Property management systems: why hotels and apartments need one
A property management system, or PMS, is software in which a hotel, hostel or apartment owner keeps bookings, the calendar, guests and finances in one place. Here is which problems it solves and what to look for when choosing one.
The problem the system solves
For a long time, the owners we work with kept their bookings in notebooks, messages and various platforms. A guest calls to ask whether the accommodation is free, the owner checks in three places, and at the end of the month nobody has a clear picture of how much the property really earned. When accommodation is listed on several platforms, every new booking carries the risk that the same dates have already been sold somewhere else.
A property management system brings all of this together: availability is always accurate, and a booking takes a few clicks.
What a good property management system should have
- Bookings — an overview of every booking in real time, from every channel, in one place.
- Calendar — one calendar per property, synced with every platform, with no double bookings.
- Guest communication — messages before, during and after the stay.
- Guest database — the stay history of every guest the property has hosted.
- Prices — price management by date, season and day of the week.
- Income and costs — earnings by month and by season, costs item by item and a view of the real profit.
- Reports — clear business overviews, with no surprises.
iCal sync and double bookings
The most common way of connecting calendars is an iCal link. The calendars of other platforms are connected to the system, new bookings arrive in one place, and availability updates everywhere automatically. That way an owner can be present on several platforms at once without fearing that the same dates will be sold twice.
Who a property management system is for
- owners of apartments, houses and villas;
- hotels and hostels;
- restaurants and other hospitality venues;
- managers who run several properties.
TrebiStay
The TrebiGroup platforms — Trebistan and Najmio — run on the TrebiStay system. In it the owner sees every booking, talks to guests, follows earnings by month and by season, and manages prices and costs. TrebiStay is also offered to hotels, hostels, restaurants and other businesses as a standalone system, with terms and pricing agreed according to the size of the property and its needs. Integration with existing tools and customisation of the system can be contracted through our software development service.
How the system is introduced
- The property is entered into the system: units, prices, rules and photos.
- The calendars of other platforms are connected through an iCal link.
- All new bookings arrive in one place, and availability updates everywhere automatically.
- Guests are contacted through the chat.
- Costs are entered as they arise.
- The owner follows income, costs and profit by month and by season.
Do you run a hotel, hostel or restaurant? See what we offer on the hotel software page, or send us an enquiry.