“Scourged” by the corona virus epidemic. Federalberghi used this precise term to describe the state of health of Italian hospitality in 2020, starting from the analyzes made monthly on a heterogeneous group of hotels. And to say that 2020 began with a significant increase in occupancy compared to January 2019. Then, starting from February, a slight decline, which turned into a drastic drop in March, with what Federalberghi defined “a real collapse in the number of overnight stays in lodgings”, characterized by a total market shutdown between April and May Of course, the sector picked up during the summer season, but the lack of foreigners and the economic difficulties of the Italians did not allow it to reach the usual numbers, nor to recover what was lost. Now more than ever, hotels need to implement an effective strategy, starting with a careful analysis of data, to bring together supply and demand and thus increase occupancy.
New digital services for hotels
The new digital services for hotels guarantee advantages for both players at stake. On the one hand, using the best tools effectively allows hotels to increase the number of bookings; on the other hand, by using digital channels, customers can aim for the best rate. Think, for example, about the PMS, or property management system: in recent years this tool has undergone a radical evolution that now allows it to become a fundamental asset for hotel management and as a valid ally in setting up successful sales strategies, also thanks to its integrated business analysis tools.
But that’s not all: in order to be able to offer its best, a hotel also needs on-line booking software to manage bookings made on different channels comfortably and without errors, as well as modern software for human resources management, capable of organizing shifts based on a careful estimate of personnel needs.
The Revenue Management strategy software is also particularly useful in this context, which allows you to make an estimate of the best rates to be applied to hotel rooms depending on the season and last, but not least, the document management solutions and business intelligence tools that make it possible to streamline and make the management of every aspect of the accommodation facility smart. In short, the possibilities made available by technology to improve the business of the hospitality world are many. Needless to say, however, that it is essential that these solutions know how to ‘communicate’ with each other, that is, are integrated, for them to be effective.
