Lodgings that offer scheduled activities operate with an added layer of complexity; inventory, bookings, invoicing and reporting must be managed and tracked for both sides of the business. Running separate systems, however, is time consuming and prone to error as a result of manually cross-checking data. Managing a stay-and play business with disconnected systems is detrimental to efficiency, revenue and the customer experience.
Instead, a single, integrated solution that simplifies and aligns management of both accommodation and activities saves time, improves customer service and increases revenue. A complete property management system (PMS) for lodging-and-activity operators provides a single place to store, manage and access all data for both sides of the business.
Whether your property offers sightseeing tours, guided trail rides, fishing trips, or any kind of scheduled, bookable activity, look for a PMS that includes:
- Integrated Room and Activity Bookings
An efficient booking process is essential as online and mobile bookings become ever more mainstream. A reservation system for stay-and-play businesses that package their services should offer the ability to book accommodation and activities together, within the same booking process, both online and offline. Combining room and activity bookings is convenient for customers, promotes upsells, and makes managing customer folios easy.
- Flexible Rate Management
A PMS for lodgings with activities must offer flexible rate and package management to accommodate stay-and-play packages. This includes the ability to manage pre-built packages, add-ons, multiple pricing levels, seasonal rates, reseller commissions, quick overrides, and to track package components to appropriate accounts.
- Complete Invoicing
Managing the check-out process with separate systems can be complicated and can result in lost revenue when activities are inadvertently left off a customer’s bill. A PMS with integrated activity management ensures accurate billing for a smooth check-out process. Confusion and billing discrepancies are eliminated when accommodation and activity charges are automatically and conveniently included on the same customer invoice.
- Activity Calendar and Dispatch Reports
A PMS for lodging-and-activity operators should provide quick access to dispatch reports and an activity calendar for any given dates, allowing reservation clerks and activity operators to easily keep track of activity bookings.
- Guest Email Communications
After making a booking (whether for accommodation or a tour or both) most customers appreciate receiving an email that confirms the details of their booking. Modern reservation systems include customizable email templates that make this process easier — and even completely automated. A PMS with integrated activity bookings allows operators to automatically generate confirmation emails that include both room and activity booking details as appropriate.
- Comprehensive Reporting
The benefit of an all-in-one PMS for lodging-and-activity operators is also obvious when it comes to reporting. Integrating data from both sides of the business in a single system eliminates the need for manual cross-checking and makes running reports much faster and easier. Booking, sales and financial reports that allow operators to track room and activity revenue and analyse business performance can be generated instantly at the click of a button.
- Mobile Access
Lodging-and-activity providers are busy people and hate being tied to the front desk, especially when there are rivers to kayak and trails to ride. While taking an iPad white-water rafting is probably not a good idea, many tour operators appreciate the convenience of a PMS that offers mobile accessibility. Checking dispatch reports and payments owing, identifying overnight guests, and viewing bookings for the next scheduled tour are some tasks activity operators like to have access to while on the go.
Integrating both sides of a stay-and-play business with an all-in-one property management system increases day-to-day efficiency by reducing administrative workload, gives a clear, easily accessible picture of business performance, and increases revenue by helping operators improve the guest experience.
If you are spending too much time going back and forth between disconnected systems, ask us about ActivityEngine integration with WebRezPro PMS.
