VIP Guest Management In Hospitality: What To Anticipate
Every guest should be treated like a VIP guest. On the other hand, some guests demand special or discreet treatment.
Whether it’s a famous politician or celebrity, you should have a protocol in place in your hotel on how to treat them.
We’ve gathered information in this blog on what you can anticipate with these guests. You can also find some tips on creating personalized experiences for them.
Let’s dive into the world of glitz and glamour!
Who Are They: Defining The VIP Guest
A very important person(VIP) gets exclusive treatment or special privileges. This can be a high-end executive, a celebrity, or a loyal customer!
These guests are guaranteed luxury, comfort, and special treatment.
This can mean access to private areas, exclusive gifts, and highly personalized services…
Don’t be intimidated by all of this! Some attention to detail can go a long way for these types of customers. Let’s categorize them further and look into the details of managing VIP guests.
Categorizing The VIP Guests In The Hotel Industry
Most GMs of hotel chains have at least once come across these types of guests. What they would know from experience would shock you. Not every VIP is so important, despite what the name would suggest.
They all bring a significant financial investment to the hotel or have a long history with the brand.
Level 2 VIP customers: board members, owners, business partners, heads of state or countries
Level 1 VIP customers: world leaders, wealthy businessmen, actors, or high-profile sportsmen
Our main concern here is finding a good VIP guest management solution so we can elevate guest satisfaction. Let’s go over some tips on how to improve guest experience.
How Do You Handle VIP Guests? 5 Steps To Improve Guest Experience
We can easily define the minimum steps you need to take to provide a great guest experience.
Regardless of the level of their importance, these steps are what should be on your mind before checking in your guests.
1. Save The Best For The Guest
These divas expect the best rooms. Have your best rooms blocked off just for them.
These could be king apartments or rooms with a special feature like a jacuzzi or the best view.
A well-known extent of goodwill is leaving personalized guest messages in the room. This could be a high-end greeting card left on the nightstand or pillow signed by the GM.
2. How To Check In VIP Guests?
Hotels must prepare to create special greetings for their important guests. A good tip to keep in mind is to have a senior official lead this reception.
3. Offer Guests VIP Amenities In Their Room
Complementary bottles of champagne, fruit bowls, or anything that can make their stay as exclusive as possible. Give guests small treats that can elevate their stay.
4. No VIP Walks Alone
Every exclusive customer expects to be walked up to their room. Escorting them is not only an extent of grace but also a way to provide an extra coat of security.
5. Facilities Don’t Speak For Themselves
While on the topic of walking the client to their room, consider this as well.
You can organize a tour of the hotel or some of the hotel’s most exclusive amenities. Show them how to get to the spa or the special launch. This will be greatly appreciated.
What strategies do you use to anticipate the needs of VIP guests before they even ask?
Technology is always the answer. Did you know that up to 66% of executives are improving their customer service by investing in technology?
There are a few key moves you can pull by wisely choosing technology.
1. Smooth Check-in
No VIP is waiting around for you to check them in. Allow them to check in online before their stay or choose a powerful PMS that will make check-in super fast.
We of course recommend OTA Sync’s Property Management System. With lightning-speed check-in and no room for human-made mistakes, your guests will surely be satisfied.
Go the extra mile and ensure your guest can have all the comfort they need in their room. Choose a software that offers a guest app.
This app will allow your VIP to order any amenity or room service with just a click on their phone.
We recommend OTA Sync’s Guest App, as it creates a smooth blend between seamlessness and speed.
3. Prepare Staff For Exceptional Service
Your staff will be the face of your brand in the eyes of these guests. They will have the most interactions with the hotel crew.
Make sure they know all protocols for handling emergency or stressful situations. Emphasize the importance of grace and well-mannered gestures. Smiling and greeting every guest with respect won’t go unnoticed.
4. Guest Loyalty Goes Both Ways
Staying loyal to your guests means they stay loyal to you. Is your VIP a return customer?
Make sure to know their preferences and other important information. This could be food allergies or preferences.
And speaking of food…
5. Mix Dining With Local Attractions
The real luxury is always authentic. Famous French and Italian menus aside, your guest needs to try your local dishes!
Source your ingredients locally and find ways to incorporate local dishes into the cuisine.
How To Prepare For VIP Guest Expectations?
This customer is just like any other. They will have surprise requests that will leave you stranded.
What are some details you absolutely can’t miss when welcoming them into your hotel?
Data Security Is Non-negotiable
Excellent service means nothing if your guests feel unsafe. Over 98% of data breaches in hotels meant stolen credit card information.
Having a trusted hotel management system is crucial here, as well as making sure your staff is trained not to fall prey to phishing schemes.
Through Room Inspection Is Mandatory
Cleanliness and hygiene are very important. Sanitary reasons could include security issues, so it’s important to inspect their room before their arrival.
If they request a room clean during their stay, make sure housekeeping is organized well. Your staff must know how to work quickly and discretely.
24/7 Support For A Memorable Experience
Having staff and technology at hand, you can create a net of around-the-clock support. This means constant access to someone who can help them or make their stay more elevated.
Answering questions and quick problem-solving will get you on top of their favorite brands list.
How Can OTA Sync Help?
OTA Sync is an all-in-one cloud-based software solution for managing hotels and apartments. Because of cloud-based technology, costs are drastically reduced, daily tasks are automated, and the overall efficiency and revenues of the property are increased.
OTA Sync software is suitable for medium and small hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and apartments. The company has over 2.000 satisfied users in 17 countries around the world.
