As independent hoteliers venture into a post-pandemic marketplace with a mix of renewed optimism and understandable uncertainty, one thing is clear: Hotel tech solutions will play an essential role in recapturing revenue and elevating guest experiences.
That’s why many are looking to resume tech initiatives that were put on hold during the chaos of Covid-19 and others are planning new ones. And the solution garnering the greatest consideration often is the property management system. Though some industry observers speculated not long ago that the PMS might take a backseat to other platforms, such a scenario hasn’t materialized. In fact, we’re witnessing the rise of the agile PMS, one capable of continuously evolving to meet changing marketplace demands.
Now a new research study, How Independent Hotels Book Better Performance: Technology’s Vital Role Technology’s Vital Role, shares the insights and objectives of independent hoteliers seeking PMS upgrades, providing a better understanding of the competitive landscape – and information to make the best PMS selection for your business. Among the key findings of a survey of independent hotel executives, managers, and staff conducted for this report:
- More than one-third of independent hoteliers who have not yet upgraded their PMS to a cloud platform intend to do so within the next 12 months.
- Percentage of respondents who said they have gained or expect to gain the following benefits by deploying a cloud-based PMS: 87% – improved guest satisfaction, loyalty, and retention; 84% – reduced IT operations and maintenance costs; 78% – increased revenue and profitability from hotel guest rooms; 61% – improved staff satisfaction and retention.
- Focus areas deemed high priority for IT investment over the next 12 months: 48% – improve data access across all staff/departments; 41% – enhance the contactless guest journey; 39% – utilize guest profile information to elevate guest personalization.
Using archaic infrastructure that operates in disparate data silos can no longer be tolerated. By harnessing the power of a cloud-based, mobile-enabled PMS — consisting of an open architecture, built-in integration services, and open APIs — independent hoteliers can share data across departments and locations, make work simpler and better for employees, deliver highly personalized experiences to guests, reduce IT cost and complexity and, ultimately, maximize revenue and profitability. Especially in these times, it’s the only way forward.
Conducted by Starfleet Research, with support from Oracle Hospitality, the new research delves into how, by harnessing the power of a next-generation PMS — one that consists of an open architecture, built-in integration services and open API — hoteliers can centrally connect and share data across all departments, touchpoints, locations (if more than one) and functions. It report explores how they can also minimize operational costs, maximize hotel revenue and deliver superior guest services, frictionless interactions and highly personalized experiences.