Hotel Channel Manager Software – How to Choose the Best One?

A Hotel Channel Management Software is a program that interfaces with the existing package in your hotel. It updates the numbers available and the rates to the websites. This type of software can assist you in improving your present customer service and prevent any confusions or annoyances caused by over booking in an accidental way. Undoubtedly, Channel management software is vital for hotel distribution as well as for managing revenues. Find out how to choose the best hotel channel manager package.

Look at the number of channels

Check whether the package can manage your inventory across every channel. Also look at the total number of channels being connected in the first place. You will obviously not wish to connect every channel across the world. But it will offer you an abstract idea about every channel that you need to individually work on.

Check the total simultaneous channels

You should also check how many simultaneous channels are there, which can be managed along with your room type, which can be simultaneously managed in every channel under question. Keep in mind that is some form of limit is applicable to simultaneous operations. You need to know about these limitations when you are trying to choose the best hotel channel manager API for your own requirements.

Connecting a new channel

When it comes to connecting a new hotel channel, you have to keep some important things in consideration. One of the most essential of these is the amount of time needed to pair a new channel to the new connection. You have to also consider how the time is going to be extended in case you want to add a channel which cannot be located in your list of channels.

Look at the Connection Type

It is important to know the connection type needed to connect to third parties by the software. Ensure that it utilizes a connection that is XML-based, so that you can easily transfer XML links about inventories and rates to the new software.

Data Pull and Push

This type of software is able to pull as well as push data from every type of extract. In case you have subscribed to a package having a push-only feature, you are obviously not aware of the data that is transmitted across every channel. You will not make this kind of expensive investment again and again. Thus, you need to ensure that your package satisfies most of your needs, even if not all.

Additional features

You need to look for a cluster of information, which can include the following:

• Closed to departure/arrival
• Stop sell
• Inventory
• Minimum period of stay
• Rates

Such type of information and more should be managed simultaneously with the help of the application. As you have to choose the right package at the very beginning, in order to avoid making the investment again in the future, it is essential for you to conduct a Hotel Channel Managers comparison. Choose a package that is capable of satisfying most of your needs.

The author uses his spare time to write about hotel management and operations and he wants to share channel manager software.