payment services.

All this booking information is automatically integrated into the Central Reservation System for effective unified management.

In general, an online channel manager not only enhances the customer experience on the website but also encourages guests to prefer direct booking channels, increasing the hotel’s profits.

The importance of this system lies in improving the overall booking process efficiency, providing convenience and revenue for hotel business development and management.

4. Smart Room Control System

Allows guests to control various facilities in the room, such as lights, temperature, curtains, etc., through smart devices, enhancing the customer experience.

The smart room control system offers guests a novel hotel check-in experience. They can use their mobile devices (phones, tablets, etc.) to remotely control various room facilities, from adjusting lights to controlling temperature and curtains. This technology improves customer comfort in the hotel and enhances the hotel’s high-tech image.

For modern smart hotels, the smart room control system has become an indispensable part. Its application enables hotels to provide contactless services and offer a more personalized accommodation experience, further increasing customer satisfaction. 

5. Hotel Smart Door Lock System

Provides secure door locks and access control, typically used in conjunction with smart cards or mobile applications.

The hotel door lock system is a centralized hotel management software specially designed for managing hotel door locks. Mainly through the effective card information to control the operation of the door lock. Cards are typically used in conjunction with card issuers to transmit pre-set information to their lock.

Cards are created to meet different needs, such as using guest cards for check-in, installation cards during lock installation, or time cards for lock time synchronization. 

The system also provides clear room status displays to help hotel staff avoid mistakes such as double-check-in or wrong room assignments. The system aims to simplify hotel management processes and improve the customer experience.

Additionally, the Bluetooth hotel door lock system implements contactless check-in hotel , keyless entry, and self-check-in. Guests can complete the entire check-in process online, get an electronic key, and enter the hotel and rooms without queuing at the front desk. This accelerates the check-in process, leaving a profound and positive impression on guests.

Hotel business owners can also monitor each hotel door lock online for fast, safe, and convenient hotel management. The convenience of the system is reflected in many aspects such as door lock power synchronization, door lock time synchronization, unlocking record synchronization, remote unlocking and locking, and one-click check-out.

As a leading hotel door lock supplier in China, we focus on providing professional hotel smart door lock solutions, dedicated to meeting the growing demands of the hotel industry for secure access control and efficient management.

Our hotel door lock system integrates advanced smart card and Bluetooth systems, providing customers with secure, convenient, and efficient hotel door lock and hotel access control solutions .

If you have any further questions or need detailed information about our hotel smart lock system, please feel free to contact us. We will do our best to provide professional support and solutions to meet your needs.

6. Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)

Manages interactions with customers, helping hotels establish and maintain customer relationships to improve customer loyalty.

The Customer Relationship Management System (CRM) is designed to strengthen interactions with customers and increase loyal guests for hotels. In a hotel management system, CRM may include key functionalities such as:

• Customer Information Management: Comprehensive guide for recording guest profiling, contact details, and preferences, laying the foundation for personalized services.
• Reservation Management: Tracking customer reservation information, including check-in and check-out dates, room types, etc., to ensure effective room utilization.
• Communication and Interaction: Communicating with customers through multiple channels, such as email, SMS, etc., to send reservation confirmations, greetings, etc., enhancing the connection between customers and the hotel.
• Complaint Handling: Recording and promptly addressing customer complaints, taking appropriate measures to resolve issues, maintaining customer satisfaction, and brand reputation.

With a customer relationship management system, hotels can better understand their customers, provide more accurate services, and encourage them to choose and remain loyal to the hotel brand.

Thus building closer customer relationships and attracting more potential guests while maintaining a competitive advantage in the fiercely competitive hospitality industry.

7. Inventory Management System

Ensures effective hotel management of hotel resources, including rooms, restaurant seats, meeting rooms, etc., through inventory control.

The hotel inventory management system is a crucial tool for monitoring and managing various resources and inventory in the hotel. Its main functions include room management, pricing strategy formulation, inventory tracking, report generation, and data analytics features.

Through this system, hotels can achieve optimal allocation of resources, improve business efficiency, and reduce the potential risks of overbooking or seating. This ensures that hotels can better respond to changes in a fiercely competitive market, ensuring smooth overall operations.

8. Financial Management System

Handles thefinancial transactions of the hotel, including accounting, income accounting, cost management, etc.

The hotel financial management system is a software system designed specifically for managing hotel financial aspects. It aims to simplify hotel financial workflows, enhance work efficiency, and better supervise and control various financial activities in the hotel.

The system automatically performs functions such as accounting records, audit tracking, daily financial analysis, and financial reporting, comprehensively supporting various aspects of hotel financial management.

By helping hotel business owners effectively manage funds, approve expense reimbursements, handle income and expenses, etc., the system provides a more efficient hotel revenue management system solution for hotels.

Its primary purpose is to ensure the financial stability and sustainability of the hotel, providing reliable financial support for hotel business, thereby promoting more effective operation and management.

9. Hotel Staff Management System

Manages employee information, scheduling, training, etc., to ensure efficient operations and excellent service.

The hotel staff management software is designed to improve employee operational efficiency and service levels. Besides basic human resources management, the system also refers to intelligent scheduling and training plan implementation.

Through these functions, hotel managers can ensure that enough qualified employees are working during different periods and business demands, achieving efficient operations. The purpose of the system is to drive the hotel industry to improve service quality and customer satisfaction.

Through scientific and precise performance evaluations, managers can identify and reward outstanding employees, while providing targeted support and training to address deficiencies. This system not only promotes the personal development of employees but also contributes to the overall excellent performance of hotel operations.

10. Safety and Monitoring System

Ensures hotel safety, including surveillance cameras, intrusion detection systems, emergency response to accidents, etc.

The hotel safety and monitoring systems are essential components of a hotel. The system uses multi-layered security measures to ensure the overall safety of the hotel. Surveillance cameras, intrusion detection systems, and emergency accident response elements play important roles in the system.

Surveillance Cameras:

• Installed in key areas like the hotel reception , lobby, parking lot, swimming pool, hotel elevator , and guest passages for real-time monitoring.
• Prevents security threats and provides crucial post-event evidence for dispute resolution.

Intrusion Detection System:

• Uses intelligent sensors and alarms to promptly detect unauthorized entry or suspicious activities.
• Enables the hotel to take necessary measures before potential risks become threats, ensuring guest and staff safety.

Emergency Accident Response System:

• Linked with monitoring, it detects real-time abnormal situations and triggers emergency measures.
• Initiates actions like automatic alarms, contacting relevant departments, or evacuation, reducing potential danger impact quickly.

This comprehensive system not only safeguards the hotel but also provides guests with a secure living environment. It enhances emergency response, improving overall management and ensuring the hotel’s sustainable operation.

In conclusion, these components work together to make the hotel management system a comprehensive tool.  This helps improve operational efficiency and guest service levels, ensuring the hotel’s financial and safety sustainability.

The collaboration of each part enables hotels to better adapt to the demands of the modern business environment.

Benefits of Hotel Management System Introduction 

Implementing a comprehensive ‘hotel management system introduction’ yields numerous benefits, from cost reduction and efficiency improvement to heightened customer satisfaction. Explore how these advantages contribute to the sustainable growth of hotels in the modern business environment.

1. Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement

The hotel management system significantly reduces operational costs by automating various hotel departments’ management. Simultaneously, automating tedious hotel management tasks helps save management time and enhances overall efficiency.

Automating some repetitive tasks covers the entire process from reservation to check-out, including room allocation, booking, check-in, check-out, etc., improving operational efficiency.

2. Enhanced Customer Satisfaction

The hotel management system facilitates convenient online booking, payment, and refund functions, offering customers a more flexible and personalized experience.

Through detailed data analysis, hotels can better understand customer needs and preferences. Thus implementing personalized services to increase customer satisfaction further and strengthen customer loyalty.

3. Increased Hotel Revenue

The hotel management system provides real-time monitoring of hotel operations, financial status, and customer information, offering accurate data support to the hospitality management. Therefore, hotels can optimize operational decisions, adjust prices reasonably, and maximize revenue.

4. Resource Utilization Optimization

The inventory management system helps hotels better understand resource utilization, such as room and restaurant occupancy rates. Targeted resource management helps avoid waste and improve resource utilization efficiency, thereby reducing costs.

5. Strengthened Security and Monitoring

The security and monitoring modules of the hotel management system provide comprehensive security, including room door lock control systems and real-time surveillance cameras. Real-time monitoring of all public areas ensures the safety of guests and hotel property.

All records are automatically backed up in the system, providing robust security support and improving overall security levels.

6. Simplified Booking Process

The online hotel booking engine simplifies the reservation process, providing guests with a faster and more convenient booking experience. Guests can choose room types, view prices, and complete payments online, increasing the booking conversion rate.

Additionally, the system saves front desk staff time, allowing them to focus more on providing excellent customer service. Further enhance customer experience.

People Also Want To Ask:

A. what is the relationship between pms and hms.

Hotel Management System (HMS) and Property Management System (PMS) are closely related terms, and in some contexts, they can be used interchangeably. However, they may also represent different levels or functionalities within a system.

HMS is a broad term that usually covers the entire scope of hospitality management and operations. It includes key management systems such as PMS systems, hotel door lock systems, CRM systems, hotel reservation systems, and more.

HMS provides a comprehensive hotel software solution by integrating several systems to effectively manage different aspects of the hotel, thereby improving overall efficiency.

PMS is one of the core components of HMS, focusing primarily on essential hotel management functions such as reservation management, room allocation, billing features, hotel activities recommendations, and front desk management.

As the central system for both front and back-office hotel operations, PMS helps coordinate different departments. The system ensures smooth check-ins and check-outs, efficient management of room cleaning and hotel maintenance , accurate tracking of inventory, and more.

All in all, PMS plays a critical role in the overall hotel operations, providing an organized and efficient management platform.

B. What Is PMS, And How Does It Impact the Hotel Industry?

Hotel PMS (Property Management System) is a core component of hospitality management, serving as comprehensive hotel management software for effectively managing various aspects of the hotel, including rooms, revenue, and customer information.

With the continuous progress of smart technology, hotel PMS has evolved. The following is a brief overview of the development history of hotel PMS systems:

1. Early Electronic Management Systems:

In the 1950s, with the emergence of computer technology, electronic management systems were introduced. Hotels began adopting these systems to manage daily operations, including reservations, billing, and room assignments. This phase significantly improved hotel management efficiency, enabling quick processing of customer demands.

2. Rise of PMS:

In the 1970s, the first-generation PMS systems emerged, capable of managing rooms, billing, reservations, and automated credit card transactions. MICROS became the first PMS system provider, bringing more convenience to hotel management.

3. Internet Connectivity of PMS Systems:

In the 1990s, hotel PMS started connecting to the Internet, allowing hotels to provide real-time information to customers, such as prices, room types, and availability. This innovation introduced cost-effective online booking services, enhancing customer convenience and increasing hotel revenue.

4. Mobile Applications:

In the latter half of the 20th century, with the widespread use of smartphones and tablets, the demand for mobile apps or browser applications increased dramatically. Through application-assisted hotel PMS systems, customers could directly perform digital room bookings, resulting in more convenient and efficient services.

5. Cloud-Based PMS Systems:

Over time, as the needs of the hotel sector became more diverse, traditional PMS systems could no longer meet these demands. Cloud-based PMS systems allow hotel managers to access more accurate data anywhere, anytime, improving hotel business agility through distributed data processing and storage.

6. Smart Hotels:

The emergence of modern smart hotels further propelled the development of hotel PMS systems. They automate not only shopping, dining, and cleaning, but also front desk operations, room management, and effective marketing activities. This trend significantly enhances the level of intelligent management in hotels.

In the evolving process, hotel PMS systems have become an indispensable part of modern hotels. Keeping up with the times, updating systems regularly, and exploring new technological applications can help hotels succeed in the market.

C. What Types of PMS Systems Are There?

There are mainly two types of PMS systems: Traditional PMS systems and Cloud-Based PMS systems.

Traditional PMS Systems:

Traditional PMS systems are traditional hotel management service systems typically installed on the hotel’s local server or computer. Their main functions include managing and processing hotel business operations such as check-ins, room status management, and order processing.

These systems usually operate within the hotel’s internal network, limited by local hardware performance and storage capacity. Although traditional PMS systems provide basic business support, their limitations make it challenging to extend and upgrade functionalities.

This restricts the flexibility of hotels in responding to changing business needs and market trends.

Cloud-Based PMS Systems:

Cloud-based PMS systems are advanced hotel management service systems based on cloud computing architecture, designed to efficiently manage and process hotel information. Cloud PMS systems eliminate tedious tasks like local code editing and technical development for hotel managers by deploying servers, data, and functionalities in the cloud.

Through the Internet, hotel managers can easily register and use the system, enabling efficient remote management. Using the elastic nature of cloud computing, the system can adapt to meet hotel business needs flexibly.

All in all, Cloud PMS systems are not only an evolution of traditional PMS systems but also serve as a powerful tool for hotel management in the Internet age.

Below is a more specific comparison between the two:

D. How to Choose Between Traditional PMS and Cloud-Based PMS?

Choosing between traditional PMS and Cloud-Based PMS depends on various factors, including business scale, budget, technical requirements, and management flexibility. Here are some considerations:

Choosing Local PMS:

• Small business scale: If you operate a small hotel or guesthouse, a traditional PMS system may be more suitable. Because It is more economically feasible to invest in it initially.
• Technical expertise: If you have a professional local technical team capable of handling system maintenance and updates, choosing a traditional PMS system might be more appropriate.
• High customization requirements: If you have high customization requirements and want to tailor system functions according to your business processes, a traditional PMS system may be easier to customize.

Choosing Cloud-Based PMS:

• Large business scale or expansion plans: If your hotel has a large scale or expansion plans, a Cloud-Based solution provides more flexible scalability to accommodate rapid business growth.
• High mobility requirements: If you need to manage the hotel anytime, anywhere via mobile phones or tablets, a Cloud-Based solution offers greater flexibility and convenience.
• Flexible pricing: Cloud solutions usually adopt a pay-as-you-go model, avoiding significant initial investments. This is advantageous for businesses with limited budgets or those wanting more flexible cost control.
• Automatic updates and maintenance: If you want to lighten the burden on the local technical team, Cloud-Based systems may be more suitable. This system provides automatic updates and maintenance services through the cloud service provider, reducing management workload.

