Channel Managers, CMs for short, are softwares that connect Property Management Systems (PMS) with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).
Now, what are each of these parts of Channel Managers about?
Property Management Systems are property management software that automate business operations and the guest experience. Some of the tasks that these PMS softwares automate are reservations, check-in and check-out procedures, billing, cleaning activities, payment options, and data storage of the guests.
Online Travel Agencies are the platforms that bring together the services that guests require to rent an apartment for a short term and the services that property managers need to carry out all their tasks. The most used are Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group, Despegar and Trip Group.
Thanks to the connection made between both parties, Channel Managers can automatically update rates, availability and reservations in several agencies at the same time, which facilitates calendar management and avoids duplicate reservations for the same property in the same moment, which would happen if two guests choose to book the same apartment through two different agencies, such as Booking and Airbnb.
Channel Managers also provide performance reports that help make decisions about marketing and sales strategies.
What are the advantages of using channel managers?
In addition to saving time and avoiding the risk of overbooking, channel managers increase the number of online reservations and considerably increase revenue.
