As a bed and breakfast (B&B) owner, you understand the importance of providing your guests with a comfortable and enjoyable stay. You also know that managing a successful bed and breakfast business requires careful planning and organisation.

One tool that can help you manage your business more effectively is a property management system (PMS).  A PMS is software that helps you track guest reservations, manage your property’s availability, and execute other important tasks related to running your business.

Using a PMS can help you save time and money, while also providing your guests with a better experience. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the key benefits of using a PMS for your bed and breakfast business, as well as our top 5 B&B management software suggestions.

What to look for in B&B online booking software

Cloud-based 

A cloud-based property management system (PMS) is a software that is hosted on the internet, rather than on your hotel’s premises. This means that you can access it from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection. A cloud-based PMS offers a number of advantages over a traditional on-premises system, including flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

Channel Manager 

Juggling all the bookings from multiple platforms becomes tricky and can lead to significant mistakes in your hotel’s schedule. With an integrated channel manager, listings across all the third-party distributors become easy to update with only a few clicks, as they sync instantly.

Reservations 

A good property management system (PMS) should allow potential guests to make real-time bookings directly on your hotel’s website, regardless of the device they are using. This is important to maximise bookings and avoid potential customers going to competitor hotels. A PMS that offers this function will help to streamline the booking process and make it more efficient.

Reports and analytics

A good B&B PMS should also offer reporting and analytics tools to help you track your hotel’s performance. These tools can provide valuable insights into areas, such as occupancy rates, the average length of stay, and revenue per room. By understanding these metrics, you can make informed decisions about how to improve your B&B’s operations.

Housekeeping Management 

An effective PMS will also offer housekeeping management features. This is important to keep track of room cleanliness, maintenance issues, and laundry. By having a centralised system for managing these tasks, you can ensure that your hotel runs smoothly and efficiently.

Email automation 

One of the most important features of a good PMS is the ability to automate email communications. This can save a lot of time and effort when it comes to contacting guests before their stay, sending out confirmation emails, and following up after their departure. By automating these tasks, you can focus on providing a great experience for your guests, rather than spending time on administrative tasks.

Payment processing 

Another essential feature of a good PMS is the ability to process payments. This includes taking payments from guests, as well as managing refunds and cancellations. A good system will offer a range of payment options, such as credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers. It should also be able to process payments in a variety of currencies.

Top 5 Bed and Breakfast Booking Software

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best B&B property management and booking software will vary depending on the specific needs of your business. However, some of the most popular choices for B&B property management & booking software include Preno, Siteminder, Cloudbeds, Little Hotelier and RezOvation.

 

Preno 

Preno is the best software for bed and breakfast management because it offers all of the features listed above and more. Preno is a cloud-based PMS that is designed specifically for small hotels and bed and breakfasts. It provides a range of features that will streamline your hotel’s operations, including real-time booking, email automation, payment processing, and front desk management.

Completely cloud-based

Preno can be accessed from anywhere and from any device. No matter whether you are on holiday, at home, or in the office; you can conveniently keep close track of your business. Being in real-time, it also allows you to update last-minute bookings instantly.

Thorough overview of performance

With Preno, you can gain a comprehensive overview of your hotel’s performance by drilling down the specifics like room type, date and source. This allows you to be more focused on and stay in control of your business.

Xero integration

Preno integrates with Xero, a leading accounting software. This integration offers a number of advantages for hotels, including the ability to manage bookings, invoices, and payments all in one place. It also makes it easy to generate reports and analytics, which can be used to improve your hotel’s operations.

Avoid OTA fees

One of the great advantages of using Preno is that it helps you avoid OTA fees. By integrating a booking button on your website, you can collect your guest details directly from your own site. This allows you to bypass the OTAs and avoid paying their fees, which can save you a significant amount of money.

Excellent digital tools

Preno offers a number of excellent digital tools that can be used to streamline your hotel’s operations. These tools include a real-time booking system, email automation, payment processing, and front desk management. By using these tools, you can save time and money on your hotel’s operations, and provide a better experience for your guests

Preno offers multiple packages for bed & breakfasts, from the standard Preno PMS package which covers the essentials of online booking and guest management, to the Preno All-In-One package designed for larger B&Bs with more complex needs. Preno also offers additional add-ons for those needing specific software for their property. No matter what size your business is, Preno has a package that will suit your needs.

All-in-one package

The All-In-One includes everything Preno has to offer – the hotel management system, booking engine, channel manager and any integrations. It is the best option for hoteliers looking for a comprehensive solution to managing their business.

Property Management System (PMS)

Preno’s PMS package is a great choice for bed and breakfast owners because it offers all of the features that you need to manage your property, including real-time booking, email automation, payment processing, and front desk management.

Preno Channel Manager

Preno’s Channel Manager is an add-on tool that allows you to manage your hotel’s online bookings from one central platform. It connects to all of the major online travel agencies (OTAs), and allows you to manage your rates, availability, and reservations from one place. This makes it easy to keep track of your bookings, and to ensure that you are getting the best possible rate for your rooms.

Preno Booking Engine

Preno’s booking engine is a great add-on for bed and breakfasts which enables you to take bookings direct from their own website. By integrating a booking button into your website, you can collect your guests’ details directly, without having to pay any commission fees to online travel agents (OTAs).

Preno’s booking engine is easy to set up and use, and it offers a number of features that will streamline your hotel’s operations. These features include the ability to take payments directly from your website, automatic email confirmations, and the option to add special rates and discounts.

Cloudbeds 

Cloudbeds is an advanced hospitality software that makes managing reservations and guests, room availability, and payments easier for independent properties. Hotel managers and owners can manage emails, plans, and reporting through a single log-in. Cloudbeds’ dashboard alerts all users of the daily updates regarding B&B operations. It also has a convenient drag-and-drop to manage reservations conveniently.

Siteminder

SiteMinder has everything you need to succeed in the modern accommodation business. SiteMinder allows you to market, sell, and manage your business from a single platform. Besides a Channel Manager and an online booking system, it also includes a hotel website builder, hotel business intelligence and exposure to international distribution.

Little Hotelier 

Little Hotelier is a software that attracts guests, accepts direct bookings online, develops a website, processes credit card information and understands the performance of your business. It is a completely cloud-based software with a free mobile app that keeps small properties like bed & breakfasts in mind. Little Hotelier promises to take the headache out of operations and reservations.

RezOvation

RezOvation is a cloud-based bed and breakfast software. RezOvation helps manage reservations, payments, guest communication, and operations from a single platform. RezOvation offers a number of features to streamline your hotel’s operations, including automatic email confirmations, the ability to take payments directly from your website, and the option to add special rates and discounts. RezOvation is a great choice for bed and breakfasts looking for an easy-to-use, all-in-one solution to managing their business.

There are a number of software options available to bed and breakfast owners that can help streamline their operations. These options include property management systems, booking engines, channel managers, and hotel business intelligence platforms. Each of these tools offers a unique set of features that can benefit your business. When choosing a software solution for your bed and breakfast, it is important to consider your specific needs and choose a tool that will best suit your business.