In summary, choose based on specific business needs and existing conditions. Increasingly, businesses tend to favor cloud solutions because they typically offer greater flexibility, convenience, and cost-effectiveness.

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Ultimate hotel operations management guide [+10 free checklists].

Coordinating a hotel is an incredibly involved process. It is like a clock being a delicate mechanism that is composed of many different pieces that all fit together and run in unison.

Tasks in the hotel industry are a minute strategy that relies on numerous tasks being completed without fail so that things happen when they are meant to. With a proactive h otel operations management strategy , no guest preferences stray from the high level of service set by hotel management.

You could be the best in the market at converting your OTA reservations into direct guests and achieving a high click share on hotel meta-search engines, but if your rooms are poorly serviced, you are going to get negative online reviews affecting your brand reputation. Optimizing operations management in the hotel industry yields revenue, occupancy levels, and guest satisfaction, three ways in which your hotel will outperform others in increasingly competitive markets.

Hotel operations make up everything you and your team have to do to keep your hotel running. It’s no small feat, and it takes proper planning and coordination to make sure you have the processes in place to keep things not just running, but operating seamlessly. 

Every hotel is different, and operations management isn’t just one-size-fits-all.

To keep everything at your property streamlined , it’s critical to plan for operations across your hotel based on the type of hotel you run and how your departments and teams are organized. 

That’s why we’ve put together this hotel operations management guide: to help you maintain efficiency and anticipate operational needs for your hotel, no matter what kind of hotel you run. To continue your learning, check out our comprehensive Hotel Maintenance Management Guide

Recommended Resources:

• 2024's Best Hotel Operations Software
• 9 Best Hotel Work Order Software For Businesses In 2024
• What's The Best Work Order Management System For Mobile Teams?
• 13 Best Preventive Maintenance Software For Hotels To Streamline Operational Efficiency

What is Hotel Operations Management?

Hotel operations encompass the core activities necessary to keep a hotel functional. This can include everything from housekeeping , laundry, room service, front desk tasks, security and more.

Hotel operations management can span a wide variety of tasks and types such as: organizational structure, hiring and training staff, task management, facilities upkeep, guest experience, technology systems, and more. 

Anticipating expenses, choosing the appropriate software systems, finding the right staff and managers, scheduling operations and strategies developing company success, and keeping operations flowing smoothly overall fall under the hotel operation job description.

Operations that are efficient and effective may bring about a hotel's increased efficacy and efficiency. Successful hotels have designed a way to perform daily chores quickly, efficiently, and in a very high volume.

Why is Operation Management in the Hotel Industry Important?

The definite importance for the success of any hotel is to know and deliver the expectations of the guests in the hotel. Efficient operations assist the hotel in providing a pleasant guest experience starting from hotel bookings to hotel check-out. Satisfied visitors are more likely to return to the hotel and recommend it to others.

Furthermore, proper budgeting, financial planning, and resource allocation are integral to the financial viability of any hotel. Knowing how to effectively run a hotel allows the company to effectively control expenses, maximize earnings streams, and preserve profitability.

Moving along, Efficient operations can give a hotel an edge while competing in the hospitality sector, as many hotels have struggled to stand out themselves beyond the hotel's established brand and star rating. With efficient operations, a hotel can offer better services and faster reaction times than its competitors. It may also make it the most comfortable and appealing hotel.

Managers who know how to manage hotel staff let the employees and staff feel good about the property and not overwork from being short-staffed. A proper staffing level, training programs, and a smooth process are also steps to assisting in continuing a motivated and productive employee base.

The complex regulatory environment within which hotels operate necessitates ongoing attention to and management of compliance with laws and regulations and the implementation of risk management strategies to avoid issues in terms of safety, security, and legal matters.

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Operations Management Across Hotel Types 

Operations management needs also vary across hotel types. A large hotel belonging to a brand chain typically has different operational needs than a small independent or boutique hotel. This doesn’t mean less operations management tasks though, it just means that the operational needs at each property differ. Use a hotel business plan template for guidance on what kind of hotel would be feasible to open and generate the most profit.

Chain Hotel vs Independent Hotel

Many chain hotels feature large properties with hundreds of rooms or even property portfolios with multiple hotels in one area, each with hundreds of rooms to keep track of.

While chain hotels typically do not offer specialty services such as spa treatments, valet parking, or fine dining, they do face challenges relating to the sheer magnitude of the operation . Because of the size of chain hotels, they often require a large staff to operate smoothly, and the larger the staff, the increased need for repeatable brand standards. 

The operational needs of a chain property include: 

• managing maintenance across all those rooms, facilities, and common spaces 
• training and management of staff including housekeepers, technicians, team leads desk attendants, and more
• task management and work order tracking for guest requests, routine maintenance, risk prevention , and more 
• asset tracking for guest room and facility assets 
• process oversight and training
• setting up and supervising standard operating procedures
• documenting, logging, and tracking brand compliance needs 

And that’s really just a few of the things on a large hotel’s plate when it comes to operations management. When it comes to independent properties, operations management needs might be less of a pull, but these hotels still have similar management needs. Oftentimes these needs are simply scaled down due to the difference in property size.

Independent Hotels Have More Freedom, but Less Resources, to Craft a Guest Experience

An independent property likely only has one location and generally has fewer rooms than a hotel that’s part of a large chain or known brand.

Many independent properties feature a smaller team running the property too, with the manager of the hotel often taking on the duties of several roles to keep operational costs down. Because of this, independent hotels tend to prioritize task and asset tracking highly when it comes to operations management.

Boutique Hotel Operations Management

A small hotel really refers only to the size of the property: generally less than 200 rooms. Small hotels are typically independently owned and feature a much smaller staff than its larger counterparts. Small Hotel Operations Management can span roadside motels all the way to luxury boutiques with the difference coming in the property cost, amenities and service.

Boutique Hotel Reputation Resides in a Well Crafted Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Boutique hotels and small hotels can be similar in size and general management needs at surface level, but what makes a boutique hotel different is their high value unique selling proposition, such as an attractive location or comprehensive service offering.

This likely means that boutique hotel operations management needs to span additional areas of work, including food and beverage operations, spa services or specialized guest facilities or attractions. It is in mastering this unique selling proposition that a boutique hotel thrives and builds a lasting brand image.

For example, a boutique hotel might offer a park or garden on site for guests to enjoy during their stay.

This area would likely require regular landscaping, maintenance to any equipment or facilities within the garden such as tennis courts, public guest restrooms, benches, fountains, etc.

The operations needs at a property like this might seem minimal at first because the property is smaller, but depending on amenities, management needs can greatly vary—that’s why resorts and destination hotels often still have high operations management needs too. 

Resorts Operations Management

Resort and destination properties often have many rooms or small rentals available in one location, campus, or resort destination.

Resort operations management is the oversight of activities that are directly related to the specialist provision of services and facilities to resort guests, such as hotel management, accounts, marketing management, food and beverage, production and maintenance, and the human resource department.

