Tag: channel manager

Essential Tips for VRBO Hosts: Mastering Your Vacation Rental

Posted on by Andjela Toncev

Ready to become a rockstar vacation rental host?

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up your VRBO game, crafting the perfect listing is the key to attracting guests and boosting bookings. With a little know-how and the right tools, you’ll be well on your way to running a successful vacation rental.

Let’s dive into the tips that’ll have guests hitting “book now” in no time!

What Are the Best Practices for a Successful VRBO Listing?

Did you know VRBO has over 2 million properties listed in 190 countries worldwide? Creating a successful VRBO listing is crucial to attracting guests and boosting bookings. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Take High-Quality Photos

Photos are the first thing potential guests will see, so they must look professional and showcase your property well.

    • Step: Use natural light whenever possible and ensure the rooms are tidy and clutter-free.
    • Tip: If you can, hire a professional photographer to capture the space. Great photos make a big difference in booking success.
    • Tip: Include pictures of key features like the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, outdoor spaces, and any unique amenities like a hot tub or pool.
Creating visually appealing images for your VRBO listing as a successful VRBO host key tips

2. Write a Clear and Honest Description

Guests want to know exactly what they’re booking. Be descriptive and accurate in your listing details.

  • Step: Highlight the main features of your property, including the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and any special amenities.
  • Tip: Mention local attractions or activities to help potential guests see the area’s appeal.
  • Tip: Be clear about any house rules (e.g., pet policies or quiet hours) to avoid confusion later.

3. Set a Competitive Price

Pricing plays a huge role in attracting guests. Make sure your price is reasonable based on the market and the value you offer.

    • Step: Research similar listings in your area to see how much other hosts are charging.
    • Tip: Use VRBO’s pricing tools to help you stay competitive. Adjust prices based on demand, seasons, and special events in your area.
    • Tip: Offer discounts for longer stays or last-minute bookings to encourage reservations.

💡Shining the Spotlight

We have to shine the spotlight on OTA Sync’s Yield calendar. Not only does it help set dynamic pricing and monitor it, but it also automates your pricing on all booking platforms!

4. Respond Quickly to Inquiries

Fast communication is essential for turning inquiries into bookings.

    • Step: Set up notifications to ensure you never miss a message from potential guests.
    • Tip: Respond within a few hours, even if it’s just to acknowledge the inquiry and let them know you’ll provide more details soon.
    • Tip: Be friendly and professional in your messages, answering all questions thoroughly.

5. Offer Personal Touches

Providing a personalized experience can set your listing apart from others.

    • Step: Leave a welcome note for guests or provide a list of local recommendations like restaurants and attractions.
    • Tip: Offer extra amenities like a bottle of wine, snacks, or toiletries to make guests feel more at home.
    • Tip: Consider small touches like personalized welcome baskets or a guidebook of your area to add a unique experience.

How to Write an Effective Property Description?

An engaging, well-optimized description is one of the most powerful tools a rental host has. It not only boosts VRBO’s visibility but also helps deliver a memorable guest experience. Here’s how to write one that converts browsers into bookings:

1. Start With a Keyword-Rich Headline

Your headline should clearly state your short-term rental type, location, and a standout feature—like “Modern Downtown Loft with Skyline Views – Walk to Everything.” This helps grab attention and improve search rankings.

2. Lead With the Guest Experience

Open with a line that captures how staying at your property feels. Think beyond the space—what kind of guest experience are you offering? Example: “Enjoy morning coffee on your private deck before exploring the city’s hidden gems.”

3. Keep It Descriptive But Easy to Skim

Use short paragraphs or bullet points to list key features, such as the number of bedrooms, fast Wi-Fi, pet-friendly policies, or a fully stocked kitchen—things that matter to modern short-term rental guests.

4. Use relevant keywords naturally

Strategically place keywords like “beachfront cottage,” “family-friendly short-term rental,” or “luxury mountain retreat” throughout your description without sounding forced. This helps your listing stand out on both VRBO and Google.

5. Highlight what makes your property unique

Emphasize the details that set your place apart—whether that’s a rooftop lounge, a game room, or access to local attractions. As a rental host, showcasing your personality and your property’s character can make a big difference.

6. Write for your ideal guest

Tailor your message accordingly if you’re appealing to families, remote workers, or couples. A seasoned property manager knows to mention kid-friendly spaces, a dedicated workspace, or romantic ambiance, depending on the target audience.

7. End with a strong call to action

Encourage bookings with a closing line like “Book your perfect short-term rental getaway now!” A simple prompt nudges guests to take action while your listing is fresh in their mind.

What Unique Features Should You Highlight in Your Listing?

To stand out on your listing on VRBO, you need to show what makes your place special. Guests want more than a bed—they want a fun and easy guest experience.

Show off features like a hot tub, big backyard, or nice views. These help your vacation rental get noticed.

If your place is near the beach, hiking trails, or downtown, be sure to say that—it can boost your occupancy.

Little things like smart TVs, fast Wi-Fi, or a cozy fireplace also matter. They show good property management and make guests feel at home.

If your place is great for families, pets, or remote workers, say so. These details can help raise your occupancy rate.

Even small extras, like games or a coffee bar, can make your vacation rental host profile stand out.

How to Set Competitive Pricing for Your Vacation Rental?

Setting the right price is key for any vacation rental host who wants to get more bookings and better visibility on their listing on VRBO.

Good pricing means finding the balance between profit and high occupancy. As a smart property owner, you should check what similar rentals charge in your area.

Using tools or working with a property management service can help you adjust prices based on seasons, local events, and demand.

Keeping a flexible cancellation policy can also help boost your occupancy rate since many guests look for listings they can cancel easily if plans change. This is also a part of VRBO’s promotion to not only stay competitive to Airbnb and Booking, but also to follow customer demand.

Your rates should match the quality of your vacation rental and the kind of guest experience you offer—don’t price too low or too high without a reason.

When your pricing is fair and your home is well-managed, it shows you’re a professional vacation rental host ready to welcome happy guests.

How Can New Hosts Improve Their VRBO Listings?

If you’re a new host on VRBO, there are simple ways to make your listing better and get more bookings.

VRBO doesn’t always show your full listing right away in search, so make your title and first sentence count. That’s what guests see first when they scroll.

Update your calendar often and respond to messages quickly. These small steps show you’re a reliable host on VRBO and help improve your ranking.

What Are the VRBO Host Requirements?

To become a host on VRBO, you need to meet some basic rules to keep your listing active and guests happy.

Your property on VRBO must be clean, safe, and ready for guests. It should also have working amenities like running water, electricity, and heat or air conditioning.

VRBO doesn’t allow listings that break local laws, so check city or state rules before hosting. Some places need a license or tax registration.

A platform like VRBO also expects you to respond to guests quickly, keep your calendar up to date, and follow through on all bookings.

Meeting these rules helps you stay in good standing and build a strong reputation as a host on VRBO.

Key tips for creating a successful VRBO listing how to rank higher on VRBO

How to Use VRBO Tools to Boost Your Listing?

VRBO and Airbnb both offer tools that can help you make your listing stand out. One of the best ways to improve visibility is by using the property’s best features in your description and photos. Highlight amenities that guests want, like a hot tub, a pool, or a fully equipped kitchen.

You can also use the VRBO and Airbnb pricing tools to adjust rates based on demand and keep your listing competitive. Offering discounts for early bookings or longer stays can help attract more guests.

To make it easy for guests to book your property, turn on Instant Booking. This allows guests to confirm their stay right away without waiting for approval, leading to more bookings.

Another great tool is the VRBO Guest Reviews feature. Good reviews increase your chances of standing out, so always ask satisfied guests to leave feedback.

💡Shining the Spotlight

Sending automated emails has never been easier with OTA Sync’s Property Management System. Creating messages that send out on check-out date automatically, with personalized touches, can help with increasing good reviews.

How to Rank Higher on VRBO Search Results?

Ranking higher on VRBO search results starts with optimizing your rental property listing. The more complete and accurate your listing is, the more likely you are to show up higher in searches.

Focus on improving your property’s best features in the title and description. Be sure to include keywords that guests commonly search for, like “pet-friendly,” “oceanfront,” or “walking distance to downtown.” This helps your listing appear in more relevant searches.

Another way to improve your ranking is by getting more bookings on VRBO. Higher occupancy and positive reviews help your listing appear in more searches. Always respond quickly to inquiries and maintain an active presence on the platform.

Lastly, offering Instant Booking can increase your chances of getting more reservations. The quicker you confirm bookings, the better your chances of rising in the search results.

What Are the Steps to Become a VRBO Premier Host?

Becoming a VRBO Premier Host is a great way to build your reputation and attract more guests. This status helps you stand out and gain trust as a top-tier short-term rental host.

Focus on delivering an exceptional guest experience by maintaining your property well and offering excellent communication. Always keep your calendar up to date and ensure that your listing is clear, accurate, and attractive. 

Positive reviews are key. As a short-term rental host, ask guests for feedback and respond to reviews—especially the positive ones. A good reputation built on guest satisfaction will help you reach Premier Host status.

Lastly, to keep your status, consistently meet the VRBO performance requirements, such as a high response rate, on-time check-ins, and low cancellation rates.

How to Encourage Positive Reviews from Guests?

Encouraging positive reviews is essential for building credibility and attracting more bookings. As a vacation rental host, your reviews directly impact your success on platforms like VRBO.

Start by offering an excellent guest experience from the moment a guest books your property. Clear communication, a clean home, and thoughtful touches like welcome baskets or local guides can set the stage for a glowing review. Use host tools to streamline your communication, respond promptly, and keep guests informed.

After their stay, kindly ask your guests for a review. A personalized message thanking them for their visit and encouraging them to share their feedback can go a long way. In the vacation rental market, guests appreciate being reminded to leave reviews, especially when they’ve had a great time.

What to Do with Negative Reviews on Your Listing?

Negative reviews can be tough, but they’re a chance to improve as a vacation rental host. When responding, stay calm and professional—acknowledge concerns, apologize if needed, and explain how you’ll resolve the issue.

If the problem was related to clear house rules, kindly remind future guests of the guidelines. If property damage was mentioned, explain how you’re addressing the issue and maintaining the property.

Use feedback to make changes—whether it’s updating amenities or improving cleanliness. Regularly keep your property in top shape to avoid recurring complaints.

By handling negative reviews well, you show future guests that you care and are dedicated to providing a great stay.

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:

For a free trial, click here.

Keep Learning

  1. Channel Manager vs PMS – What’s the Difference?
  2. How To Reduce Hotel Operating Costs
  3. Virtual Credit Cards: Everything You Need To Know

AI In the Hospitality Industry

Posted on by Aleksandar Zovko

We all saw this coming! The inevitable times of computers becoming inseparable parts of our business. Artificial intelligence isn’t exactly like the movies would have you believe.

Robots (AI) could very well be our friends. They’re our friends and a handy tool in our day-to-day life as society advances. Who wouldn’t want a little extra help in their industry? 

For example – AI in hospitality. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in the hospitality industry is reshaping how hotels operate and interact with their guests. 

As AI technologies continue to advance, they offer innovative solutions that can enhance guest experiences, streamline hotel operations, and optimize revenue management. 

Let’s dive into the transformative role of AI in hospitality, its benefits, use cases, and future trends!

What is AI?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that learns and performs tasks. This tech is rapidly evolving by the minute!

AI learns from experience instead of having to be programmed. This means that every time you ask it to help you with a task, it is learning from it.

The design behind its processing is inspired by the human brain! It uses a layered structure of interconnected nodes. Pretty cool right?

💡Fun Fact

AI is predicted to surpass human intelligence by 2045! (Technological Singularity)

What is the Role of AI in Hospitality?

Artificial intelligence is here to automate routine tasks, optimize operations, and deliver insights on the best ways to cater to guests based on their preferences in the past.

Overall, deploying AI enhances guest experience through personalization and organizes vital components in the establishment to ensure positive revenue growth.

