Deciding which hotel rooms are allocated to guests upon check-in can be a delicate and demanding juggling act. After all, the hotel’s primary job is to ensure complete satisfaction, regardless of varying guest demands and outside influences. Yet with with the right cloud-based hotel property management systems (PMS) software, hotel staff can have additional resources at their disposal to more efficiently allocate rooms and satisfy guests, helping to increase guest delight, which in turn can help boost your brand power.
Having the Right System
An essential key to managing the room inventory is to give hotel staff access to a full-featured PMS that houses all key operational data – including “real-time” updates that paint an accurate, up-to-the-minute picture of room availability and readiness. So, as the front desk fields the inevitable last-minute requests from guests upon check-in, they can be better equipped to address and handle such requests in a timely and more informed manner. This type of PMS can also help hoteliers more easily manage, monitor, and retrieve guest data, including special requests from VIPs or loyalty members.
An Investment in Training
While the right hotel PMS can significantly help your hotel to manage room allocation and inventory, training remains another essential component of the equation. Revenue management systems may help ensure the right reservations for the right days, but it is the person behind the front desk who is tasked with using their best judgment in order to accommodate room preferences and requests. Therefore, you should ensure that your staff is educated about your hotel’s priorities when it comes to room allocation. Are there some guest requests which supersede others? Which requests can be accommodated without jeopardizing room revenue goals or interfering with another guest’s reservation? While hotels equip most front desk staff with the authority to accommodate each guest to the best of their ability, they must also ensure that they are informed enough to do so without a significant loss of revenue. Periodic training can help ensure that staff is up-to-speed on your hotel’s technological tools, policies, and procedures when it comes to managing rooms and guest satisfaction.
With the proper software and training in place, your hotel can more effectively make room for guests and juggle their needs while also helping you to achieve your own revenue and branding goals.
