8 Easy Ways to Save Valuable Time in Your Hotel Through Automation

We don’t have to tell you how time consuming operating an independent hotel is. For hotels already working with a lean team, using the right technology is crucial to create some breathing room.

One moment you’re manually updating your pricing and availability, the other you’re completing F&B orders for your breakfast. In the midst of all these responsibilities, you can’t seem to find enough time to give each guest a personalized, warm welcome. 

That personalized and home-like experience is precisely what sets you apart from big chains. It’s your strong suit, but unfortunately most hoteliers just don’t have the time to spare on perfecting and personalizing the guest experience.

Luckily, there are a lot of ways you can automate time-consuming manual tasks – or even add extra personalized features thanks to automation. For hotels already working with a lean team, using the right technology is crucial to create some breathing room.

Automating what you already spend too much time on

The best way to save time is not skipping tasks, but making your current workflow more efficient. For example, instead of avoiding price changes, you can use a system that automatically pushes rate updates to all your connected booking channels. That way, you not only save time, but get the chance to work proactively instead of reacting to what competitors are doing.

1. Pricing management

Do you know exactly how many hours you spend a week on updating your pricing, availability and restrictions? It’s probably way more than you’d like, even without including the hours of competitor research and looking through local event calendars.

With a pricing automation tool you get accurate rate recommendations based on market data, local events, competitor pricing and your own occupancy. Connect this tool to your channel manager and you can update your rates on all your channels in just a few clicks – or fully automatically. An extra advantage is that rates stay consistent on all channels (rate parity), so your accommodation’s listing doesn’t get pushed down by one OTA because there’s a cheaper rate on another OTA. And of course, you won’t receive bookings at unintentionally low rates because you forgot to update one channel.

In a nutshell:

• Receive accurate, data-backed price recommendations

• Push instant updates to all channels by connecting your channel manager

• Ensure rate parity

• Act proactively instead of reactively

2. Channel management

Keeping up with all availability changes, rate updates, room descriptions and policies across all your channels feels like an endless task. Every small change – whether it’s a minimum-stay restriction or last-minute room closure – means having to log into separate platforms, manually change information and double check it’s all the same on every OTA. That accumulates to a lot of hours you could be spending on guest services.

With a channel manager, you’re able to make those changes in one dashboard and send those updates to your connected channels. Every change is instantly synched to your booking channels, so you avoid double bookings, inconsistent information and wasting time on jumping from platform to platform.

In a nutshell:

• Central management of all booking channels

• Automated synchronization of availability, pricing and restrictions

• Avoiding overbookings and manual errors

• Consistent listings on all platforms and in turn earned trust from bookers

3. Reservation management

As every independent hotelier knows, reservation management doesn’t stop at confirming bookings and allocating rooms. It also means updating calendars, sending pre-arrival emails, keeping track of cancellations and so much more. Without a reservation manager or PMS, you quickly lose overview and miss messages, accidentally double book a room or even assign two rooms different to the same reservation. These are costly mistakes for your hotel and even impact your reputation. 

With a reservation manager or PMS, you see all bookings (from direct and indirect channels) in one central dashboard, and you can keep track of who’s arriving, who’s departing, which rooms need to be cleaned, how many people are taking breakfast etc. It’s a huge help in avoiding errors, but also managing your housekeeping, F&B and guest communication. On top of that, this system keeps track of guest preferences so you can deliver a more personalized experience.

In a nutshell:

• Clear overview of all reservations

• Easy room allocation

• Overview of housekeeping and F&B

• Eliminates manual errors

• Automated guest communication

4. Payment management

Still manually verifying each credit card via your terminal? Then you know how labor-intensive payment management and processing is. And even when you verify the card, the payment can still fail, get declined or cancelled. In the end, you’re losing a lot of time and run the risk of fraud and lost revenue.

With a payment system, you can automate most manual steps of this process, think about deposits, pre-autorizations, refunds, reconciliations… Every payment is processed securely, aligned with your policies and can automatically be linked to the reservation to keep a clear overview. Automating this process doesn’t only prevent fraud, chargebacks, and declined payments – it also offers your guests more convenience and flexibility by enabling a variety of payment methods.

In a nutshell:

• Automated verification, payments, deposits and refunds

• Reduced no-shows, cancellations and disputes

• Secure and PSD2-compliant transactions

• Preventing fraud and lost revenue

• More trust from the guest

5. Guest check-ins

Your first impression matters the most to your guests. If checking-in takes a long time, their room isn’t ready or there’s nobody at the reception desk, it highly impacts your reputation and the chances of this guest booking again. 

One way to avoid queuing at the reception or missing information that needs to be added, is giving your guests the option to check in online before they arrive. It’s one less step you have to take at the front desk, so you have more time for offering recommendations and extras. 