Beyond the operational needs of maintaining rooms or rentals, these hotel teams must keep up with dozens of facility assets such as: 

• common-space entertainment items such as foosball tables, volleyball nets, tennis courts, etc. 
• amenities such as pools and hot tubs, shared gym spaces, outdoor showers, fountains
• public guest assets such as beach chairs, tents, umbrellas, etc. 
• food and beverage facilities across the resort or destination campus 

Beach Resorts Require Consistent Inspections for Ocean Damage and Deterioration

In addition, these properties require additional maintenance simply because they’re near the ocean.

The natural effects from salty sea air and ocean water can cause damage to certain assets and often require a higher capital expenditure budget to keep up with deteriorating facilities. Good operations teams can identify potential issues and raise the work order ticket to the maintenance team, all without disrupting their current task. Team communication and work order software can make this easy for staff while creating a record of requests, costs and resolution times.

Hostel Operations Management

Hostels are a unique operating challenge due to the increased number of residents and common areas. Hostels typically have private rooms as well as bunk rooms with 4 to 16 beds per room.

The hostel market is expected to increase dramatically in 2023 due to rising consumer demand, technological developments, and the entry of new companies into the industry, demonstrating the vital function that optimized hostel operations management plays. As customer demand for hostel lodgings grows, simplified operations become increasingly important.

Effective operations assist in guaranteeing that check-ins are seamless, properties turn over rooms quickly, and resources are functioning to their full potential - all of which are critical in dealing with increasing footfall.

The facilities such as bathrooms and lounge areas are shared by all residents. Hostels often offer breakfast and night activities for residents because they rely on the income from food and beverage purchases to increase the revenue per guest. Hostels also offer residents transportation and excursion planning assistance to get the most out of the local area.

Hostel Operations run on Lean Budgets, Low Average Nights per Guest and After Booking Upsells

With the large amount of people coming and going, often only for one or two nights, hostels have little time to make a lasting impression. Proper housekeeping operations are paramount in this effort and can be the difference between a thriving brand and a low rated cheap stay. This is important as many hostels operate in small chains with locations in major tourist hubs across a country or geography. By providing an ideal guest experience, the hostel has the opportunity to provide transportation, excursions, food and future housing in one of their sister properties.

Operations Management Across Departments and Teams

Just as operations management needs change based on hotel type, these requirements also vary based on department and team need. Different departments across your property have different communication styles. Each team may also contain staff members from vastly different backgrounds with varying education levels and varying motivational drivers for success. It’s important to look at all of these things when examining the operational needs from department to department and across teams at your property. 

💬 Communication Styles Differ Between Employees and Roles in a Hotel

Some teams may require more direct management styles and continued oversight, meaning these teams need an on-site manager or team lead to oversee tasks and goals in real time to keep everyone on track. However, other teams may be able to work more autonomously with the right SOPs and tools in place. Determining individual team and department managerial needs is the first step in understanding the broad operations management needs at your hotel beyond the general facility management needs of a property. 

Common Hotel Operations Management Challenges

Let's address a few common challenges in running a hotel, which we have identified from feedback and data given by hotel managers.

Hiring Staff 

Hiring and keeping employees is a major difficulty in the hospitality sector. Every hotel or restaurant needs a large number of employees to run its operations on all fronts, including administration, maintenance, cooking, housekeeping, and front desk.

Guest Experience 

Meeting rising customer demands is a constant challenge in creating the ideal guest experience. Today's visitors are more experienced and assertive; to provide the ideal stay, hotels must constantly fine-tune, improve, and revamp themselves in terms of customized experiences, flawless service standards, and cutting-edge facilities.

Revenue Management 

Hoteliers can find it challenging to optimize room rates, regulate inventory, and use pricing methods to maximize income streams from their lodging properties. The Director of Operations hotel must strike a balance between the owner's aim of increasing income and the necessity to remain competitive in the marketplace. They must also consider seasonality, local events, and rival actions while developing their sales plans.

Operational Efficiency

Hospitality operations are complex and dynamic, requiring many procedures to provide ease of service while maintaining service quality. Multiple streams of processes must be flawlessly connected; from housekeeping schedules and cleaning rotations to front desk procedures, a typical property's operations must be well coordinated and responsive.

Regulatory Compliance 

Regulatory adherence is a continuing challenge at the local, regional, and worldwide levels. Hoteliers must be informed of any changes in safety standards, health and safety regulations, employment requirements (e.g., minimum wage), and data privacy legislation.

Decentralized communication systems and lack of procedural oversight are a couple of general causes for managerial challenges like these.

A few common operational management challenges that come up at hotels often include things like miscommunication, lack of clear logs, data or reporting, unclear or unidentified standard operating procedures, and employee motivation or accountability issues. Decentralized communication systems and lack of procedural oversight are a couple of general causes for managerial challenges like these. 

👎🏽 Negative Reviews are Easier to Obtain and More Detrimental to Success than Ever Before

And unfortunately such issues can quickly lead to things that reflect poorly on your property, like inefficient quality control, inadequate risk prevention, failure to meet brand standards of compliance, and more. Letting a few small things slide is a slippery slope to negative reviews and public reputational damage that can seriously impact your property’s goals and your bottom line. That’s why it’s so crucial to identify operational management needs early. 

Core Elements of Hotel Operations Management

When you’re first understanding or re-examining the operations management needs of your hotel, it’s important to understand the team roles and responsibilities within each department across your property. Take a look at where your property is at right now with its operations management and note any areas for improvement so you can set clear goals for processes. You might even consider taking polls or conducting departmental interviews to get clearer insights into what’s working and what isn’t across your property. 

✂️ Segment Operations to Identify Root Processes Needed for Team, Department and Property Success

Break up the objectives and goals by department and show how each team contributes to the overall company mission. Continue breaking apart operations into different silos until you are left with the root processes that employees must do for the property to succeed. This is the first layer of standardization in which managers can implement SOPs, checklists and accountability protocols. From there, each managerial position will monitor team success, the directors will oversee department success, and ultimately the general manager guides the entire ship. Be disciplined and collect data to identify bottlenecks in the process. Refine and rework until you find the formula that works for your property and your team.

📱 Use Technology to Gather Data Necessary to Make Smart Decisions

The fact that 93% of hoteliers have experienced a significant improvement in the efficiency of their technology demonstrates the relevance of the hospitality management system in today's hotel industry.

An ideal hotel operation management software will streamline procedures while also providing users with a variety of benefits such as greater guest satisfaction, more effective financial management, and a more profitable, competitive firm.

Once you’ve started to gain a deeper understanding of your current management needs and/or existing operations oversights, you’ll be able to establish expectations for improvement and set up processes and protocols to reach departmental and organization-wide goals.

From there, you can use tracking tools and logs to monitor progress and optimize over time. Utilizing a digital operations solution to align your team across departments and properties and increase visibility into organizational procedures, goals, and initiatives can help further solidify your management practices as well. 

Solutions like Xenia provide modern, customizable hotel operations management, instant digital communication tools, and comprehensive reporting and data tracking so you can get clear insights and set intentional goals for improvement. 

Importance of a Hotel General Manager

In the end the buck stops at the General Manager. Arguably the most difficult and important role in any property, a General Manager oversees everything from profit and loss to staff operations. Recruiting the right people , training and empowering the frontline staff is a tall task with multiple areas of necessary oversight.

The role of a hotel general manager might differ slightly between property types at different hotels, but the core responsibilities tend to remain the same—a hotel general manager guides the adherence of rules , compliance, and performance standards at the hotel and is responsible for overseeing all operations across a property. 

