As a growing hospitality operator, you may struggle to juggle every booking, especially when they involve communicating across departments. A cloud PMS helps you manage reservations more easily, letting your property weather any storm that lies ahead. Read on to discover the importance of cloud property management systems for hospitality.
Defining a property management system (PMS)
A property management system is software that helps accommodation providers like hotels, motels, and holiday parks manage daily operations. It handles bookings, check-ins and check-outs, payments, housekeeping, and guest communication—all in one place—so staff can work more efficiently and guests have a smoother experience.
These helpful and innovative features are necessary for hospitality businesses (of all sizes) to stay competitive. For example, your cloud PMS might help with housekeeping, managing customer data, sending confirmation emails, and much more. Every business requires different tools, so carefully choosing your PMS and its core features is essential. Many PMS tools utilise cloud computing to facilitate their usual features, which you can access through a web-based platform. A cloud PMS is much more flexible than an on-premises solution and usually cheaper. Without a strong PMS, you can quickly fall behind your competitors. These tools will make every room, every guest and every day much more straightforward. Ensure that when you choose your PMS, it fits your specific property.
Key features of a modern PMS
Finding the best PMS starts with understanding your day-to-day needs. You might be looking for better room management, smoother guest communications, or time-saving automation. Modern systems often come packed with smart, efficient features designed to make operations easier and more connected.
With this in mind, here are six great and innovative features you should look for in your PMS.
Booking engine: Your PMS should have a booking engine that accepts real-time bookings on any device. This makes life easier for guests and reduces your reliance on OTAs, leading to higher profits and direct bookings.
Scalability: As you grow the property and business, you’ll need a PMS that can keep up with demand. Whether you're expanding your holiday park or adding a new serviced apartment location, the right system allows you to manage multiple properties from a single dashboard within one system.
Dynamic pricing: Smart software can use data to adjust prices on the fly, letting you maximise your revenue while suiting current guest demand. You can similarly adjust your inventory for guests seeking long-term stays.
Seamless payments: Your PMS should also have simple and secure built-in payment systems. Modern seamless payment tools use automation to limit manual intervention. With a PMS that fits your property, you’ll process payments up to six times faster.
Channel management: Integrations are everything when using cloud PMS software, and you’ll need one that connects with hundreds of channels and booking sites. You’ll also get real-time updates when there are any new bookings.
Strong cybersecurity: Your PMS will process plenty of sensitive customer data, meaning it needs strong security to stay compliant and run as expected. Look for certified badges and certificates from the PMS provider to check if the have the highest level of SOC 2 Type 2 Certification.
How a PMS supports different property types
Cloud-based PMS systems aren’t just for hotels, they benefit a wide range of businesses across the hospitality industry including, lodges, holiday parks, motels, resorts and more.
Serviced apartments can automate guest communications, enable self check-in, and track cleaning schedules.
Holiday parks and lodges can manage various accommodation types (cabins, pitches, static homes) under one system.
Motels and resorts benefit from streamlined booking, guest engagement tools and multi-channel connectivity.
For example, when a guest checks out of a cabin or apartment, the housekeeping team is instantly notified. Similarly, guests can modify their bookings or add upgrades with ease, improving both efficiency and satisfaction.
Custom dashboards allow different teams—whether reception, maintenance, or management—to see exactly what they need. And with a cloud-based system, all this can be accessed from anywhere.
The benefits of cloud-based PMS systems
Still using a traditional on-premises system? Here are seven reasons to choose a cloud system:
- Data backups: Cloud systems save your data frequently and create extra backups. If there’s a crash, you’ll get everything back in no time.
- Easier setup: Along similar lines, you also won’t need to add infrastructure to your premises. You can instead keep everything online and in the cloud.
- Reporting: Cloud software lets you make better decisions by tracking data in real-time. You’ll see data breakdowns that consider the whole sector.
- Cost savings: These tools usually use a subscription-based model. If you’re a budget operator, you can use this to avoid large upfront costs.
- Accessibility: A cloud system is more readily available on more devices. A team member can even check upcoming bookings from their phone.
- Updates: You won’t have to manually install your cloud tool’s updates. The providers will remotely and automatically update the system for you.
- Integrations: A cloud PMS aims to be as connected as possible. You could connect it to other third-party tools to make bookings more efficient.
Choosing a property management system
Not every PMS will fit your property, though the best tools available will have a full suite of features you can match to your specific needs. It all begins with a simple assessment to identify which features to prioritise.
Look for systems that embrace modern features. For example, a PMS that focuses on automation will free up time for staff and guests. Guest-facing technology can similarly help you set up smoother check-ins and enhance the arrival experience.
Think about your biggest pain points and which tools can solve them. If, for example, they have few actionable insights, a system with advanced reporting is essential. The PMS you choose can have a significant impact on your property's performance in the coming fiscal year.
To conclude
No matter your hospitality setup, whether it's a hotel, serviced apartment, holiday park, or resort, a cloud-based PMS helps you meet guest expectations while simplifying operations. With real-time insights, automated tools, and seamless integrations, you'll be better prepared to grow and thrive.
RMS is designed for all kinds of hospitality providers, offering an all-in-one solution to simplify property management.
To learn more, book a demo and see it in action for yourself.
