An appropriate reservation software system works wonders yet, because of the high costs or other operational challenges, some hotels only partially opt for it, says Sapna Kulshrestha
Hotel reservation software has become quite popular in a comparatively short span of time, for it has eased the day-to-day operations of a hotel. Says Magesh Ramamurthy, director of IT- Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai: “A reservation system is the backbone of the hospitality industry; it helps manage the inventory of available rooms on any given day and from the guest point of view, gives a confirmation and comfort against their booking.”
Though the features are approximately the same, the factors considered while choosing new software is its compatibility with a hotel’s existing hardware and software platforms, as also convenience and ease of handling.
The interface should be such that it is easy to operate and requires minimum human intervention. Says Sagun Sawhney, country manager, Fidelio India Pvt Ltd, on some of the salient features of Micros Opera Reservation Software (ORS): “The software offers global deployment as it gives multi currency and multi language option to hoteliers for wider reach, rates and revenues in the local language, for better continuity. Moreover, through inherent exchange gateway, OPERA can be extended to any third party PMS that ensures a hotel’s previous investments are secure.”
The choice of software is integral to customer satisfaction in the long run, thus, the selection of software varies from hotel to hotel depending upon specific requirements and target market, which will lead to increased occupancy and business.
Says Ravish Jhala, systems manager, Trident, Bandra Kurla, Mumbai: “Hotel reservation/hotel property management software is something every hotelier should take very seriously. In the last few years, many hotels around the world have successfully implemented the use of hotel reservation software in order to automate their reservations and maximise profits. Every hotelier who desires to keep business profitable and above the competition must, as a matter of necessity, begin using hotel reservation software.”
Agrees Sivaprasad G, national sales manager, IDS Software Pvt Ltd: “In future, we see an increasing prevalence of newer models like a hosted booking system based along the lines of the SAAS model, built-in interfaces to Global Distribution Systems, and to portals that make the hotel’s real-time inventory available to customers. A significant share of revenue will come from these non-traditional channels.”
In fact, some software companies have developed reservation systems as a module integrated within their hotel property management system software, that further allows improved capture of guest preferences and easier management of the rate code, depending on the room type and rate type.
Also, for large hotel chains with the feature of property management systems communicating with central reservations, data such as guest preferences can be passed from hotel to hotel regardless of the property management system.
Adds Ramamurthy: “To effectively control room inventories we use central reservations, so that any sales or reservations made across the world on our behalf, through internet or through travel agents, gets updated automatically to our hotel PMS software through an interfacing software. While the reservation software helps to track or register the reservation, in order to confirm and convey guests about their booking, we use another software interfaced with hotel PMS software, through which the confirmation can either be mailed or faxed with a confirmation number, indicating hotel information and other facilities.”
Due to increased service offerings and rising complexities in hotel functioning, the task of data regulation and maintenance becomes even more challenging as it needs to be maintained in a very organised and effective manner. Says Franklyn Edwin, general manager, product development, Shawman Software: “One of the reasons that, in the past few years, most hotels have been integrating reservation software with property management systems, is to enhance distribution and guest data capabilities.
Integration is also important to ensure a hotel is able to deliver accurate information out to the distribution world. For instance, ShawMan PMS which is an integrated front office management software, can host multiple properties and handle guest reservations simultaneously across many units, including an integrated web based reservation agent and auto confirmation manager with payment gateway linked.”
Similarly, Micros Opera now has a powerful XML-based interface with the RateTiger channel management system – RTConnect – that enables the hotel to manage its rates, inventory and availability from Micros Opera applications into RateTiger’s channel management, and receive reservations directly into its hotel system utiliding MICROS’s proprietary interfacing technology.
Says Udai Singh Solanki, chief technology officer and managing director – India, eRevMax: “This interface allows hotels to generate additional revenue from online travel portals and to automate the process flow between points-of-sale and the hotel systems. Rate shopping connectivity contributes to traditional integrated revenue management functions and thus allows hoteliers to make better decisions.”
Agrees Harminder Singh Dhindsa, manager – IT, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts:“Reservation software allows easy generation of reports and MIS for every individual property, allowing time-to-time performance reviews that further helps in revenue management.
At Sarovar Hotels we have sourced a central reservations software from IDS that allow one-point reservation for all 43-group hotels and online 24×7 connectivity between individual hotels and regional reservations offices. Further, there is real-time room-inventory status of individual hotels at all regional reservations offices. It can easily maintain guest history through the group of hotels and, as it has two-way interface, can be easily integrated with hotel PMS system.”
Another distinctive product in terms of providing a single consistent image of inventory, rates, profiles and bookings to all reservation channels, is the Wish.Net that leverages Microsoft.NET technology.
As all front office functions are consolidated into a single workspace with additional tools and data available on sliding panels, the user has to navigate fewer forms and thus needs less training to be highly productive. Explains Amlan Ghose, managing director, Prologic First India Pvt Ltd: “In addition to unparallel usability, through the Wish.Net system guests can visit the hotel or chain’s web site to make a reservation and receive instant confirmation if rooms are available. The consistent database architecture guards the hotel against inadvertent over-bookings and can confidently make the last room available for sale.”
