The world’s most trusted small hotel management software

What are the key features of a hotel channel manager?

PMS compatibility

Ensure that the channel manager connects with your property management system so that changes made in the PMS will automatically update listings in the channel manager and booking sites.

Diversified distribution

Your most lucrative sales channel may not always be a big player like Booking.com, so your channel manager should have a variety of connections to suit niche markets that you want to target.

Pooled inventory

This system allows you to sell your rooms on all your channels at the same time without the risk of overbooking via real-time, two-way, secure data sharing.

Centralised management

Operating an all-in-one software solution gives you total, centralised control over your property management, distribution, and bookings.

Seamless integration

It’s vital that your channel manager works perfectly, not just with your PMS (front desk system) but also with other tools you’re using like your website booking engine, hotel apps, etc.

Performance reporting

Insights into how each of your sales channels is performing is crucial for you to make better business decisions and increase your earning potential.

Channel manager cost

Select a plug-and-play model that charges a flat monthly fee for full access and use of the technology over an add-on system where a fee is required each time a new channel is added.

Customer support

Nothing would be more frustrating than to seek help resolving an issue only to find you have to wait hours for a response or can’t speak to someone in your native tongue.

How to evaluate the best channel manager for hotels

Before you make a final choice on which channel manager provider is best for you, a few boxes need to be ticked.
To know you’ll have every base covered beyond streamlining distribution, consider the following questions:

Can you try for free?

A free period is a perfect opportunity for you to explore the benefits a channel manager can offer to your property. See results first hand with no risk and no lock-in contract. You can also build trust more easily with a provider that shows confidence in their product by offering a free period.

Does it enable an all-in-one experience?

There’s no need to use different systems when you can operate everything seamlessly from one dashboard. You’ll only save time and money if your systems work together to create a centralised control hub for your property – a virtual front desk for all your admin needs.

Does it deliver valuable insights?

If you want your business to grow and be sustainable, you need visibility on performance. Knowing which channels have the highest cancellation rates, which are booked with the longest lead time, which deliver the most bookings overall, and which brings more revenue on average are all insights your channel manager should be able to provide to you.

Will you be trained and supported?

Once you decide to make a purchase, you need to make sure your provider will adequately train and onboard you with the software, even if it’s very simple to use. Once you know the basics, it should be easy as many of the functions you perform will be the same each week or month. It’s also critical that you have 24/7 support available in case you need assistance.

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A complete channel manager buyers guide for hoteliers

If you need a full rundown of how a channel manager works, why it’s so important, and how to identify which features are essential for you, a buyers guide will really help.

Use this guide to understand how your potential provider will be able to respond to the goals and objectives of your small business.

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What makes Little Hotelier the best channel manager for your property?

Trusted by more small independent properties globally than any other provider

Superior coverage with more than 400 connected booking channels

User-friendly features and interface designed specifically for small property operators

Double-bookings a thing of the past with pooled inventory

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Frequently asked questions when choosing a channel manager

What is the best channel manager for small hotels?

The best channel manager for small hotels should help to easily oversee the online distribution of your property so that your business can become much more efficient and drive increased bookings and revenue. Simplicity is often the key to success, so look for a channel manager that is easy to learn and master, enabling you to control exactly how you manage your property and reservations. With Little Hotelier, you can access more than 400 booking sites worldwide and put yourself on the radar of billions of travellers, many of whom may be a niche market perfectly suited to your small property. Catering to the philosophy of operating on the run, you can also use Little Hotelier’s mobile app to manage your reservations with only your phone as company.

How should I compare channel managers?

Comparing channel managers should involve strongly considering all these factors:

  • Ensure it operates on a pooled inventory model
  • The more OTA and PMS connections the better (ideally the number should be in the hundreds)
  • Booking engine integration and two-way communication is vital
  • Confirm that it has advanced reporting functions
  • Pricing should be a flexible monthly fee
  • Training and support has to be comprehensive
  • Long-term availability and planning should be achievable
What is the most important consideration when choosing a hotel channel manager?

If you’re finding it difficult to decide between providers on the basis of features, take a look at reputation and experience within the industry. You want to choose a trusted provider which has been at the top of the game for a while, because this means you should have every base covered. It will help if you look at the reviews for a product. Customer reviews provide great insight since most will come from people just like yourself who have already sought the same solution. Their feedback will give you a trustworthy guide on which provider can give your property what it needs. One of the best resources to use in this industry is Hotel Tech Report.

What are the best questions to ask your provider about their channel management services?

When you start discussions with a potential provider, here are the top 7 questions you can ask so you have all the knowledge at your disposal to make the right choice:

  1. How many booking channels can you connect me to?
  2. Can you integrate with my website’s booking engine?
  3. Can you give me comprehensive performance reports?
  4. How much will everything cost?
  5. How far in advance can you manage availability?
  6. How much system training is available?
  7. Is support offered in my timezone and language?
Is a channel manager really worth it?

A channel manager is worth using because it can quickly repay any cost with the extra bookings it drives for your property, the time it saves, and the way it helps to simplify your property management. Constantly juggling the admin tasks of managing and updating the likes of Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb becomes an unbearable drain on time and resources. Think about how long it takes you to log into the backend of each third party channel and make adjustments. Removing the headache of manual management through a channel manager is absolutely worth it in the long term. Little Hotelier offers a channel manager as part of an all-in-one solution with its front desk system, direct booking technology, and payments solution.