🎩 A Successful General Manager is a Respected Leader who "Wears Many Hats"

At most properties, the General Manager is responsible for all levels of property oversight including new openings and renovations, sales and marketing initiatives , profits and financial goals, facilitating guest experience, overseeing department managers, and more. A hotel’s general manager is at the cornerstone of both front of house and back of house operations management, keeping everyone on the same page no matter how things are segmented at the property. 

Hotel Front of House Operations

Front of house operations at a hotel essentially refer to the guest-facing operations at the property. This includes things such as front desk tasks , concierge services, food and beverage operations , and hotel security work . Keeping front of house operations running smoothly is of chief importance in maintaining a property’s guest reputation since these services likely make up the first impression guests will have of your hotel. 

🖥️ Hotel Front Desk Operations

The front desk team is responsible not only for greeting guests and making sure they feel welcome, but also for: 

• checking guests in and out of their rooms.
• taking guest requests throughout their stay.
• providing bell hop and valet services.
• helping with bookings and cancellations.
• providing local information and directions when necessary.
• facilitating the reporting and tracking of lost and found items.

🛎️ Hotel Concierge Operations  

At some properties, especially larger or chain hotels, there might also be a concierge team as part of the front of house operations. In this case, the front desk team likely won’t be responsible for local recommendations, directions, or bell hop and valet services. Instead, the front desk team will direct guests to the concierge for these amenities. A good Hotel Concierge should be knowledgeable of the following:

• Local restaurant recommendations
• Local government laws and restrictions
• Local attractions
• How to schedule tours or excursions
• Directions to local destinations
• Guest package handling and delivery
• Guest request handling

🍽️ Hotel Food and Beverage Operations

When it comes to food and beverage (F&B) operations at a hotel, management needs and responsibilities vary depending on the type of food and beverage services offered, but generally hotel F&B teams are responsible for:

• maintaining and operating any restaurants on the property.
• facilitating room service operations.
• keeping the hotel bar clean and running smoothly.
• providing guest breakfast services.
• running any hotel café services or beverage cart options.

Food and beverage operations come with additional pull to maintenance and facility management as well—you’ll need to ensure your F&B team has specialized technicians to service and perform regular maintenance on kitchen equipment. You’ll also need to ensure the team has staff dedicated to appropriately cleaning these facilities. 

🚨 Hotel Security Operations

Your hotel’s reputation doesn’t solely rely on the first impression it leaves for guests—it also relies on how you keep your hotel safe and secure for guests and staff. Your hotel’s safety and security department is responsible for ensuring guest safety, taking care of noise complaints and addressing security concerns, following brand standards and local ordinances around security compliance, and more. 

Hotel Back of the House Operations

The back of house operations at a hotel are the ones hotel teams typically want to go unnoticed by guests. These operations include housekeeping, laundry services, maintenance tasks, information technology processes, financial operations, and more. This is where departments often start becoming more segmented and harder to keep track of if you don’t have the right operations management plans in place. 

🛏️ Hotel Housekeeping Operations

Depending on the number of rooms and facilities at your property, hotel housekeeping is likely one of the largest operations within your hotel. Your housekeeping team is responsible for ensuring guestrooms, public facilities, and amenities are cleaned and inspected at your property. This includes reporting issues such as damaged linens and inspecting for signs of pests such as bed bugs . The housekeeping team not only conducts cleanings before and after guest stays, but performs turndown service during stays and manages guest requests such as delivering fresh towels, extra blankets, or additional toiletries. 

In a property with hundreds of rooms and multiple guest facilities, the housekeeping team generally has to be quite large to keep up. Tracking room cleanings, inspections, and more can become cumbersome for a fully staffed housekeeping department at a large property without the appropriate operational procedures in place. Digital task tracking tools, like Xenia, can automate the assignment, progress and completion of housekeeping tasks to ensure optimal staffing levels.

🧼 Hotel Laundry Operations

Hotel laundry operations , similar to housekeeping operations, make up a large part of hotel operations. 50% of the cost of internal laundry operations is related to labor. By streamlining labor processes, managers can save significantly while providing an improved guest experience. Laundry teams are charged with managing linens across the property, and this isn’t limited to guestroom linens. The hotel laundry team typically takes care of linens across facilities and F&B services too, meaning there’s a hefty amount of laundry that needs to be accounted for at your hotel every single day. 

This team has to ensure that linens are collected, cleaned and sanitized, dried and folded, categorized and returned to the appropriate location. They’ll also need to note the condition of linens to replace any worn textiles.

🧰 Hotel Engineering and Maintenance Operations

Hotel engineering and maintenance teams ensure that assets across your property are in proper safe and working order for guests and staff.

This hotel opearation management team also addresses work orders submitted by guests and takes care of groundskeeping and pool maintenance when necessary.

Proper HVAC system performance is essential for guest comfort and health. Hotel engineers are in charge of monitoring, maintaining, and repairing the HVAC system. This approach ensures that the temperature throughout the hotel is appropriately managed and that the air is regularly replenished.

Maintenance techs ensure that preventative maintenance procedures are adequately followed on a regular schedule so that property assets from guest rooms to workout facilities function appropriately. 

🌐 Hotel Information Technology Operations

Hotel information technology operations are often managed by an IT professional but can occasionally be rolled into your maintenance team’s responsibilities. IT teams supervise the functionality of property WiFi, CCTV , in-room tech systems, TV sets and more.

☎️ Hotel Sales and Marketing Operations

Your hotel sales and marketing team is responsible for drawing people into your property and meeting organization-wide sales goals.

They’re additionally responsible for brand reputation management : ensuring your property is adhering to the brand standards compliance in how it not only represents the brand in its facilities but also in its public language, marketing visuals, and actions. This team provides booking support, especially with large groups, business travel, or hotel event bookings.

💸 Hotel Finance Operations

The finance team makes sure you’re on track with profits and keeps leadership notified of losses. They’ll track the budget for asset expenses and facilities management too. Anything to do with accounting and number tracking is going to fall under the finance team’s responsibility. Since financial models are only as good as the inputs that drive them, gathering accurate operations data is of utmost importance. Using digital operations software allows financial managers to easily view the impact of daily functions on the bottom line.

😊 Hotel Human Resources Operations

Finally, your human resources team is responsible for operations such as payroll and general employee management.

Your human resources representative will usually assist with hiring and is often the team member responsible for formally issuing offer letters for new hires and managing communications about onboarding and initial education. This team will handle employee complaints and disputes as well. 

Moreover, In hotels, the HR team is responsible for organizing several training sessions which help enhance the skills of the staff. HR teams ensure that they carry out orientation for each and every new employee. They have periodic training sessions for all the employees and they also have many development programs which help in ensuring that the staff is skilled to keep up with the industry trends.

How to Hire the Right People for Your Hotel

When it comes to hotel operations management, one of the most important things is hiring the right people for your property.

Once you’ve identified the true span of your operational needs and started to put procedures in place for management, you’ve got to bring on the right team to oversee your property needs and effectively communicate between leadership and staff. 