Enhanced Guest Experience Through Artificial Intelligence

Let’s jump into the potential of generative AI in the hospitality industry to enhance guests’ overall experience. What can a glorified computer do for our guests? 

Take a look at the image below to find out!

Artificial Intelligence or AI enhancing customer experience in the hospitality industry and hotels.

What Do All Of These Features Mean?

It might seem obvious to some. Many people might be confused about the purpose or benefits of any of these features.

Let’s break down what each one of these stands for, so you don’t miss a thing.

1. Personalized Guest Experience

AI’s contribution to personalized guest experience is solely based on recognizing patterns in previous bookings a guest has made.

Generative AI recognizes room, dining, and other guest preferences to enable a more unique experience and tailoring to specific needs.

2. Smart Rooms

Smart rooms have AI-integrated IoT systems, allowing guests to control room lighting, temperature, and other room features.

This is an excellent way to create a highly technological experience for your guests. This is something you want to be a part of your brand.

3. Facial Recognition

AI-powered facial recognition grants guests the luxury of access control entering spas, gyms, rooms, and other facilities.

Except it doesn’t stop there, facial recognition even goes as far as improving market research by determining how many people are in a location and what their moods might be.

4. Automated booking and pricing

Automated booking and pricing: offering rooms based on guest history and handling pricing through market analysis. Making it the job of a computer reduces the chances of human mistakes!

💡Shining The Spotlight

You don’t have to wait for AI to be integrated into your hotel. You might even be skeptical of it. The good news is that OTA Sync automates daily tasks and gives you insights into the market right away.

With our Channel Manager, you can make sure all your booking channels are handled and you can adjust your prices to the current market.

5. Answering general questions

Answering general questions powered by AI chatbots: Instant 24/7 customer service by handling reservations, providing hotel information, and resolving common guest inquiries.

This will free up staff to help customers with more complex needs.

💡Fun Fact

Travel agencies have seen a 25% increase in bookings and a 40% decrease in booking times since introducing conversational ai.

Streamlining Operations in the Hospitality Business

AI is reshaping overall operational efficiency.

It is optimizing energy consumption, enabling predictive maintenance, and boosting sustainability all in real-time. By managing energy consumption, the opportunity to cut costs increases and so does profitability.

Reducing energy consumption while streamlining operations with artificial intelligence in the hospitality industry for hotels

1. Revolutionary Revenue Management With AI

Cutting costs through energy management is one thing, but AI also helps with gathering vast amounts of data throughout the market to predict demand and adjust pricing accordingly.

Use AI to keep up with the market trends. It is one of the only ways to stay on top. Competing against other hotel establishments aggressively and quickly is key. 

2. Further Leveraging AI Algorithms for Hotel Revenue Management

A vast majority of people hire accountants. Why? Handling finances, revenue, or any form of accounting for personal or business use can be stressful and time-consuming.

Accounting is a critical aspect of the hospitality industry, why not use AI as a management system? AI will most accurately manage financial operations without the risk of human error. 

3. Understanding AI Analytics for Increased Hotel Revenue

AI analytics is becoming a cornerstone of effective revenue management in the hotel industry.  What it comes down to is data collection.

The potential of AI in collecting data is enormous which is crucial for hospitality. The collection of data is not something brand new and it has been around since the birth of the internet.

However, according to a McKinsey report, it has dramatically been an accelerating trend in the hospitality market with the use of AI tools.

Overcoming Resistance to AI Implementation

As AI continues to evolve and become more popular by the day, it isn’t uncommon to see some resistance to implementation.

You might think, why? Well, there are various reasons as to why an employer might not want to adapt to an AI-powered system.

  • Fear of change: This is a big one, where an employer may fear these new technologies can put them out of a job, or an employer may fear their employees will simply resist AI adoption.
  • Lack of equipment: May play a role in why an employer would refuse implementing AI. Simply put, there aren’t enough computing resources or technical support to back an AI system.
  • Lack of technical skills: The famous saying “I am not tech savvy”. Vast amounts of individuals simply do not have the technical experience to implement such a tool. 
  • Ethical concerns: AI bias and data privacy. 

How can we overcome such an issue? The key to solving such a dilemma is to address job security concerns, implement further employee training and education, and gradually implement these changes while ensuring data privacy and bias mitigation are addressed as these changes make headway. 

Training Staff for AI in Hotels

Getting your staff familiar with AI may be a challenge, but not one impossible to tackle. Introducing new ways of training can be a fun process for everyone involved.

Workshops, collaborative learning, and overall hands-on experiences are great ways to train employees with AI. Many of these workshops can be outsourced to other institutions, returning staff educated on the subject and ready to roll!  

What are the Latest and Upcoming AI Technologies in the Hospitality Industry?

1. Innovative AI Health Tools for the Hospitality Sector

Trends show hospitality services benefit greatly from AI capabilities. As the adoption of artificial intelligence continues to rise, new technologies follow.

Different ways AI can assist in well being in the hospitality industry

AI can help hospitality with the integration of wellness programs, offering dietary tips, closely monitoring potential health risks, and mental health services.

In a post-pandemic world, the hospitality industry is expected to be on top of wellness concerns.

2. IoT (Internet of Things) 

IoT consists of vast amounts of advanced technologies that will improve guest service by further personalizing service. AI is being used to operate these luxuries, such as smart thermostats, smart lighting for daylight harvesting, voice and facial recognition technology, predictive maintenance, and resource consumption management. 

AI solutions to sustainability, personalized guest experiences, contactless services, and updated marketing strategies with the new tech to advertising have led and forecasted a 5.5% CAGR increase in the hotel industry according to Research and Markets.

Compound annual growth rate expectations from 2024 to 2028, artificial intelligence in the hospitality industry

💡Compound annual growth rate expectations from 2024 to 2028.

3. Robot Waiters

Artificial intelligence technologies are still being tested in various areas, one of which happens to be robot waiters. Yes, you read that correctly, robot waiters.

In a time where staff shortages have become a common issue in the industry, implementing AI technologies in food delivery services enhances guest experience with increased time efficiency and delivery accuracy.

These robots would be activated through mobile phone applications where guests may order meals and have them delivered in a contactless fashion. Not only does this improve the guest experience in a post-pandemic world, but it would also solve the short-staff dilemma. 

💡Shining The Spotlight

If you’re thinking about adding these robots as a part of an event organized in your hotel, we think that’s an excellent idea. OTA Sync has organized an event where we had a robot serving drinks to our visitors, and they were delighted!

Banquets are no easy feat, and you will need all the technological back-up you can get. That’s why you can read about our Banquet Feature and see how it can make everything run smoothly.

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, its impact on hospitality management is expected to grow significantly. Future trends indicate an increased focus on hyper-personalization, where AI algorithms will analyze guest data to create highly tailored experiences.

Research shows that approximately 80% of hotels use, or plan to use, AI and data analytics to help them present guests with personalized offers.  This level of personalization will not only enhance guest satisfaction but also foster loyalty, as guests will feel more connected to the hotel brand.

As AI continues to evolve at the rate it has been, it is expected to see new advanced AI technologies enter the market and continue to outperform the industry’s former ways of business.

Integrating AI Technologies into Hospitality Operations

Integrating AI into hospitality operations requires a strategic approach that considers both the needs of the hotel and the expectations of guests.

This process begins with identifying where the implementation of AI will deliver its benefits the hardest. Whether it’s through AI-powered booking systems, customer service chatbots, or revenue management algorithms, the focus should be on enhancing operational efficiency and guest experiences.

Conclusion 

The use of artificial intelligence in hospitality is trending upwards at a very fast rate and businesses are using AI to better interact with guests at a faster and larger rate, improving revenue management, and streamlining operations.

The power of AI has proven itself day by day with impressive CAGR increases, helping the hospitality business better connect and serve guests efficiently. It can also help hotel operations become sustainable and cost-effective. AI in hotels may be a challenge to integrate.

Training staff to become proficient with AI tools, offering staff full transparency of AI applications, fear of change, and lack of technological equipment are possible challenges that may be faced in the future, but easily overcome.

AI innovations are reshaping the hospitality industry for the better, why not let our AI friends in and give them a chance? 

How OTA Sync Can Help

The solution to save time and increase income is here! With our software comes a reduction in time spent on tedious tasks that would otherwise be done manually, and with that comes an increase in revenue. 

Our 2,000 satisfied users in 17 different countries speak for us. If you manage medium and small hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and apartments, OTA Sync is the ideal solution.
See what we can do with simple use but effective software:

✅The Property Management System

✅Booking Engine

✅Channel Manager 

✅The Guest App 

📲The mobile app is now available, significantly increasing the time-saving potential.

All of this is aimed at ensuring that guests leave happy and return with the best experience at your hotel. 

🚨Special Offer

Want to stay on top of things and receive special offers and discounts? We’ve got you!

OTA Sync rewards smart hoteliers by giving out special discounts. To receive yours, click HERE!

Keep Reading

  1. Cloud VS On-premise PMS: Comparison To Choose The Right One
  2. Virtual Credit Cards: Everything You Need To Know 
  3. The Glamping Business: How To Increase Your Revenue 

Virtual Credit Cards: Everything You Need To Know 

Posted on by Andjela Toncev

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. 

Everything you need to know about Virtual Credit Cards: Types of VCCs

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

Organizing your 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 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:

OTA Payments is a fully integrated payment gateway that uses automation to instantly process transactions with just a single click.

OTA Payments are quick, easy, and integrated into OTA Sync PMS. Real-time payments are also enabled on your Booking Engine.

For a free trial, click here.

Keep Learning

  1. How To Reduce Hotel Operating Costs
  2. How Can Hotel Management Software Help You Improve Your Business
  3. What Is Revenue Per Available Room Revpar And How It Is Used

Top 4 Hotel Trends You Should Know In 2024

Posted on by Marija Glavonjić

As the hospitality industry continues to evolve and adapt to changing guest preferences and new technologies, staying on top of emerging trends is crucial to maintaining a competitive edge.

Thus, it would be beneficial to keep an eye on new trends to improve service quality and adapt to the needs of modern travelers.

Curious to discover the top 4 hotel trends in 2024?

Let’s get started, then!

Top 4 Hotel Trends To Watch For This Year

1. Implement Contactless Technology

Adding contactless solutions to your hotel’s tech stack is about more than following the latest trends. 

It’s also about streamlining your hotel’s operations and enhancing guest satisfaction. 

1.1. Enable Mobile Check-Ins

Mobile check-in options allow your guests to check in to their rooms and complete pre-arrival procedures using their mobile devices without visiting the front desk. 

These options offer:

  • Convenience, 
  • Efficiency, and 
  • A personalized guest experience, benefiting both you and your guests.
Key Benefits of Mobile Check-Ins

? Convenience

Guests can bypass the front desk queues, save time and complete the process at their convenience, whether en route to the hotel or upon arrival.

? Contactless Experience

Mobile check-in promotes a contactless check-in process, reducing physical touchpoints and promoting health and safety measures, which is particularly relevant in a post-pandemic travel environment.

? Personalization

Guests can select room preferences, view upgrades, and access special offers, enabling a more personalized and tailored stay experience based on their preferences.

guests-preferred-devices

? Efficiency

Mobile check-in automates the check-in process, reduces wait times, minimizes paperwork, and enhances staff productivity.

By doing so, your hotel staff can focus on guest service and other tasks.

? Upsell Opportunities

You can use mobile check-in platforms to promote room upgrades, amenities, and additional services to guests during check-in and drive incremental revenue.

? Data Insights

Mobile check-in options provide valuable data insights into guest preferences, 

booking patterns and behavior, enabling you to:

  • Analyze guest data, 
  • Personalize marketing efforts, and 
  • Optimize operational strategies to meet guest needs effectively.

Mobile check-in options offer a win-win solution for both you and your guests.

OTA SYNC’s Guest App is a comprehensive solution that allows your guests to:

  • Do a smooth mobile check-in quickly.
  • Obtain all the necessary information about hotel rules and policies.
  • Get answers to the most common questions via our Ask Concierge feature within the app.
otasync-app-preview
  • Enhance their stay by offering upselling options, such as gourmet dinners or luxury spa days.
  • Navigate the stay and get instant reservation updates.
  • Personalize their invoices by selecting and customizing billing details for easier expense monitoring and transparency.

