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Software Options for Operating a Mid-Sized Hotel?
curly_dan asks: "Can readers recommend any software packages suitable for a mid-sized hotel (100 rooms + restaurant + bar + function rooms) to use for checking guests in/out, billing, housekeeping, reservations, financial accounting and all other necessary functions for a busy hotel? Their existing system (which I don't want to name) is clunky, fails often, and the telephone support team seem unable to use or configure their own product and are frequently rude to the hotel staff. I'm interested in hearing the experiences on the software packages those of you in this business have encountered."
When I worked at a hotel (65 rooms, no restaurant), we used a product called Check-Inn. It had all of the features you mentioned, and was fairly decent. It wasn't awesome, but it wasn't too expensive, either. IIRC, they could do internet reservations in the latest release (which we weren't running).
While it is aimed at residential colleges, it offers functionality for billing, events/functions, room allocations and a bit more. Having been involved in a company which uses it, it's ok, except that users need local administrative privileges.
Check it out here: www.starnetsystems.com.au
Be warned, it's fairly expensive, but probably not prohibitively so.
www.fearthecow.net
You'll want to make sure that the new system interacts correctly and usefully with the hotel's phone system. Depending on that system, it could reduce the number of choices rather dramatically.
Try Corewar @ www.koth.org - rec.games.corewar
Don't ask software geeks what's the best software for running a hotel. We may know software, but we know shit about hotels. You should ask other hoteliers.
Filemaker is the solution you are looking for. Much of what you have requested has pre-built packages and companies like Soliant Consulting or Excelisys or you could even do it yourself
free download to play with, never used anything better
Hands down THE BEST software if you like to run a hotel.. bar.. integrates nicely..lots of add ons, evey serialed upgrade has just rocked with wish fullfillment.. the forum is good for 'how do i's although the owner/author/president can get snippy when he feels a post just isn't appropriate....
www.innquest.com
I've worked days inn, marriott, best western, one holiday inn briefly, and three independents, innquest rocks..
you can create custom confirmation letters that adjust to the details of the bookings, with variables you set and using boolean logic.
try it.. I can't tell you enough how much I think it rocks. yes- I'll gladly be known as a innquest fanboy...
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
and a Howard Johnsons..
Trust me.. download roommaster, play with the sample data.. it'll kill you with ease of use.
it does require win xp pro on all terminals..
First year we saved about 1k in postage by emailing our confirmations (independent motel) we also had much better communications because we had sent an email to everyone at point of booking, and again when their reservations had a deposit.. if we never recieved a deposit, 'usta be we'd cancel the bookings, now we send an email ahead, then recapture about half, then cancel the rest...
I have confirmation letters that know the difference between a rack rate, and a special that require a different cancel time, and prints the date they must cancel by (3 days ahead, or 14) automatically..
it can produce 99% of it's reports to PDF...
pay the pony, at a 100 rooms, get the enterprise edition, the extra reporting is well worth it.
THE ONLY THING it does not do that I wish it did today (Robert, are ya listening? I'm sure you've figured out who this is from the slacker typing style) is let me track rooms completed by which housekeeper... where the desk types them in, and I also wish I could move line items off the DESK FOLIOS only, so I could recapture missed call accounting interfaces (due to desk, not software error) to the rooms they belong to cleanly.....
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
Stay far far away from a company named MICROS. Sure you may see them everywhere but their marketing and "support" are shady and underhanded. They will tell you that you need to upgrade every two years and if you say no then they will try to get anyone at your property down to the night auditor to sign a paper allowing them to do the install. They might even just come in and say they have to install then get the signature on the way out and you just signed away $10k to them.
There was a wonderful looking, easy to use system documented a while ago on The Daily WTF. It was even shown to have a truly elegant architecture. Check it out, you'll definitely be surprised!
Solution to blink tags: wrap them in another blink tag, with a javascript delay loop, so they cancel each other out
Mrs Richards: Now. I've reserved a very quiet room, with a bath and a sea view. I specifically asked for a sea view in my written confirmation, so please make sure I have it.
Manuel: Qué?
Mrs Richards: What?
Manuel: Qué?
Mrs Richards: "K"?
Manuel: Sí.
Mrs Richards: "C"?
[Manuel nods.]
Mrs Richards: "KC"?
[Manuel looks puzzled.]
Mrs Richards: "KC"? What are you trying to say?
Manuel: No, no-no-no. "Qué" "what".
Mrs Richards: "K what"?
Manuel: Sí! "Qué" "what"!
Mrs Richards: "C.K. Watt"?
Manuel: Yes.
Mrs Richards: Who is C.K. Watt?
Manuel: Qué?
Mrs Richards: Is it the manager, Mr Watt?
Manuel: Oh, manager!
Mrs Richards: He is.
Manuel: Ah Mr Fawlty!
Mrs Richards: What?
Manuel: Fawlty.
Mrs Richards: What are you talking about, you silly little man?!
[She turns to hotel maid Polly.]
Mrs Richards: What is going on here? I ask him for my room, and he tells me the manager's a "Mr Watt", aged forty.
Manuel: No, no. Fawlty.
Mrs Richards: Faulty? What's wrong with him?
Polly: It's alright, Mrs Richards. He's from Barcelona.
"I'm going to f***ing bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I'm going to f***ing kill Google"
I can't speak for most of the Epicor software suite but I strongly recommend that you avoid their Scala product. It sucks, in fact let's say it sucks a lot.
Ed Almos
The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws. - Tacitus, 56-120 A.D.
I know more history than I've experienced myself.
/accomodations available without quoting rates-- this enables you to give up the book faster.. then using a rate sheet (one taped near every phone) quotes rates & details.. when getting the booking, you fill out a reservation form (about half a sheet of paper sized) with customers & reservation details
But, in the period JUST BEFORE pc's were common, our hotel used a
1-Micros Cash register to keep track of all the rooms
2- 3 ring binder with 'graph' paper to keep track of availability
3- boxes like 4X6 index card boxes for actual reservations
process, you call the hotel, ask for a certain date, the agent steals the "book" from whichever phone (of three) it's sitting at, and looks at the two pages (rooms 1-40 on page one, 41-80 on page 2) and quotes availability and room descriptions
as soon as possible, you write this name in the book for their room in pencil.. you file the respad in the box for such by name.
a week-ten days later, their deposit (check or money order only) arrives.. you pull the name copy.. get the book- erase the name in pencil, write it again in ink.. then go to the micros and open the 'adv deposit' account.. ring up the check- and it prints a two-line comment on the respad as well.. now file the respad in the index boxes by date of arrival.
guest arrives, fills out stub card on registration card.. you ring up a payment from the advance deposit file, and the balance of what the guest paid at check in.. and print it off
each night, the auditor takes each card one at a time, and posts off the days charges...
at checkout, the balances get zeroed, and the top copy is the guests receipt.
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random