Software integrations form a critical part of your property’s operations, streamlining tasks, enhancing the guest experience, and driving revenue. Connected to your property management system through high-quality APIs (application programming interfaces), hotel software integrations encompass everything from payment processors and revenue management systems to guest engagement and housekeeping solutions.
Selecting the right integration partners keeps workflows running smoothly and future-proofs your business. Here are key factors to consider when choosing the best technology partners for your unique property.
Know your unique business needs and how any new software solution meets those needs. What gaps does the technology fill, and how does the solution elevate the experience for guests and/or staff? Map out your guest journey from start to finish and assess pain points. If you’re unsure where those occur, reviews are an excellent starting point.
It’s also a good idea to conduct a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) to more thoroughly evaluate the proposed system in the context of your property, both now and in future. This enables you to distinguish between the nice-to-have features and the must haves.
Involve your frontline staff in this process. As the people executing daily operations and interacting with guests, they’re best positioned to identify inefficiencies.
Your type of property (hotel, inn, campground, etc.) also plays a key role in the integrations you should select. While payment processing integrations make sense for every property, others may not. Some properties benefit from GDS connections, for example, while others do better with OTAs. Some revenue management systems are designed for large multi-property groups, and others for smaller boutique properties.
When choosing hotel software integrations, ensuring compatibility with your property management system (PMS) is crucial. If an integration doesn’t work seamlessly with your PMS, you risk creating data silos, manual errors, and inefficiencies. Manually transferring data between multiple systems can lead to inconsistencies, outdated information, and costly mistakes—and creates a never-ending task that pulls attention away from building meaningful guest relationships.
Prioritize integrations designed to work with your PMS, enabling automatic data exchange and keeping information accurate and up to date across all platforms. A fully integrated tech stack not only saves time but also provides a more cohesive experience for both staff and guests.
It’s also important to determine whether the integration is one-way or two-way. One-way integrations are limited because information is only transmitted in one direction, whereas two-way integrations ensure data is both sent and received. Before purchasing new software, know exactly how it connects to your PMS. If it’s a one-way integration, assess whether it still serves your needs.
WebRezPro integrates with over 150 trusted solutions, offering properties the flexibility to customize their tech stack for maximum success.
Before committing to a new hotel software integration, take time to thoroughly evaluate the solution itself. You can’t be sure a system meets your property’s needs unless you fully understand its capabilities. Request a live demo (if not already offered) and invite a tech-savvy team member to attend; those with technical expertise can offer insight that helps uncover strengths or potential limitations you might otherwise miss.
During the demo, assess the system’s user friendliness. Pay attention to how intuitive it is and how many steps it takes to execute core functions. A well-designed solution should save time!
A demo also allows you to gauge the provider’s professionalism and culture fit.
The goal is to choose a solution that not only connects with your PMS but actively improves your processes and guest service.
While integrated systems should work together, they should not perform the same functions. Each integration should expand your tech stack’s capabilities, not replicate them.
Before adding a new integration, conduct a thorough audit of your PMS and other software to ensure that the proposed integration delivers greater capability than a simple overlap.
Security is paramount for any property, from boutique B&Bs to large hotels. Without adequate safeguards, you risk exposing your business and your guests to credit card theft, hospitality scams, and even unauthorized room access.
Beyond financial losses, a breach can result in serious reputational damage as guests avoid properties that fail to protect their data—and spread the word about their experience. Before committing to new software, ask providers about data security measures like PCI (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliance and what their procedure is should a breach occur.
In addition to industry data security standards, your property and systems may be required to meet other regulations like accessibility laws (such as the ADA or AODA) and anti-spam regulations like CAN-SPAM and CASL. Depending on your location, you may also need integrations that handle occupancy taxes, real-time fiscal reporting, or environmental tracking.
Research the regulations that apply to your property and ensure your integration partners help you stay compliant across all areas of operation.
Balancing functionality and affordability is key to getting the best value for your budget. Research prices thoroughly and watch out for hidden costs. Setup, customer support, upgrades, and even cancellation can all cost extra. If the system doesn’t operate in the cloud, be prepared for added hardware expenses.
However, cost isn’t the only factor you should consider. Assess return on investment (ROI) by itemizing where your integration saves money—and time. How much time on routine operations can a system save that staff can redirect towards more profitable tasks?
Analytics are essential for measuring ROI. What metrics does the integration track, and how can those metrics complement the data in your PMS to provide a detailed assessment of your property?
Analytics empower you to make strategic adjustments. For instance, your customer relationship management system (CRM) should track email campaign open rates. If those rates aren’t what you’d like them to be, it might be time to rework your subject line.
Moreover, robust analytics allow you to form a comprehensive picture of your guest segments and tailor your offers and amenities to each. Personalization is key, and integrating your PMS with guest engagement solutions (like a CRM, guest messaging app, or smart tech systems) makes it easy. Even in 2018, 80 percent of customers were more likely to purchase when brands provided personalized experiences.
Ideally, your property will not be in the same place five years—or even five months—from now. Select systems that are able to grow along with it and handle increased data when required, especially during peak seasons. Don’t only look at where you are in the present; look at where you’re going to be.
Ask potential partners whether they would be open to adapting their agreement with your PMS should you ever require more information to pass between them than currently does.
Each integration should come with sufficient onboarding and ongoing support. Find out who to call should issues arise. It may depend on which side the issue is occurring (in your PMS or the connected system). WebRezPro offers complimentary customer support seven days a week. Our inhouse support team boasts a 25-second average response time for calls, and 89.9 percent of issues are resolved within that first call.
Browse your potential partner’s reviews to gauge the calibre of their customer support and consider making a test call to evaluate response times and support quality.
Your tech stack plays a vital role in attracting and delighting guests—even if they aren’t interacting directly with it—so it deserves careful, strategic investment. Use these tips to choose hotel software integration solutions that streamline operations, enhance the guest journey, and boost your bottom line.