1.2. Transform Your Rooms Into Smart Rooms

Transforming hotel rooms into smart rooms involves integrating technology and automation to enhance guest experiences and improve efficiency.

Besides your hotel’s size and budget, another determining factor in choosing the right solution is the profile of your typical guest.

Therefore, “use” your guest persona to decide which smart features will add value. Later, as your hotel grows, you can gradually incorporate more smart tech.

Thus, depending on the above factors, here are some solutions you may want to implement:

? Smart Room Control —  A central control system or mobile app that allows guests to: 

  • Adjust thermostats, lighting, and other room settings, 
  • Request services, and 
  • Access hotel information from their smartphones or in-room tablets.
smart-room-control-preview

? Smart Connectivity — Provide various solutions for work, entertainment, and communication purposes, such as:

  • High-speed Wi-Fi, 
  • Wireless charging stations, 
  • Smart TVs with streaming services,
  •  Bluetooth-enabled speakers, etc.

? Smart Keys — Come in various forms, including keycards, key fobs, smartphones with digital keys, etc., and provide temporary or time-limited access for specified durations.

? QR Codes — QR codes placed around the room and the hotel offer a handy way to share practical info, such as:

  • House rules, 
  • Restaurant menus, 
  • Digital maps to navigate around the hotel,
  • Upselling offers
  • Room service
  • Direct contact with the front desk, etc.

? Contactless Payments — Implement a POS system to process payments, track inventory, customize menu, etc.

OTA SYNC has a fully integrated payment gateway that instantly processes transactions and allows multiple payment methods.

Thus, you can pay with debit and credit cards, digital wallets, etc.

Since we operate in over 150 countries, the system allows payments in multiple currencies and updates the exchange rate daily.

Furthermore, our OTA Payments tool also automatically charges virtual credit cards from OTAs such as Booking.com, Expedia, Hotelbeds, etc., in a secure way.

otasync-features

Another great perk of using OTA Payments is that it integrates with multiple POS systems, thus providing comprehensive payment solutions.

2. Embrace Direct Bookings

According to the H2c’s 2023 Digital Hotel Operations Study, direct bookings continue to increase. Last year, they accounted for 33% of total bookings.

Furthermore, although most bookings still come from OTAs, the numbers are down compared to the previous years.

So, what makes direct bookings grow in popularity?

The biggest “culprits” for this trend are the quality content on your website and loyalty offers, as well as an increasing guests’ interest in using smart, flexible systems.

With most of the upselling happening during the booking process, direct booking provides ample opportunities to boost ancillary revenue.

booking-upselling-statistic

But there’s even more to direct booking. In addition to reducing your dependency on OTAs and the commission fees, you can collect more guest data.

Most OTAs keep this type of data to themselves. 

However, when you collect data, you can leverage the info to personalize the guest experience and create more tailored offers to align with your guests’ wishes and needs.

Our Booking Engine provides a user-friendly interface so your guests can check room availability, view pricing, and complete secure bookings in real time, at their own pace.

? Moreover, with various booking widgets and availability calendars in more than 15 languages, you get a centralized platform for an easy overview across all channels.

otasync-centralized-platform

? Additional customization options enable you to change logos and colors and tailor the appearance of your booking forms, emails, invoices, and general settings.

? The system is flexible and comes with plenty of options to automate your operations while catering to your guests:

  • Different price lists per accommodation facility, unit or a person with a centralized view.
  • Upselling opportunities, special offers and packages, promo codes, etc.
  • Automated city tax and VAT, depending on the region and market.
  • Extra services, such as extra beds, cots, dry-cleaning, etc.
  • And many more.

3. Tap into The Bleisure Travel Market

If you’ve never heard of bleisure travel, it’s high time you opened your hotel to that possibility.

Blesiure trips, as the name suggests, combine business trips and leisure, creating additional benefits for the hospitality industry.

us-bleisure-travel-market

Although the above stats focus on the US market, bleisure travel is a global phenomenon and an important revenue aspect for other markets.

Business travelers love adding a few extra leisure days to their business trips, especially if their family or friends can join them.

Again, the figures speak for themselves if you look at the statistics.

bleisure-travelers-statistics

So, how can you leverage this rising trend? 

Provide incentives for companies whose employees stay at your hotel and enable:

  • Special discount prices for extended stays
  • Benefits of loyalty or reward programs
  • Additional perks, such as complimentary room upgrades, late check-out, spa sessions, etc.
  • More personalized offers based on the guest data you’ve collected. For example, guided tours, visits to local attractions, restaurants, markets, etc.
  • High-quality wi-fi and co-working space or a conference room.

4. Opt for Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Solutions

According to Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report, an increasing number of travelers, 76 % to be more precise, want to travel more sustainably.

Thus, implementing green practices and sustainability has become a great deal within the hospitality sector, which should lower the carbon footprint.

? Energy Conservation

  • Install energy-efficient lighting such as LEDs, motion sensors, and automated controls to reduce electricity consumption.
  • Use renewable energy sources like solar panels or wind turbines to generate clean energy on-site.
  • Implement energy management systems to monitor and optimize energy usage in guest rooms, common areas, and back-of-house operations.

? Water Management

  • Install low-flow fixtures, dual-flush toilets, and water-saving showerheads to reduce water consumption.
  • Implement water recycling systems for irrigation, landscaping, or non-potable water usage. 

? Waste Reduction

  • Partner with recycling companies and incorporate recycling programs throughout the hotel for paper, glass, plastic, and other recyclable materials.
  • Minimize single-use plastics by providing reusable alternatives, such as refillable amenities and water bottles.
approaches-to-minimize-waste-generation
  • Compost organic waste from kitchens and food services to reduce landfill waste and promote sustainability.
  • Do smart meal planning to reduce food waste, and add more vegan and vegetarian options to your menu since this food type can contribute to 75% less climate-heating emissions.

? Go Green

  • Team up with local organic suppliers, farmers, etc., and support the local economy by opting for organic and fresh products.
  • Use eco-conscious cleaning products, linens, and furniture made from recycled or sustainable materials.
  • Offer eco-friendly activities, tours, and experiences that promote environmental education and conservation efforts.
  • Participate in tree planting programs, energy efficiency projects, or renewable energy investments to offset carbon emissions.

Besides obvious benefits to our planet, supporting environmental initiatives can enhance your brand reputation and let you tap into a growing eco-friendly guest base.

Wrapping It Up

Although digitalization in the hospitality industry is integral to adding value to guests’ stays, hotel chains still haven’t fully embraced digitalization regarding guest experience.

Thus, it leaves plenty of space for improvement and personalization.

OTA SYNC, a robust hotel management software, can provide you with digital tools to automate every aspect of hotel operations and overall guest experience.

This way, you can get a head start and solve the biggest challenge in digitalizing operations — system integration.

How Can OTA SYNC Help You Digitalize Your Hotel?

OTA SYNC, an all-encompassing hotel management system, helps you:

? Get more direct bookings via its fully customizable Booking Engine to align with your brand and offer your guests live availability and rates, upsell options, etc.

? Manage reservations, room assignment, check-in, and check-out processes from a centralized place.

? Integrate with point-of-sale systems, ERP solutions, and reporting tools to get a comprehensive overview of the hotel’s performance.

? Update room availability, rates, and bookings in real-time, ensuring consistency across multiple OTAs and booking platforms.

otasync-room-availability

? Efficiently control room distribution and avoid overbooking or underselling with automated updates

? Streamline the planning and execution of events and banquets, track event details, manage reservations, and generate invoices.

? Enhance the operations of your hotel’s spas, wellness centers, and fitness facilities with features such as appointment scheduling, client management, and resource allocation.

? Manage housekeeping via the centralized platform for efficient task assignment, real-time updates on room status, and seamless communication among housekeeping staff.

otasync-report-feature

? Directly communicate and chat with guests that book over Booking.com, Airbnb, and VRBO from a unified inbox, so you won’t miss messages again.

? Automate multiple payment options and instantly process transactions.

And the list goes on.

Want to see OTA SYNC in action?

Try OTA SYNC for free and take your hotel and guest management to the next level.

Keep Learning:

10 Ways To Improve Your Hotel Business In These Challenging Times

11 Proven Strategies to Boost Your Hotel’s Revenue

10 Best Hotel Guest Apps for Your Business

How To Reduce Hotel Operating Costs

Posted on by Marija Glavonjić

Efficiently managing hotel operating costs requires juggling at many levels and constant balancing between trying to reduce costs while maximizing profit.

In addition, you may wonder how to decrease costs without affecting guest satisfaction and experience. 

This is our cue. We’ve curated a list of 7 practical ideas on how to reduce hotel operating costs without compromising guest experience.

Let’s dive in!

What are Hotel Operating Costs?

Hotel operating costs cover various aspects of running a hotel, including:

  • Staffing, 
  • Utilities, 
  • Maintenance, 
  • Housekeeping, 
  • Guest services, 
  • Marketing, and 
  • Administrative expenses.

These costs are essential for maintaining the property, delivering customer service, and generating revenue.

What Types of Hotel Operating Costs Are There?

There are 2 main distinctions between hotel operating costs: fixed and variable ones.

Fixed costs refer to costs that don’t change due to sales fluctuations, occupancy level, etc.

These costs include:

  • Rent or Mortgage
  • Salaries and Benefits
  • Property Insurance and Taxes
  • Depreciation
  • Utilities
  • Regular Maintenance for fixed equipment, systems, and infrastructure, such as elevators, HVAC systems, and fire safety equipment. 
categorizing-hotel-costs

On the other hand, variable costs change due to productivity levels, and they increase or decrease based on occupancy rates.

Some of the variable costs are:

  • Food and Beverage
  • Housekeeping Supplies
  • Labor Costs for Hourly and Part-time Staff
  • Promotional Expenses, Advertising Costs, and Marketing Campaigns.

To manage hotel operating costs, you need to take into account both cost types to optimize cost control strategies.

How To Reduce Hotel Operating Costs in 7 Effective Ways?

1. Opt for The Robust Hotel Management Software (HMS)

Hotel management software streamlines and optimizes various aspects of hotel operations, including:

  • Reservations, 
  • Guest services, 
  • Front desk management, 
  • Housekeeping, 
  • Billing, and 
  • Reporting.
hotel-managament-software-features

Therefore, HMS is invaluable when it comes to automating routine tasks such as reservations, check-ins, and check-outs.

In addition, the software’s inventory tracking features enable better control of supplies, amenities, and equipment. 

It results in minimizing waste, preventing stockouts, and ensuring cost-effective inventory management.

If you leverage HMS’s efficiency, automation, and analytical capabilities, you can streamline operations and, ultimately, reduce costs.

? ProTip:

OTA SYNC is an all-encompassing hotel management solution that streamlines everyday hotel operations without compromising guest satisfaction.

With our features and tools, you can:

? Access a centralized reservation system to monitor room availability, rates, guest preferences, and special requests. 

? Streamline check-in and check-out processes and manage guest profiles and preferences with ease and error-free.

? Provide a user-friendly interface for front desk staff to access guest information, room status, and payment details.

ota-sync-interface

? Coordinate housekeeping schedules, track room cleaning status, maintenance tasks, etc.

? Generate and process guest invoices, record payments, manage folios, and handle billing inquiries with integrated invoicing features.

? Automate financial reporting, track revenue streams, analyze performance metrics, and generate customizable reports.

Thus, OTA SYNC’s advanced solutions help your hotel operate more effectively because you’ll be able to make informed decisions and build cost-efficiency strategies.

2. Cross-Train Your Staff 

Labor costs amount to half of the operating costs. 

It is important to anticipate the number of employees you need for a specific job because an insufficient number of employees can result in greater dissatisfaction among both guests and employees.

However, if you cross-train your staff, you won’t have to hire additional staff in case a colleague is ill.