There are four complete solutions for managing hotels and apartments:
The hospitality industry is full of marketing trends.
Either you keep up with the trends or fall behind with the competition. Let’s explore some marketing trends we expect to see in 2025.
Some might be familiar from the previous year behind us. If you want to see if we had our finger on the pulse with some trends we predicted in 2024, check it out here.
The good news is we are not facing a lot of micro trends. Lesser fortunate news? These marketing tips ask you to research them in detail.
Luckily, we’ve already done that in this blog. All you have to do is read up on these tips and decide which one works best for your accommodation.
Let’s dive head-first into the future of marketing!
A great number indeed, but it suggests something that should draw your attention. The market is saturated.
Building your brand and online presence can help you stand out from the competition. Let’s look into some interesting trends we expect to see in the hospitality business.
1. Augmented And Virtual Reality In The Hotel Industry
While you are still checking in your guests by hand, the Marriott is letting their guests order VR room service.
Their guests are invited to use their mobile app and order a VR headset, which they can use to enjoy a virtual reality experience.
You don’t have to do all that, but let’s explore how you can catch up.
Virtual Reality
The technological revolution has brought on new ways of communicating with guests.
Virtual Reality(VR) is a great way to show guests what they can expect to see before they arrive. With the right software and camera, you can create interactive 3D maps of your accommodation.
This not only draws attention to you and makes you stand out, but it also defines your brand. Providing access to VR on your website creates an image of a high-tech hotel, which is excellent for drawing in leisure travelers.
If you want to create a high technological experience for your guests, a good PMS is a must!
💡 Shining The Spotlight
We’re spotlighting OTA Sync’s Property Management System, which will transform your hotel to the fullest. With the right PMS, you can automate most hotel tasks.
This will make your check-in and check-out processes extremely short. Your guests will love this and your brand will thrive!
Augmented Reality
On the other hand, augmented reality is an excellent tool for the event industry. Lower season means external revenue sources, and organizing events is a great way to approach this.
Augmented reality(AR) is a way to let your future clients check out your venue before coming to you. Are organizers concerned with ideas on how to decorate your ballroom for a wedding? Give them ideas with an AR experience.
VR and AR can help you showcase and enhance the location you are in. This is a great way to show your brand is on top of trends and technology.
2. Social Media Marketing For Competitive Hospitality
Traditional media is losing its power. Social media is on the rise, with predictions that it will have 5.85 billion users expected by 2027.
Remember that email marketing still plays a crucial role in communicating with guests. A key move is to have a good Booking Engine and an excellent Property Management System to create successful email campaigns.
Direct bookings will give you key information about your guests and a good PMS can help you categorize and keep this information successfully. We’re shining the spotlight on OTA Sync’s Booking Engine, which will help you manage direct booking seamlessly.
Let’s explore some ideas on how you can promote your rental business on social media.
💡 Video Marketing
According to Hubspot, 54% of customers prefer to view video content from brands. Video is powerful because it effectively communicates emotion.
Short format video is the best for social platforms. Following trends on Instagram and TikTok can be interesting. Look for popular sounds and meme formats. On the other hand, you can use video marketing to showcase your location, rooms, and amenities.
The most important aspect of video marketing is connecting with the viewer. Consider making an introduction of your staff if they are willing to participate. This is a great way to make a connection with your followers.
💡 Influencer Marketing
Influencers are one of the easiest ways to create a personalized connection through the screen.
However, paying famous influencers to promote your hotel is not the extent of this marketing campaign. You can also pay a much more affordable price to everyday people to create more approachable content.
This is called UGC content creation. It entails connecting with everyday people who do not have a massive platform on social media. They can then create content within your hotel and make a more aesthetic customer success video.
This can be arranged so it’s mutually beneficial. These UGC creators might be happy to create content for you for a free stay in your hotel or a humble wage.
💡 Content Marketing and AI Generated Content
Using artificial intelligence to create content for your hotel can be an interesting opportunity.
AI isn’t limited to generating post descriptions. You can create images to post as well as short video clips.
Using reference images to create video clips using AI is also possible. With some modest editing skills, you can create breathtaking visuals for your marketing efforts.
AI is an interesting tool, but it’s only limited to your imagination. Take inspiration from more abstract forms of art to find interesting ideas and aesthetics.
3. SEO Is Still King
This trend in hospitality isn’t going away any time soon. An astonishing fact is that over 50% of website traffic comes from organic search result clicks! SEO is still on top of the world!
Optimizing for search engines like Google is still important. And SEO can sound very confusing! Hiring an SEO specialist is easy, but let’s review what this key trend entails.
Simply put, Google needs constant new articles to stay a relevant source of information. For this reason, it stimulates blog writing by pushing your website up towards the first page of Google.
So people wouldn’t post a bunch of gibberish and call it a day, it ranks the relevance of the content using keywords.
Use the right tools to look for the right keywords. Some of the tools we can recommend are Semrush, Screaming Frog, or Neuronwriter. Look for trends shaping the market in hospitality right now. These will be great topics for your blogs.
Lastly, don’t forget to create visually appealing images or videos to go with your blog!
SEO is something that will show you results in the long run. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see good progress right away. Perhaps your hotel guests will take their time to discover your blogging efforts.
If you want to know more about promoting your hotel on search engines, we have just the blog for you!
4. AI Is The Future Of Hospitality
Our favourite guests are the ones that return to our accommodation. Once we have created brand loyalty, we know we did hospitality right. How do we achieve this?
