Best Channel Management Software
Channel management software is designed to help hotels, bed and breakfasts, and other hospitality businesses manage their bookings across various online channels and booking sites. For businesses that revolve around booking rooms, these solutions can ensure reservations are correct and up to date, while also preventing booking conflicts. This helps to deliver a smooth and consistent experience for guests regardless of where or how they booked their room.
Channel management software is often used by hospitality business owners and those who oversee and manage room bookings for a hotel or inn. These tools often integrate with hotel reservations software or hotel management software to coordinate bookings with other hotel operations. Channel management software may also work in tandem with various marketing software to increase bookings across channels.
To qualify for inclusion in the Channel Management category, a product must:
Best Channel Management Software At A Glance
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- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Imagine a world where managing your vacation rentals is not just efficient, but effortless. Enter Hostaway—the premier all-in-one solution for property managers who demand the best. Hostaway doesn’t j
- Owner
- Property Manager
- Hospitality
- Real Estate
- 97% Small-Business
- 3% Mid-Market
2,918 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Guesty is the all-in-one platform for hospitality businesses to automate and optimize every aspect of their operations. With purpose-built technology, industry-wide expertise, and an R&D team of 2
- Hospitality
- Real Estate
- 88% Small-Business
- 14% Mid-Market
5,015 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Cloudbeds is the leading platform redefining the concept of PMS for the hospitality industry, serving tens of thousands of properties in more than 150 countries worldwide. Built from the ground up to
- Hospitality
- 81% Small-Business
- 19% Mid-Market
1,912 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Easy and efficient, it lets you manage rates and inventory anytime, anywhere always making informed decisions.
- Hospitality
- 64% Small-Business
- 29% Mid-Market
595 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Lodgify simplifies the process of running and marketing a vacation rental by enabling anyone to create a bookable website, synchronize property data and availability across third-party platforms, and
- Hospitality
- Leisure, Travel & Tourism
- 97% Small-Business
- 3% Mid-Market
737 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Property management and guest experience software for short term rentals. Hostfully's Property Management Platform helps managers scale their vacation rental businesses with features designed to help
- Hospitality
- Real Estate
- 97% Small-Business
6,779 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
The modern way to manage your accommodation. One central platform that helps you take charge of your operations, get more customers and increase revenue. No contract, no credit card. Cancel an
- Hospitality
- Information Technology and Services
- 60% Small-Business
- 31% Mid-Market
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
The Channel Manager is ideal for managing online sales for any lodging property and/or in the GDS and OTA Channels.
- 50% Small-Business
- 29% Enterprise
160 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
HotelRunner is a freemium, cloud-based online sales, digital marketing and channel management platform that assists hotels and travel agencies tailor, streamline, and improve their online outreach. Ho
- Hospitality
- 57% Small-Business
- 29% Mid-Market
5,195 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Hosthub is a vacation rental Property Management Platform that helps property owners & managers manage their properties on multiple channels like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. Hosthub has everyth
- Owner
- Hospitality
- 93% Small-Business
- 4% Mid-Market
273 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
FantasticStay delivers a user-friendly management and distribution software for owners, managers of vacation rentals and Airbnb hosts. The platform automates every aspect of operations in order to fre
- 50% Mid-Market
- 30% Small-Business
18 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Octorate offers an all-in-one hotel software suite with PMS, channel manager and booking engine.
- 38% Enterprise
- 38% Small-Business
207 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
The API lets you compare hotel room prices from more than 200 websites like agoda.com, booking.com , hotels.com,amoma.com,etc. Response will consist of top 3 vendors along with the best vendor. Addres
- 42% Mid-Market
- 42% Small-Business
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
BananaDesk is the front desk platform that helps you establish and build a successful hostel without going crazy. With BananaDesk, you can connect your front desk to your sales channels and let your
- 85% Small-Business
- 8% Mid-Market
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
5stelle* is a native cloud based pms, that make you save time and ease your hotel management and online sales, on a daily basis. The reception is always under control. Thanks to native cloud technolog
- Hospitality
- 75% Small-Business
- 21% Mid-Market
Learn More About Channel Management Software
What is Channel Management Software?
