What Is a Property Management System, and How Does It Help My Hotel?

A property management system (PMS) like WebRezPro is a software platform through which you can oversee every aspect of operations, including room inventory, reservations, housekeeping, accounting, reporting, and so much more. Many routine tasks formerly done by hand have been automated by the PMS for today’s hotelier, enabling more efficient service. 

Your PMS also serves as a single source of truth from which staff can access guest data and performance metrics. This data is shared between your PMS and other systems through real-time integration. Having access to consolidated, real-time information empowers you to build deeper customer relationships and make strategic decisions that future-proof your property.  

A modern PMS includes all the tools you need to streamline daily operations and drive revenue: 

Direct Bookings – An online booking engine allows you to accept reservations directly through your website so that you can reduce online travel agency (OTA) commissions and collect guest data to personalize service. A robust booking engine also enables you to sell add-ons like restaurant meals or spa treatments as the guest completes their reservation, making it as easy as possible for them to customize their stay and spend more with you. 

Front Desk Operations – Your PMS streamlines front desk tasks with a variety of automated features that make it easy for clerks to determine availability, view and edit reservations, take payments, manage check-ins/outs, etc. WebRezPro even comes with an hourly booking calendar for accommodating guests who do not require an overnight stay but rather a conference room or place to rest during a layover.

Guest Communications – Hoteliers do not have time to manually send emails to every guest. Instead, your PMS fulfills this requirement with customizable templates automatically personalized with reservation data and sent based on trigger dates so that no communication falls through the cracks. Hotels with more complex needs may also choose to integrate with a customer relationship management or SMS messaging system. 

Self Check-in – WebRezPro facilitates self check-in through guest agreements aka digital registration cards. Using automated email templates, properties can send guest agreements so that guests can review the terms and conditions of the stay ahead of time and provide vital information. Completed agreements are then automatically attached to the appropriate reservation.

Payment gateway and keyless entry integrations permit the guest to pay online and receive their mobile key so that they can bypass the front desk entirely and start enjoying their stay sooner. Clerks also have more time to handle complicated issues as they don’t have to process every routine check-in. 

Rate Management – Your PMS includes flexible rate management tools that empower you to instantly adjust and optimize pricing to keep pace with the market. With WebRezPro, you can create various rate types—such as standard, package, discount, and negotiated rates—with day-of-week pricing and restrictions like minimum/maximum LOS, CTA/CTD, and booking windows. Our interactive overrides feature allows you to modify multiple rates from a single screen, and the yield management module automates rate changes in response to availability. 

Housekeeping & Maintenance – A PMS empowers you to organize, track, and manage all housekeeping and maintenance tasks with checklists and room status displays to ensure a uniform standard of cleanliness across your property. Notes and maintenance alarms prevent any issues going unresolved. 

WebRezPro’s housekeeping report is available in both table and tile format. Table format is ideal for viewing property-wide data from a computer screen, while tile format is best used on a mobile device—so housekeepers can update room status on the go. 

Group Bookings – For many hotels, it’s advantageous to accept group bookings (weddings, corporate retreats, etc.), and your PMS helps you oversee those. You can assign room blocks and special rates, manage rooming lists, track contract status and deposits, and perform quick group check-ins/outs. Charges and payments may be applied to one master invoice or split into multiple invoices within the group, say, if a company pays for lodging, but its employees are responsible for their own meals. 

Invoicing & Accounting – Your PMS provides a variety of accounting tools and reports to streamline front- and back-office tasks and give operators a clear view of their business’s financial health. Important accounting reports include the chart of accounts, trial balance, balance sheet, profit and loss, and more, which are automatically updated with every transaction. In addition, your PMS automates key tasks such as billing and expense tracking. All of this makes your night audit and bank reconciliations a breeze! 

Reporting – Your PMS also automatically tracks real-time reservation data and metrics—including occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, and more—giving you an accurate picture of performance on which you can base smart, data-driven decisions for more profitable operational strategies. WebRezPro even provides a custom report to personalize this data and gather the metrics that matter most to your unique property. 

Data Security – It’s critical that your chosen PMS protects data with features such as TLS/SSL certification, two-factor authentication, IP-restricted access, and more. If your system accepts credit card data, it must also be PCI compliant. Review the security measures in place before purchasing your PMS. 

As your property’s central data hub, your PMS automates routine tasks, allowing you to streamline operations and build guest loyalty. For any modern hotelier, this system is absolutely necessary—especially in an evolving industry. Spreadsheets and post-its no longer cut it, so future-proof your property with a cloud PMS!