🎓Identify Core Competencies and Ask Questions to Compare Candidates

• To ensure that you, and the candidates, have a clear understanding of the expectations, clearly outline the Hotel operations job description.
• Post your job offers on the appropriate employment portals and platforms online to gain access to more varied, skilled applicants.
• Attending industry events, joining professional organizations, and networking are all great methods to meet people in the hotel sector. Furthermore, you might be able to potential candidate
• Create an internship program to find and train suitable employees. This will allow you to assess their talents and general ability for potential full-time roles.
• Conduct comprehensive interviews to evaluate their skill set.
• It is crucial to consider how well someone fits into your hotel's work culture and how they interact with others; these factors will help you determine if they will fit in.
• Highlight opportunities to give them room to grow within the hospitality sector.

Take the time to understand the ideal candidate for your property— identify any must-have traits you’d like to find in your new employee and take the time to formulate questions that will help you intentionally interview potential candidates to seek out those traits you’re looking for. Then interview with patience, knowing it can take some time to identify the best members for your team. From there, set clear expectations for growth and opportunity.

Ensuring that you’ve established definitive ideals and expectations sets everyone up for success. But don’t stop the communication after the interview and the acceptance letter! Keep communication channels flowing between employees, especially between department managers and the general manager of the property. These are the most important working relationships to foster so that everyone stays aligned on hotel goals and expectations. 

From there, you and your team can start setting up clear SOPs for processes across your property, and you can even utilize a digital solution like Xenia to simplify your management operations from top to bottom. 

What is a Hotel Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)?

A hotel standard operating procedure , or hotel SOP, is a standardized way of completing regular operations that keeps your work processes consistent and maintains efficiency, accuracy, and safety across your hotel, property, or properties. Hotel SOPs ensure brand compliance and quality standards across facilities and locations to keep your leadership team, and your hotel guests, safe and happy. 

Hotel SOPs can include things like daily management procedures, housekeeping protocols, and preventative maintenance—or really anything that needs standard procedure tracking. For example, front office SOPs help to maintain consistency in check-in and check-out processes and ensure efficiency with hotel opening procedures, while facility SOPs might help your kitchen staff keep the facility safe and ensure a standard level of cleanliness for guest dining requirements. 

You can set up an SOP for any area at your property and for any process that needs standardization. It’s made even easier if your property implements an operations management software like Xenia that allows your leadership team and staff to access SOP checklists and process documents all in one place.

Streamline Hotel Operations, Maintenance and Quality Assurance with Xenia

Xenia unifies daily operations, maintenance management and quality assurance to help General Managers ensure teams and facilities are effective and efficient.

Our customers love Xenia's robust use cases including:

Daily Operations

✔️ checklists & sops.

Create checklists, SOPs, Inspections and Data Logs to power accountability, training and staff clarity on every task.

📆 Recurring Tasks

Create recurring schedules for daily opening and closings, performance review meetings, inspections, cleanings and more.

📲 Chats & Announcements

Centralize team communications with in task chats, one-on-one chats, team messages and company wide announcements

💪 Team Accountability

Defeat pencil whipping and disorganized responsibility assessments by standardizing operations with Xenia. Chat with teams on any device, track time, collect photos, and ensure high quality work.

📊 Team Performance Reporting

Use Xenia's analytics dashboards to view staff work reports. Filter by asset, location, category or due date and export the report in PDF or Excel

Maintenance Management

🛠️ work orders.

Create work orders with associated team, asset, location, priority, category and due date. View live progress reports on each work order, chat with teams, and review resulting template submission, images and notes to improve operations.

🧰 Preventive Maintenance

Create a preventive maintenance calendar to ensure asset uptime is not compromised. Attach images, templates, videos and notes to every task and assign to a team or individual for completion.

Generate and attach QR codes to equipment and facility locations to enable fast and accurate inspections and data logs.

📁 Equipment Work History

View work history for every asset and sub asset in Xenia. Review performance data and enable corrective actions to improve your operation.

Quality Assurance

👍 brand standards.

Put your brand standards in a clear and operational checklist to be attached to work assignments.

🔎 Smart Inspection Workflows

Xenia's operations template builder has built in conditional logic into each step. This allows you to trigger actions based on a form response such as creating a corrective action on a failed inspection step, sending a notification to management for out of range meter readings, and much more.

✨ Corrective Actions

Operationalize inspections with fast work order assignment arising from a failed inspection step. All corrective data is stored in the checklist submission for auditing and accountability.

📋 Analytics and Reports

View live dashboard summaries of tasks, employee performance, template submissions and more. Filter, organize and export compliance reports to PDF and Excel formats to simplify compliance management.

Why use Xenia in your hotel operation?

Xenia is empowering hundreds of teams around the world to elevate their hotel operations management. When implemented, Xenia offers benefits such as:

🦾 Reduce Manual Operations

With Xenia, you can schedule recurring tasks and work orders in minutes. Assigned employees will receive notifications and can complete work on their mobile device.

💯 Standardize Processes & Increase Accountability

Build custom checklists, SOPs, inspections, log books, surveys, meeting agendas and more with Xenia. Attach these to tasks and work orders to clarify work and collect crucial data such as photos, notes, time stamps and more.

🤩 Minimize Negative Reviews

Xenia's operations platform increases brand standards and speeds up issue resolution to ensure a positive guest experience. When things do go wrong, Xenia provides a central data suite to identify the root cause and execute intervention plans.

⚡ Speed Up Work Order Resolution Time

Enable any team member to report issues, damage or guest complaints directly on their mobile device. The necessary team will be notified and can resolve the issue immediately.

🏨 Minimize Equipment Downtime

With Xenia's preventive maintenance calendars and work order management, teams can centralize their asset maintenance and ensure every issue is prevented or corrected in short order. This saves teams thousands each year in avoidable repair fees.

🔐 Secure Data Storage

All data in Xenia is securely stored in the cloud for analysis and reporting. We do not delete historical data to ensure that you have a clear view of improvement over time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question? Find our FAQs here. If your question hasn't been answered here, contact us .

What is Hotel Operations Management and why is it crucial in the hospitality industry?

Hotel Operations Management encompasses all activities essential to keep a hotel functioning smoothly, including housekeeping, laundry, room service, front desk tasks, and security.

It is crucial as it directly impacts guest experience, financial viability, and competitiveness in the hospitality sector.

Efficient operations management ensures the hotel meets guest expectations, controls expenses, maximizes revenue, and maintains a positive brand reputation. It is vital for providing high-quality services, quick response times, and ensuring staff are well-managed and motivated.

How does the operational management need vary between different types of hotels?

Operational management needs vary significantly across hotel types.

For instance, chain hotels often focus on managing a large number of rooms and staff, maintaining brand standards, and handling large-scale maintenance and housekeeping operations.

Independent and boutique hotels, while smaller, prioritize creating unique guest experiences and may have more specialized services like spas or fine dining.

Resorts require managing additional amenities like pools, recreational facilities, and possibly beach maintenance.

Hostels face challenges of managing high guest turnover and communal spaces. Each type requires tailored operational strategies to meet their specific needs.

What are the common challenges in hotel operations management and how can they be addressed?

Common challenges in hotel operations management include hiring and retaining skilled staff, enhancing guest experience, optimizing revenue management, maintaining operational efficiency, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Addressing these challenges involves implementing effective staff training and retention programs, using guest feedback to improve services, employing dynamic pricing strategies, streamlining operations with technology and standard operating procedures, and staying updated on regulatory changes.