Besides making sure their travel experiences were amazing, we have more tools to our disposal. This is where AI steps in.
What AI has to offer:
Tailored Guest Experience
Smart Rooms
Facial Recognition
Automated Booking And Pricing
Customer Support
We will focus on AI enhancing guest experience. With its never-ending data analytics, AI can give you all the information you need for creating a personalized guest experience.
With information about who your target audience is, you can tailor your amenities to their needs. Are there a lot of workationers at your hotel? Prepare the best spa experience to help them unwind!
AI is a part of the emerging trends that you don’t want to miss out on. If you want to know more about how AI can help you, we have a blog on that as well!
💡 Shining The Spotlight
If you have a spa as part of your hotel’s offer, OTA Sync has your back! With its Spa&Wellness Module, you can relax as happy customers come rolling in!
5. Mobile-First Strategies Are Key for Hotels
One of the most important hotel marketing trends to watch in 2025 is mobile-first strategies.
Allow your guests to mobile check-in and look into location-based marketing. Targeted promotions are not too far behind from this. Geofencing will allow you to push special offers to potential guests near the property.
Here are some ideas on how to implement these trends.
✅ Your Accommodation’s Website Has To be Optimized For Mobile
Make sure your website is optimized. This means ensuring it’s easy to navigate while using mobile devices or tablets. Don’t forget to check that your design adapts to different screen sizes.
Using a good booking engine will help you drive more direct bookings. We recommend OTA Sync’s Booking Engine that will seamlessly blend into the design of your website.
✅ Mobile Booking And A Guest Experience App
Booking through your website on mobile is not the end of optimization. Make sure guests can easily manage their booking through mobile.
A great feature is a Guest App that can help guests enjoy all your amenities. We recommend OTA Sync’s Guest App.
✅Mobile Check-In/Check-Out
This is a real sign of the times. Nothing says “future” like using your smartphone to skip long lines at the front desk. Even creating a digital key for their room can be something to call home about.
What a great way to create a modern reputation for your hotel!
6. Voice Search Optimization Is Shaping The Future Of Hospitality
Voice search is a great, quick way to look up things on a search engine. Surprisingly, 31% of smartphone users use voice search at least once a week.
Voice search doesn’t require the customer to even open a search engine. Voice search can be done through the smartphone’s virtual assistant.
Here’s how to optimize your hotel website for voice search:
Focus your keywords on local search.
Adapt keywords to focus on speech.
People will ask specific and direct questions when using voice search. Thinking about what you would say when looking for a hotel will help you immensely.
7. Branded DMs As A Social Media Strategy
Messaging your guests directly through social media is one of the marketing trends shaping hospitality marketing. Direct messaging can include SMS, web messaging, and social media.
Hubspot’s marketing report predicts that branded dms will have the third highest ROI.
Here’s what you can do about it!
Incorporate branded DMs into your annual marketing plan and set KPIs. With social media marketing, the most important thing to remember is: consistency is key.
8. Guest Journey Campaigns Help Hospitality Brands
Most people think the guest journey starts when someone books a hotel room and ends when they check out. The reality is, it goes beyond that.
A big focus in digital marketing this year will be expanding our knowledge on the customer journey. This is one of the trends shaping the future of hospitality management.
Targeting guests after check out can help you raise brand loyalty. It can be as simple as sending out an email on their birthday with a small discount on their next stay.
9. Sustainability Is Still Amongst Travel Trends
This one has been amongst most hotel marketing strategies for a while now. Mentioning on social media platforms your hotel is green isn’t going to get you far these days.
What customers want is an authentic experience that won’t damage the environment. A great way to achieve this is supporting small local businesses. By sourcing your ingredients locally, you have a great asset for your brand.
A big part of your reputation management can be looking for sustainable and reusable cutlery. Package should also be biodegradable.
Amongst other marketing ideas to make your hotel brand green, think about putting your logo and a short slogan on packages. This is a great way to raise brand awareness.
One of the biggest efforts a brand should make to keep the brand socially responsible is to increase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion amongst their staff.
Making sure your hotel is accessible for differently abled people is also a big part of your journey towards a better brand.
These changes are small but can give you a great impact.
How Can OTA Sync Help?
OTA Sync is an all-in-one cloud-based software solution for managing hotels and apartments. Because of cloud-based technology, costs are drastically reduced, daily tasks are automated, and the overall efficiency and revenues of the property are increased.
OTA Sync software is suitable for medium and small hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and apartments. The company has over 2.000 satisfied users in 17 countries around the world.
There are four complete solutions for managing hotels and apartments:
You’ve heard of camping and probably enjoyed a night beneath the stars yourself.
Make way for camp’s fancy cousin – glamping!
With winter around the corner and many tourists wanting the camping experience but not the weather discomfort that comes with it, glamping is a perfect solution.
This blog will discuss how to take your business to the next level. We will also mention some marketing tips and tricks here and there.
Most of all, we will focus on helping you increase your revenue as a business owner.
Let’s dive right into the world of glamour and glitz of glamping!
What Is Glamping?
The word originates from a fuse of two words: glamourous and camping.
As the name suggests, this form of vacationing appeals to travelers who want to experience adventure and nature, but don’t want to compromise on comfort.
This trend has gained a lot of traction in recent years and has attracted a new audience of nature lovers and luxury tourists.
A glamping accommodation could be:
✅ Luxury Tents
✅ Yurts
✅ Geo Domes
✅Bell Tents
✅Cabins
✅Pods
✅Shepherd Huts
✅Treehouses
How The Glamping Business Rose To Popularity
The hustle of the city never slows down. Gone are peaceful evenings with the family, big cities never sleep.