In addition, your staff will be able to learn new skills, which is beneficial for them. It is usually a good idea to combine roles and functions that are somewhat similar and where a transition isn’t too steep.

However, watch out not to overburden your staff since that would make them ineffective.

For example, if you leverage the OTA SYNC solution, your staff’s transition will be smooth and easy since they can access all functionalities within a single dashboard.

Thus, it will be rather easy to train them in multiple roles because everything is automated and requires little to no effort to implement.

3. Reevaluate Your Marketing Strategy

Marketing is an essential asset for promoting your hotel, but if you don’t do market research properly, you risk wasting money.

It is good to periodically review your current marketing strategy and see which marketing channels bring revenue and which don’t.

Analyze your target market, competitors, and performance and measure your return on investment (ROI).

It will provide you with valuable insights into potential weaknesses and threats, but also into your strengths and opportunities.

Only with a data-backed approach can you effectively and wisely change and adapt your marketing strategy.

Furthermore, collecting and analyzing guest data from multiple sources will allow you to create tailored campaigns and hit your target audience.

4 Targeted Marketing Campaigns You Should Try

  • Personalized rewards such as discounts, free room upgrades, special packages, etc.
  • Better-tailored email marketing campaigns because you’ll know exactly what “triggers” your guests to book based on their booking history, preferences, and interests.
  • Send automated surveys post-stay to check your guests’ sentiments and identify areas for improvement and enhanced guest satisfaction.
  •  Offer personalized upsell and cross-sell opportunities and enable guests to buy additional services, curated packages,limited-time offers, etc.

? ProTip:

Did you know that with OTA SYNC, you can upsell or cross-sell additional services and offer special promotions, discounts, promo codes, etc?

For instance, you can use promotional and discount codes to say “thank you” or attract new guests with promotional offers.

ota-sync-promotional-and-discout-codes

Furthermore, our software integrates with various CRM systems, allowing for even more personalized options due to capturing and storing guest data from all distribution channels.

4. Do Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance basically means that you should attend to equipment, systems, etc., in your hotel before it breaks down.

Repairs are usually more costly than regular maintenance, and this can affect your guests’ experience and satisfaction.

Although it may not be your first association, regular housekeeping is also an integral part of maintaining your property and minimizing the tear and wear of facilities.

? ProTip:

Our Housekeeping management solution provides a centralized platform for:

? Efficient task assignment, 

? Real-time updates on room status and 

? Seamless communication among housekeeping staff. 

ota-sync-housekeeping-management

It hosts features like automated cleaning schedules, inventory tracking, and maintenance alerts to ensure timely room turnover.

5. Be Sustainable

Going green or sustainable eventually leads to reducing costs in energy and electricity bills primarily.

Depending on your hotel’s current budget and preferences, you can start with something as small as:

  • The guests reusing the same towels during their stay instead of exchanging them daily.
  • Energy-efficient bulbs that are also more durable.

Or, you can move to bigger investments and install occupancy sensors that automatically turn off lights when guests leave their rooms.

In addition, you can rely on solar energy and install solar panels to heat pools, for example.

6. Monetize Less-Utilized Spaces

With a dash of creative touch and inspiration, you can turn less-utilized spaces in your hotel into revenue-generating machines.

When unused, these spaces only cost money and require even more maintenance.

However, you can change that.

6 Hot Ideas To Transform Your Under-Utilized Spaces

  • Transform under-utilized spaces into versatile event venues for hosting meetings, conferences, workshops, weddings, private parties, and other events.
versatile-event-venues-tip
  • Convert these areas into co-working spaces or business centers equipped with workstations, high-speed internet, printing facilities, and meeting rooms.
coworking-spaces-tip
  • Set up temporary pop-up shops or retail displays to showcase local artisan products, souvenirs, merchandise, or themed collections.
  • Repurpose unused spaces into wellness and fitness areas, such as yoga studios, meditation rooms, fitness centers, or spa facilities.
  • Utilize outdoor areas, gardens, courtyards, or rooftop spaces for cocktail bars, social events, music performances, sunset views, or unique dining experiences.
  • Showcase art exhibitions, cultural displays, photography galleries, or rotating art installations to engage guests, support local artists, and enhance the hotel’s ambiance.

Being innovative can diversify revenue streams, enhance guest experiences, attract new clientele, and differentiate your hotel in the competitive hospitality market.

? ProTip:

? OTA SYNC’s Premium Banquet & Event management feature enables you to monetize on renting your property spaces.

It facilitates efficient coordination of tasks such as venue booking, scheduling, catering arrangements, and guest management. 

The software includes features for tracking event details, managing reservations, and generating invoices to enhance organizational efficiency.

? Another Premium feature, SPA & Wellness management, boosts the operations of spas, wellness centers, and fitness facilities.

It allows you to monitor bookings for your SPA section of the property and have different views, either per SPA activity or the person in charge of it. 

7. Control Food and Beverage

The food and beverage section is one of those areas where you can cut your operational costs immensely. 

The hotel industry produces 79000 tons of food waste per year, resulting in the kitchen waste budget as high as 20%.

With that in mind, what are some of the ways to reduce costs?

✨ Monitor how much food and beverage your guests consume on average and consider reducing the portion size if the guests leave plates more full than empty.

✨ Create menus where you can use the same ingredients.

✨ Store ingredients properly so they don’t go to waste.

Wrapping It Up

With a bit more careful planning and analysis, it shouldn’t be too difficult to reduce hotel operating costs.

Nonetheless, managing all the aspects separately can be overwhelming, time-consuming, and error-prone. 

Consequently, it could affect not only your finances but also the guest’s experience. 

Luckily, hotel management software is a great saver that helps you run and automate all the operations from one place.

So, why not start with OTA SYNC?

OTA SYNC is all-in-one hotel management software that helps you:

? Streamline and automate your hotel’s everyday operations

? Maintain guest profiles, preferences, stay history, and feedback to personalize guest experiences and tailor services to individual needs.

? Implement guest loyalty programs, track guest feedback, automate guest communications, and enhance customer relationships for repeat business and guest retention.

? Automate inventory tracking, prevent stockouts, and control costs associated with supplies and assets.

?  Instantly process payments in multiple currencies via our integrated payment gateway

? Get a comprehensive overview of your hotel’s financial health and performance metrics through advanced revenue, finance, and in-hotel reports.

Backed by the Booking Engine and Channel Manager, which increase your visibility and reach across OTA channels and your website, OTA SYNC is a powerful tool that caters to all the pre-, during-, and post-stay aspects of your business.

Ready to give OTA SYNC a go?

Try OTA SYNC for free and efficiently manage hotel operations while delivering exceptional services to your guests.

Keep Learning:

Hotel Channel Manager System – Complete Guide

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10 Ways To Improve Your Hotel Business In These Challenging Times

How Can Hotel Management Software Help You Improve Your Business

Posted on by Marija Glavonjić

A common misconception is that if you run a small hotel, you can do everything on your own and that you don’t need much technology to run your business.

This can’t be further from the truth—Small hotels face the same challenges as their bigger counterparts, just on a smaller scale.

You also need to manage reservations and ensure efficient daily operations while catering to guests’ needs and satisfaction, right?

The key to successfully streamlining these processes lies in leveraging powerful tools, such as hotel management software.

Not sure if you’d benefit from it? Read on to find out more about this robust software for small hotel management.

Let’s dive in!

What is Hotel Management Software(HMS)?

Simply put, hotel management software helps you streamline your daily operations.  

It brings together different hotel departments and services in one place, acting as the central hub for all hotel activities.

hotel-management-software

Hotel management software covers all hotel front and back office hotel operations, such as:

  • Reservation management, 
  • Room assignment, 
  • Housekeeping management, 
  • Point of sale (POS) integration, 
  • Billing and invoicing, 
  • Guest management, and
  • Reporting and analytics.

Thanks to its robust functionalities, automation of the hotel operations leads to faster and more accurate task completion. 

8 Main Types of Hotel Management Software

Hotel management software comprises multiple solutions for the seamless running of your hotel. Each solution caters to different aspects of hotel operations:

✨ Property Management System (PMS)—Represents the core of hotel operations, managing tasks like reservations, check-ins, check-outs, room assignments, billing, etc.

✨ Booking Engine—Enables guests to book rooms directly through your hotel’s website, eliminating the need for third-party booking platforms.

✨ Channel Manager—Conversely, the Channel Manager helps you manage your availability and rates across various OTAs and booking platforms to maximize reach.

types-of-hotel-management-software

✨ Customer Relationship Management (CRM)—Helps you track guest preferences, manage loyalty programs, and personalize guest communications.

✨ Revenue Management Software—Assists you in optimizing pricing strategies based on demand, occupancy rates, and competitor pricing to maximize your revenue.

✨ Point of Sale (POS)—Handle transactions at various hotel outlets such as restaurants, bars, gift shops, etc.

✨ Housekeeping Management Software Streamlines housekeeping operations by assigning tasks to staff, tracking room cleanliness status, and ensuring timely turnarounds.

✨ Inventory Management—Helps efficiently manage and track hotel assets, supplies, and consumables.

? ProTip:

Although initially, you may not need all the options but rather a single functionality, it would be a good idea to immediately look for software for small hotel management that comprises all or most of the functionalities.

As your business grows, so will the demand, and being able to implement the system to digitalize your hotel’s operations immediately, will give you a competitive advantage.

For example, with OTA SYNC, you can address the full hotel management rather than a single functionality.

This way, you’ll get a clear overview of all the operations without switching tabs or using separate tools to achieve the same.

How Can Hotel Management Software Improve Your Business in 8 Amazing Ways?

Instead of just listing the benefits of the hotel management system, let’s get practical and check the actual ways in which the software can boost your hotel’s management.

1. Automate Operational Tasks 

Imagine the following scenario: a guest is checking out of a hotel room. 

Without the HMS, meaning without automation, the front desk staff would:

  • Manually update the room status, 
  • Check the minibar consumption, 
  • Calculate the bill and
  • Update the room’s availability for cleaning.

The emphasis here is on manually. However, with the HMS in place, here’s how automation would go:

✅ Room Status Update—When the guest checks out, the software automatically changes the room status from occupied to vacant in the PMS.

✅ Minibar Consumption— The system tracks minibar consumption and automatically adds these charges to your guest’s bill based on predefined rates.

✅ Billing—The system calculates the final bill for the guest, including room charges, minibar consumption, additional services used during the stay, and any discounts or loyalty points.

✅ Availability Update—Once the room is vacant, the HMS updates the room availability in real-time on your website, booking engine, and OTAs through the Channel Manager.

✅ Housekeeping Notification—The system notifies the housekeeping staff to clean the room, ensuring efficient turnover for the next guest.

The emphasis here is on automatically.

Thus, the HMS saves time, reduces human error, improves efficiency, and enhances the overall guest experience. 

Moreover, it allows your staff to focus on delivering exceptional service rather than getting bogged down in administrative tasks.

2. Minimize The Chance of Overbookings

Channel Manager, one of the cornerstones of hotel management software, ensures all your advertising channels, such as OTAs, GDS systems, and your website, are in sync.

What does that mean in practice?

When a guest books a room through an OTA, the channel manager instantly updates the room availability across all connected channels. 

For instance, if someone books a room on Booking.com, the channel manager immediately reduces the available room count on other channels and your hotel’s website.

Since the channel manager monitors real-time availability and automatically syncs changes across all channels, the risk of overbooking is minimal.

? Furthermore, you can even set thresholds for each room type. 

When the available rooms reach a predefined threshold, the system can stop further bookings for that room type to prevent overbookings.

? In case of any discrepancies or issues with inventory updates, the channel manager can alert the hotel staff immediately to address the problem promptly.

? ProTip:

OTA SYNC’s Channel Manager has a 2-way connection and integrates natively with the PMS and Booking Engine, so it syncs all prices and bookings across all sales channels and on your site.

3. Increase Online Visibility

The Channel Manager isn’t only handy for syncing all the booking info, but it is also a great asset for promoting your hotel online and expanding reach.