What role does a Hotel General Manager play and how do they contribute to successful hotel operations?

The Hotel General Manager is a pivotal figure in hotel operations, overseeing everything from financial goals and staff operations to guest experience and adherence to brand standards.

Their responsibilities include managing front and back of house operations, coordinating between departments, overseeing renovations and marketing initiatives, and ensuring profitability.

A successful General Manager wears many hats, balancing leadership, operational oversight, and strategic planning to ensure the hotel operates efficiently, meets guest expectations, and achieves its financial objectives.

Their leadership directly impacts staff morale, guest satisfaction, and the overall success of the hotel.

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Hotel Management System UML Diagrams

Hotel management system project uml diagrams.

HOTEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM UML DIAGRAMS – are diagrams formed by the Unified Modeling Language that acts as the blueprint for the project development. It shows the needed diagrams based in UML to guide you in building your project. These UML Diagrams is composed of Use Cases, Activity Diagrams, Class, Sequences and many more.

Here’s how to get you started. Let us discuss why a Hotel Management system should have these UML Diagrams, What are UML Diagrams, How to form them and how they worked. In this article you will also know the bonus diagrams that will help you in understanding how the Hotel Management System works. Each of these Diagrams comes with complete explanation to let you understand its contribution to the Hotel Management system.

What are UML Diagrams?

UML diagram is a diagram based on the UML (Unified Modeling Language) that is used to visually describe a system, including its major actors, roles, actions, artifacts, or classes, in order to better understand, edit, maintain, or document system information.

Software engineers use the UML (Unified Modeling Language) modeling language. UML can be used to create diagrams and provide ready-to-use, expressive modeling examples to users (programmers). Some UML tools create code in a programming language. The UML Diagrams are categorized into two types: the structural diagrams and the behavioral diagrams.

Is it necessary for Hotel Management System to have UML Diagrams? The answer is YES. Its because the UML diagrams are the visual designs or the blueprint of the system structure and behavior. Structural diagrams helps in building the structure of Hotel Management System while the behavioral diagrams in UML helps in determining its behavior towards the user, data inputs and producing an output. All of the UML diagrams works in sync and relatively to achieve a well-engineered project.

How to build an Hotel Management System Project UML Diagrams?

The first thing that you must do before building UML Diagrams for the System is to collect as much Hotel Management data as you can. You’ll need to know how they manage Hotel information, processing reservation and providing of services. You must complete all the necessary information in order to provide a quality system for them. Then you’ll apply the data gathered in designing the UML diagrams.

The purpose of building the system is to provide the Hotel Admins and Owners the easier and efficient way of doing their tasks. And in order to do that, you have to complete the needed diagrams to perfectly furnish your project. Build your project completely and the UML Diagrams will help you and keep you from repeating its development.

Hotel Management System Project UML Diagrams :

Here are the UML Diagrams that composes a Hotel Management System. Each of the UML Diagrams has a major role in achieving a well-developed and functional Hotel Management System.

Another UML Diagrams for Hotel Management System:

• Hotel Management System ER Diagram | Database Design This diagram shows the design of the system’s database. This design could be applied at he back end of the system development. It also serves as the design of the data storage that the system needs. It secures all the essential data in the system and preserves them for important task or when needed.

• Hotel Reservation System DFD Levels 0, 1 and 2 As addition to the diagrams that will be a big help in doing your Project is the Dataflow Diagram. It does not belong to the UML diagrams but it also helps in knowing more about the Hotel Management System. So the DFD serves as an illustration of the systems data handling. As you can see, this DFD design is in level 2, it has levels 0,1 and 2 but the most complex and wider among the 3 is the level 2. So here you will see the main processes included. You may relate these processes form you use case Diagram.

Then you can also see the actors, or external entities which will be the users of the system. You will also see the database which will be the storage of the data inputs in the system. They will also serve as the source of the outputs from the system. While the arrows with labels are the the data that flows throughout the system. They serve as the inputs and the outputs produce by the system. So the DFD can serve as a behavioral and behavioral diagram at the same time.

Tips on Designing the UML Diagram of Hotel Management Project System

To design your UML diagram, you may use platforms and editing tools online. These tools are helpful since they already have the needed symbols to illustrate your diagrams. You just have to plot the included symbols, arrows and labels. The platforms or online tools that you may use are: • Lucidchart • Creately • Smartdraw • Edrawmax • Canva

Conclusion:

As a whole, the UML Diagrams works together to achieve the most desired functions of a Hotel Management Project System. All of these were designed to guide programmers and beginners about the behavior and structure of the Hotel Management System.

By completing all the given Diagrams, the Hotel Management Project System development would be much easier and attainable. So those UML diagrams were given to teach you and guide you through your project development journey. You can use all of the given UML diagrams as your reference, or have them for your project development. The ideas presented in UML Diagrams were all based onHotel Management System requirements.

Now let me ask you something. What have you learned through the discussion?

May this article help you with your projects in the future!

If you have inquiries or suggestions about Hotel Management System Complete UML Diagrams just leave us your comments below.

Keep us updated and Good day!

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HOTEL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM PROJECT FINAL

This project examines the aspect of the hospitality industry which is Hotel management. In the 21st century the use of the internet, computers and other electronic devices have made handling different jobs and aspects of management very easy. This project is the design and implementation of an electronic hotel management system that provides proper management of data and transactions in a centralized and organized manner and also provides a user friendly interface with which the user can interact easily with the just little or elementary knowledge of operating computers. This project is designed to create a platform that allows booth the user and administrator to keep track of transactions like room reservations, room booking, financial administration of the hotel, staff record keeping, online reservation and other day to day activities involved in the running and management of a hotel. The implementation is based on the requirements for a hotel management system. The project work is divided into five major categories which are; Front Desk, Accommodation, Catering, Finance & Account and Personnel Staff Record (Human resource management). This project accomplished the task of building a system that ensures accurate record maintenance which was done through proper identification of customers and the proper designation of user functions with most of the processes being done automatically. An electronic hotel management information system is required to assist management of data in the hospitality industry and also to make the entire hotel management process easier. The project was designed with the use of Microsoft visual Studio which is an integrated development environment made by Microsoft. It can be used to develop console and graphical user interface applications along with windows form application websites. The database system was created using Microsoft SQL server (MSSQL).

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Predictive Maintenance Examples from 6 Different Industries

Unscheduled equipment downtime is a nightmare for any industry, increasing costs and reducing productivity. The introduction of predictive maintenance has equipped businesses with a powerful tool to prevent such disruptions.

By harnessing the power of sensors, advanced analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, organizations can predict and prevent equipment failures before they occur, reducing downtime and maximizing productivity.

In this article, we explore 30 different examples of how predictive maintenance is making a significant impact across a variety of sectors.

The role of predictive maintenance in asset management 

Predictive maintenance is the monitoring of equipment and assets in real-time to identify signs of wear and tear that could potentially lead to failures. This enables just-in-time maintenance that minimizes downtime and maximizes operational efficiency.

The technological foundation of predictive maintenance is rooted in the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing:

• IoT sensors installed in equipment collect vast amounts of data in real time, monitoring various parameters like temperature, vibration, and pressure. 
• This data is then processed and analyzed using AI and machine learning algorithms to detect patterns and anomalies that indicate potential failures.
• Cloud computing plays a pivotal role in the process, facilitating the storage, processing, and analysis of large volumes of data. 

