Hotel Software

Guide to Hotel Software

How to outfit a hotel with the software tools it needs
By J. Stoltzfus

Hotel managers will tell you that when it comes to running a hotel, whether it's 30 or 300 rooms, hotel software programs are vital tools. Hotel staff use specific multi-featured programs for all kinds of tasks around the facility. When you're in charge of a hotel's operations, choosing a good hotel software program can get you a more hassle-free experience.

Use hotel management software to:

1. Monitor room status, including blocking/unblocking rooms or observing housekeeping status.
2. Audit all of the hotel's business, including the nightly audit, and handling all short-term and long-term accounting.
3. Handle internal payroll and employee records.

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get front desk hospitality management software The front line of your computer system is a good front desk suite that will help your staff assign rooms and figure out what a room looks like without running up and down stairs. A good front desk hotel software program is one your employees can use with confidence, one that tells them what they need to know about room status, and one that doesn't freeze or crash when a long line of guests appears at the door. Lots of staffers and managers prefer the traditional DOS-based command-line programs, but more and more of them are turning to object-oriented programming for better visuals and room mapping.

I recommend:  IDPMS Front Office includes room availability at a glance. BPA Hotel and Property Management offers front desk suite plus a whole lot of other extras.

Get night auditing and accounting software You'll need both long-term and short-term accounting software to run a hotel correctly. The night audit counts all cash in hand from the day's operations and keeps track of credit card purchases. The long-term accounting program crunches numbers for weekly, monthly and annual reports to help chart the path of a facility.

I recommend:  Gracesoft provides a comprehensive night audit. This hotel software provider also offers a full line of software for the hotel and lodging industry called Easy InnKeeping. DPHS offers an online form hotel managers can use to select accounting features they need for their facilities.

Get free software downloads from hotel software providers Many programs are available at no charge. Download these and evaluate them for use.

I recommend:  KingSmart products are online at BlueSofts for you to download and use, with features including accounting and payroll. You can find multi-feature hotel software at FindFiles for use with several operating systems.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Get the support of your staff. Different hotel software works with different levels of users. Although you might be adept at DOS-based programs, newer recruits might clamor for Windows applications. Try to make sure your software has the confidence of those who are using it at the front desk.