Thanks to its integration possibilities, the good Channel Manager can connect your property to a great number of OTAs, GDS systems, metasearch engines, etc.

role-of-the-channel-manager-in-hotels-distribution

? Advertising your hotel on high-traffic platforms will expand your reach and visibility, allow you to tap into new markets, and increase bookings and occupancy rates.

? Furthermore, multi-channel distribution allows you to integrate with international and niche OTAs, attract guests from different regions, and target specific traveler segments.

? ProTip:

With OTA SYNC, you can easily integrate with major OTAs to drive bookings from diverse sources and improve revenue streams.

For even more customization, you can use our iCal link generator to share calendar data smoothly across different platforms and apps.

4. Boost Direct Bookings

Another potent “weapon” for increasing your hotel’s booking rate is your website. 

The biggest perk is that you don’t have to pay any commissions, as you do for OTAs.

By the way, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use OTAs but rather combine all the resources you have for a maximal impact.

? But getting back to direct bookings—The Booking Engine allows you to create and customize the booking page to align with your brand and raise brand awareness.

benefits-of-booking-engine

? Furthermore, direct booking is also beneficial for your guests because they can immediately see availability for selected dates. 

Thus, they only need to fill in the necessary reservation data and book their stay in your hotel.

? ProTip:

OTA SYNC’s Booking Engine offers a user-friendly interface for visitors to check room availability, view pricing, and complete secure bookings in real time. 

You can also customize system branding with your logo and colors and customize booking forms, emails, invoices, and settings to make your brand recognizable.

5. Maximize Revenue

Same as the Channel Manager, the Booking Engine also has more than one functionality. 

Besides being an excellent assistant in sending direct bookings your way, you can use it as an additional source of revenue.

The Booking Engine enables you to upsell or cross-sell additional services and offer special promotions, discounts, promo codes, etc.

booking-engine-for-uspelling-and-corss-selling

? ProTip:

For example, OTA SYNC allows you to sell additional services or amenities and use promotional and discount codes to say “thank you” or attract new guests with promotional offers.

ota-sync-promotional-and-discout-codes

6. Streamline Financial Management

At the core of any hotel management software is automation. 

In addition to automation of everyday operations, the HMS also automates financial management by providing solutions to:

  • Generate various invoices directly from the system
  • Track expenses
  • Send payment reminders.

Furthermore, many hotel management systems integrate with accounting software, allowing for seamless transfer of financial data such as revenue, expenses, and tax.

? A great benefit regarding financial management is that the HMS can integrate with payment gateways.

They facilitate secure online payments, manage pre-authorizations, and process refunds efficiently to simplify payment handling.

? OTA Payments, for instance, is such a system—It allows you to instantly process transactions securely and automatically charge virtual credit cards.

As a result, you can add to the guest checkout experience.

Moreover, OTA SYNC operates in over 150 countries and supports multiple currencies, with automatic daily exchange rate updates.

7. Get Valuable Actionable Insights From Reports

Naturally, financial management is inseparable from analytics and reports. 

Thus, integrations with accounting systems facilitate financial reporting and ensure consistency between operational and financial records.

Furthermore, the HMS reporting functions provide insights into revenue performance, occupancy rates, average daily rate (ADR), and total revenue generated per period.

Besides revenue reports, the HMS generates detailed financial reports, including profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and occupancy reports.

All these reports should help you identify areas for improvement and make informed business decisions.

?ProTip:

Did you know that OTA SYNC offers advanced revenue, finance, and in-hotel reports for a comprehensive overview of your hotel’s financial health and performance metrics?

ota-sync-reports

Additionally, you can get any report by email at your desired frequency without logging on to the system and adjusting the parameters manually.

8. Improve Guest Communication

Hotel management software can significantly enhance guest communication because it enables you to:

  • Personalize interactions, 
  • Streamline messaging processes and 
  • Provide efficient ways to engage with guests before, throughout, and after their stay.

Even more importantly, it shows that going digital doesn’t have to mean going cold or impersonal.

Truth be told, I have the feeling that embracing digital methods has sparked our creativity to come up with tools to make guests feel at home.

So, how can you break the ice with your guests?

tips-for-good-communication-with-guests

? ProTip:

OTA SYNC’s Guest App checks all the boxes above and enables you to adapt to your Guests’ needs and personalize their stay by providing:

  • Quick check-ins, 
  • Tailored recommendations, and 
  • Instant notifications to create meaningful interactions and address their needs promptly.

What’s more, with automated welcome, thank-you, and a variety of other automated messages, you can enhance their overall experience from booking to post-stay feedback.

How Can OTA SYNC Help You Improve Your Hotel Management?

There is a special power in having greater and more flexible control over your hotel, knowing that you can:

  • Easily control all functions in the overview system and 
  • Use your time more efficiently.

OTA SYNC, an all-encompassing software for small and big hotel management, can do just that and help you:

? View all your bookings and multiple properties on a single dashboard to have real-time updates and status.

ota-sync-dashboard

? Handle recurring invoices, split billing, and invoicing for group bookings seamlessly to facilitate financial management.

? Benefit from dynamic pricing and optimize prices depending on seasonality, holidays, special dates, occupancy rates, etc., to maximize revenue.

? Rest assured knowing your sensitive data is secure due to our fully PCI DSS- compliant system, backed by tokenization, end-to-end encryption, and other security standards.

? And the list goes on.

Ready to test OTA SYNC?

Try OTA SYNC for free and uncover the ways to transform how you manage and grow your small hotel business.

Keep Learning:

Top Digital Transformation Ideas For Your Hotel

10 Ways To Improve Your Hotel Business In These Challenging Times

10 Must-Have Features of A Hotel Management System

Hotel Channel Manager System – Complete Guide [2024]

Posted on by Marija Glavonjić

Effective hotel distribution maximizes revenue, optimizes occupancy, and helps you reach a broader audience.

At the heart of efficient distribution management lies the Channel Manager system—an indispensable tool for connecting your hotel with multiple online distribution channels.

But how to benefit most from it, and what features to look for in a Channel Manager to choose the optimal one for your hotel?

Read on to find out how a top Channel Manager system can transform your hotel business.

Let’s dive in!

What is The Hotel Channel Manager System?

A Channel Manager system manages and distributes room inventory across various online booking channels.

channel-manager-example

Its primary function is to synchronize room availability, rates, and restrictions in real time across multiple distribution channels, such as:

  • Online travel agencies (OTAs), 
  • Global distribution systems (GDS), 
  • Wholesalers,
  • Metasearch
  • Booking Engines, and
  • Social media pages.
distribution-channel-types-for-hotels

How Does The Hotel Channel Manager System Work?

Imagine you have units you want to advertise on, let’s say, 5 OTA channels. 

If it weren’t for a Channel Manager, you’d have to constantly update availability and prices, which would be a very arduous and error-prone task.

However, with the Channel Manager, you can avoid over or double-bookings and eliminate time lags and human errors.

It synchronizes room inventory in real time between the hotel’s PMS or central reservation system and the connected distribution channels, such as OTAs, GDS, etc.

channel-manager-system-process

This way, the Channel Manager automatically updates availability on all channels, so

you can be sure that room availability is consistent across all those channels.

Why Should You Have a Hotel Channel Manager System?

In addition to saving time and eliminating double bookings, implementing a Channel Manager system provides a load of benefits regarding room inventory.

1. Centralized Inventory Management

A Channel Manager allows you to centrally manage room inventory across multiple distribution channels, ensuring consistent and up-to-date availability information.

Thus, you can view and manage all channels from a centralized dashboard without having to switch between channels.

? ProTip:

With OTA SYNC, you can: 

  • Easily manage reservations with drag and drop, 
  • Do quick check-ins and -outs, 
  • Check payment and reservation status, 
  • Automatically assign rooms, all from a central place.
otasync-platform-example

2. Increased Online Visibility

Accessing a variety of distribution channels allows you to tap into new markets more easily and attract more potential guests.

What’s more, you can also factor in social media and your own website to maximize impact and cover all booking possibilities.

Therefore, you can expand your reach, and consequently increase online visibility that will drive more bookings and revenue.

? Note:

While listing on major OTAs is a great way to boost visibility, don’t rely solely on big players—Instead, connect with more niche channels that cater to your audience.

For example, if you want to attract guests from China, you should connect with Ctrip or Fliggy, which Chinese travelers frequently use.

Simply put, combining global channels with more niche ones will expand your distribution strategy.

3. Rate Parity

The Channel Manager maintains consistent room rates across all distribution channels to ensure fairness and transparency for guests regardless of the channel they use.

Rate parity enhances the guest booking experience and provides a competitive advantage by preventing rate undercutting or disparities across channels.

Furthermore, it is essential for effective revenue management strategies since it allows you to optimize pricing decisions and implement dynamic pricing strategies across all channels.

? ProTip:

OTA SYNC enables you to apply special rules for certain periods and seasons and adjust and adapt your price depending on market conditions, seasonality, special holidays, etc.

otasync-price-adapt

Thus, you can attract new guests or reward loyal ones with special discounts and price rates that will reflect on all channels.

4. Efficient Room Distribution

Automating the distribution of room inventory, rates, and availability streamlines the booking process.

  • Rate Management—The Channel Manager system automates updating room rates across channels based on your pricing strategies.

Thus, all the rate changes will instantly reflect on the connected channels to maintain rate parity.

  • Real-Time Updates—Changes, such as new bookings, cancellations, or modifications, trigger immediate updates across all connected channels. 

This ensures that all distribution partners have the most current information on room availability and rates.

  • Availability Controls—Through the Channel Manager system, you can set restrictions on room availability, such as the minimum length of stay, closed-out dates, and stop-sell limits. 

This puts you in control to prevent overbookings and any discrepancies. 

For example, with OTA SYNC, you can apply restrictions and set minimum and maximum stays to maximize revenue. 

If you set minimum stay requirements during high-demand periods or events, you can fill rooms for peak periods and prevent gaps in the booking calendar, leading to increased occupancy and revenue.

otasync-pricing-plans

When you set minimum and maximum stay rules, it allows you to plan staffing, housekeeping schedules, and other operational aspects more effectively.

✨If you offer incentives or discounts for guests who book stays that meet the minimum or exceed the maximum requirements, you can encourage longer bookings and drive direct bookings through their website.

5. Time and Cost Savings

The Channel Manager systems automate time-consuming manual tasks, such as updating rates and availability across multiple channels, saving valuable time Furthermore, by eliminating manual errors that lead to under or overbookings, you can also reduce operational costs while boosting guest satisfaction and experience.

6. Data Analysis and Reporting

In order to make data-driven decisions and not rely on assumptions and predictions, the Channel Manager will provide you with reporting tools and analytics to:

  • Track performance metrics, 
  • Monitor booking trends, 
  • Analyze channel profitability, etc.

The valuable data and insights that you’ll collect should help you optimize revenue management strategies.

? ProTip:

OTA SYNC’s reporting tool provides advanced analytics and helps you manage revenue, finance & in-hotel reports.

Therefore, you can get insights into revenue, occupancy, length of stay, and other valuable metrics to see where your hotel shines and where it can improve.

otasync-analytics

Moreover, we can email you specific reports at your desired frequency, and you don’t need to log into the system or set any parameters manually.

What To Look For in a Hotel Channel Manager System?

The benefits that a Channel Manager provides already speak heaps of its robust features.

Nonetheless, there are a few more things you should consider when choosing the optimal channel manager system for your hotel.

1. OTA Connectivity

We’ve already mentioned how important it is to connect to various OTAs and distribution systems. 

Thus, opt for a Channel Manager that provides connections that are relevant to your guest base and niche.

Naturally, check if the Manager connects to major OTAs and if it offers API integrations or iCal links for maximizing distribution strategies.

iCal links provide a universal format for calendar sharing, so you can easily connect with a wide range of booking platforms and distribution channels. 

This flexibility allows you to expand your reach and visibility without the need for complex integrations.

? ProTip:

Besides providing connections with all major OTAs, OTA SYNC also has its own iCal link generator for channels not on the list.

