How to run a hotel effectively in the online age

We live in an accelerated and recently also complicated time, where time is an expensive commodity. Running a hotel is challenging, but using the right online services can make a lot easier and more efficient. Let’s take a look at these services and explain what each one specifically means and how it can be beneficial to a hotel or other accommodation facility.

 

• Booking Engine

 

The service that brings the most profit to hotels is the Booking Engine, or online booking system. This is usually located directly on the official website of the accommodation facility. For the hotelier, this means a higher visit rate to the website and direct acquisition of customers without an intermediary. This subsequently leads to the creation of direct bookings without a high commission, which must be paid to online travel agencies, so-called OTAs such as Booking.com. In return, this gives customers the advantage of the best possible price for accommodation and complete information about other services.

 

• Channel Manager

 

This service should be part of every advanced booking system today, mainly from the point of view of the importance of saving time by several hours a week. Imagine changing prices, capacity or other information about your hotel on all accommodation portals, including your own website, with one click. Yes, exactly this is possible using the online service Channel Manager.

 

• Online Check-in

 

The latest innovation in the hotel segment is the Online Check-in feature, which can make the entire registration process at the reception desk easier, more efficient and faster for hoteliers, their employees and especially hotel guests. This service is nothing new in the market, especially with airlines, where it is even an expected standard. Recently, this service is starting to appear more and more in the hotel industry, in order to eliminate large groups of guests in one place. With regard to recent events, it is expected that even the guests themselves will seek this service. Of course, this tool also has other advantages, among which the following are mainly included. The already mentioned elimination of crowds, which is connected with the rapid progress of the entire accommodation process upon arrival, when guests do not have to wait for a long time at the reception. Furthermore, the accumulation of all necessary information about hotel guests in one place within the reservation system, the support of direct reservations and, last but not least, also the efficiency of employees.

 

• Voucher Shop

 

Another service enabling direct sales support is the Voucher Shop. This module can be implemented on hotel websites to ensure the sale of hotel services, packages and accommodation capacities. Within the booking system, it is possible to monitor which type of voucher sells best, and it is also possible to find all information about sold vouchers in one place. There is always a choice between several voucher designs or the possibility to have an original custom design created.

 

• Support for direct bookings using PPC and social media

 

Over the last few years, the importance of social media in everyday life has reached its firm place. Communication on it should therefore be part of every marketing strategy of a functioning business. One of the main reasons should be the fact that social media is used by more than 3 billion people worldwide. It is a place where you can communicate with hotel guests and thus show them the real face of the entire business. Each strategy should be individually prepared for each client, including the tone of communication on individual social media. Properly set communication on the networks, including paid campaigns, can reach a very wide audience and thus effectively deliver direct bookings.