Together, these technologies empower businesses with actionable insights to make informed decisions on asset maintenance . This helps them ensure optimal productivity and an extended asset lifespan.

Predictive maintenance examples in manufacturing

Downtime in manufacturing can cause significant financial losses, with interruptions in production, delayed deliveries, and increased maintenance costs . Predictive maintenance helps minimize these losses, allowing manufacturers to monitor the health of critical assets in real time and take proactive action before breakdowns occur.

Here are a few specific examples:

• Vibration monitoring in CNC machines: Utilizing sensors to detect unusual vibrations or sounds that indicate wear and tear, enabling timely maintenance.
• Temperature tracking in motors: Implementing thermal imaging or sensors to monitor the temperature and prevent overheating.
• Oil quality in hydraulic systems: Analyzing oil quality to predict and prevent mechanical failures, ensuring the optimal performance of hydraulic systems.
• Air pressure monitoring in pneumatic systems: Employing sensors to track air pressure levels and predict potential leaks or failures.
• Wear analysis in conveyor belts: Using machine vision or sensors to monitor wear and tear, preventing unexpected breakdowns.

Predictive maintenance examples in the oil and gas industry

The oil and gas industry faces unique challenges when it comes to monitoring and maintaining equipment, particularly in remote and offshore locations. Traditional maintenance approaches that rely on scheduled inspections, can’t offer enough visibility into the real-time condition of critical assets. 

Predictive maintenance emerges as a solution to these challenges, enabling precise maintenance interventions based on anomaly detection without compromising performance or safety standards.

Here are some practical examples:

• Compressor monitoring: Employing sensors to track the performance, vibration, and temperature of compressors to prevent failures and optimize efficiency.
• Pipeline integrity: Using ultrasonic sensors or smart pig devices to detect corrosion, cracks, or leaks in pipelines, enabling proactive repairs.
• Drilling equipment health: Implementing sensors to monitor the condition of drill bits, pumps, and other essential drilling equipment, predicting wear and tear.
• Valve and pump performance: Analyzing data from IoT sensors to assess the health and performance of valves and pumps, aiding in timely maintenance.
• Gas leak detection: Using advanced sensors and machine learning algorithms to detect and alert about potential gas leaks before they become an environmental or safety risk.

Predictive maintenance examples in aircraft maintenance

Aircraft maintenance is governed by strict regulations and standards to ensure passenger safety. Traditional maintenance methods that rely on scheduled inspections can sometimes result in either unnecessary inspections or undetected issues that compromise safety and performance. 

Predictive maintenance offers a more nuanced approach, leveraging real-time data to provide insights into the actual condition of aircraft components, facilitating timely interventions based on need, rather than a predetermined schedule.

Examples include:

• Engine monitoring: Utilizing sensors to continuously monitor engine performance, detecting anomalies in vibration, temperature, or pressure that could indicate impending failures.
• Landing gear health: Installing sensors in the landing gear assembly to assess the condition of different components and catch wear and tear or other issues as early as possible.
• Avionics systems: Implementing real-time monitoring of avionics systems to identify potential electronic or system failures before they occur.
• Hydraulic systems monitoring: Analyzing data from sensors to maintain the optimal performance of hydraulic systems, predicting and preventing issues like leaks or pressure loss.
• Structural integrity: Using advanced sensors and imaging technology to detect structural issues, such as corrosion or cracks, enabling proactive maintenance .

Predictive maintenance examples in the healthcare industry

In healthcare, equipment reliability is not just about operational efficiency but is intrinsically linked to patient safety and quality of care. Predictive maintenance empowers healthcare organizations to effectively monitor their life-saving equipment and infrastructure, scheduling maintenance based on actual wear and performance data to ensure optimal equipment availability and reliability.

• MRI and CT scanners: Sensors monitor magnet temperature, coolant levels, and calibration status for anomalies like overheating, low coolant, or calibration drift.
• Ventilators: Detection of reduced airflow, pressure anomalies, or clogged filters enables immediate corrective actions, ensuring continuous optimal performance and patient comfort and safety.
• Sterilization equipment: Using sensors to identify issues like temperature deviations or pressure inconsistencies ensures that maintenance occurs before sterilization quality is compromised.
• Infusion pumps: Monitoring mechanical and electronic components to detect anomalies like irregular flow rates or electrical malfunctions ensures precise medication delivery and patient safety.
• Diagnostic Equipment: Employing sensors to track the performance of equipment like EKG and ultrasound machines, identifying issues such as signal interference or image clarity degradation.

Predictive maintenance examples in the energy sector

The energy sector plays a crucial role in powering our modern world. Equipment efficiency and reliability in this sector directly impact the delivery of energy to millions of homes and businesses. With the escalating demands for energy, downtime or equipment failure leads to significant service interruptions and financial losses.

• Transformer monitoring: The health of transformers is tracked by monitoring oil quality, temperature, and electrical currents. Anomalies like oil degradation or current fluctuations are identified for timely maintenance, averting failures and outages.
• Generator performance: By using real-time sensors to monitor vibration, temperature, and electrical output, businesses can pinpoint issues like overheating or electrical imbalances to optimize generator performance and longevity.
• Grid systems: Implementing advanced monitoring technologies to detect fluctuations or imbalances in the grid enables immediate interventions that uphold grid stability and prevent blackouts.
• Nuclear reactor health: Advanced sensors continuously monitor radiation levels, temperature, and pressure, identifying irregularities and ensuring that the reactor operates safely and efficiently.
• Battery storage systems: Sensors track temperature, charge cycles, and voltage, finding anomalies that trigger maintenance activities — ensuring optimized battery performance and reliable energy storage.

Predictive maintenance examples in real estate and facilities management

In the real estate and facilities management sector, optimum performance and longevity of building systems and equipment is paramount to providing safe and comfortable spaces for occupants. Unexpected equipment failures can lead to costly repairs, decreased property value, and dissatisfied occupants.

• HVAC systems: Sensors monitor temperature, airflow, and humidity levels, identifying irregularities like unexpected temperature fluctuations or reduced airflow, and facilitating preemptive maintenance to ensure comfort and air quality.
• Elevator and escalator performance: Utilizing sensors to track mechanical performance and wear, pinpointing issues like motor strain or misalignment.
• Security systems: Implementing real-time monitoring to assess the operational integrity of alarms, cameras, and sensors, identifying failures or vulnerabilities.
• Plumbing systems: Employing sensors and analytics to monitor pressure and flow rates, detecting leaks or blockages early to prevent water damage and maintain system efficiency.
• Electrical systems: Utilizing sensors to monitor load, voltage, and current, catching unusual fluctuations or overloads to ensure safety and system reliability.

Use Limble CMMS to run your predictive maintenance programs

Implementing and running predictive maintenance is so much easier when you have the right software support. 

With built-in PdM templates, seamless preconfigured sensor integration, and a partnership with the global leader in industrial data analytics and visualization, Limble CMMS offers you a plug-and-play package for starting your own predictive maintenance program . 

If you’re seriously considering investing in predictive maintenance, this is a great place to start. Reach out to our team to learn more.  

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