Replacing the outdated methods of e-mailing, calling or faxing the guest to cross-check the booking, there is now available fully automated software which directly connects the hotel to the global distribution system (GDS) when a room is booked. Says SM Edward, managing director, Winsar Infosoft Pvt Ltd: “Using Winsar’s software WINHMS is similar to talking online, where the hotel responds as soon as the guest books.
Guests even have the option of choosing the mode of intimation. They can be informed through SMS in case they are travelling, where all they have to do is key in their phone number at the time of making a reservation. As soon as the booking is confirmed, the system sends an SMS to the guest’s hand phone.”
Adds Sanzeev Bhatia, executive assistant manager, The Metropolitan Hotel New Delhi: “Recently, we have started using WINHMS within the hotel and Fastbooking.com reservation software on our website. Being user friendly, WINHMS has increased the efficiency of reservation staff and, on the other side, the booking engine of Fastbooking.com is faster and easier for our guests booking us through our website. Moreover, the WINHMS added feature of guest history helps in understanding guest needs/preferences prior to their arrival.”
As the hospitality industry is governed by two important factors – time and cost – with hotel reservation solutions, hoteliers experience overall reduction in the same spent on the working of the business, resulting in increased efficiency and profit margins by adopting these solutions.
In fact, the latest central reservation systems are designed as call centre based for a chain of hotels/properties. Moreover, reservations made through web CRS are transferred to a hotel’s PMS, instantly making reservations online and real time.
For example, new features such as those offered by Winsar Infosfsoft ‘E-Concierge’ and Prologic First India ‘Wish.Net’ among others, facilitates the guest to pick and choose various services of their choice and budget and plan their stay/holidays as per their preferences well in advance.
The automated process results in timely and quality services and leads to better guest satisfaction and loyalty, resulting in more revenue growth for hotels. Another feature is the ability to up-sell; additional products and services can be booked by guests while making a room reservation.
Another advantage of web based solutions is the minimisation of no-shows, enhanced customer service and efficient operations, thus optimising revenues. For example, Oberoi Call Centre and Trident Call Centre have implemented Opera reservation system (ORS), to take central reservations for the unit hotels.
Says Jhala: “The reservations module is central to Opera PMS from which the user can create new reservations and search, view and modify existing reservations. As a key source of information, the reservation specifies the guest’s arrival and departure date, room type, rate and packages, amongst other important details.
It is also a gateway to dozens of other Opera functions that contribute to the guest’s experience. Right from the reservation screen we can handle advance deposits; access guest, company, agent, and source profiles; perform guest billing functions; assign rooms as per the guests preference; communicate with housekeeping; review and set up traces; schedule wake up calls; perform room moves; and more. The system is also configured for the waitlist function; whereby one can actively track bookings which are on a waitlist due to non availability of rooms.”
Besides effectively handling individual guest reservations, the advanced reservation software offers the capability of handling group reservations too, wherein the group reservations module is used to handle groups/bulk requirement of rooms that enables the user to create a rooming list, assign rooms to group members and perform group check-in.
These days, consumers mostly check for the best offer online and apart from a hotel’s own web site, many third-party web sites allow users to search through thousands of different hotels, spas and resorts to book a reservation, requiring hotels to continuously manage and update prices and availabilities.
Therefore, hoteliers are turning to the internet hotel reservation software that has made both the process and the management of reservations comfortable. Says Pratik Vakil, sales head India & Asia Pacific, Anand Systems Inc, providers of online hotel reservation software: “ASI Hotel Enterprise Information System is also tightly integrated with Pegasus GDS as well as provides interfaces for Expedia, Hotel.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, Booking.com, Hotwire and many more leading IDS industry networks, which ensures hoteliers don’t have to worry about online bookings coming in from various sources.”
However, with stable internet infrastructure still lacking in some parts of the country, there remains skepticism among hoteliers about complete dependence on web-based reservation systems, more so for hotels in smaller cities.
Dhindsa agrees with that but points out that: “The connectivity at times does poses a problem but many web-based central reservation software like that from IDS come with the feature of working offline, which makes it convenient to use in times of disturbed online connections.”
Says Vakil: “Many hotels, especially the smaller ones, are reluctant to integrating hotel reservation software in their websites for various reasons such as high initial purchase price, the time to train the staff and lack of skilled manpower in some places.
However, there is now also available software in smaller modules that are easy to install and operate. A word of caution though, is that the software installed must have all the security features in place so that no confidential information moves out of the hotel premises.”
As accommodation providers are looking for ways to effectively integrate internet strategies into their businesses, some of the additional features they would like to see added in reservation software are better report generation formats and single voucher confirmation for multiple bookings at different group hotels.
Also, hoteliers and software vendors both agree that connectivity of the software to mobile phones to enable enquiries, reservations and confirmations, is definitely the future trend in hotel reservation software. This is due to technological advancements as well as travellers getting increasingly tech savvy.