In a nutshell:

• Reduce waiting times for guests

• Relieve staff

• Minimize errors and paperwork

• Offer a smooth check-in

• Free up time for personal interaction

Automations that add value to the guest experience6. Chatbots or virtual concierges

For every hotelier, it’s a certainty that your inbox and front desk are filled with the same recurring questions: when can I check-in, what time is breakfast, where do I park my car… All of those questions need to be answered, which can easily take hours out of your day – time you’d rather spend on personal interactions or improving the guest experience.

Did you know that these questions can be  answered automatically by a chatbot or virtual concierge? They’re available 24/7 on various channels, so your guests get fast, accurate answers when they need them and you can save your time for more complex questions.

In a nutshell:

• 24/7 available on multiple platforms

• Improved response time and guest satisfaction

• Consistent information and communication

7. Keyless entry or smart locks

Traditional check-ins often mean filling out forms, preparing key cards, and replacing lost or demagnetized keys. It’s repetitive, costly, and time-consuming – especially during busy check-in and check-out hours. And for guests arriving late at night, it can be downright inconvenient.

With keyless entry or smart locks, guests can access their rooms using their smartphone or a unique digital code. Once the booking is confirmed, they receive their digital key automatically, so no front desk visit is needed. Whether they arrive early, late, or during peak times, entry is fast, secure, and hassle-free.

For you, keyless entry means less time spent on manual admin and fewer costs from lost keys or replacements. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with your PMS or booking system, updating access permissions automatically when a reservation starts or ends.

In a nutshell:

• Fast and easy room access

• No inconvenience in case of early or late check-in/-out

• No risk of lost or malfunctional keys or key cards

• Increased security with automatic access control

• Smoother arrival experience for guests

8. Check-in kiosk

During busy arrival times, front desks can quickly become crowded with guests waiting to check in, ask questions, or make payments. Staff rush to keep up, and what should be a warm welcome often turns into a stressful start for everyone involved.

A check-in kiosk changes that. Guests can check in on their own, just like they would at an airport. They can confirm their booking, fill in registration details, make payments, and even obtain their key cards. This gives them flexibility and autonomy, while freeing up staff to focus on personal interactions and special requests.

For hoteliers, it’s the perfect balance between automation and hospitality. Fewer queues, faster check-ins, and a smoother arrival experience without losing the personal touch that makes your hotel unique.

In a nutshell:

• Let guests check in independently via kiosk

• Reduce queues and waiting times at reception

• Automatically process payments and key cards

• Create a modern, efficient, and guest-friendly arrival experience

Extra upcoming trends to keep an eye on

Hotel automation is evolving fast, and check-in kiosks are just the beginning. Independent hoteliers can already take advantage of new innovations that make operations smarter, more sustainable, and more connected:

• Room sensors that detect when a guest checks out and automatically update the cleaning status in your PMS.

• Sustainability tracking tools that monitor water, electricity, and cleaning product usage, helping you reduce waste and meet eco goals.

• Mobile updates from the housekeeping team, so reception instantly knows when a room is clean and ready for the next guest.

• Smart alerts for room necessities, like low minibar stock, missing linens, or maintenance needs.

Together, these innovations take automation beyond pricing and distribution. It saves you time, supports a more sustainable approach and helps you deliver an even smoother guest experience.

How Lighthouse can help you take back time

Running a hotel means juggling endless moving parts. Manual processes slow you down, increase the risk of errors, and take valuable time away from what really matters: your guests.

The Lighthouse platform helps independent hoteliers automate every part of their operations. By connecting your pricing, channel management, reservations, and daily tasks in one system, Lighthouse gives you complete control and clarity while reducing manual effort.

With Lighthouse, you can:

Automation isn’t about replacing humans, it’s about empowering hoteliers to focus on what they really care about. With Lighthouse, you can save hours of manual work, minimize mistakes, and deliver a smoother, smarter guest experience from booking to check-out.

Femke Nollet

Femke Nollet is a content specialist, passionate about helping independent hoteliers thrive. With a passion for visual storytelling and industry insights, Femke translates complex trends into practical strategies so hoteliers have the tools to navigate the evolving digital landscape.

About Lighthouse

Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight) is the leading commercial platform for the travel & hospitality industry. We transform complexity into confidence by providing actionable market insights, business intelligence, and pricing tools that maximize revenue growth. We continually innovate to deliver the best platform for hospitality professionals to price more effectively, measure performance more efficiently, and understand the market in new ways.

Trusted by over 65,000 hotels in 185 countries, Lighthouse is the only solution that provides real-time hotel and short-term rental data in a single platform. We strive to deliver the best possible experience with unmatched customer service. We consider our clients as true partners – their success is our success.

This article originally appeared on Lighthouse.