Paired with the marketing efforts of this new hospitality branch, the glamping experience quickly appealed to a broad audience. Not giving up comfort yet having an opportunity to escape to nature appealed to many.
The main draw for this kind of vacation is the visual experience. Accommodations are usually set in beautiful nature resorts or scenic locations.
Catering to these travelers can be a bit of a challenge. These tourists expect the sites to be sustainable and eco-friendly since their stay is about connecting with nature.
3 Types Of Glamping
If you want to focus your brand, you should know what different types of glamping there are.
Once you find something that rings a bell, focus your business plan and marketing strategies according to your brand.
1. Luxury Glamping
Tourists interested in luxury glamping want an exclusive experience and fine dining set in picturesque nature sites. High-end hospitality combined with the beauty of nature is what makes the allure of this type of experience.
💡Marketing Pro Tips
When trying to appeal to these kinds of travelers, emphasize the look and design of the accommodation you offer. Showcase the blend of luxury, comfort, and scenic nature that surrounds it. Focusing on what sort of guest experience you offer can be something that separates you from the crowd in social media marketing.
You can film a video that showcases a day in the life of a guest glamping at your site. Make sure you’re showing both the comfortability of the accommodation and the beauty of nature that surrounds it.
Rainy day? Don’t put that camera down just yet! Showing someone being cozy in your glamping site while the elements rage around them can emphasize what you offer.
2. Adventure Glamping
What are thrill seekers and nature enthusiasts supported to do when they don’t want to compromise on comfort? They should go adventure glamping, of course!
Branding yourself as an adventure glamping site means offering exciting nature-related activities. Being close to hiking trails or bungee jumping sites can also be an added benefit for this sort of glamping business plan.
Collaboratingwith a local nature guide or a local business that offers quad rental can be an added benefit to your business.
💡Marketing Pro Tips
When trying to appeal to these adventure seekers, don’t forget to list all of your amenities as well. It’s a given you will show beautiful hiking trails and thrilling activities. Don’t forget glamping is all about not compromising comfort.
Do you offer massages after a long and tiring adventure? Or a comfortable chair or a hammock people can relax in? Don’t forget to show it!
These adventurers tend to be rather social as well. Making a campfire in the evening can be very appealing for them. If you don’t mind the noise, you can get them an acoustic guitar and watch them come back to your campsite year after year.
3. Eco-friendly Glamping
Fostering a connection between humans and nature, this accommodation style is all about the green agenda. Tourists seeking sustainability are the target audience here.
💡Marketing Pro Tips
Showcase sustainable practices. Highlight your environmental commitment by showcasing your eco-friendly practices on social media and your website. Share behind-the-scenes content of your sustainable building materials, energy-efficient systems, and waste reduction efforts.
Partner with Eco Influencers. Invite them to stay at your glamping site and share their experiences with their followers. Their authentic reviews and captivating content can amplify your message and attract eco-minded travelers eager to support green businesses.
Create special promotions for guests who prioritize sustainability. Offer discounts or perks for those who bring reusable items, participate in on-site conservation activities, or travel using eco-friendly transportation. Highlight these incentives in your marketing materials to attract environmentally aware travelers and build a community of like-minded guests who value and support your green initiatives.
5 Make Or Break Factors That Will Determine Your Income On The Glamping Market
1. Tent Type
Running a successful glamping business depends greatly on the tent type you have to offer. This is also a big factor in determining what kind of business model you should choose.
Tent type doesn’t necessarily determine the type of glamping you offer. A lavishly furnished treehouse can be considered luxury glamping.
Your main focus should be researching the renting cost of the type of tent you offer. It’s important not to overcharge or undercharge your customer.
2. Location
Location is extremely important in determining your earnings in the glamping industry.
Being located near a national park, ski resorts or hiking trails is what could be drawing the crowds in all year round.
On the other hand, tourists look for easily accessible accommodation. Good roads and parking spots are usually a concern for travelers when choosing their glamping stay.
How To Increase Your Revenue?
Does your location draw tourists in only seasonally? Here’s a fresh idea for you! You could offer event venue services. Register and market your accommodation as available to rent for events. Perties, weddings or teambuildings. This could draw potential guests in during the low-season months!
3. Number Of Bookings You Get Per Month
Your revenue is sure to fluctuate from month to month. This is related to the number of bookings you get. It is completely normal.
The number of units you offer is also a factor in this equation.
How To Increase Your Revenue?
Are you trying to get your bookings up? Partner with a company that offers various activities like hiking tours or car rentals in the area. You can link to each other’s websites. An accommodation that offers activities besides just a place to stay will be more interesting to potential customers.
Besides this, using a tool like a channel manager can help you manage your platform presence. Watch closely which platform brings you the most customers monthly. After that, it’s only a matter of research on how to increase your traffic on each platform.
Operating costs will affect your prices and earnings. Watch out for these key expenses:
Cleaning: Regular cleaning is essential but can be expensive.
Laundry: Costs for washing linens and towels can add up.
Marketing: Spending on ads and promotions helps attract guests, but keep track of these costs.
Maintenance and Repairs: Regular upkeep and fixing issues can be costly. Plan for these expenses to avoid surprises.
Insurance: Protecting your business with insurance is important but can be a significant cost.
Taxes: Be aware of your tax obligations to avoid penalties.
Utilities: Water and electricity bills can vary. Monitor and manage usage to keep costs down.