Channel management software is used by hospitality businesses to handle multiple real-time booking channels. With many online booking sites currently available, companies benefit from having a presence on all of them. However, tracking each booking on each platform is difficult; therefore, employing a solid channel management solution that combines these various sales channels helps properties stay organized without overbooking. Channel managers can also tend to revenue management and rate parity across all channels. Because search engines play a huge part in marketing today, channel managers ensure that a brand is consistent across online booking engines. This solution saves marketing teams time by eliminating the need to monitor channels in separate places. A channel management platform houses all this data in one place.
What Types of Channel Management Software Exist?
All-in-one cloud-based platforms
An all-in-one cloud-based channel management platform offers room inventory management and reservation functionality within the application. Hospitality businesses may choose this product to promote ease of use and software access. However, cloud tools require technical help providing functionality to complete booking actions when disconnected from the internet.
Integrated software
Integrated or embedded channel management software from another solution can assist with property management and reservation software functionality. Businesses may choose an embedded product to encourage user adoption. By placing the occupancy and room inventory analytics inside regularly-used software, companies enable employees to take advantage of available data.
What are the Common Features of Channel Management Software?
The following are some core features within channel management solutions that aid users with property room inventory and marketing management.
Inventory management: Inventory management is vital in a channel manager, as it prevents overbooking. A pooled inventory allows the property manager to display all the available rooms on all channels. The pooled inventory can then be updated as rooms are booked from various platforms.
Booking engine: A booking manager or engine takes bookings from various channels and communicates them to the property management system. This feature results in an accurate inventory update. The inventory management and booking engine functionality work in unison as both eliminate double booking and room shortages. A good channel management software with a booking engine provides visibility so the property manager knows where bookings are made.
Sales and marketing tools: A channel management system helps attract new hoteliers and advertise the services the channel manager offers. With marketing tools embedded into the booking channels, the buyer can use the data to improve their presence and increase bookings. Some marketing tools also offer website-building functionality.
What are the Benefits of Channel Management Software?
Below are a few common benefits of channel management software:
Data configuration: Channel management software generates comprehensive data from numerous management tools, such as hotel management software or vacation rental software. The hospitality industry can adjust its strategy to adapt to changing customer preferences and focus on markets and segments likely to increase occupancy and property revenue.
Integrations: Integration with tools the property already uses makes life much easier using a channel management solution. This kind of platform simplifies communicating data directly to the sales teams or rooms controller. It also feeds booking information to the property management system, guest services team, and revenue management system (RMS). By working seamlessly with the existing tools, channel managers bridge the gap between online distribution and staff.
Sales data: A channel manager can collect data from many platforms so it’s easy to see direct bookings, measure the guest experience, and refine communication. This data can guide future sales efforts as well as marketing campaigns.
Market intelligence: Being able to evaluate the user's property inventory performance against their competitors’ is a vital benefit of using a channel management system. Each channel manager performs differently; it’s crucial to decipher which software works best. For example, the market presence for coastal vacation rentals differ from the market data of a bed and breakfast. With real-time room inventory updates and the automation of occupancy data related to bookings, the user can analyze the various distribution channels.
Who Uses Channel Management Software?
Any hospitality business that revolves around booking rooms can utilize channel management software, though the cost of this type of software can be prohibitive for small independent hotels or short-term vacation rentals. These kinds of properties usually choose free or limited versions offered through channel partners. Hoteliers of mid-market and enterprise hotels and resorts with large room inventory and multiple properties benefit most from a channel management system with property intelligence functionality.
Online travel agencies (OTAs): OTAs use channel managers to book hotel rooms for their clients quickly and easily. Many hotel channel managers integrate with the global distribution system (GDS), which collects and dispenses hotel inventory and rate information to travel agents and sites. This information makes it easy for travel agents to find the best deals for their clients.
Hoteliers: Hoteliers use channel management software to manage all their bookings across channels; since some channel managers include payment software, receiving and easily tracking payment for accurate accounting. This offers dual software integration, as many e-commerce platforms depend on payment gateways to ensure that payment information passes securely from the customer to the payment processor.
What are the Alternatives to Channel Management Software?
Alternatives to channel management software can replace this type of software, either partially or completely.
Hotel reservation software: Hospitality companies use hotel reservation software to facilitate customer and employee reservation processes. These applications contribute to the overall customer experience by paving the way for smooth operations during the reservation phase of the client lifecycle.