Therefore, you can sync your availability calendar across different platforms by updating one central calendar that pushes changes to all linked channels.

Furthermore, we offer API integration, so you can choose to customize the widgets we provide or use our API to develop your own solution.

2. 2-Way XML Connection

2-way connectivity means that the systems continuously exchange info about rates, bookings, availability, and restrictions. 

This way, all the data is constantly in sync and updated in real time and as a result, you eliminate the chance of overbooking or a mismatched price.

Another important factor related to the XML connection is the speed at which the Channel Manager processes bookings and changes.

The faster it is, the lesser the chance of discrepancies between channels.

? ProTip:

With an average reservation import speed of 5 seconds and a 2-way XML connection, OTA SYNC provides fast and secure info exchange and synchronization.

3. Integrations with Important Systems

The Channel Manager is a powerful tool, without a doubt, but it shouldn’t be a solo player.

It should seamlessly integrate and be compatible with your PMS, Booking Engine, CRM, and other systems you use regarding hotel management.

Centralizing all info in one place will make hotel running much more efficient and easier, allowing for smooth data flow between the systems.

Consequently, you’ll minimize hiccups and missteps in daily operations.

? ProTip:

Our Channel Manager has native integrations with the PMS & Booking Engine, meaning that all the changes and synchronizations will take place simultaneously.

Furthermore, thanks to integrations with the Booking Engine, you can use the booking system on your website as an additional sales channel, with synchronized prices and bookings across all channels.

4. Training and System Set Up

Changing to a new system is always stressful and intimidating, especially if you have never done it before.

Thus, if possible, opt for a hotel Channel Manager that has a user-friendly interface with great customer service and enough training.

All these factors can make a learning curve less steep and get you up and running much quicker.

Did you know the OTA SYNC’s onboarding process takes less than a day, and you don’t need external help from an account manager? ?

On top of that, the dashboard is easy to navigate and is great for newbies.

5. Mobile App

Having a mobile app gives you the freedom and flexibility to manage bookings and everyday hotel operations on the go and get instant access to all the updates and changes.

Therefore, it is a good idea to look for a Channel Manager that has a user-friendly and intuitive interface.

? ProTip:

With an Android and iOS-compatible mobile app, OTA SYNC enables you to instantly access the full PMS features, including the Channel Manager and Booking Engine.

otasync-mobile-app

You can manage and check reservations and all the important details on the go and edit reservations with a single click.

Wrapping It Up

Hotel Channel Manager system represents much more than a tool to connect you to multiple distribution channels.

You can use it as a great asset to facilitate price and availability management, ultimately resulting in more reservations, revenue, and longer-term business.

Nonetheless, the best way to leverage its powerful benefits is to integrate it with an all-in-one PMS that provides an overall solution for managing your hotel

Enter, OTA SYNC! ?

Master Hotel Distribution With OTA SYNC

OTA SYNC is an all-encompassing online PMS that combines robust features to streamline and facilitate every aspect of hotel operations and management.

Packed with the Channel Manager, Booking Engine and Payment Processor, our tool provides everything you need to make running your business more efficient.

? Customize the look of your online booking forms, emails, invoices, and settings, including custom logos and colors.

? Instantly process payments and let your guests decide which payment methods they prefer and which currency.

? Run multiple properties from the centralized dashboard without switching tabs.

? Set dynamic pricing based on your criteria and parameters.

? Improve guest experience and satisfaction via our Guest App and provide tailored recommendations and tips, quick check-ins, etc.

? Choose from multiple calendar layouts and views, and check the room status, number of nights, floor plans, etc.

otasync-calendar-layouts

Ready to see what more have we got in store for you?

Start the OTA SYNC journey for free and unlock the secrets of effective hotel distribution.

Keep Learning:

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5 Best Hotel Channel Manager Software for Hotels

Best Alternative To Cloudbeds

Posted on by Marija Glavonjić

Cloudbeds has been a popular solution ever since it hit the market back in 2012. 

However, with the times and demands changing in the hospitality industry, it can never hurt to check what new PMS solutions can bring to the table.

With so many options available, it can be hard to decide which one might work best for you.

We jump to the rescue with our curated list of 5 Cloudbed alternatives.

Whether you search for new features, more affordable pricing, or a more intuitive dashboard, we’re sure you’ll find a solution to your liking.

Let’s dive in!

Cloudbeds Alternatives To Check Today

Want to get a brief comparison of Cloudbeds alternatives so you can see which one piqued your interest most? ?

Take a look at our chart below.

cloudbeds-alternatives-overview

*All pros and cons are based on user reviews from Capterra and G2.

1. OTA SYNC

otasync-homepage

OTA SYNC is an all-in-one property management system that provides a full suite of features for streamlining and facilitating day-to-day operations.

It caters to all property sizes while offering robust automation features that span the major hotel management categories:

  • Channel Manager
  • Booking Engine
  • Property Management
  • OTA Payments
  • Guest App, and
  • Multi-property Hub.

Having such a rounded set of tools makes OTA SYNC a great asset for running your property and saving valuable time through automation.

Regarding integrations, OTA SYNC has a 2-way XML connection, with iCal and API possibilities, so you can smoothly sync your availability calendar across different platforms, including:

And speaking of OTAs, our tool also provides integrations with major OTAs, such as Booking.com, AirBnb, etc.

Key Features

✨Booking Engine

Boosts direct bookings and helps you minimize dependencies on OTAs. 

? Thanks to the OTA widget, you can fully customize the look of your Engine by applying custom branding and logos, colors, etc.

Furthermore, you can also customize emails with custom headers & footers, invoices and settings.

? Another great perks is that the Engine allows great flexibility, so you can change the price per unit or person, including special offers and vouchers, promo codes, etc.

? In addition, your guests are more in charge of the whole booking experience and process since they can:

  • Browse through your property, 
  • Choose the payment methods,
  • Arrange check-ins and arrival times, etc., all leading to a positive experience.
✨ Channel Manager

On top of great integrations and connecting possibilities, OTA SYNC’s Channel Manager lets you manage and update room availability, rates, and bookings in real time.

This robust capability prevents overbookings by syncing all the info across all the channels while ensuring consistency.

In addition, the Channel Manager has native integration with the PMS and the Booking Engine, enabling even better syncing across all OTAs’ sales channels and on your site.

otasync-channel-manager
✨ PMS Capabilities

OTA SYNC’s PMS provides a wide range of features and tools to streamline booking process and management.

? The highlight feature within the PMS module is undoubtedly the centralized dashboard, which allows you to have a central view of all properties, channels, and functions without switching tabs.

? Within this module, you’ll also find in-depth statistics pinpointing areas for improvement and providing insights into multiple categories: revenue, average revenue, occupancy by months, channels, etc.

? A vast collection of reports ranging from Maintenance and Housecleaning over Employee Stats and Manager reports to Lost and Found will provide a clear overview of your property’s performance and overall maintenance.

Pricing

OTA SYNC has 4 Premium Plans that depend on the number of properties and number of rooms you have.

The pricing starts at $69 monthly and includes 15 units.

otasync-pricing

OTA SYNC: Pros & Cons

Pros:

✅ Has a mobile app compatible with Android and iOS.

✅ Easy onboarding within a day, without needing external assistance.

✅ Has a multi-property dashboard so you can run and manage everything in one place.

Cons:

❌ No Online check-in and upselling features, but they are on their way.

2. Little Hotelier

little-hotelier-homepage

Little Hotelier is a hotel management software for B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels, thus catering to smaller properties.

The tool provides features that streamline the booking process and automate everyday hotel operations.

Its core features revolve around Channel Manager, Booking Engine, and Front-desk software.

Regarding integrations, Little Hotelier might fall short compared to similar tools, but you can still choose from booking channels and metasearch.

In addition, Little Hotelier has an App Store feature, providing multiple apps spanning CRM, Guest Messaging, Room Control, etc.

Key Features

✨ Direct Booking Engine—Enables you to get direct bookings through your own website, social media or use LH’s booking engine as a direct booking webpage.

✨ Channel Manager—Allows you to set different pricing and distribution channels for each of your rooms, map rooms to specific channels, etc.

✨ Insights—Shows visual presentations of your property’s performance, competitors’ rates, rate parity reports, etc.

✨ Website Builder— Build a website by adding your logo, choosing your colors and fonts, and customizing your images and content.

✨ Mobile App—Compatible with iOS and Android so you can do check-ins and -outs, create and change reservations, receive online payments, set push notifications, etc.

Pricing

Prices start from €109 per month for 1 property. There is a 30-day Free Trial that excludes add-ons.

little-hotelier-pricing

Little Hotelier: Pros & Cons

Pros:

✅ Has a mobile app.

✅ Good for small property types.

✅ Easy to use despite complex onboarding.

Cons:

❌ Customer service doesn’t respond promptly.

❌ Hard to cancel a Free Trial.

❌ Complex setup.

3. Uplisting

uplisting-homepage

Uplisting is a vacation rental and channel management system that provides:

  • Revenue growth,
  • Operational and
  • Guest communication features.

Still, the main focus lies on the operational features that provide various client/owner statements, agreements, and lease options for easier management.

It connects with various apps and integrations that deal with property management, scaling and automation.

Key Features 

✨ Multi-calendar—Allows you to manage bookings, prices, availability and restrictions for all channels in one place.

✨ Unified inbox—Centralises guest communications, sends notifications for every new guest message, provides Saved Replies templates, etc.

✨ Automated guest messaging—Lets you create your own templates in your tone of voice, personalize each message with dynamic guest booking information, etc.

✨ Channel Manager—Provides real-time sync via direct API and XML integrations with Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo.

Pricing

The pricing starts at $100 per month for 1 property and the Pro Plan offers a Free Trial.

uplisting-pricing

Uplisting: Pros & Cons

Pros:

✅ Provides direct API and XML integrations.

✅ Has a unified inbox.

✅ Provides various Owner/Client agreements and statements.

Cons:

❌ Doesn’t integrate with more niche and regional booking platforms.

❌ Only supports Stripe for direct booking.

❌ Is on the pricey side.

4. SkyTouch

skytouch-homepage

SkyTouch is a cloud-based PMS that covers multiple hotel management areas:

  • Rate management
  • Distribution management and
  • Customer relationship management.

In addition, it provides a set of tools to enhance the guest experience through personalized offers, in-app promotions, general messaging, etc.

Regarding integrations, SkyTouch offers CONNECT API to integrate with multiple CRM, CRS, distribution management, and other apps and tools.

Key Features

✨ Rate Management—Enables you to update rates and demand levels, assign last room availability, restrict the room type, etc.

✨ Front Desk Management—Allows you to view room availability, optimize room usage, and make and edit reservations from a single place.

✨ Distribution Management—Lets you manage availability, rates, inventory and restrictions across your OTA channels.

✨ CRM—Collects data and insights based on guests’ behavior and interests so you can create and send personalized confirmation, pre-arrival, and post-stay guest emails.

Pricing

SkyTouch has 3 Premium Plans, with pricing available after a free discovery call. There is no Free Trial.

SkyTouch: Pros & Cons

Pros:

✅ Provides API integrations.

✅ Has a variety of management tools and features.

✅ Easy to use.

Cons:

❌ Can glitch from time to time.

❌ Have to log out and back in for rate management and the admin dashboard.

❌ Changes in restrictions in Rate Management don’t always properly show in the Hotel OS side.

Cloudbed Alternatives: Which One Should You Opt For?

Choosing alternative options for any tool can be time-consuming and usually requires lots of experimenting and trial and error.

However, we hope our list of Cloudbed alternatives will provide a great starting point and narrow down an otherwise vast selection pool.

If you run a small property and don’t need more advanced POS features, Little Hotelier might be your cup of tea.

If, on the other hand, you cater more towards short-term and vacation rentals, Uplisting makes a logical choice.

But if you need an all-encompassing solution that caters to all property sizes and provides features for full hotel management, OTA SYNC should be your go-to solution.

Why Opt For OTA SYNC?

