Hotel Channel Manager
What is a Hotel Channel Manager and what must he be able to do? We will inform you comprehensively and also gladly advise you on the use in your hotel.
Hotel Channel Manager - How to succeed in optimal planning
As a hotelier, you face the daily challenge of having to sell your rooms in the best possible way. After all, you want to achieve a high occupancy rate and thus increase your revenue. At the same time, however, you also want to avoid overbooking.
However, manually entering availability and room rates into multiple booking platforms can be very time-consuming and error-prone. Many hoteliers therefore already rely on so-called Hotel Channel Managers. This is software that supports you in centrally managing and optimizing your bookings.
With a Hotel Channel Manager, you can effectively manage your offers on various online distribution channels such as Booking.com, Expedia and many others. In the time you gain, you can focus on what really matters - the satisfaction of your guests and the success of your hotel.
Nowadays, however, there is a multitude of different softwares, so that it can be difficult to make the right choice. We will therefore show you what you should look for when making your decision, which important functions a hotel channel manager takes over and how you can find the right software for your hotel.
Effortlessly more bookings: The advantages of a Hotel Channel Manager
While small hotels and guesthouses often do the data entry manually, especially in the beginning, this becomes more difficult as the number of rooms increases. Deciding each time anew how many rooms are to be sold via a channel (e.g. Booking.com, HRS and other booking platforms), setting the prices for them and manually entering the data on the respective page is time-consuming and can quickly become confusing, especially when using several sales channels.
This is where a Hotel Channel Manager comes into play. The software serves as a central control platform and interface for various booking platforms. In real time, your changes such as updated prices, images, availability and booking options are synchronized directly for all existing accounts.
Such software can also help you optimize your occupancy rate. To do this, most management software automatically redistributes the availabilities (allotments) you have released to the various sites and, if necessary, reallocates them to avoid sell-outs on individual booking platforms while the desired room would still be available on others. In addition, with a hotel channel manager you can dynamically adjust your prices to maximize your occupancy and increase your competitiveness.
The advantages of Hotel Channel Management at a glance
- Optimize your online presence with just a few clicks
- Increase in room occupancy and yield
- More efficient operation and reduced administrative effort
- Improved revenue management
You want to start with Hotel Channel Management?
At TourSol, we offer individual consulting and customized packages to help you get the most out of your online sales.
Feel free to contact us for more information and a no-obligation consultation!
The most important functions at a glance
Hotel Channel Managers differ in their functions, depending on the provider. Therefore, below you will find an overview of the most important functions that facilitate your channel as well as revenue and yield management:
- Integrate and manage bookings from all channels in one central platform.
- Real-time synchronization of your room availability and rates on different online sales channels
- Dynamic price control to optimize your utilization and increase your turnover
- Automatic update of bookings and cancellations in your Property Management System (PMS)
- Integrated reporting and analytics to monitor your performance across multiple sales channels
- Central management of special offers
- Support for different languages and currencies to attract international guests
- Integration with online rating platforms
- Overbooking protection
- Real-time reporting to track your performance across platforms
Multi-channel management - which online sales channels are right for you
While new booking platforms are constantly being added and the competition online is increasing strongly, it is becoming increasingly important for you as a hotelier to be as present as possible yourself. After all, your target group is probably not only looking for a suitable hotel for their next trip via Google, but also on various booking platforms. Depending on the type of hotel and your target group, different channels can be more or less useful.
It is therefore important to find out how your target group informs itself and which platforms it visits for inspiration and booking. Based on these findings, you can select the appropriate sales channels for your hotel.
- Among the most popular and well-known online sales channels for many hoteliers are:
- Booking portals such as Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, AirBnB and HRS are popular sales channels with a wide reach.
- Travel search engines such as Kayak or Check24 to expand and optimize the overall online presence.
- Social media channels such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to interact directly with guests and promote rooms in a targeted way.
- A dedicated hotel website to promote direct bookings, provide detailed information and always remain in full control.
Not sure which sales channels are right for you?
As an experienced partner in the tourism sector with a focus on hotel channel, revenue and yield management, we will be happy to advise you on selecting and setting up the right online sales channels for your hotel.
How to find the right Hotel Channel Manager for your hotel
How to choose the right software solution for your hotel:
1. Scope of functions
Check that the software offers all the features you need to optimize your room availability and rates on your chosen online distribution channels.
2. Integration with your PMS
Make sure Channel Manager is compatible with your Property Management System (PMS) and provides seamless integration to automatically update bookings and cancellations.
3. User friendliness
Make sure that the software is easy to use and can also be configured. Moreover, your chosen tool should be reliable to save time and frustration.
4. Personal customer service and support
Look for a provider that offers you individual advice and support (e.g. in the form of training services). This will help you get the most out of your channel manager. We are more than happy to assist you in this important process.
In addition, the right choice depends on various factors, such as, among others:
- Size and type of your hotel (Do you have a hotel, guesthouse, hostel or apartments?)
- The complexity of your pricing structure (How many price levels and room categories are there?)
- Your budget
Hotel Channel Manager off the shelf or made to measure?
A Hotel Channel Manager is an investment in the future of your hotel. Therefore, it is important to choose the right provider.
However, at the latest when comparing different providers, you will also be faced with the decision of whether you want to use "off the shelf" software or a software solution that is individually adapted to your hotel. But individual does not necessarily mean better.
To make your decision easier, we are happy to offer you our support. As travel and tourism experts, we have been advising hoteliers in the DACH region for years on all aspects of revenue, yield and hotel channel management. Therefore, we know exactly what is important when selecting relevant software packages and will be happy to show you ways to optimize your room occupancy and increase your revenue with a Hotel Channel Manager.
If you wish, we can also take over the entire hotel revenue management for your hotel, optimize your prices and relieve you of the tedious and time-consuming administrative tasks.
Rely on our years of experience and technological expertise!
FAQ - Questions & Answers
What is a Hotel Channel Manager?
By definition, a Hotel Channel Manager is software that helps hoteliers synchronize and optimize their room availability and pricing across multiple online distribution channels. It automatically synchronizes and updates data such as available periods, room information, prices and booking options in real time, so that your guests always see the latest prices and availability. Such a software manager thus also helps to avoid overbooking.
Which distribution channels can I manage with a Hotel Channel Manager?
You can sync your room availability and rates on online travel agencies (OTAs), metasearch engines, social media platforms and your own hotel website.
Can I operate the software myself?
Yes, the software is usually designed to be easy and intuitive to use. At TourSol, we also offer training and support so you can use it to its full potential.
How can a channel manager increase my sales?
The software can maximize your utilization and dynamically adjust your prices to increase your competitiveness and generate more bookings.
How do I choose the right Hotel Channel Manager for my hotel?
You should consider the feature set, integration with your property management system (PMS), ease of use, and customer support of the channel manager to choose the best offering for your hotel.
How much does such software cost?
The costs vary depending on the provider and the scope of functions. At TourSol, we offer individual packages that are tailored to the needs of your hotel. We will be happy to advise you on the costs without obligation.
How quickly can I implement the Hotel Channel Manager?
The implementation time depends on various factors, such as the number of sales channels to be integrated. At TourSol, however, we place great emphasis on a fast and smooth implementation to enable you to reap the benefits in a timely manner.
Is a Hotel Channel Manager also suitable for small hotels?
Yes, in most cases this software solution is also suitable for small hotels. Because even if you only use one booking platform in addition to your hotel website, the administrative effort can be reduced here, time can be saved and your room occupancy can be efficiently optimized.
If required, we can gladly offer you solutions that are specifically tailored to the needs of small hotels.
