How to choose the best channel manager for your hotel

Wouldn’t you like to maximize your occupancy rate and guest satisfaction level? Channel Manager enables you to spend more time interacting with your guests and spend less time manually updating your distribution channels’ room and rate lists. A channel manager solution is something you should implement to stay competitive in the hospitality sector. You may choose the best channel manager for your hotel using the information below.

What does a hotel channel manager do?

A hotel channel manager is a software program that links a property management system (PMS) with distribution channels including online travel agents (OTAs). The smooth flow of information between channels and PMS prevents the possibility of overbooking. It also manages pricing parity and makes it simpler to sell rooms online by updating rates and availability. A channel manager is advantageous for all hotels, whether they are chains, tiny inns, big independent businesses, or guest houses.

Do you require a channel manager for your hotel?

If you sell your rooms via different channels, then you should have a channel manager for sure.

One of the reasons for that is overbooking, which is one of the worst disappointments a guest can ever have. Guest satisfaction is the key to the success in the hospitality sector. You will prevent the possibility of overbooking with channel manager.

No more missing booking opportunities! Once a booking is cancelled through a channel, the availability will be updated on all channels accordingly.

You may also provide different number of rooms to different channels via some channel managers.

These advantages are:

* Utilize automatic, real-time inventory updates to minimize the likelihood of error and overbooking
* Maximize occupancy rate by minimizing outdated inventory and the amount of missed booking opportunities
* Maintain control over your listing, photographs, and policies.
* Having a single dashboard for performance reporting helps you make better distribution decisions
* No more manual updating of prices and availability across various distribution channels

Which channel manager is the best choice for your hotel?
It’s crucial for business to choose the right channel manager. To assist you in choosing the best service, we’ve listed the variables you need to consider most.

1. PMS compatibility

A two-way sync with your property management system (PMS) is something you should look for in a channel manager. It maintains bookings automatically, so you won’t need to manually enter reservation information into your internal systems.
When synchronising with your PMS, certain channel manager software has a latency. Before making a decision, be sure to learn how long this should take, depending on the size of your property and the frequency of your bookings.

2. Integration with your Distribution Channels

Is your channel manager integrated with all your distribution channels? The channel manager you choose for your property should have an integration with every channel you are working with, so that the price, availability and all other information can be updated on every channel smoothly without needing you to update them manually.

Further, take into account your distribution plan and the target demographics. Does the channel manager connect to a wide variety of channels, so that you can modify your distribution plan in the future to draw in different types of visitors?

Consider which features are offered by each channel manaager. For instance, several OTAs provide tools and software to gather your data, which may not be supported by all channel managers.

3. Reporting and Analytics

Choosing a channel manager that offers comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities is crucial in the hospitality industry today. Your ability to improve your revenue plan and distribution strategy will depend on how much knowledge you have about your booking volume, revenue, and competition. It will enable you to compare different channels and set your strategy accordingly.

4. Assistance

A strong support group is necessary to guarantee that any issues you encounter are fixed as soon as possible. Before selecting a channel manager, find out how much support you will get and whether there will be any additional fees for that.