 OTA SYNC provides robust solutions and tools for managing hotel operations and catering to guests’ demands, thus ensuring a well-rounded experience.

Therefore, OTA SYNC can help you:

? Easily set up different tax and general settings that are market-specific, so you don’t have to worry about legal problems and law breaches.

? Do instant automated payment transactions in multiple currencies in over 150 countries in a secure way, thanks to OTA being fully PCI DSS compliant.

? View, manage and edit multiple listings from an easy-to-use centralized dashboard.

? And so much more.

Ready to take OTA SYNC for a spin?

Start your free trial today and transform the way you run and manage your property.

Keep Learning:

11 Tips to Manage Multiple Properties Effectively [Guide]

7 Opera Hotel Software Alternatives to Try in 2024

Smoobu vs. Guesty – Which One to Choose?

9 Functions of Property Management System To Choose the Right One

Posted on by Marija Glavonjić

Several things should be considered when discussing the functions of a property management system (PMS). 

A good PMS is just as important as having a great staff to manage your operations. 

It is crucial for managing reservations, check-ins, housekeeping tasks, and optimizing activities that generate revenue and room rates. 

Every hotelier’s dream is to streamline every part of their workflow, making your team more efficient and increasing revenue. 

By knowing what functions are needed, you can use technology to your advantage.

In this article, we’ll list some key functions to help you understand what your software should include to choose the right PMS for your business.

Let’s begin!

How Can a PMS System Help Your Business?

A property management system (PMS) is software that helps you organize, schedule, and manage your accommodation business’s daily tasks. 

Depending on the software, it can handle reservations, front and back office tasks, channel and revenue management, guest communication, maintenance, housekeeping, and so on.

While PMS software has traditionally been used by hotels, it is now used by various types of properties, including:

Your software needs will differ depending on the type of property you manage. 

Many PMS systems allow you to choose the modules and functions that best suit your property’s size and type.

The question is: Which modules and functions are best for you?

Let’s take a closer look at the key features and functions of a property management system.

9 Functions Of Good Property Management System

1. Reservation Management

Managing reservations is a key part of a property management system (PMS) because avoiding overbooking is crucial for keeping your business running smoothly. 

A good property management system (PMS) lets you handle guest bookings online. 

You should be able to easily handle online bookings, keep track of reservation details and special requests, and check room availability.

When picking a PMS, choose one that: 

  • Lets you automate tasks and manage reservations from any device, as modern hotel managers are often on the move. 
  • It provides you with a great design, so it’s easy to see and search for reservations based on different criteria to avoid missing details. 
  • For group bookings, ensure the system can handle large groups, including room blocks, sending booking links, and managing billing information effectively.

Pro tip:

With OTA Sync’s property management, you can easily manage your daily operations from one place.

Our multi-property dashboard allows you to easily manage multiple properties from a centralized dashboard.

Whether you run hotels, hostels, villas, rentals, or other properties, the dashboard shows all your properties and additional booking information.

2. Online Booking Engine

Selecting a PMS software with a booking engine that doesn’t charge commissions can be crucial for your hotel’s growth. 

It simplifies the booking process, helping you attract more direct bookings and lessen dependence on OTAs. 

This gives hotels more control over their inventory and pricing.

Besides that, it makes booking easier, reduces reliance on online travel agencies (OTAs), and increases revenue by avoiding intermediary fees.

With a PMS including a booking engine, integration concerns are minimized. 

Ensure the booking engine integrates smoothly with your website and social media, prioritizing fast loading and user-friendliness, particularly on mobile devices.

Pro tip:

With OTA Sync’s booking engine, you can allow your guests to see live availability and rates, along with special offers, to boost direct bookings on your website.

Just connect it with your website, set your offer and the information you want to show, and you’re ready to go.

3. Channel Management

A great PMS function that can help you improve your business allows you to share your inventory across online distribution channels and sync information with your PMS in real-time. 

A channel manager helps you increase your online visibility and bring more bookings and profit. 

Whether you need to update availability or change rates, you can do everything in your PMS and have it automatically updated across booking channels. 

What’s great is that new online bookings go directly to your PMS, so you’re always in control of your occupancy and can act quickly if needed. 

You should look for a channel manager with strong two-way connections to major online travel agents (OTAs) such as Airbnb, Booking, Expedia, GDS providers, and more.

Pro tip:

With OTA Sync channel manager you can easily manage all your listings from one place.

Just connect and synchronize your OTA channels, and you’re ready to go.

4. Payment Processing

If a PMS you’re considering lacks a payment processor or payment gateway that accepts various credit cards or integrates with a point of sale system (POS), you’ll need to handle payments manually. 

This involves tasks like reporting, reconciliations, and managing chargebacks, all of which increase the risk of errors when done manually and the amount of tasks you have to deal with.

Having an integrated payment processor with your PMS can help you simplify guest payments and accounting while also ensuring more accurate reports. 

It will help you remove the unnecessary tasks so you can focus on what you do best – running your business and improving your guest service.

Pro tip:

With OTA Payments, a fully integrated payment gateway, you can instantly process payments on automation with just a single click.

When your future guests make a reservation, they can easily and reliably pay the accommodation charges and other fees, such as taxes and extra services.

5. Housekeeping & Maintenance Management

When a property management system includes a housekeeping function, tasks like assigning room cleaning to the right staff and updating room status become easier. 

A housekeeping report is part of this functionality. 

It ensures that hotel rooms have an adequate supply of toiletries, soap, shampoo, and clean towels. 

This feature enables housekeeping staff to manage room status efficiently and ensure guests have the necessary bathroom supplies.

With the OTA Sync PMS, you can assign employees to clean specific rooms. 

Just create a maintenance report of what needs to be changed or cleaned, and you can easily print this report and provide it to your housekeepers. 

Once they’ve completed their tasks, you can update room statuses, simplifying guest check-ins.

6. Guest Management

Customized service plays a vital role in building customer loyalty within the hospitality industry. 

Guest profiles and engagement tools can help you customize your services to meet each guest’s preferences and requirements, ensuring that every guest feels valued and respected. This personalized approach enhances the overall guest experience, boosting the likelihood of repeat bookings and positive feedback.

Opt for a solution offering messaging functionality and upsell capabilities to streamline this process, deliver exceptional customer service, and increase revenue through upgrades and additional services.

By delivering personalized service, you can cultivate a sense of loyalty and belonging among guests, leading to increased customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Pro tip: With OTA Sync, you can provide personalized services to your guests, optimize menu pricing, and attract them with upsells while driving more revenue to your hotel.

To make everything easier, you can also send them a confirmation email or an invoice directly from the app.

7. Revenue Management

Managing revenue is one of the most critical features because a hotel or any business can’t thrive without making money. 

A good PMS should simplify revenue management by helping you get direct bookings and increase profits by reducing costs. 

Look for reporting features that let you see and analyze if your strategy is effective.

With the ability to see and analyze results, you can easily tweak your revenue strategy as needed. 

This includes managing group rates, package deals, and customized rates.

8. Reporting and Analytics

Reports are fundamental elements of a property management system. 

They provide valuable data to enhance your property’s performance and help you make smart decisions.

Your PMS stores reservation details, rates, and occupancy data, making it easy to generate reports.

These reports cover various aspects of hotel operations, from revenue and occupancy rates to guest satisfaction and operational efficiency, providing a complete view of your performance.

Pick a tool that makes data management and reporting easy and lets you customize reports and access real-time data. 

With a cloud-based PMS, you can easily access this data, respond to demand shifts, adjust strategies, and optimize operations to boost revenue and efficiency.

Make sure the system lets you set target metrics so you can track progress toward your business goals.

Pro tip:

Imagine you’re advertising your properties using OTA channels such as Airbnb, Booking and others.

With OTA Sync Statistics, you can easily track your performance in real-time, create reports, and understand what channel brings you the most of bookings and revenue.

You can also analyze the performance Month over month and discover from which countries you have the most arrivals.

Based on this acknowledgment you can adapt your strategies, run Ads within those countries to maximize your bookings.

9. Integration Capabilities

Efficient communication with other hotel systems and third-party apps is essential for improving workflow efficiency. 

Modern PMS allows you to connect with various systems, such as POS (Point of Sale), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), and channel management platforms.

Ensure your PMS is equipped with numerous features and a user-friendly interface, which can significantly enhance operational efficiency and enhance guest satisfaction for modern hotels.

Pro tip:

You can integrate OTA Sync with various platforms easily and manage data or functions your customers have straight from the app.

Just choose to customize the native widgets we provide or use our API to develop your own solution.

Choose the Best Property Management System

Choosing the best property management system for your needs can be a crucial move in running your hotel business.

Not all property management software are the same. 

If you’re still unsure which PMS to choose, check out this article on the 7 Best Hotel POS Systems to help you choose the perfect solution for your business. 

Modern systems combine many functions into one piece of software to make managing guests and the hotel easier and smoother.

That’s how OTA Sync was founded – to help hoteliers and rental managers get everything their need for their rental property in one place.

Besides providing you with each of these functions, OTA Sync helps you:

  • Do Advanced Invoice Operations and split or merge them by item, room, guest, amount, etc.
  • Easily set up different taxes, adjusting to different markets to avoid legal disputes.
  • Do Fiscalization and automate communication with digital fiscal machines and Government tax.
  • Check the Cash Register at the start and end of each day to see revenue, deposits, withdrawals, and so on.

Ready to explore our free trial account before making a decision?

Sign up for a 14-day free trial and discover how OTA Sync can help you automate your hotel and vacation rental business today!

13 Tips on How to Improve Hotel Sales In 2024 [Complete Guide]

Posted on by Marija Glavonjić

No matter if it’s peak season or off-season, your main goal as a hotel owner is to fill more rooms, get more money, and boost profits.

We know how hard it can be to boost hotel sales, especially with so much competition today.

Usually, hotels have sales teams that work on strategies to improve room sales and increase revenue.

To reach your full revenue potential, you need to use effective strategies to improve hotel sales in the changing hospitality market.

That’s why we’ve put together 13 proven tips to help you improve your hotel sales and increase revenue.

Let’s explore how you can do this. 

Why are Hotel Sales Important?

Hotel sales activities are important because they help you:

  • Drive Revenue: Selling hotel rooms is crucial because it increases hotel revenue. More revenue allows you to provide the service guests expect and helps your hotel grow.
  • Enable Growth: Before offering extra packages, excursions, and luxury upgrades, you need to master selling rooms.
  • Create a Positive Atmosphere: Prioritizing room sales helps create the lively environment guests expect. An almost empty hotel can be off-putting.
  • Balance Business Needs and Guest Experience: While providing a comfortable stay is key, remember you’re running a business. Effective sales strategies should balance guest satisfaction with the goal of booking as many rooms as possible.

But how can you improve your hotel sales?

Let’s get through these practical steps to help you skyrocket them today.

13 Strategies on How to Improve Hotel Sales Today

1. Direct Booking Hotel Sales Strategy

Usually, putting focus on your social media strategy and building your brand can help you increase bookings of your recurring guests.

But what if they need to book their room offline?

Research from a Meetingsbooker report found that venues spend about 47 minutes handling an offline meeting booking request, which is an absolute waste of time. 

Direct bookings are the best for hotel operators because they bring in the most money for you while simplifying the booking process.

With direct hotel sales strategy, the main goal is to get as many guests as possible to book their room online directly on your website. 

Simply, there are no agents or other partners who need to be paid a commission when a guest books directly online.

By using online tools and booking engines that allow direct booking on your website, you can simplify your sales process and let your team focus on more detailed and complex tasks.

Pro tip:

With OTA Sync’s booking engine you can offer your guests option to see live availability and rates along with special offer to boost your direct bookings straight from your website.

Simply implement it and connect it with your website, set your offer and the information you want to provide your guests with, and you’re ready to go.

2. Ensure Your Website Works Smoothly

A good website experience is crucial for travelers. 

Nothing kills their excitement faster than a slow, confusing, or complicated site.

Since direct bookings are so important, your website should be a top priority.