By keeping an eye on these expenses, you can better control your costs and improve your profitability.
5. Ameneties You Offer
When you start a glamping business, you know it’s not just about creating a place for someone to spend the night at. It’s making sure guests want to spend time at your accommodation.
The more amenities you offer, the bigger your revenue is going to get.
How To Increase Your Revenue?
Upgrade your amenities and facilities. Some of the amenities glampers love are:
✅ Kitchenettes
✅ Internet Access
✅ Bathtubs
✅ Bars
✅ Televisions
✅ Swimming Pools
Try offering anything that could create an unforgettable experience for them.
Top 9 Tips On How To Increase Your Revenue Potential
1. Explore Dynamic Pricing Options
The ever-changing hospitality business calls for a flexible pricing approach. Adjusting rates seasonally allows you to capitalize on high demand during peak times while maintaining steady profits in slower periods.
This requires a careful review of your pricing model to align with regional peak travel times, ensuring you maximize revenue without deterring guests during the off-season.
2. Reduce Costs Without Sacrificing Quality
Every cost-reducing strategy first needs to be weighed with how it affects the guest experience. As a glamping business owner, you should always prioritize the quality of guest experience. This drives your pricing power, after all.
Analyze your utility costs, as they offer a great opportunity for savings. Consider switching to solar panels or energy-efficient appliances, reducing long-term expenses without compromising guest comfort or your site’s eco-appeal.
Next, review your supply chain. Are you getting the best deals without sacrificing quality? Negotiating bulk discounts or exploring cost-effective alternatives can save money while supporting sustainable practices.
Finally, regular maintenance prevents costly repairs, preserving your site’s high standards and prolonging the lifespan of amenities.
3. Upsell And Cross-sell
Upselling isn’t only about increasing your revenue stream, but also about creating personalized experiences for your guests. Getting to know your guests and giving them options is what will make them feel valued.
Successful upselling relies on time and relevance. Make sure your employees are offering upgrades upon booking or arrival. At this moment guests are the most interested in enhancing their stay.
Cross-selling is about offering other complementary products. Making dining experience bundle deals or luxury spa offers can be a good idea to boost your business.
A great tool that can help you with this is a Guest App.
Ensuring guest satisfaction and more opportunities to upsell, a Guest App is a technological step in the right direction.
4. Streamline Operations For Efficiency
Achieving operational excellence often starts with simplifying and standardizing processes. By eliminating unnecessary steps and reducing complexity, you can ensure that each part of your business operates at peak efficiency.
This emphasis on streamlining helps lower costs and boost productivity, and ultimately enhances profitability by getting more done with fewer resources.
5. Include Add-on Services
To boost your glamping business profits and stay competitive, you need to find new ways to make more money. Adding extra services can create new revenue opportunities and fit well with your overall business plan. Some strategies are particularly effective at increasing profits and improving your services.
To boost profits, carefully plan how you add new services. Make sure each new service fits well with what you already offer. Understand your customers and what they want. Look at trends and preferences to find services that will attract them and increase revenue.
Examples include exclusive workshops, extended warranties, or personalized consultations. Focus on making these services high-quality and relevant for success.
6. Profit Margin Management
Managing profit margins is vital for running a glamping business successfully. It’s not something you do once, but a process that requires constant review and adjustment. By staying on top of this, your business can not only survive but thrive, even with seasonal changes and shifting customer preferences.
To keep a clear picture of your finances, it’s important to have a strong system for regular reviews. These reviews help you make smart changes to your business when needed. Whether you do them monthly or quarterly, check your income, balance sheet, and cash flow to stay aware of your financial situation.
The old saying goes: “If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your business.”
7. Adopt Technology Solutions
Using advanced technology can automate routine tasks, provide key data insights, and connect different parts of your business. Tools like property management software and AI can simplify complex tasks and support better decision-making, which helps you stay competitive and boost profits.
In short, combining streamlined processes with smart technology helps you achieve and maintain operational excellence, fostering continuous improvement and long-term profitability.
OTA Sync can greatly improve your operations by linking your Property Management System (PMS), booking engine, and channel manager. By automating data updates across these systems, OTA Sync streamlines bookings minimizes errors, and ensures real-time availability across all platforms. This seamless synchronization simplifies management tasks, improves accuracy, and boosts efficiency, ultimately leading to better decision-making and increased profitability.
8. Scale Your Glamping Business
Before expanding your glamping business, it’s important to create a clear business plan. Research the market, understand your target customers, and find what makes your site special. A solid plan helps make sure your business meets both market needs and your financial goals.
To attract more guests and grow your customer base, try offering different types of accommodations. You could add options like treehouses, yurts, or luxury tents. Having a variety of choices can bring in more visitors and boost your income.
9. Monitor Guest Feedback
As a glamping site owner, adapting to market changes is essential. Markets shift, new competitors appear, and guest expectations change—your success depends on your ability to keep up. Use customer feedback to improve your services and stay ahead of trends.
✅ Watch social media and review sites to see what guests are saying. ✅ Look at booking patterns to predict changes in demand. ✅ Stay updated on industry trends and innovations.
Managing profit margins and regularly reviewing your finances will help keep your business sustainable and profitable. Listening to market changes and customer feedback is key to running a successful site.
In conclusion, boosting your glamping business revenue means using smart strategies and good marketing. Expand your offerings, streamline operations, and use the right marketing channels to attract more guests and increase profits.
Adjust your pricing, add unique experiences, and improve your online presence. Small changes can lead to big results, so review and refine your strategies regularly for long-term success.
