How Future-Proof Is Your Hotel Property Management System?

The Hotel Property Management System (PMS) is essential for guest satisfaction and business success. If, however, you’re operating a PMS that isn’t ready for the new breed of hotel guest or doesn’t embrace new hospitality technology, then it’ll quickly show its age and leave you trailing the competition. The technology available to modern hoteliers is exciting and continues to evolve every day. Your hotel Property Management System should do the same, which is why the following checklist is vital to assess how future-proof it is:

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Is it cloud-based and mobile-ready?

If you can’t access your PMS with a mobile device, such as a tablet, or a laptop computer with a WiFi Internet connection, then it’s missing, perhaps, the most important piece of future-proofing required. The days are long past when the hotel Property Management System was only installed on and accessible from large, expensive servers within hotel premises. Now, they’re lightweight and completely portable, thanks to cloud technology. Guests and your staff want to remain connected to your business 24/7. A cloud PMS enables the housekeeping & maintenance staff, for example, to receive room cleanings and maintenance requests in real-time with powerful desktop and mobile tools.

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Does it have a proven PCI-compliant and GDPR-ready track record?

To process guest credit cards securely and in a manner that makes your hotel compliant, you’ll need a hotel Property Management System which has embraced the PCI standard. Similarly, and with the EU’s stringent new data laws, which went into effect May 25th, you must ensure your PMS is GDPR-ready. A hotel PMS that is not GDPR-compliant can cause a hotelier to face potential legal and liability issues. Hotels must obtain, store and process personal data to provide the best possible guest services. You’ll need complete support from your hotel Property Management System provider, however, so you can use a platform that enables you to do so securely and in accordance with the latest regulations. If your current provider seems uncomfortable divulging information about either its PCI compliance or preparations for the GDPR, then it might be time to look for a replacement.

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Are third-party interfaces made readily available?

Your Property Management System software is the heart of the hotel’s technical operations, but it will benefit significantly from integrations with third-party systems. With new hospitality industry technologies being introduced regularly, you’ll need a system that’s integration-friendly. Link a PMS to the right external systems, and you’ll reduce duplicate workload, all but eradicate human error and be able to provide new guest services in high demand. From integrations with credit card processing platforms to links with phone systems and two-way OTA interfaces, the modern hotel Property Management System is far more effective when it’s connected.

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How secure is it?

Cybercrime generates almost a constant stream of news stories and articles, which is why you need a hotel Property Management System built to counter the latest types of attack. When the provider monitors your hotel PMS 24/7 and it is cloud-based, you’ll lessen your hotel’s IT security burden because you’ll only need a Web browser and Internet connection to access the PMS. This also allows you to benefit from the latest server security updates to deter attackers.

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Is it more than a booking system?

There was a time when a hotel Property Management System was nothing more than a replacement for a booking diary and back-office accounting system. Now, it's evolved into comprehensive hotel management software that offers hoteliers tools to flourish in an increasingly complex, digital economy. To be as future-proof as possible, your PMS must also offer revenue management capabilities, integrate seamlessly with a modern hotel booking engine to capture direct reservations, and include staff scheduling, guest loyalty features and a channel manager that provides you with access to a world of potential booking sources. Deep-down, you’ll know if your hotel PMS isn’t ready for what’s to come. It’s important you act now to ensure its inability to future-proof itself doesn’t impact your hotel’s ambitions for growth.

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roommaster Software is a leading technology provider for the hospitality industry. For over 25 years, roommaster has combined hotelier experience with innovative technology to deliver an all-in-one solution that empowers hotels to attract guests, drive customer loyalty, and increase profits. Our flagship property management software, roommaster PMS, helps manage over 5,500 properties across 100 countries. roommaster develops scalable solutions ranging from a Hotel PMS, Cloud PMS, Hotel Channel Manager, Hotel CRM and helps properties enable guests to Book Direct. We believe that everyone deserves a great guest experience, whether they’re staying at a small B&B, a thousand-room resort, or anywhere in between.

Call us today at 1.813.288.4900. We will be happy to walk you through roommaster’s solutions.

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