Throughout my years in the hospitality industry, I have been involved in a multitude of RFIs, RFPs, and other processes for selecting a new hotel management system, commonly referred to in the hospitality industry as a Property Management System (PMS).
During this time, it has been impossible not to notice some questions that all too often do not receive the attention they deserve, and several that are brought to the table unnecessarily or even far too late, when crucial decisions have already been made.
This is not about one PMS being “better” than another; it ultimately depends on what your particular hotel truly needs, but nonetheless, confront some decisions directly so that you know both what you are choosing and what you might also be forgoing.
But before we start going through the five perhaps most commonly missed questions when choosing a new PMS, I would like to offer a general piece of advice: Start the whole process well in advance! Or, to be clear, start the process earlier than you think you need to, because there will almost certainly be one, or several, questions that you did not anticipate would be involved.
This all too often leads to the entire process having to be postponed or even redone one or more years later. In conjunction with this, check before you begin how your current contract with your present supplier looks in terms of termination. Many contracts need to be terminated a certain time before the current period ends. A common clause, especially in somewhat older contracts, is that the agreement must be terminated in writing no later than three months before, with a period ending set to the end of December or a twelve-month period since its starting date. This means the agreement must be terminated no later than the notification period.
Let us now leave this issue to address the first of the five questions that are often missed.
Cloud is a popular topic, and buyers are increasingly asking about it, de facto turning it into the new normal. However, there is still confusion about the benefits of the cloud and what to actually check.
One important distinction is between "real cloud" and "fake cloud." "Fake cloud" refers to systems that are hosted in a data center but are based on older technology. These systems do offer advantages such as eliminating the need for on-site servers and backups, but not much more.
(On the subject of hosting, one should though add the importance of security offered by the hosting provider in question. Make sure to ALWAYS select a provider with the highest possible data security. This is provided by the world's largest cloud infrastructure providers like Amazon, Google or Microsoft, but also by selected smaller companies. Your selected hosting provider shall be able to give you proof on record of the security level.)
True cloud, also known as "cloud native" or "born in the cloud," refers to a system built on a modern technical platform and specifically designed for seamless upgrades, a super scalable hosting environment, increased security, connectivity, and mobile access.
Unlike older systems that require manual upgrades, a true cloud system eliminates this need. This is because it operates on a single, latest version for all customers, ensuring access to the most recent features and fixes.
You should reasonably expect to live with your new PMS choice for the next 5 to 10 years. It should be able to serve as the hub of a technical solution that is as future-proof as possible, even one that does not yet exist. An older technical platform will sooner or later prove unable to connect to the latest third-party solutions that you might want to integrate a few years from now. The new exciting solutions that at that time will be crucial to “keeping up” with your competitors.
The possibility to access our data and interact with guests on the move takes a bigger role in today's reality. From the possibility to welcome guests personally on a tablet and walk them to their rooms, to the capability to adjust processes, update room statuses, and anything else you can consider, the capacity to break the chains of your desk is getting more and more appealing. The “fake” cloud solutions may not be so able to cope with native mobile interfaces, while the cloud native hotel management solutions are by design mobile.
Let me illustrate how outdated tech can be problematic with a clear example. Some older communication systems still in use today rely on the ASCII character standard. Created in 1963, ASCII is limited to 128 characters: the English alphabet and basic punctuation.
This creates issues for names with non-standard characters, like Nuñez, Müller, or my own, Spolén. These characters might be replaced or disappear entirely, potentially causing problems with tickets or access. For example, a ticket in my name could become "Spol#&3n," preventing me from using it.
Therefore, I still write my last name, somewhat incorrectly, as “Spolen” when I buy international tickets to avoid the risk of replaced characters.
While ASCII is still used in some areas, SOAP, REST, and JSON are the most common communication languages used today. If your new PMS doesn't support all of these, it might not be able to connect with other systems you need, making it quickly outdated.
SOAP, REST, and JSON are essential for external connections today, but new standards are constantly emerging. To future-proof your investment, choose the most modern technical platform available.
(This is a simplified explanation of data exchange standards and their potential consequences.)
Cloud computing is not simply about the cloud itself, but rather, it provides a platform that is both modern, scalable, and secure, and as future-proof as possible. The following blog will take a closer look at the importance of one-way and two-way interfaces, as well as highlight a frequently overlooked question regarding these.
Yours truly,
Kim