Best guest house software

Posted in Property Management Software

Investing in guest house management software is a giant leap forward for your business, especially if it’s your first time. It means you will no longer be relying on pen and paper or any other manual processes you might be using to run and manage your property. Choosing automated, centralised software for your guest house will certainly save you time and money – now it’s about making a purchase decision.

When researching which brand or company you want to invest with, you need to look for providers who value your specific needs. Many technology developers do not think small picture, and ignore small operators like you. However, there are some industry leaders who really empathise with small accommodation businesses.

It’s our opinion that Little Hotelier is the best guest house software on the market – precisely because the product was developed specifically for guest houses and other small properties, focusing on the unique challenges they face. Little Hotelier understands that you need a solution prioritising ease of use, great customer support, and the ability to handle all your daily tasks in one place – even when you’re not physically at your property.

The best software for your guest house should be able to cover the following bases:

1. The flexibility to spend more time tending to your guests
2. The capacity to be managed from a mobile app, so you can manage your guest house remotely
3. Automation of updating rates and availability across all booking channels
4. Ability to plan your day, manage a reservations calendar, and generate reports
5. A way to increase direct bookings and generate more revenue for your business
6. A seamless payment system that’s painless for both you and your guests
7. Accessibility in your local currency and language
8. Direct integration with Airbnb
9. Personalised pre and post stay emails to help you own the guest relationship
10. Reporting functions to analyse performance and return on investment

Managing reservations with Little Hotelier

These are just some of the considerations that come into the equation but if you can be satisfied they’re ticked off, you can make a more confident purchase decision. What may set Little Hotelier apart is its dedication to making life easier for small property owners and operators – thanks to added features such as the mobile app and integrated payments solution.

Using the mobile help will help you relax, since you won’t have to be always present at your property to make sure everything is running smoothly. You can make updates and process reservations along with many other tasks while on the run.

Little Hotelier’s integrated payment system reduces the need to be dealing with clunky payment terminals, instead allowing you to complete deposits, payments and refunds instantly in the Little Hotelier environment. Both you and your guests will experience a more seamless process.

Free guest house management software

At the end of the day, guest house management software won’t be free of charge – at least if you want an effective solution for your property. The reality is that the technology is sophisticated, with constant developments and improvements being worked on. With a payment fee comes the promise of quality and a level of accountability on the provider’s part.

In saying that top companies will offer you a free trial period, where you can enjoy all the benefits of a product free of charge and without any commitment. This when you can take close notice of how beneficial the product will be to your property if you decide to invest.

Little Hotelier offers users a 30-day free trial, including guest house booking software, which can be setup within one business day of signing up. One month of trialling Little Hotelier will give you a clear overview of what your guest house can achieve with software like this, both long-term and short-term. Your day-to-day processes should become especially easier.

To give you an idea of price comparison, a property of five rooms or less may be charged AUD$123/month (USD104 & GBP66). At 15 rooms the price is AUD$180/month (USD126 & GBP100), while some major competitors of Little Hotelier list at AUD$199/month (USD 140 & GBP356) for 15 rooms.

Best guest house booking software

A guest house booking system will be extremely valuable for your property. In the case of Little Hotelier’s online booking engine it will allow your property to accept direct, commission-free reservations straight from your website and Facebook page. Direct booking technology via Little Hotelier can also include a website builder.

Whether you have an existing website or need one created, it’s vital that your provider has the technology in place to give you a conversion optimised website and social media presence within minutes. Guest experience must be a key factor too, they need to be able to book their reservation without a hiccup on any device, since many travellers will research and book on smartphones and tablets.

Quality direct booking technology will also give you the chance to sell extras and highlight promotions at the time of booking, opening up the crucial opportunity to make more revenue from each reservation.

The best providers make it simple – find more detail about Little Hotelier’s booking engine here.

How to choose guest house reservation software

Small properties with less than 10 rooms, such as may apply with your guest house, should only be serviced by reservation software providers who have dealt with these specific conditions before.

When travellers stay at a guest house they expect a warm and homely experience. Little Hotelier gives you the chance to deliver exactly that, by significantly increasing the amount of free time you have.

Direct reservations are likely to be very important to your business, because they don’t require you to pay a commission fee to online travel agent partners such as Booking.com. So if you’ve decided reservation software is what you need for your guest house, this priority needs to be kept in mind.

To enable clear thinking when choosing which partner to invest with, it can be helpful to answer the following questions:

• Why do you want to invest in guest house management software?
• What key achievement do you hope the software will help with?
• What features of guest house software are most important to you?
• Can you envision your life being easier by using the software?
• What’s your budget?

Guest house management system: Providers and reviews

You’ve probably already discovered that there’s a number of providers who offer a guest house management system like the one you’re looking for. Comparing them is a great idea but it could also get confusing. There are a lot of key considerations including:

• Price
• Functionality/Features
• Support
• Integration
• Reviews/Reputation

By looking at these factors, a few industry leaders should start to emerge. To narrow your focus down further, take a close look at product reviews.

Hotel Tech Report and Capterra are two of the best sources to check what customers are saying about guest house software providers – including Little Hotelier.

Hotel Tech Report provides a simple rundown of the most important elements for you to evaluate. At a glance, you should be able to see how likely a particular product is to be recommended, along with ratings on customer support, ease of use, return on investment, and implementation. You’ll also have access to a list of pros and cons, screenshots, pricing information, integrations, and written reviews.

Capterra breaks ratings down into a total out of five as well as individual ratings for features in a similar way to Hotel Tech Report. A comprehensive product summary will be included so you’ll immediately see all the relevant functionality a product does and doesn’t have the capacity to deliver. This is really helpful when comparing providers. You’ll also see reviews from your peers and get an overall impression of whether they would recommend the software.

Best practice will tell you to look closely at both rating scores and written reviews. Each will tell a slightly different story. In the case of customer reviews you’ll see in more detail the specific positives and negatives people have had with a product. It’s likely some complaints won’t be a worry for you while something important to you will be a minor consideration for others. That’s why research is vital, so you know exactly which provider will best suit your business.