How OTA Sync Can Help
OTA Sync is a cloud software solution for all hotelier needs. Automating most of the tasks needed for running hotels, private rooms, or campsites, OTA Sync offers a unique opportunity for hoteliers with their all-in-one solution. Our clients report seeing an increase in revenue and fewer hours spent on doing manual tasks. Their employees were able to focus on creating the best experience for their guests, which tourists greatly appreciated.
✅ The Property Management System offers a top-of-the-line, quick and easy solution, with a soothing layout and intuitive features.
✅ Through a modern-designed Booking Engine allows the guest to make a reservation through the facility’s website, in real-time. ✅ Channel Manager connects all OTA’s channels via a single control panel which prevents overbooking and booking errors. ✅ The Guest App offers quick check-ins, tailored recommendations, and instant notifications, ensuring a unique and seamless experience for every guest.
OTA Sync software is suitable for medium and small hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and apartments. The company has more than 2.000 satisfied users in 17 countries worldwide.
The software contributes to saving time and costs, increasing the number of reservations, and facilitating communication between the sales and reception departments. A mobile app is also available for iOS and Android users, for even faster and easier management, from anywhere.
Choosing the right property management system for your accommodation can be essential for a successful business. With so many choices out there, it can get a bit overwhelming.
In this blog, we will help you make an informed decision on choosing the right one.
Buckle up and get ready to read up on the comparison of Cloud PMS and On-site one.
Let’s jump right on it.
1. What Is Hotel Management Software?
So we’re on the same page, let’s define PMS first.
PMS software has evolved the hospitality industry by replacing the old-fashioned paper-intensive way of managing accommodations. Features like a booking engine or channel manager prevent human-made errors like overbooking.
It doesn’t only help with the front desk operations like booking reservations or guest check-in and check-out. It constantly evolves and helps hoteliers manage all aspects of their property.
Hotel management software also automatizes most manual tasks and helps employees focus on creating a personalized guest experience.
2. Types of PMS
The two main types of hotel management software you can come across are:
✅On-site property management system
This system is distinctive in the way it stores data. An on-site server is required for this type of software to function.
Its maintenance is left up to the hotel. In-house IT support is required to maintain functionality.
✅Cloud-based PMS
This type of software doesn’t require an on-site server and is connected to the internet. It is accessible through most devices in the accommodation and has lower maintenance costs.
3. 7 Main Differences To Consider
1. Installation
Cloud-based System Installation
This type of management software is installed through the internet and can be accessed through any device once an account is made. Data is stored by the vendor, in other words outside of the hotel.
Maintenance and security fall on the PMS provider.
Keep in mind- a solid internet connection is required for this type of system to function properly.
On-premise System Installation
Unfortunately, the process of installing this type of system is a bit more complicated.
Firstly, it needs to be manually installed on every device it will be used on. Data is stored in a server that would be located somewhere on the premises. Don’t forget about other backup servers.
Protecting and storing data becomes the sole responsibility of the hotel.
2. Technical Requirements And Maintenance
Cloud-based Solution Requirements
This one is hands-off. Forget about servers or backups, everything is hosted by the vendor here.
All the hotel would need is good internet access and they would be good to go.
Don’t take this too literally, tho. You would still need a desktop or two around the office. The main draw of cloud-based PMS is that it doesn’t require investment in hardware.
On-premise Solution Requirements
A lot has to be taken care of so this PMS solution can function properly. Some of the hardware that is required is:
A data server
Back-up servers
A terminal server(for accessing from different locations)
A compatible operating system on all workstations
Dedicated workstations for external systems
Back-up hard drives
Man, that’s a lot. Apart from investing in so much hardware and storing it all on the premises, you would require in-house IT expertise.
3. Data Security
According to the latest 2024 investigation report, cyber security risks are at an all-time high. It was reported that 14% of attacks were due to exploiting initial access step vulnerabilities. In addition to that, 62% of attacks involved ransomware or extortion.
Data security is extremely important in the hospitality industry so consider this factor when choosing hotel software.
Cloud-based PMS Security
Providing security for your data is the responsibility of the vendor when using a cloud-based system. Your employees still shouldn’t click on any links sent to them by a Nigerian prince leaving them an inheritance.
Jokes aside, robust measures are implemented on this kind of software that make sure having data breaches is next to impossible. In many cloud-based systems, all data is hosted in multiple data centers which ensures that even if one data center fails, there is a backup.
On-premise PMS Security
With this kind of system, security is the property’s responsibility. Here are some steps the property can take to keep their data secure when using this PMS system:
Installing anti-virus programs
Securing private networks
Restricting access to server rooms
Manual data backup processes
Implementing backup servers and generators
While it might feel safer to store all data on your own hardware and call it a day, this can represent a big risk. In case of fires or floods, this hardware can be damaged and pose a nightmare for your hotel.
4. Cost Of Investment
When debating operating costs, we believe it is important to take into consideration time as well as money. Saving time for management as well as front desk staff can be as important as saving on expenses.
Cloud-based System Costs
Cloud hotel PMS usually charges on a monthly subscription and based on the number of rooms. While this expense can add up over time, it is important to consider other things that your money isn’t going towards.
With no hardware onsite, there are no maintenance and update costs. Usually, on-premise software licenses can be costly and there could be additional fees if you want to add more workspaces in the future. Additional security costs may be something you invest as well to keep your server room secure.
Taking into consideration time as well as the biggest currency, cloud PMS offers peace of mind. With no more endless wires and constant need for the upkeep of this system, hotel staff can focus more on the guests. You also don’t need to be a tech mogul to figure out how to use this software. All the technical stuff is taken care of by the vendor.
