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Not so long ago, accommodation businesses relied on taking reservations over the phone and writing them down in a notebook. Soon after came the hotel spreadsheet – and later, legacy desktop systems.
Mistakes were common and administrative workloads were high. Hotel staff was limited to the information they could store, overbookings were a regular occurrence, and systems often failed – resulting in loss of data and inefficiency of processes.
Today, cloud computing has transformed the way hoteliers do business. Cloud computing refers to software and data storage that is accessible from anywhere, via the internet (it is run via remote servers, hence can be accessed via any device).
No longer do hoteliers need to rely on confusing spreadsheets, and over-complicated legacy systems that crash and slow down processes. Today, hoteliers can run their accommodation using cloud-based hotel management software.
Today, the most powerful tool for an accommodation business is one that is cloud-based, intuitive, and offers an all-in-one solution – a property management system, channel manager, and booking engine. A suite of tools that is both powerful, and effortless to use.
Top reasons why a cloud-based hotel management software is more powerful
1. Accessible from anywhere
A time when we couldn’t access the internet or software from mobile devices was much more difficult for hoteliers. Hoteliers once relied on one desktop computer that had to be plugged in and posed a high risk of crashing.
Now, with cloud computing, hoteliers can simply log in to their hotel software anytime, anywhere, and from any device. Hoteliers can check up on their accommodation from home, or even on holiday.
This is also helpful for accommodation businesses with a large number of staff members, as each one of them now has an account and log in via their personal devices if necessary (e.g. housekeeping at directly update front desk on the cleanliness of a room, with a click of a button).
2. Broader target market reach
With a cloud-based, all-in-one software solution, hoteliers are able to connect with 50+ of the world’s most popular online travel agents AND collect bookings directly via their website (with no commission fees).
All-in-one hotel software seamlessly syncs a core property management system with a channel manager and booking engine. This makes it easier for hoteliers to reach more guests, as they can list their property on various OTAs, collect bookings directly, and have the power to receive and list real-time updates of reservation data and availability.
3. Seamless integration with other tools
Running a hotel business is quite complex. There are a variety of departments, guests, staff, and channels to organise and consider. Whether you’re a small campground business, or a larger motel or hotel business, you need efficiency across these various areas, in order to provide an exceptional guest experience.
Modern, cloud-based hotel software solutions provide power in this area. The cloud design of these tools enables seamless syncing with other important software tools useful in running a hotel business.
From accounting software like Xero to restaurant and bar software like Lightspeed Kounta POS cloud-based hotel software (unlike spreadsheets and old systems) connects hoteliers with these tools at the click of a button. This means less manual administration, higher efficiency, fast invoicing, bill-to-room capabilities, and more.
4. Security of important data
Before the creation of cloud computing, hoteliers (and other business operators) had to input and store sensitive data in risky places. Hotel spreadsheets, for example, caused numerous mistakes, overbookings, inability to store guest credit card details, and were at risk of being hacked. Legacy software systems weren’t of much help.
With the introduction of the cloud to the hotel industry, hoteliers are now able to securely store and process guest credit cards, and rest easy, knowing that their reservation details and private information is secure.
All data is also backed up in the cloud, meaning that it doesn’t matter if your device crashes, or is stolen, because your hotel data is stored in a remote server, and you can simply login on to another device. With cloud computing, hotel data is secure and safe.
5. Invaluable time saved
Cloud-based software solutions are both powerful in automation and ease-of-use – everything is organized for you. No longer do you need to manually input guest reservation details (like hoteliers had to with old legacy systems) – cloud-based systems like Preno will automatically pull these details from OTAs for you.
Time is saved, and manual administration is significantly reduced. Hoteliers are able to focus on taking care of their guests, instead of having hours of manual data entry to do. Not to mention, the software offers many other time-saving tools such as automated emails and more.
Cloud-based all-in-one software solutions provide power to hoteliers. With the accessibility and connectivity of cloud computing and all-in-one software, hoteliers are provided with a suite of automated tools – the integrated power of a remote access property management system, channel manager, and booking engine.
Final Thoughts
Switch to the cloud & advance your hotel processes with accessibility & automation. The hotel industry is quickly moving towards a completely automated approach. Hoteliers’ main goal is to provide exceptional guest experiences, hence they shouldn’t need to waste time on hours of manual administration and worry about security or loss of data.
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