The Independent Hotelier's Guide to Property Management System Selection

Evaluating PMS Systems for Hotels, Dawn VanLanen, General Manager of Tropical Shores Resorts shares her experience

Question:
What prompted you to begin the search for a property management system?

Answer:

"Our existing PMS provider was not Internet based nor did it offer a two-way interface. In addition, the technical support lacked sufficient knowledge or support."

Question:

Tell me about the process you went through prior to the purchase of a property management system for your business. (In relation to building your needs/requirements/evaluation list)

Answer: 

"For us, we knew exactly what we wanted. Our minimum requirements included a two way interface that was compatible with our existing GDS provider, it needed to be Internet based, and provide the exact reports we needed at the property level. The system needed to be within the budget guidelines and be offered on demo with no strings attached!  From that point, we wanted to find out about the PMS team we would be working with regards to their knowledge of the software and how accessible they were to offer assistance. Our last requirement was service. We put a call in early one Sunday AM to see what the response time would be (in case of extreme emergency!)  In our case, we received a call back within minutes.   At that point, we knew a new relationship was formed. And last but not least, Training!! We wanted to make sure we received the training we needed and that ongoing training would always be available."

Question:
What were the 3 most important things you considered when making the purchase?

 

Answer:

"Two-way interface, Internet-based, budget"

Question:
Did it matter to you if it was a web based or server based property management system?

Answer:

Yes

 

Question:
What do you consider to be essential to the success of the evaluation process?

"Aside from the items mentioned, having our questions answered! I don’t know how many software demos we looked at where we could not obtain follow up answers on questions we had! References are always important and making sure time is allowed to test the software out before purchasing. Ask yourself, does the PMS Company seem eager to help you find out whether their software is the right fit for the property and how they can better educate you or are they just eager to make a quick sale? Also, ask them who their top three competitors are and why. That will also give you insight to their knowledge of their product, professionalism, and ability to communicate. If they don’t have an answer, keep looking! Look for a company that is striving to be on the cutting edge, they will always know their competition well."

Question:
Now that you have purchased a property management system do you feel you made the right decision and if so what do you think were the most important parts of the process that led to making the right decision?

 

Answer:

 

 "Yes, it was the best decision we have made for this property. Taking our time to make sure we did not make a move until we found EXACTLY what we were looking for and also the right company to work with. Technical support from your PMS vendor should viewed as an extended part of your team. If you don’t feel that way, your property is not getting the maximum benefit. Ultimately, it’s about what happens after the purchase! The right product without the right people turns into the wrong product real fast!  Overall, the most important thing we did was role play with the companies we were considering. That goes beyond your initial sales contact!  It’s pretty easy to figure out the level of knowledge, strength, attitudes, and accessibility with a few inquires. As a GM the last thing I wanted to do was find a great system and realize in a years time no one answered our calls. Our research process was viewed not just finding new software but also finding the right relationship with an extended team. At the end of the day, because we took our time and looked at the big picture,  we can only wish everything was as easy and seamless as our PMS system!"

Tropical Shores Beach Resorts are located in Siesta Key, Florida, USA. For more information on Tropical Shores Beach Resorts visit their web sites at www.tropicalshores.com , Tropical Sun Resort at www.tropicalsunresort.com and Sara Sea at www.sarasearesort.com

   

property management system evaluation

Evaluating PMS Systems for Guest Lodging, Aphrodite Caserta, Director of Marketing & Communications at Safari West shares her experience

Question:
Tell me about the process you went through to purchase a property management system for your business.

Answer:
"We completed a thorough needs assessment for the property and determined that we needed to move from a manual to a computerized system to meet the growth and unique needs of Safari West.  We felt that by automating our reservation system it would enable us to enhance the guest experience and maximize our profits."

"Once decided, we appointed a project manager and put together the project plan."

"We then developed a Request for Proposal (RFP) based on our needs analysis."

"Research - we started by calling the General Managers at similar size properties and asked questions such as what property management they were currently using? We used our Property/Reference Questionnaire to conduct the interviews."

"Research – we reviewed our marketing plan, defined our guests, demographics, etc."

"Research – we went on-line to gather information and read white papers about hospitality systems.
We developed a ‘long list’ from the research we conducted with similar properties and from information we gathered on-line."

"Research – we contracted an IT specialist to provide an assessment of our current infrastructure and make a recommendation (factoring in projected total cost of ownership) either to support a client server based system or a web-based system."  

"We then developed a ‘short list’ of five vendors to contact and set up demos."

"We put together a document listing the key benefits of each vendor and the key concerns as they related to our RFP and needs analysis."

"We prepared a recommendation to the property owners based on our research and analysis, taking into consideration all intangibles benefits including references, how long they have been around, are they keeping up on the latest trends, do their people have extensive experience, as well as price comparisons, model comparisons, support and training, interfaces with standard protocols, and web model vs. client server model. "

Question:
 What were the 3 most important things you considered when making the purchase?

Answer:

1. "The program needed to be easy to learn and could be fine tuned to our operation."  
2. "Will they be around in the next five years? Who are the people within the company – do they have experience in the hotel industry? The more experience, the better the program, training and support."
3. "The program needed to match our operating style and should have more features than we thought we could use…we didn’t want to outgrow the system." 

Question:
Did it matter to you if it was a web based or server based property management system?

"Yes. We decided on a web based system. Most client server systems required that we own the software and install the programs on several computers.
The upkeep with upgrades and the cost of hiring an IT person to keep the system running would be very expensive. In contrast, a web based system allowed us to have someone else run the software remotely over live Internet connections. The onetime cost of a web based system vs. recurring costs associated with leased or purchased equipment such as software maintenance, server hardware maintenance, network support, database support and other contingencies was a huge savings."

Question:
Now that you have purchased a property management system do you feel you made the right decision and if so what do you think were the most important parts of the process that led to making the right decision?

 "Yes, indeed - we made the right decision."

"The most important part of the process was the developing the project plan and the project team. Defining our needs, getting the right people in the organization involved, building the business case as to return on investment, working with all the end users and getting their commitment and support, and finally, establishing a change procedure involving all the end users."

Question:
What would you deem to be essential to the success of this project?

Answer:
"Our team’s commitment was essential to the success of this project."

Safari West is located in Santa Rosa, California, USA. For more information about Safari West, visit their web site at www.safariwest.com

   

property management system evaluation