On-premise System Costs
The reality is that this type of hotel property management system isn’t designed for medium-sized or small hotels. This sort of system is considered to be a capital expenditure so many properties can’t afford it at all.
Some of the biggest fees you would face when choosing this type of hotel management system are:
Software license
Annual maintenance fees
Hardware and IT costs
This type of software might require more work and time invested towards maintenance and learning the system.
6. Ease Of Integration
Other software like POS systems or accounting software might be needed to run your property. Having them integrated with your hotel management solution is essential for running your business smoothly.
Cloud-based Property Management System Integration
This one is usually the easiest solution. While many come already integrated with other partnering software solutions, integration is pretty seamless. Due to open APIs and common Web standards, cloud-based software is easily integrated with external solutions.
On-premise Property Management System Integration
While on-premise hotel PMS solutions allow integration with other software, this process is very complex. It would usually require manual technical work as well as additional hardware.
💡Shining the spotlight
When it comes to integration, we’re shining the spotlight on OTA Sync cloud-based hotel management software that has partnered with many external software and offers easy and quick integrations with new external solutions.
6. System Accessibility And Mobility
Cloud-based PMS Software Accessibility
Because this system is deployed online, it can be accessible via a secure login on any mobile device from anywhere. The only requirement is a good WiFi connection. The cloud solution is a clear winner in terms of accessibility as this can not be matched by any modern on-site PMS.
On-premise PMS Software Accessibility
While it is possible to access the system remotely with this kind of solution, it is again, not as easy. This kind of extravagance would require additional technical setup and would also depend on the server workload. A clear loser in this category, unfortunately.
7. Updates And Upgrades
Cloud Property Management Upgrades
This type of hotel PMS offers updates that are usually free and easily installed. This means that the software is always up to date. A good advantage is that this doesn’t require any technical knowledge from the hoteliers or additional hardware.
On-premise Property Management Upgrades
The biggest drawback to upgrading on-premises PMS is that it can be quite expensive. Software updates can also sometimes mean hardware updates.
4. Wrapping it up
Deciding on the right solution to run hotel operations smoothly asks for many factors to be taken into consideration. Based on this comparison, a clear winner is the cloud-based hotel management system.
By lowering costs and offering more flexibility and accessibility, cloud-based hotel PMS is a modern solution that is becoming the norm in the hospitality industry. While both have pros and cons, on-premise and cloud PMS have a distinct difference in performance and maintenance needs.
Saving time is also a big factor where cloud systems take the win which is essential for running a successful hotel business.
5. How OTA Sync Can Help
OTA Sync is an all-in-one cloud-based software solution for managing hotels and apartments. Because of cloud-based technology, costs are drastically reduced, daily tasks are automated, and the overall efficiency and revenues of the property are increased.
OTA Syncsoftware is suitable for medium and small hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and apartments. The company has over 2.000 satisfied users in 17 countries around the world.
There are four complete solutions for managing hotels and apartments:
Virtual Credit Cards or VCCs for short are gaining more traction. Experts predict that the global value of VCC transactions will reach a staggering number of 6.8 trillion dollars by 2026.
But, will this benefit you? Who are the most common users of this payment method?
Most importantly, what are the drawbacks and what do you need to be on the lookout for?
Understanding how this payment process works lets you stay on top of the latest technological advancements.
Let’s dive right in!
1. What Is A Virtual Credit Card?
This hot new way of payment is a temporary credit card number used to facilitate online charges or transactions. Created as an extra measure of security, these cards use randomly generated numbers instead of revealing real credit card details.
VCCs are not limited to credit cards only but can be referring to and in support of:
✅ Debit cards
✅ Prepaid cards
✅ Credit cards.
This also includes deferred debit cards.
It’s worth noting that, because of a higher security risk, deferred debit and credit cards have higher interchange fees than just immediate debit and prepaid cards.
These unique card numbers can be charged or refunded based on your need. Compared to traditional payment methods, this new payment solution has many benefits.
2. Who Do Virtual Credit Cards Benefit The Most?
The need for a VCN(Virtual Card Number) arose in the market through B2B hospitality. It’s less common for individuals to opt for virtual credit card payments but it’s not impossible. So, who are the users you would most likely need to accommodate?
✅ Business travelers
✅OTAs
✅ Individual travelers.
Let’s look at how using this type of virtual card suits each of them.
1. Business Travelers
Before this new technology, people on work trips had the discomfort of covering the costs of their stay on their personal cards. They would then have to ask their boss for reimbursements.
Imagine the distress. A surprise work trip after a weekend bender could have brought you to financial ruin. Well, those days are over.
With these, travel payment is made directly without burdening the employee.
2. OTAs
There are two ways OTAs charge guests for their booking:
✅ By sending the credit card information to the property and having them charge the guest
✅ By charging them themselves and then creating a VCC used to send the payment to the property
In case of sending information to the accommodation, the hotelier would receive raw card information and would be on the hook for authenticating the transaction. This also sends the guest from one website to the next one and often results in discouraging the guest from making the purchase.
In the latter case, the OTA processes the payment themselves, which makes the guest experience more seamless.
3. Individual Travelers
Guests like to use VCCs because of the security they offer. By making a single-use virtual card, they know they can book a stay at any accommodation without the risk of fraud. This payment card expires once the transaction has been made.
When booking your accommodation through a booking platform, they are allowed to choose their preferred payment option. Their funds are then transferred to a VCC which you can then charge as any regular card.
