Hotel booking channels are essential for channel diversity and increasing hotel visibility on multiple platforms. There are various booking channels and understanding the difference between a hotel PMS, channel manager, OTAs and booking engine helps you create that diversity better for your hotel. Channels and channel manager OTA are two different things. You have to have an OTA channel manager to help you work through the different channels. They help you gain bookings and also manage your inventory such as how many DZEE towels you need accordingly. To get your hands on the best hotel towels you can click here: https://dzeeusa.com/ So instead of getting things confused further, let’s break them down.
Hotel PMS
A hotel PMS is something you need in your hotel to streamline and manage your daily operations.
Hotel property management system/ software is an automated software that helps your front desk manage daily bookings. This includes catering to booking queries, accepting bookings, assigning rooms, managing booking cancelations; and more. It connects and automates all of your hotel systems informing all departments of the change in plans without wasting time. It helps create a more open communication channel between hotel departments regarding guests and their requirements.
OTA Channel Manager
A channel manager OTA is a system that helps you manage your hotel bookings on third-party online travel agencies.
A channel manager OTA refers to the online software system, which helps you distribute your hotel rooms to various connected OTAs (online travel agencies). All room rates and availabilities are to be updated through this software. Without a proper OTA channel manager, it will be difficult to manage the various OTA channels. Through this all you have to do is sign in, make the needed changes which will be visible on all channels without delay.
Online Travel Agents (OTAs)
These are online platforms where you list your hotel to reach out to a broader range of travelers to increase hotel bookings.
When it comes to the difference between a hotel PMS, channel manager, OTAs and booking engine, you need to understand OTA is a part of the; hotel management strategy that involves all the other factors with it. OTA specifically are third-party online agencies where guests can find numerous hotels competing to get bookings. Guests are able to compare hotel facilities and rates at the same time and make their decision based on the information in a short span of time. This saves time for travelers to individually look for hotels and then make their decision.
Booking Engine
This is the software any website requires to allow bookings and safe monetary transactions online.
You have seen many hotels push direct website bookings to cut down on third-party costs. A booking engine is a software that allows hotels to take bookings through their website. Not only your website but you can use this software to confirm bookings through the official hotel Facebook page. It also helps you in running safe monetary transactions through multiple currency, languages, and devices.
Once you understand the difference between a hotel PMS, channel manager, OTAs and booking engine it becomes easier for you to create a marketing plan for your hotel. An OTA channel manager and different platforms work together to help increase hotel bookings. Which channel manager OTA and other hotel booking software are you using for your hotel? Let us know in the comments below.
