5 ways your PMS should be helping you naviagate Covid (and Post Covid) landscape
1. Providing the correct Self Check-In options
Self Check-In is a generic term that has been floating around Hoteliers to-do lists for a while. It mostly settled somewhere towards the bottom. Meanwhile “Seamless Digital Guest Journey” seems like the most recent buzz-phrase that has sprung up around the Covid-19 Pandemic. Whilst Pre-registration seems like the poorer cousin of the aforementioned. And then Pre Check-In sounds like it may be associated with an airline.
In reality they are all versions of the same thing. However not all Check-Ins are created equal. Your PMS should facilitate different Check-In options that work well for your property.
HotelTime have several options available to suit different types of property with different requirements. These options range from:
- HotelTime’s own Self Check In module, to
- Integration with ‘Digital Journey’ specialists AeroGuest to
- Open API’s for Kiosks (such as x) and other Third parties whom facilitate check in as part of their product (such as Criton) to
- Integration with Mobile Phone key cards (such as Salto) to
- Integration with Document Readers (such as Granus)
2. Protecting your staff
“If you look after your staff, they will look after your Guests.” Richard Branson may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But its hard to argue with the sentiment. Whilst your guests may be reticent about returning to travel activity – your staff will probably feel the same.
So how can your PMS aid you to make your staff feel more safe?
In HotelTime Modules such as our ‘HSK App’ and ‘FOH reports’ means that all members of staff are able to access the information they need and update the system from their own device.
No printed reports for running the 10@10 meeting, no need for Housekeeping to touch phones in the room or visit reception after section cleaning and no need for printed Breakfast reports to be touched by many hands.
3. Guest Communication
Guest expectations are changing fast and regularly. New government regulations released at giddying speed. Hotels are adapting and Innovating more than ever.
Its crucial that you are able to communicate all the hard work you are putting into making your Hotel as safe (yet hospitable) to your Guests.
With Guest profiles and reservation information stored there the PMS seems a good place to manage this.
HotelTime offer their Hotel Concierge module allowing pre, post and during stay emails – as well as guiding the guest through the online check-in process.
However – as always we acknowledge that all hotels are different and some may prefer a different solution. Therefore our open API allows your CRM provider to connect to and the depth of data transfer will allow for super-charged Guest communications.
You are working really hard to make you hotel Covid-secure; so let your guests know about it.
4. Cloud based access: Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere
During Lockdown life was anything but ‘normal’. However some things were able to continue as normal.
Logging into your Gmail account. Watching something on Netflix. Making a playlist on Spotify.
In 2020 and all the crucial data and information contained in your PMS should be constantly available.
Whether it be due to another government enforced lockdown (lets hope not) or due to you taking that well deserved holiday on the beach (lets hope so!) – access should be anytime, anywhere. If your PMS is not in the cloud it should be.
Enough said.
5. Enabling sophisticated Revenue management
There are many unknowns surrounding Covid-19 and its impact. 1 things is clear – it has impacted global demand for Hotels.
However, as always, the localised picture is different. Rural locations have reported booming demand. City centre locations are pivoting to new business models. Demand patterns can vary wildly according to government regulations or flight operator announcements.
So how do you price your hotel in this challenging environment?
Your PMS should allow you to quickly and easily conduct in-depth analysis of your business – enabling you to make informed decisions and connect to your choice of Revenue Management and/or Distribution partner.
HotelTime has an advanced reporting module allowing you to create reports and analyse the data you need at that moment. Additionally deep integrations with Revenue management systems such as Atomize or Hotel Partner and market leading distribution platforms such as Siteminder allow you to price dynamically and distribute intelligently.
6. (Bonus: Not doing a sub-standard of any of the above by trying to keep it ‘in-house’)
It can be tempting for PMS to try to develop the platform in all areas to keep their clients happy (trust us – we know!!). But this can end up in a “Jack-of-All trades but master of none” situation. If your provider doesn’t have the right solution for you in their suite of products – they should connect to a 3rd Party that does.
HotelTime offers a fully featured PMS with complex functionality for hotels of all sizes. Meanwhile our open API’s allow you to connect to your choice of 3rd party to build your chosen Hotel Tech Stack.