Hotels have always stood as a place for travelers near and far to rest during a journey. Anyone from a businessman flying in for a meeting to newlyweds finding bedding for their honeymoon to roving groups of fun-loving college students on vacation need somewhere to stay for the night and keep their things while on the road, and today, with the Internet, picky customers, a wide swath of competition, and more, hotel technology must keep up, and any hotel management crew must stay on top of these trends and more. A list of hotel property management systems can help any hotel business stay running.
Any list of hotel property management systems must bear in mind that today’s hotel customers have a wide variety of options to choose from, and with mobile devices available, travelers can easily sift through many options. Client loyalty is one factor; about three in every four travelers plans to return to a destination where he or she had stayed previously, and customer retention cannot be overlooked; building loyalty with 5% more customers can boost profits from a customer anywhere from 25% to 100%, and the opposite can also impact a hotel. For businesses in general in 2011, for example, 86% of consumers quit doing business with a company because of bad customer service. A list of hotel property management systems could involve training employees to treat customers warmly and kindly, and offer the hotel’s amenities and deals in the best possible terms. Customer retention can make or break a business, and hotels are no exception.
Who is Staying
A list of hotel property management systems will also keep track of the demographics for its previous customers, a given area or season, and why people travel. This can be a factor for a hotel’s location, prices, deals, and amenities, and different crowds look for different things in a hotel. A group of college students, for example, may stay only a few days during vacation and request deals for large groups of guests, as well as amenities like a pool, workout equipment, and television with lots of channels. Older couples may look for quiet rooms and frequent room service, while a businessman may need to be able to book a room at the last moment after a flight. Older generations may be disproportionately represented among customers; only 45% of them consider costs a barrier to leisure travel, but Millenials (those born 1982-1995) and Gen Xers (those born 1963-1981) cite cost as a barrier more than 50% of the time.
A hotel should also stay on top of its Internet game to stay profitable. More and more often, potential customers, whether Millenials or Baby Boomer vacationers, use the Internet on PC and mobile devices to find lodgings. Any list of hotel property management systems will ensure that a hotel’s Internet presence is strong. That means a visually appealing and easy to use website, with the hotel’s location, amenities, and deals clearly listed, along with regular prices. Clear, appealing photos can also go a long way, and the average customers has a lot to go through; on average, a vacationer will go through 17 research sessions before deciding on a hotel and booking a room. Hotels can do whatever they must to stand out from the competition, such as group discounts, attractive amenities, and location and transportation to local attractions such as casinos, beaches, and shopping centers.