These cards can be charged or refunded based on your need.
To learn more about the types of guests you could encounter in your property, click here.
3. Benefits Of Using Virtual Payments
1. Enhanced Security
These cards offer a great way to protect card information from fraudulent activities. Since these cards are generated randomly and can be for single use only, they bring peace of mind to all parties involved.
Single-use numbers expire after the transaction is made so even if someone found the payment details, they wouldn’t be able to do much about it.
With spending limits and real-time transaction monitoring, this is a great security benefit.
2. Easy Expense Management
Organizingyour expenses becomes easy for business travelers with virtual cards. With detailed reports and comprehensive transaction data, they can keep track of their spending.
3. In Case Of An Emergency
These cards also come in handy if employees misplace or forget their corporate cards. Creating a single-use VCC can be a lifesaver.
If an unexpected expense arises along the way, and traditional payment methods can not be approved quickly enough, this is a rapid solution to the problem.
4. Streamlined Operations With A Channel Manager
Having a powerful tool like a channel manager is what can make your hotel’s business run more smoothly regarding digital cards.
Accommodations benefit from using this tool by having automatic import with other reservation details from booking platforms or OTAs.
4. Drawbacks Of Virtual Credit Card Payments
1. High Interchange Fees
Using virtual cards inside of Europe is regulated by the PSD2 regulation. Broken down, this regulation ensures a 0.2% fee on consumer debit cards and a 0.3% fee on consumer credit cards.
The interchange fees on corporate cards are 1.5%. PSD2 regulation referees only to European-issued cards. Hold your celebration, since the interchange fees elsewhere are usually even higher.
If you’re overwhelmed now, there’s unfortunately more coming.
Besides these rates you need to be on the lookout for :
?Scheme fees
?Acquirer fees
?Payment gateway fees.
These are the usual credit card fees but these are NOT included in the already high VCC rates.
2. Limited Use
Based on the booking platform, charging for additional services inside the hotel might be a hassle.
Some VCCs might not allow charging for more than it was booked in advance.
This means you will need to charge the guest’s real credit card if they want to book one of your amenities. Be careful not to overwrite the VCC details in the reservation system when imputing their real credit card number.
There is a way to charge a VCC for add-ons, but it’s going to be complicated.
The process is called incremental authorization or over-capture. Adding a percentage on the VCC charge under the guise of incidentals is how you do the trick.
But not only is this complex to do but it increases the amount of administrative load. This means you need to step away from your usual payment methods and adapt to the requirements of each booking platform.
What a mess.
5. Booking.com And VCC
Most of you probably heard of this term through Booking.com. Let’s take a look at how this card is typically used on this platform.
✅ A new VCC is sent with each new booking you receive that is included in the guest’s reservation
✅ Each one has a unique activation and expiration date, its own CVC, and other details. After expiration, these numbers won’t be used again.
✅ You can charge a VCC using a POS machine.
1. How To Charge?
You can either charge this card by
a POS machine, or
if you use a property management system(PMS), add the payment to your guest’s reservation.
2. How To Refund?
Booking.com is on your side with this one. They are there to offer help and support through this process.
In most cases, if the transaction is completed, you can just send the same amount back to the same VCN.
If you are having trouble with this, contact your bank and Booking.com for support.
6. Online Payment Processor
Payment Processing is based on online billing and processing of card payments. It includes payment information from the customer to complete the transaction.
It does not require POS devices, and customers can pay in multiple currencies.
In addition, full card verification ensures that both your data and the customer’s data are fully protected, reducing the possibility of fraud. Helping your customers feel safe when paying online is a key ingredient in creating brand loyalty and building a reputation of a serious and respectable business.
A key role is played by the reception system (PMS), which is why the Payment Processor must be successfully integrated with your PMS.
7. Benefits Of Integrated Online Payment Processing With A PMS
1. Improving Guest Experience
The implementation of this system allows guests to pay as they wish from booking to check-out, thus improving the user experience and the possibility of repeat bookings.
2. No More Errors
Automation significantly reduces errors and the time required to correct them. Preventing mistakes is very important and beneficial to your business.
3. Faster Transactions
Payment is much faster and more efficient, which we all know is greatly appreciated by any guest.
4. No Need For A Physical POS Machine
If we are being honest, most people do not carry cash on them these days. Paying with a card or even a phone is an easier alternative to going to an ATM. It is simply not in style anymore.POS machines might be a thing of the past, they break easily and might take a longer time to process the payment if they are not connected to the internet properly. Giving this option to your guests will be amazingly appreciated and noticed on the market.
8. Wrapping It Up
VCCs have their pros and cons. They are very secure and convenient for corporate travel on the guest end but carry expensive fees and complications on the hotel’s end.
They are a way to charge a guest’s credit card through an OTA or a booking platform without making it very difficult or unsafe for the customer.
If they are used for a single transaction they expire right after but can be made to have recurring charges.
Using a PMS with a Channel Manager will make dealing with these so much easier.
The decision to integrate virtual cards is on you, but the reality is they are widely spread and commonly used.
9. How OTA Sync Can Help
OTA Sync is an all-in-one cloud-based software solution for managing hotels and apartments. Because of cloud-based technology, costs are drastically reduced, daily tasks are automated, and the overall efficiency and revenues of the property are increased.
OTA Syncsoftware is suitable for medium and small hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and apartments. The company has over 2.000 satisfied users in 17 countries around the world.
There are four complete solutions for managing hotels and apartments:
