As many hoteliers, sometimes you might find yourself not reaching the full potential of your hotel. Not being able to increase your regular guest base and expand your audience may cause frustration. Also, having to manually update rates and inventory on all channels requires a lot of effort and gives room for errors. All these are distractions that prevent you from focusing your energy on where it’s actually supposed to be – your guests. Here is where a channel manager can help.

A channel manager is a valuable tool used in the hospitality industry. This software not only allows you to reach more guests efficiently but also automates everyday tasks, which saves you so much time, costs, and minimizes the chance of error.

This software is for hotels to sell rooms on multiple different platforms all at the same time. It also allows you to connect to new channels, streamlining your revenue. When reservations are made, availability dates changed or any updates made to your inventory, all of this information will be updated on all your channels in real-time.

As the world becomes more reliant on technology and everything is slowly becoming more digitized, it is important to keep up. The hospitality industry has also evolved alongside, and a channel manager platform helps hotels succeed. Not only do they help monitor your whole inventory from one dashboard, they also allow you to reduce operational costs and increase revenue. Updating your occupancy, availability, pricing of each room, has never been easier.

Distribution

The different platforms that guests are able to book hotel rooms are called “distribution channels.” These third party channels help you reach more potential guests and greatly increase your property’s online presence. This is essential because being able to be found on different platforms is going to notably increase occupancy and in turn, revenue. A channel manager is able to effectively integrate with all your desired channels. After the integration process, you will no longer need to worry about having to manually update your rates and availability on all platforms separately, but instead with one powerful tool you’ll be able to do everything through one dashboard. Channel managers aid you in distributing your property to all sorts of channels while keeping maintenance of these at an all time low. No longer having to long into each platform's API, you'll have the ability to do all your tasks from one place. Not only does this save a great deal of time, but it reduces the chances of human error while manually updating each and everything in your inventory.

Automation

Running a hotel takes a lot of time and effort. Being able to save time from everyday tasks is of great value. A channel manager software helps with just that. Instead of manually adjusting pricing and inventories on each channel, you can do everything from just one dashboard. Also, when having to manually input your data, the chances of errors and mistakes increases.

Channel managers help reduce the possibility of mistakes, keep your inventory and prices up to date, and control overbookings and duplicate reservations. Providing your guests with a smooth booking process will positively impact their experience with your hotel. Guests really appreciate being able to make bookings with no hassles. This results in higher reviews and ratings which are the most valuable things for your property. According to The Reputation Lab, “81% of travelers say they turn to online reviews to assist them in making their decision.” This is an incredible statistic and should be taken into consideration, because the fact is that consumers very rarely make purchasing decisions before doing research.

Choosing a channel manager is the next step. With many providers on the market, it may be overwhelming to choose between them. There are a couple of key elements you should be looking for. Your channel manager should provide you with connections to your most important distribution channels, pool your inventory, provide analytics and reporting, and be cost efficient. Finding a channel manager with the ability of a two-way sync with your property management system (PMS) is also recommended. This means that you will be able to automatically manage bookings with no extra hassle.

About HotelRunner

HotelRunner is a data-driven SaaS-enabled unified sales, operations, and distribution management platform and B2B network for accommodations, travel agencies, and payment providers. HotelRunner has thousands of accommodation and travel agency partners globally. HotelRunner is a Booking.com Premier Connectivity Partner and Best Overall Performing Partner, Expedia Elite Connectivity Partner, Airbnb Software Partner, Agoda Innovative Supplier, Oracle, Hotelbeds, trivago, and Google Hotel Ads strategic partner.

For more about HotelRunner, visit the website.

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