Modern hospitality is unimaginable without a powerful hotel tech stack. Hoteliers greatly benefit from tools and systems that streamline processes, enhance guest experiences and manage operations. The final choice may vary based on the size, specific needs and the level of preparedness for tech innovation.
Let's consider the essential components of a hotel tech stack, along with challenges and considerations when designing your toolkit. Tech should work in your hotel's favor to enhance your offer and create a seamless guest experience while simplifying daily operations.
Essential components of a hotel tech stack
So, you may be wondering: what are the essential components of a hotel tech stack? They should collectively work to empower you to make better decisions, make operations more efficient, and improve the guest experience.
Property management system
A property management system, or a hotel PMS, is an essential hub for your hotel. That's where you manage operations, reservations, check-ins and check-outs, room assignments and billing. PMS also lets you track analytics to make data-driven decisions. No hotel tech stack is complete without a PMS – it's like building a house without walls.
An online booking engine
An online booking engine on your website is another essential because it decreases your reliance on third-party booking sites. That means fewer commissions you pay monthly and an increased bottom line. You can also use it to upsell, cross-sell, and control every step of the booking process. You can even implement different currencies and languages.
With your booking engine, you can easily track cart abandonment and send push notifications to remind visitors to complete their booking. Overall, it makes you more self-reliant and more profitable.
Revenue management system
A modern property management system (like Mews) has a built-in revenue management system. This essential tool helps you optimize yield management. Your revenue manager can analyze market supply and demand, diving into property data to calculate the optimal price. Pricing is one of the most important things to control for profitability.
Analytics
Analytics is another essential piece of your hotel tech stack, as having the ability to understand data will help you improve your business. You can get insights into guest behavior, operational efficiency and overall performance. Data can even help you optimize processes, reducing the time between check-outs, room cleaning, and check-ins. You can also access key performance metrics to determine your RevPAR, occupancy and ADR.
Mobile integrations
Can you even remember life without smartphones? Modern guests book through their phones and expect to manage things like check-in at their convenience. So make sure your hotel tech stack includes mobile integrations like a hotel app, a virtual assistant, room temperature control, and online check-in. It makes everything easier for your guests and your staff.
Central communication system
A modern PMS gives you access to engagement tools – for guests and your staff. A digital tool that supports smooth communication amongst hotel staff ensures efficient collaboration while making it easy to enact guest requests and attend to their needs. You can look forward to enhanced productivity.
Feedback and reputation management tools
Online reviews and guest feedback help you improve your services and maintain a positive online reputation. With the right tools, you can find out what people say about you online and join the conversation.
Did you get a negative review? No need to panic – just be sure to respond quickly and tell guests how you're addressing their complaint. That's an essential part of living up to guest expectations.
Upselling tools
Upselling is the easiest way to drive ancillary revenue. The more revenue you get from a single reservation, the more profitable you'll be. Enter upselling and cross-selling. Such a tool should be indispensable in your tech stack, allowing you to upsell in every stage of the guest journey.
Whether you send push notifications or invite guests to buy an upgrade from your booking engine, making upselling simple can do a lot for your hotel's bottom line.
Challenges and considerations in building a hotel tech stack
While technology can simplify your life, it can also complicate things immensely if not introduced properly. If you're not careful, you might become reliant on a vendor to manage your systems due to trouble with implementation – and that's not a situation you want to be in.
Rely on cloud-based, self-service systems
Imagine being unable to offer any services because your system isn't working. Relying on a vendor is cumbersome and detrimental to your hotel's reputation. We have a better idea – cloud systems that are easily implemented. This way, you don't have to deal with tons of unnecessary paperwork, and the control of your tech is in your hands. Self-service is the future.
Don't do it all at once
Consider how quickly you want to implement innovation. Doing everything at once is not the best idea – you'll face problems galore if things don't integrate properly. Create a list of tools you want to include in your hotel tech stack and when you'd like to implement them.
Come up with a list of priorities, focusing on tools, systems, and improvements that can positively affect your bottom line. Here's an example: an integrated payment terminal that allows you to accept payments throughout your facilities will streamline payments and increase POS touchpoints throughout your property.
Conclusion
We’ve looked at hotel tech stacks, their essential components and the top things to consider when listing your tech requirements. Whatever the size of your hotel and its needs, technology can be your most powerful ally. Learn how to use it to your favor to continue to deliver top-notch hospitality experiences.
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