Ranking of essential digital tools for hotels in 2024

Technology has profoundly changed the hotel industry from being a simple advantage to an essential tool for improving performance. Today, it's no longer just about managing bookings, but also about perfecting every aspect of the customer experience and optimizing operations.

With 87% of travelers now booking via their smartphone, digital innovation has become indispensable. Customers expect services that are fast, personalized, and easily accessible. In this context, adopting the right technology is crucial for managing a hotel well and maintaining a good online reputation.

Here are some concrete benefits:

• Increased efficiency : Automation of daily tasks such as managing reservations and rooms.
• Improving the customer experience : A smooth and smooth service, from check-in to in-room service.
• Online reputation : Manage reviews in real time to retain your customers.

In this article, we will discover the essential digital tools for hotels in 2024, whether they are small hotels or large chains. These solutions will help you optimize your operations, improve customer experiences, and stay competitive in a rapidly changing industry.

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1. Hotel Management Systems (PMS)

A Hotel Management System (PMS) is essential for any hotel structure, as it centralizes and simplifies daily tasks, saving time and improving overall efficiency.

Why is a PMS essential?

A modern PMS automates key processes, such as:

• Booking management (direct or via platforms like Booking.com),
• Check-ins and check-outs,
• Managing the availability of rooms,
• Payment management,
• Monitoring services such as cleaning or room service.

The advantages of a PMS for your hotel

• Time saver : By automating repetitive tasks, it reduces manual work.
• Centralization of data : All departments have access to information in real time, which improves coordination.
• Optimizing revenue : It dynamically adjusts prices based on demand and market trends.

Examples of successful PMS

Here are some PMS solutions that can optimize the management of your hotel:

• Mews : A cloud PMS that simplifies the daily management of hotels and offers an intuitive interface. Mews automates bookings and centralizes data, while helping to increase revenue through flexible rate and availability management. It also integrates with payment and point of sale systems.
• Apaleo : An open PMS platform that adapts to the needs of hotels. Apaleo makes it possible to connect different applications via APIs and easily manages online operations. 100% cloud, it reduces maintenance costs and improves the customer experience.
• RoomRaccoon : Ideal for independent hotels, RoomRaccoon offers an all-in-one solution for managing reservations, with a channel manager and a commission-free booking engine. With over 400 integrations, this platform maximizes revenue and improves customer experiences.
• Smoobu : This all-in-one software is perfect for managing short-term rentals. Smoobu automatically synchronizes bookings and prices across more than 100 platforms, while centralizing data in a PMS. It also allows you to create a reservation site without commission, and to automate the management of rates and customer communications.
• Misterbooking : This PMS centralizes the management of reservations, distribution channels and payments. It includes a Channel Manager, a responsive booking engine, and an online pre-check-in system, thus simplifying management and improving the customer experience. Misterbooking also helps increase direct sales through secure payment tools.

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2. Customer relationship management (CRM)

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is essential for hotels that want to personalize the customer experience and build customer loyalty. By bringing together all customer data, these tools help to better understand their needs and preferences, to offer a tailor-made stay at each visit.

Why is a CRM essential?

With a CRM, you can:

• Track customer preferences : You have all the information you need to personalize each stay according to the preferences of your customers, whether it is the room, the services or the offers.
• Automate communications : Send targeted messages automatically before, during and after the stay.
• Create tailor-made offers : Offer promotions adapted to the habits and expectations of your customers.

The advantages of a CRM for the hotel industry

• Increased personalization : Adapt your services to make each stay unique and memorable.
• Effective direct marketing : Create targeted campaigns that reach the customers who are most likely to return.
• Optimized loyalty : Strengthen the loyalty of your customers by anticipating their needs and rewarding them with personalized loyalty programs.

Examples of efficient CRMs for the hotel industry

Here are some CRMs that help hotels better manage customer relationships and improve profitability:

• Bookboost AB : This CRM platform is specially designed for the hotel industry. It centralizes customer data to create personalized journeys and simplifies communication through a unified inbox. With its segmentation tools, Bookboost helps automate marketing and increase direct bookings.
• Smart Host GmbH : Using artificial intelligence, Smart Host automates communications with customers. Connected to PMS systems, it facilitates the management of interactions and data, allowing for increased direct bookings and customer loyalty. A real-time dashboard also makes it possible to monitor the hotel's performance.
• Revinate : Used by over 12,000 hotels, Revinate offers a complete suite for managing customer relationships. It centralizes customer information, offers targeted email marketing campaigns, and a text messaging tool for real-time communication. It also helps manage customer reviews, improving online reputation and attracting more bookings.

