Payments Blog

Hotel Channel Manager - Grow Your Hotel Revenue

A hotel channel manager back-end system is automated to distribute and synchronize the rates and availability of a hotel across online channels including Online Travel Agents (OTAs)

How Does a Channel Manager Work? 

As a result, pooled inventory and rate parity become easy to manage. Other functions of a channel manager include:  

• Supplies OTAs and the GDS with rates, availability and room types 
• Receives all guest booking information from OTAs and the GDS 
• Updates rates and availability on the PMS in real-time 
• Automatically inserting confirmed reservations into your Property Management System  

Why you need a Channel Manager Software for your Property 

As a property owner, there are many reasons as to why you should get a channel manager including perks such as saving you time, ensuring that overbooking doesn't occur, maximizing room sales and providing opportunities to connect to new booking sites to grow sales and revenue. But what are the key advantages of using a channel manager?   

• Lists your property on sites like booking.com, Tripadvisor and Expedia  
• Allows you to set your rates  
• Takes care of rate parity for you 
• You receive confirmed bookings without having to directly deal with guest queries  

How to Choose the Best Hotel Channel Manager Software 

You now know what a channel manager is and the benefits of getting one. How do you go about determining which channel manager is the best for you considering there are over a thousand of them in the market? A channel manager should generally provide you with data and reports of how your property is performing across all channels to give insights into what distribution strategy should be improved.  

Factors to consider when choosing a Hotel Channel Manager 

1. Budget - Properties have varying needs, and the price of a channel manager rises with the level of complexity. The more functions you need, the more you might need to pay. So, if you are running a chain of hotels, you probably want a channel manager that you can customize. This might be pricier but would work better for a chain of hotels as opposed to a small- roomed property. 
2. PMS compatibility- The channel manager you settle for should be compatible with your existing PMS. This is to ensure that communication between the two, when it comes to reservations, is efficient and information is not delayed. If you don't have a PMS already, you should consider getting the channel manager and the PMS. 
3. Ease of use- Remember the reason you are getting a channel manager is to reduce manual work and to use the time to do what you do best - delivering great customer experiences - so, a channel manager should be easy to use. Consider a clear and easy interface and how much time is required to train your staff.
4. Support and guarantee- Consider a channel manager provider who will provide high quality support and resolve problems quickly and efficiently. 

Grow Your Hotel Revenue with Pesapal Channel Manager 

Pesapal offers a channel manager through Reserveport - our online booking engine and reservations management tool. Reserveport for hotels, restaurants, tour operators and airlines is a simple solution that enables digital bookings, orders and payments while at the same time simplifies daily administration.   

Reserveport supports online payments via mobile money and card payments via Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Business owners can also process virtual cards from the OTAs they work with. Reserveport is a Gold level member of Oracle Partner Network.