Social-distancing rules during the pandemic necessitated life-saving investments in hotel redesign for many operators. Next-generation technology was and remains at the center of many of the necessary operational changes. By automating key hotel operations with a “smart” property management system (PMS), most hoteliers managed to safely sustain an appreciable level of intimate interactions with guests. However, the need to optimize operational efficiencies for hotel and restaurant businesses remains, even with the pandemic already behind us.

In-Demand Tech Solutions for Hotel PMS

The hospitality industry had embraced software automation long before the pandemic. However, the crisis triggered a widespread adoption of guest-facing remote connectivity and AI digital solutions. Examples of these include:

• Hotel-branded mobile apps
• AI-powered customer support, including chatbots
• Self-service solutions

Reasons to Upgrade Your Hotel PMS

A legacy PMS can present compatibility problems when you're looking to add many of the in-demand guest-facing touchpoints. To optimize software interoperability and allow seamless data transfer and sharing, you may need to upgrade to next-gen automation technology for hotels.

Also Read: How the integration of new technology is revolutionizing the hospitality industry?

Choosing the Best Next-Gen PMS for Your Hotel

Not all PMS software is created equal. There may be significant variations in the staff and guest experiences offered by the different solutions. Differences in supported workflows and customer engagements can mean different financial results and ROIs for hotels. To select the right automation solution for your operations, consider your strategic priorities first. Remember there are different software products for establishments of different sizes and categories.

Regardless of your unique preferences, there are irreducible minimums that any next-gen system must provide to make a significant difference for your hotel and guests. These include:

• Remote accessibility: Besides connecting to a website, a good PMS should be hosted in the cloud rather than only on-premises. It should include a mobile app and support remote accessibility, 24/7.
• Intuitive user interface: Any guest-facing applications should have a straightforward UI, with a logical screen layout and format. This is important to generate sufficient guest buy-in for your apps and digital touchpoints. Quick-access icons can help optimize the learning curve, accelerate operational workflows, and require little staff training. You'd need this for your hotel to take full advantage of the steady uptick in room bookings.

Automating Everyday Hotel Operations with a Next-Gen PMS

Before upgrading to a modern PMS, consider your specific day-to-day operations and how you'd want those streamlined with software and automation. To save time and costs, you can prioritize labor- and time-intensive work like housekeeping, and allocating/blocking rooms. A PMS that streamlines all this workflow makes life a lot easier for your staff.

Consider guest-user requirements, too. To accomplish this, a good PMS should provide superior, personalized guest experiences. This entails seamlessly interfacing with customer-facing channels and digital touchpoints.

Ideally, the best automation software for a high-ROI hotel redesign should cover virtually all operations. Key operational areas you may seek to automate include:

• Reservations
• Staff scheduling
• Group sales
• Inventory management
• Functional space
• Housekeeping
• Concierge
• Maintenance

Including these software features in the evaluation process can help you pick a revenue-boosting next-gen PMS for your hotel business.

Does your property need modernization? Contact Nikki Fox, nikki@parkwestgc.com, at Parkwest General Contractors to learn more about cutting hotel costs and maximizing guest satisfaction.

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