Here are some quick tips to ensure your hotel website is optimized for smooth direct bookings:

  • Mobile Optimization: Ensure your hotel website is mobile-friendly for users browsing on smart devices and tablets.
  • Fast Loading Speed: Optimize your website’s loading speed to prevent potential guests from bouncing off due to slow performance.
  • User-Friendly Navigation: Make sure your website is easy to navigate, with clear menus and intuitive layouts.
  • High-quality Visuals: Include high-quality images and videos on your website to showcase your hotel’s rooms and amenities.
  • Clear Call-to-Action: Include prominent “Book Now” buttons and clear calls-to-action to encourage visitors to make a reservation.
  • Responsive Support: Offer responsive customer support through live chat, email, or phone to assist visitors with any questions or concerns they may have during the booking process.
  • Secure Booking Process: Implement secure payment gateways and reassure guests about the safety of their personal information.

Note: You can use PageSpeed Insights to check your website’s performance and identify places that can be improved for a better user experience.

Pro tip: 

With OTA Payments, you can get a fully integrated payment gateway that helps you process transactions with just a single click on your website.

Whether it’s a flexible or a non-refundable reservation, the payment process is easy, no matter the payment processor that you use.

It’s built with the industry’s highest security standards in mind, helping you reduce the risk of fraud, theft, or manual errors.

3. Group Hotel Sales Strategy

Getting group reservations in your hotel is something that every hotel owner dreams about, as they’re definitely more profitable and bring more money.

But that’s not all.

Focusing on group sales for your hotel has different benefits:

  • Groups are likely to pay a higher rate for rooms during the high season and are more likely to book during the off-season, ensuring steady revenue year-round.
  • When private groups, companies, friends, etc., book together, it reduces work for your operations team, and groups are less likely to cancel. 

The aim is to sell rooms and meeting spaces to corporate groups, and it’s important to provide a good offer for both.

Here are some tips to have in mind and increase the effectiveness of this strategy:

  • If you have event space, you can offer packages that include both room blocks and event space. 
  • Reach out to event planners for private and corporate events, and make a contact with them to promote these bookings. 
  • Set special cancellation policies for group bookings, like requiring a down payment to block rooms, which helps prevent cancellations.

To secure these types of bookings, you need to be creative, but it can be very helpful for getting repeat business. 

Pro tip:

With OTA Sync, it’s easy for you to create reservations for any company.

All you need to do is fill in the data about the company, or you can import the CSV file, and you’re ready to go.

4. Revenue Management Sales Strategy

This type of hotel sales strategy aim is to maximize the number of rooms booked at any season and period of the year, compared to the typical travel traffic.

A revenue management sales strategy usually requires hotel operators to lower room rates during the low season to encourage more bookings while raising rates during high-traffic times.

During these moments, guests are willing to pay more for a room, so raising prices to generate more revenue per room is worth it.

Note: Make sure to adapt your promotional strategy according to the trends, season, and to provide your users with special offers to maximize the number of bookings

5. Build Local Partnerships

If your hotel isn’t far away or secluded, there should be other local businesses you can work with.

Partnering with local businesses like tourist spots, restaurants, and shopping centers can help bring more guests to your hotel. 

These partnerships can help no matter how the visitor plans their trip – even if they book their accommodation first or plan their itinerary before picking a hotel.

Here’s how you can partner with local businesses to get benefits on both sides:

  • Find Relevant Businesses: Look for local businesses that would attract your hotel guests. This includes tourist spots, restaurants, shopping centers, and transport services.
  • Reach Out: Contact these businesses and introduce yourself and your hotel. Explain them the benefits of a partnership with you and how it can help both parties. For example, you can promote their business to your guests, and they can promote your hotel to their customers.
  • Offer Exclusive Deals: Create special deals or packages that your partners can offer only to guests who come only through the partner’s business, discount code, etc. This can encourage guests to book at your hotel and also consider the partner’s business.

Pro tip:

Partnering with influencers is a great way to boost hotel revenue. 

Travel influencers are changing how people search for and plan trips, according to kolsquare. 

But you shouldn’t work with any influencer out there.

Work with influencers whose followers match your target guests. 

Their genuine recommendations will increase engagement, bookings, and brand awareness.

6. OTA optimization

Online travel agencies(OTAs) such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, etc., are powerful platforms that can help you increase your hotel visibility and generate more bookings globally.

How to maximize their potential?

By properly optimizing the listings on those platforms.

Here are some crucial tips to have in mind when it comes to optimizing your listings:

  • Generate attractive headlines to hook the guests
  • Provide high-quality photos of your property
  • Create detailed and engaging descriptions
  • Include up-to-date information about your hotel’s services and amenities
  • Manage your availability effectively to make sure you don’t miss on potential guests
  • Provide rates and reviews to make your hotel more visible

OTAs do charge a commission, that’s a fact. 

But they can also help you drive a significant number of bookings, making them a huge part of your hotel sales strategy.

Discover our guide on how to get more bookings on Airbnb to optimize your listing and generate more guests.

Pro tip: 

Listing your vacation rental on other sites, such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, etc., can increase its visibility. 

OTA Sync channel manager helps you manage all your listings from one place.

Just connect and synchronize your OTA channels, and you’re ready to go.

7. Upselling and Cross-selling Hotel Strategy

A classic hotel sales strategy to boost revenue when occupancy rates are low is up-selling and cross-selling.

The extra money your guests spend can help offset those empty rooms. 

Encourage spending at your hotel, but don’t be too pushy because the guest experience is still the most important factor.

You could give guests a free drink voucher for your hotel restaurant to encourage them to dine in and spend more money there. 

Or suggest adding extras to their stay like beauty and massage treatments, shuttle transfers, or local tours, which can bring you a commission.

Examples of up-selling opportunities you can consider implementing:

  • Offering room upgrades at discounted rates during the booking process or at check-in to increase the guests’ bill.
  • Providing guests with special deals or packages for additional services such as tours, spa treatments, or room service.
  • Promoting extra amenities or activities available on your property, such as a pool, fitness center, or events like live music nights.

Pro tip: With OTA Sync’s upselling extras, you can provide your guests with personalized experiences, optimize menu pricing, and attract them with upsells while driving more revenue to your hotel.

8. Leverage Online Reviews

A good reputation online is a really important way to sell hotel bookings.

Having good reviews on the internet can greatly help your hotel get more bookings and make more money. 

Putting good reviews on your website can also help you get bookings without using other websites. 

Here are some tips for managing online reviews effectively:

  • Claim Your Listings: Claim your hotel’s listings on popular review sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google My Business. This lets you respond to reviews and update your listing with correct information.
  • Set Up Alerts: Set up alerts for new reviews so you can respond quickly. Use email notifications or a reputation management tool that collects reviews from multiple sites.
  • Respond to Reviews: Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative, in a professional and polite way. Thank guests for positive feedback and address any concerns or complaints. This shows that you value guest feedback and are committed to improving their experience.
  • Fix Issues Raised in Reviews: Use feedback from reviews to find areas where the hotel can improve, like cleanliness, maintenance, or service.
  • Encourage Reviews: Encourage guests to leave reviews by including links to review sites in post-stay emails, on your website, or in promotional materials. This can help increase the number of reviews and give a more accurate picture of the guest experience.

9. Build Relationships Through Loyalty Programs

Even though the travel industry is changing, with more focus on independent travel to unique places, there is still a niche for repeat travelers.

As a hotelier, you should target your sales strategies towards these repeat guests.

Loyal guests are very valuable to your hotel, so make sure to appreciate them.

To attract repeat guests, consider using reward schemes like discounts for return visits, special loyalty packages, or discounts for referrals.

Today, lots of travelers, especially millennials, like earning rewards from the companies they use.  

Examples of loyalty programs include:

  • Reward points for each stay can be used for future discounts or free upgrades
  • Exclusive discounts and deals only for loyal members
  • Personalized perks like early check-in/late check-out, welcome gifts, and more.

Reward programs often bring back guests again and again, which is great for hotels and implementing it can be a great way to increase your hotel revenue.

10. Be Present at Tourism Events and Conferences

With rapid changes in the accommodation industry, increased competition, and even a global pandemic, promotions are now essential.

Being present or hosting unique promotions and events can be a great strategy to boost your hotel sales.

Sometimes, lowering rates or offering discounts is necessary to attract new guests, especially if your target market has changed. 

Here are some examples of hotel promotions and special events that you can implement:

  • Hosting a seasonal or themed event, like a holiday-themed buffet or a summer pool party, etc.
  • Offering discounted rates for last-minute booking guests to help you fill empty rooms.
  • Collaborating with local businesses to create package deals that offer extra value for guests, such as a hotel stay plus, massage, or tickets to a popular attraction.

This can help you increase sales during tough times, and offering deals like these can make your property affordable and appealing, which will help you get repeating guests consistently.

11. Use Social Media Marketing To Boost Reach

Using social media effectively can greatly boost your hotel’s revenue and increase sales.

Did you know that in 2023, about 4.9 billion people used social media worldwide, and this number is expected to reach 5.85 billion by 2027?

Not being present there is like your property and business don’t even exist.

So, how to use their full potential?

Here are some tips to keep in mind and consider implementing:

  • Use platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to promote your hotel, showcase its amenities, and promote special offers and promotions.
  • Engage guests and potential guests with eye-catching content, 
  • Share user-generated posts and make the most of real-time interactions on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
  • Run contests, answer questions, and 
  • Share behind-the-scenes looks in your hotel, etc. 

These strategies help build a sense of community, helping you natively promote your hotel offer and encourage direct bookings.

12. Invest in Remarketing Campaigns

Remarketing is a type of digital advertising that shows ads to people who have already visited your site or left during booking. 

There are many reasons a potential guest might not book right away, but remarketing helps keep them interested.

Besides that:

  • It’s a great way to connect with potential guests at different stages of their decision-making process. 
  • If they didn’t book the first time, remarketing gives you another chance to close the deal.
  • Remarketing campaigns can help you improve hotel sales and achieve your marketing goals. 

By showing ads to people who have previously engaged with your website or social media, you can reconnect with potential customers who didn’t make a purchase the first time around. 

It’s important to have a clear goal for your campaign, decide where and how often you want to retarget and use platforms like Google AdWords or Meta to execute your plan.

13. Utilize the Technology to Automate Tasks

Did you know that only 8% of guests feel comfortable using a public kiosk for check-in? 

However, research from Criton shows that 80% of hotel guests would use a hotel app for contactless tasks like remote check-in. 

And there are even more needs that guests would love to have while on vacation.

For example, brands like Marriott and Wyndham have added mobile check-in and mobile room keys to their apps.

On the other hand, Google and Volara partnered to offer contactless experiences in hotel rooms with an in-room voice assistant, allowing guests to:

  • Control lights, 
  • Control TV, 
  • Alarms, and 
  • Contact the front desk with voice commands. 

The era of digital transformation in hotels is happening, and staying ahead of the curve and the competition is essential.

That’s where technology can help.

Making sure you provide users with the best service possible can be a game changer for your business.

Improve Your Hotel Sales with OTA Sync Today

Updating your hotel sales strategies during changing times will help your business thrive and prepare for the future, reducing stress along the way.

Trying and testing new tactics now will give you valuable insights into your hotel’s future, allowing you to focus on other challenges when things settle down.

Increasing hotel sales means always coming up with new ideas. 

No matter the situation, as a business, you should keep updating and improving your sales strategies to stay competitive.

And with great tools supporting your hotel growth, it will be easier to manage your business and drive sales.

That’s where OTA Sync comes into the game.

OTA Sync’s channel manager and property management software lets you manage all your listings, bookings, tasks, finances, and guest communications from one place.

Besides providing full-house property management, OTA SYNC provides you with robust guest management solutions.

Moreover, it enables you to sell your services and products via the booking engine or add any additional service or amenity you offer to your guests.

Briefly, it helps you automate your complete hotel management process.

Interested to give it a go?

Start with OTA SYNC free trial to discover how it can help you boost customer satisfaction while increasing your hotel’s revenue.