Hotel management software: Hoteliers manage room bookings, front desk operations, and guest services with hotel management software. Some hotel management systems have been updated to include a hotel channel manager, while others have partnered with channel management systems to improve their current software.
Software Related to Channel Management Software
Related solutions that can be used together with hotel management include the following.
Hotel management software: These specialized property management solutions allow for room management, marketing and loyalty program capabilities, and guest CRM. However, for larger hotels and chains, it aims to improve staff productivity and optimize revenue. By purchasing channel management software, the hotel creates effective marketing campaigns and increases its brand reach.
Vacation rental software: Vacation rental software is designed to support vacation rental companies with customer management, booking management, and facility maintenance management. A channel manager benefits from this software as the functionality of online booking websites where vacation rental companies can share their property offerings.
Challenges with Channel Management Software
Channel management software solutions can come with their own set of issues.
Overreliance on data: Narrowing the focus to room inventory data and analytics can be a potential problem. Data-driven decisions are critical to a company’s success, but inventory management data solely influenced by booking traffic can skew the analysis. Successful hospitality businesses should combine rigorous analytics with anecdotal storytelling and thoughtful conversations about the business's success. For example, hostels or hospitality businesses whose portfolios include urban rentals must factor these variables into booking traffic.
Configuration: Channel management software relies heavily on cross-communication between multiple online booking channels, which may require IT or customer support. As mentioned, a key benefit of a channel manager is automated inventory management between all online channels. However, if one booking site is down or has a system reboot, this interruption will inaccurately report room inventory, impacting the property's occupancy report and reservation management. The buyer should reach out to the channel management system provider to discuss technical services.
How to Buy Channel Management Software
Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Channel Management Software
RFIs and RFPs provide best practices that meet buyer requirements in the hospitality industry. For a boutique hotel, purchasing a channel management solution may increase the number of hotel booking channels.
The business pain points might be related to purchasing an additional software solution. Buyers should create a criteria checklist that addresses these concerns.
As for enterprise businesses, a checklist of elements for the mass market can help the team identify necessary and nice-to-have features. This detailed guide of the ideal channel management system should cover present and future needs. For example, it’s vital to acquire a channel manager that delivers a smooth and consistent experience for guests regardless of where or how they booked their room. When planning for the future of the property or company, choose a channel management system that will grow alongside the business and offer longevity.
Compare Channel Management Software Products
Create a long list
Long lists are made by eliminating the options that don’t provide critical functionality. For instance, buyers who want channel management software should consider something other than software that only serves one or two channels. A typical long list should include at most ten products unless many options are similar. In this case, using additional details like the number of channels and booking sites, can help eliminate vendors.
Create a short list
After identifying critical channel management software features, evaluating qualified vendors is the next step. Narrowing the list of contenders to at least three is preferred for proper evaluation. Cross-examining the long list requirements against the shortlist assists in decision-making. For example, is this an embedded channel manager with the existing hotel reservation solutions?
Conduct demos
Demos are an excellent opportunity for buyers to see how the channel management solution works. Only the shortlisted vendors are invited to demonstrate their solutions. Demos should be performed live, using the system, not with slide decks or screenshots. All vendors should follow a predetermined scenario that simulates the business processes of the buyer. An ideal design illustrates the integration of global distribution systems with online sales. This design addresses the travel agent perspective with inventory management. During the demonstration, the channel management provider must follow the purchasing steps that buyers would follow.
Selection of Channel Management Software
Choose a selection team
Purchasing channel management software affects room inventory and, thus, property revenue. The team responsible for selecting the channel management software should include the property manager, head of reservations, director of revenue management, and director of sales and marketing. Involving multiple parties in this selection process ensures attention to overall company goals and viewpoints.
Negotiation
Once the team decides which channel management systems are worth pursuing, vendor negotiations take place. Negotiation happens between the buyer and vendors from the shortlist. Product features and functionality may overlap so product pricing and accessibility are crucial. Some channel management systems vendors will offer discounts due to existing partnerships between management systems. Before making a final decision, the buyer should explore all cost-saving avenues.
Final decision
The final decision should be based on the information gathered and the company's needs. During the final decision-making process, it’s imperative to do a test run of the booking engine to make sure of software compatibility. Conducting a trial with a small sample of customers sees all needs are met. If the tool is well received, the buyer can be assured that the selection was correct. If not, they repeat the process until making a confident decision.
