The Top 10 “Must-have-features” for your Software

With so many software options in the hotel, resort and lodging space; what are the features your software must have in order to keep your business moving forward, increase productivity, effectiveness and efficiency?

This article will cover the first 5 “must-have features” of the top 10 list. The next 5 features will be covered in the next article. This list should give you a good foundation on what to look for:

1. “Turn-Key” Solution
   Acquiring management software is an important, challenging decision for executives. You may compare it to buying a new car. Obviously, it must meet your needs: the size of your family; fuel consumption; features; finance; long term service… But nothing compares to the satisfaction of receiving the key, getting in the new car and driving it! So please make sure that your management software provides you with the same satisfaction… choose well!

2. Reporting
   What’s the use of investing in software, but you cannot get the necessary reporting out of the software to help with critical business decision-making. The software should provide not only standard reporting on your guests, membership, stock, sales, reservations, balance sheet, income statement, but should also allow you to customise and format reporting to your unique needs – it is after-all your data – a valuable asset. You should be able to maximize the use from it.

3. Click, Drag, Drop – Calendar
   Making changes on your lodging manager should be as easy as click… drag… drop…

The system should automatically detect changes to the rates and provide an opportunity to accept or amend rates, allowing you to optimize occupancy and revenue yield.

4. Rate Planning
   Rate Plan Management is critical and your software needs to provide property inventory management with a dynamic rack, special and rule-based rates. The reporting dashboard should be AHLA (American Hotel and Lodging Association) compliant and reporting should be seamlessly integrated into the P&L or Income Statement.

5. Online bookings
   Potential guests should be able to make reservations directly through your website as well as a channel manager representing your property on the multiple bookings channels and websites out there.

Your software should provide the option for you to host your own online reservations system, a central reservations facility for your group bookings and a powerful reservations facility at your property.

Your rates as well as content such as images and descriptive text should be managed at your property and should automatically update real-time to your website.

Another option should be to seamlessly interface with a channel manager.

In our next article, we will address items 6 to 10 of the top 10 “Must-have-list” for your management.