What is a property management system?
A property management software (PMS) is used to streamline all the aspects of running a hotel. It includes everything from managing reservations, selling rooms on OTAs, inventory management, invoicing, housekeeping, night auditing and more. It is used around the world in hotels of all sizes to manage their day-to-day tasks.
Do you need a property management system to run a hotel?
Before the advancement of computers, all the hotel operations were recorded on pen and paper. All the records like reservations, guest details, check-in and check-out timings were stored in big binders. Then, the world moved on to Excel sheets and other software with limited features. With the advancement of technology, the hospitality world embraced hotel management software.
As of today, you can hardly find a hotel that still relies on binders and Excel sheets. Just like the world moved from pagers to smartphones, the adoption of hotel management software was inevitable.
Types of hotel property management system
There are two major types:
On-premises software
As the name suggests, the PMS is installed within the premises of the software. It requires a software license to work. If you want to install the software on ten computers, you need to purchase ten software licenses.
Cloud-Based software
This software does not require a license to work. All it needs is a device and stable internet connection. You can access the software from any place unlike on-premises software.
A cloud-based software is the better choice than the former, as you don’t have to be tied to your property to know what is going on.
Top 10 hotel property management system of 2023
After a careful assessment of various property management systems across several software reviews sites, we have curated this top 10 list. It is based on user reviews, number of available integrations, expert recommendations, partner ecosystem and key benefits.
You can also see the pros and cons of each software specified by real-time user reviews on Capterra, Hotel Tech Report, G2 and Google reviews.
The top 10 property management system in 2023
- Cheerze Connect
Cheerze Connect is a cloud-based hotel management software. It helps hoteliers run their property hassle-free and automate all the hotel operations. - CloudBeds
It is used used to - Little Hotelier
Pros - Room Raccoon
Pros - Think Reservations
- ResNexus
- WebRezPro
- innRoad
- RMS
- Hotelogix
How to choose the right property management system?
Before making the big purchase, there are several factors you need to consider. Whether you are a first-time buyer or looking to change, it is important to make a list of your needs. Once you have your needs, jump right into online research, referrals from other hotel owners and hospitality magazines.
Here is a list of the most common questions you need to ask yourself before deciding to buy a property management software.
- What is the size of my property?
Do you own a standalone hotel? Or do you manage a chain of hotels? This will help you know whether you need to pay extra for additional features and integrations. For example, you don’t need a housekeeping module for a small hotel with just a few rooms.
Always go for a software that allows customisable pricing instead of a fixed package with fixed features. A-la-carte pricing is always better as it allows you to pay only for the modules you need. - What are my goals?
Are you going to - Does it fit my budget?
This is one of the most important things to consider before buying a hotel management software. What is your budget? Is the software pocket-friendly? Even if you do not have budget constraints, it is necessary to see if the software increases your ROI (return on investment). - Is the software user-friendly?
The user interface is - Does the company offer 24/7 support?
A lot of companies promise 24/7 support on their websites. However, only the customers can vouch for that. Make sure to read the experiences of current customers on software review sites.