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3. Direct booking tools (Booking Engine)

Direct booking engines have become essential for hotels looking to increase revenue and reduce their dependence on third-party platforms like Booking.com or Expedia. These tools allow customers to book directly on the hotel's site, which avoids paying commissions to online travel agencies (OTAs).

Why is a Booking Engine essential?

Direct booking engines offer a number of advantages:

• Reduction in commissions : By increasing direct bookings, you limit the fees paid to OTAs.
• Better management of prices and availability : These tools synchronize your rates and inventories in real time, thus facilitating adjustments according to demand.
• Seamless integration : Booking engines integrate perfectly with your website, guaranteeing a simple and pleasant user experience.

The advantages of a direct booking engine for your hotel

• More control : You manage your reservations without depending on the conditions imposed by OTAs.
• Increase in margins : By avoiding commissions, each reservation becomes more profitable.
• Improving the customer experience : By booking directly with you, customers get a more personalized experience right from the start.

Examples of successful booking engines

Here are a few booking engines that help hotels maximize their direct bookings:

• SiteMinder : A platform that helps hotels manage bookings and distribution channels effectively. SiteMinder includes a Channel Manager and Booking Engine that increases direct bookings and centralizes sales management.
• Cloudbeds : Cloudbeds makes it possible to increase direct bookings without commission, while easily integrating into your website. It offers flexible pricing options and real-time analytics tools to track performance and maximize revenue.
• D-EDGE : With a fluid and customizable booking engine, D-EDGE maximizes direct bookings and allows promotions to be managed. It supports 35 languages and 66 currencies, ensuring an optimized international experience for your customers.
• Bookassist : This powerful booking engine, combined with digital marketing and web design services, helps hotels reduce their dependence on OTAs. With a cost per acquisition of less than 8%, Bookassist improves customer loyalty while maximizing revenue.
• LoungeUp : LoungeUp is an all-in-one solution that centralizes customer relationship management and hotel operations. It automates check-ins, optimizes additional sales, and manages interactions via SMS and WhatsApp. LoungeUp improves the productivity of your team while offering a smooth and digital experience to your customers.

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4. Automated Check-in/Check-Out Solutions

Automated check-in and check-out systems have become essential in modern hotels. They allow guests to check in and out of the hotel without having to go through the front desk, offering greater flexibility and autonomy. These solutions perfectly meet the expectations of connected travelers and help optimize hotel operations.

Why are these solutions essential?

• Fewer lines : Customers can check in and check out at their own pace, without having to wait at the front desk.
• Enhanced customer experience : More fluidity and autonomy for customers, who appreciate a fast and contactless service.
• 24/7 availability : These systems work continuously, allowing customers to arrive and leave at their convenience, without staff intervention.

The benefits of automated check-in/check-out for your hotel

• Cost reduction : Fewer staff are needed to manage arrivals and departures.
• Improving the customer experience : Contactless, fast and flexible check-in and check-out meet the expectations of modern customers.
• Optimizing operations : Repetitive tasks are automated, allowing the team to focus on interactions with higher added value.

Examples of automated check-in/check-out solutions

Here are some powerful solutions to automate check-ins and departures in your hotel:

• OpenKey : OpenKey offers a secure digital key to simplify check-in. It integrates with more than 50 PMS systems and allows guests to access their room via their phone, consult hotel services and interact with the establishment. This improves the customer experience while reducing costs.
• Salto : Salto offers smart, keyless access control systems, ensuring a smooth and secure experience for customers. This solution can be adapted to all types of hotels, luxury or economic, and integrates directly with existing PMS for optimized access management.
• Straiv GmbH : Straiv allows contactless check-in/check-out via smartphone, without the need to download an application. With features like a digital key and payment management, Straiv also facilitates upselling. Used in over 3,000 hotels in 29 countries, it helps improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and increase direct bookings.

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5. Communication tools and internal training

In the hotel industry, good communication between teams is essential to offer quality service and guarantee an irreproachable customer experience. Internal communication tools make it possible to better coordinate staff, quickly share important information, and speed up the training of new employees, ensuring a responsive and well-informed team.

Why are these tools essential?

• Improving communication : By centralizing exchanges, misunderstandings are avoided and all staff are informed of key points in real time.
• Fast integration of new hires : New employees can be trained more quickly thanks to better organization and easier access to important information.
• Optimizing the customer experience : A well-informed and connected team is more responsive and better prepared to meet customer needs.

The benefits of internal communication tools

• Instant sharing of key information : The whole team is aware of events, priority tasks and specific customer requests.
• Seamless collaboration : Teams can collaborate better, which allows for more effective management of daily operations and guarantees impeccable service.
• Reducing misunderstandings : By centralizing communications, we avoid mistakes that could harm the customer experience.

Examples of internal communication tools

Here are some solutions that optimize communication and training within hotel teams:

• Workplace (by Meta) : Workplace is an internal communication platform developed by Meta (formerly Facebook). It allows teams to stay connected through groups, video calls, and instant messages. Thanks to its simple and familiar interface, it facilitates information sharing and collaboration, whether between reception staff or cleaning staff.
• Roomee : Roomee is an internal communication tool designed for teams in the field. It centralizes exchanges, facilitates team coordination and improves the efficiency of daily operations. By allowing quick access to information, Roomee streamlines collaboration, reduces misunderstandings and increases the responsiveness of the establishment to customer needs.

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6. Tools for analysing and managing customer reviews

Online reviews are crucial to a hotel's reputation. They directly influence the decisions of future customers and have a significant impact on the number of bookings. Using a customer review management tool allows you to monitor comments on platforms like TripAdvisor, Google or Booking.com in real time, and to respond quickly. Good review management not only improves online reputation, but also builds the trust of potential customers.

Why are these tools essential?

• Improving online reputation : Responding quickly to reviews, whether positive or negative, shows that you are considering the experience of your customers.
• Proactive management of negative reviews : By quickly detecting negative comments, you can fix problems before they impact your image too much.
• Increase in bookings : A good reputation attracts more customers and generates more direct bookings, thanks to a positive image.

The benefits of customer review management tools for your hotel

• Continuously improving the customer experience : Customer feedback makes it possible to identify areas for improvement in order to offer a better quality service.
• Building loyalty : Responding proactively to reviews shows customers that their opinions matter, which in turn builds customer loyalty.
• Reputation optimization : Effective review management helps to improve rankings on booking sites and increase your performance indicators (ADR and RevPAR).

Examples of tools for analyzing and managing customer reviews

Here are some effective platforms for managing and analyzing customer reviews in the hotel industry:

• TrustYou : This platform centralizes and analyzes customer feedback on a large scale. Used by more than 100,000 hotels, it helps to transform reviews into concrete actions thanks to artificial intelligence. By responding to feedback in real time, TrustYou improves customer satisfaction and increases direct bookings. It also provides data to optimize internal operations.
• ReviewPro : ReviewPro offers surveys to customers before, during, and after their stay to better understand their experience. Used by over 60,000 hotels, this platform helps increase the volume of positive reviews and improve rankings on booking sites like TripAdvisor, while optimizing ADR and RevPAR management.
• Medallia : Used by major hotel brands, Medallia collects, analyzes and uses customer feedback to improve satisfaction and loyalty in real time. With its personalization tools and AI, Medallia helps build online reputation while optimizing revenue.

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7. Online marketing and advertising tools

In an increasingly digitalized world, online marketing campaigns have become essential for hotels. They allow you to promote your offers to travelers while precisely targeting the right audiences. The right digital advertising tools increase visibility, generate more direct bookings, and improve conversion rates.

Why are these tools essential?

• Increase in online visibility : Digital campaigns make it possible to reach a large audience on popular platforms such as Google and Facebook.
• Generation of direct bookings : By reducing dependence on online travel agencies (OTAs), hotels can get more bookings without intermediaries.
• Improving the conversion rate : By targeting specific and interested audiences, online campaigns convert better and more measurably.

The benefits of online marketing tools for your hotel

• Precise targeting : Reach potential travelers based on criteria like location, interests, and online behavior.
• Real-time optimization : Adjust your ads and strategies based on the performance of your campaigns.
• Improved return on investment (ROI) : Digital tools make it possible to maximize results while monitoring performance accurately.

Examples of online marketing and advertising tools

Here are some solutions that help hotels promote their establishment and attract more customers online:

• Google Hotel Ads : This tool allows hotels to appear directly on Google and Google Maps when travelers are looking for accommodation. The ads include photos, prices, and direct links to your booking engine. With Google Hotel Center, you can adjust bids and rates based on availability to improve your visibility.
• Facebook Ads Manager : This advertising platform allows you to show targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network. You can create personalized campaigns based on specific criteria such as geographic location or interests. Thanks to attractive visuals, your ads capture the attention of travelers and increase direct bookings. Facebook Ads Manager also offers tools to monitor performance in real time and adjust bids to maximize ROI.

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Conclusion: investing in digital tools, the key to success for the hotel industry in 2024

In a sector as competitive as the hotel industry, investing in digital tools is essential to optimize operations, improve the customer experience and maximize revenue. In 2024, these technologies are no longer a luxury, but a necessity to remain competitive. It is therefore important to carefully assess the specific needs of your hotel in order to choose the most appropriate solutions.