The Best Software Solutions for Hospitality Companies

Kevin Randolph Internet Marketing Analyst Last updated on: December 11, 2024

Behind every great hospitality company is a tech stack that helps them manage company processes and keep customers happy. A tech stack is a set of business tools that helps a company manage different aspects of its business.

Every company’s tech stack varies—a hospitality company’s tech stack should include specific software for the hospitality industry, customized to help manage everything that goes into running a hospitality company, from property management to point of sale (POS).

In this blog post, we’re going over the best software for the hospitality industry, including the software types you should look for when building your hospitality tech stack. Keep reading to learn more!

What is hospitality software?

Hospitality industry software is a single tool or a set of tools that work together to help you automate some or all of the work you do for an establishment in the hospitality industry.

There are various types of hospitality establishments including restaurants, bed and breakfasts, bars, hotels and even hospitals. Each company’s software needs are different depending on its customers and services. 

Advantages of hospitality industry software

Using the right hospitality software can lead to significant benefits. Some of the advantages of using software for hospitality companies are as follows:

• Seamless reservation and booking: Transform your reservation and booking process by providing real-time updates on availability while reducing errors like overbooking and allowing easy modification for clients and staff.
• Develop strong relationships with guests: Improves check-in and check-out experience through improved communication and additional services. Hospitality software could increase the level of retention of both guests and staff.
• Comprehensive financial management: Provides a clear overview of financial operations, from tracking revenue and managing invoices to processing payments efficiently. Advanced reporting and forecasting tools offer deep insights into financial performance, aiding in budgeting and strategic planning.
• Increased online visibility: Integrate guest-facing software like hotel booking engines, chat bots and a guest portal with your website design, enabling you to instantly accept online reservations and make guests feel confident in their choice to book directly with you.
• Integration and scalability: Ensures a unified operational framework that can adapt and scale as the business evolves. The ability to integrate with new technologies and adapt to market trends is crucial for staying competitive in the ever-changing hospitality landscape.

Need a user-friendly CRM to boost sales and team efficiency?

Take our guided tour to explore Nutshell’s incredible features!

EXPLORE NUTSHELL’S FEATURES

The top hospitality software to include in your tech stack

Not every hospitality tech stack will look the same. Each hospitality business will have different software and tools within its tech stack, and it’s up to you to decide which ones are necessary to help your team run a successful hospitality company.

With that in mind, take a look at five types of hospitality software commonly found in tech stacks in your industry:

Keep reading to learn more about each of these types of hospitality software!

1. Customer relationship management (CRM) software

A customer relationship management (CRM) platform is a universal tool that benefits businesses in all industries. But in a hospitality tech stack, it’s crucial. That’s because it helps nurture customer relationships, a core pillar of the hospitality industry.

CRM gather, sort, store, and analyze customer data, enabling you to access all your contact data in one place and gain insights into your relationships with leads and customers.

CRMs also include features that help you leverage your data to manage and improve your sales, marketing, and customer success processes to build customer relationships and grow your business.

CRMs include features such as pipeline management, sales automation, email marketing, and more.

Some of the top CRM platforms for hospitality companies include:

• Nutshell
• Revinate
• Freshsales

2. Property management systems (PMS)

Property management systems (PMS) are used by hospitality companies like hotels and resorts to manage different aspects of hotel business operations. PMS systems help hospitality business owners deliver quality guest experiences by supporting front-office operations like:

• Guest reservation bookings
• Check-in and checkout processes
• Room management
• And more!

Hospitality PMS systems also help with other time-consuming administrative tasks that are a part of day-to-day operations.

Below are a few of the best hospitality PMS systems available today:

• Oracle Hospitality
• Cloudbeds
• Little Hotelier

3. Event management software

Hospitality event management software is exactly what it sounds like—software that helps hospitality businesses plan, execute, and manage events happening at their venues. Event management software streamlines event operations, automating tasks for a smooth event lifecycle and positive attendee experience.

The top event management software for hospitality companies includes:

• Tripleseat
• Event Temple
• Ivvy

4. Point of sale (POS) software

Hospitality point of sale (POS) systems allow businesses like hotels to accept and process payments. Hotels are home to different revenue streams, from gift shops and restaurants to spa facilities and bars. With a POS system, hospitality companies can manage these sales and payment transactions from one centralized platform.

POS systems for hospitality companies do more than just process transactions, though. Hospitality POS systems help manage inventory while also being equipped with sales tracking and analysis features so managers can see how their hospitality businesses are performing in real time.

If you’re looking for a POS system for your hospitality company, get started by checking out these three popular tools:

• Lightspeed (now including Vend)
• Oracle MICROS
• Square

5. Reputation management software (RMS)

Reputation management software (RMS) helps hospitality businesses manage their online reputation. In the hospitality industry, reputation is everything. It can make or break your business, so a quality RMS system that can help you manage online reviews, social media mentions, reviews on industry sites, and more is crucial.

Hospitality RMS systems centralize guest and customer feedback from different platforms so your team doesn’t have to search for them. Additionally, some RMS systems offer performance reports and competitor comparisons so your team can pull insights from them to improve business operations for better guest experiences.

Start managing your hospitality company’s reputation with these top RMS platforms:

• GuestRevu
• TrustYou
• Revinate

What to consider when assembling your hospitality tech stack

When assembling your hospitality tech stack, there are some key guidelines you should follow to choose one that fits your business needs. When selecting hospitality industry software, consider the following factors to ensure you make the best choice:

1. Functionality of the software

Assess what the software can do about your most pressing needs. Select software that strengthens your current processes and addresses operational headaches.

2. Reputable provider

The software provider’s reputation and history are important factors in your choice. Research what customers of the software have to say to determine their product’s quality and status in the manufacturing industry. Find a partner with experience and a commitment to innovation.

3. Subscription model

Consider whether the provider offers a subscription model. SaaS has the option for you to pay a monthly fee for online access to the software, protecting your cash flow by spreading costs over time. This model also means no costly installations on particular machines.

4. Updates included

Ensure that software updates and access to customer support are included in your monthly subscription fee. With such inclusions, you might avoid some unexpected costs later. Regular updates help maintain compliance with industry standards and ensure you are using the latest features.

5. Existing budget and current IT environment

Evaluate your company’s current IT setup and future growth plans. Consider the complexity of your existing processes and identify your internal priorities for improvement. If your systems work well but lack certain features, look for software that integrates seamlessly with your existing tools.

Also remember to avoid committing to multiple tools that all complete the same task. In reality, you only need one great tool to perform a certain task, not several subpar ones.

Similarly, you don’t want to forget any tools either—everything you need to run your hospitality business should always be on hand. To ensure this, evaluate the goals of your hospitality business and identify the tools that will help you achieve those goals.

Meet Nutshell—a top CRM for hospitality companies

Looking for the perfect CRM for your hospitality tech stack? Nutshell is a top CRM for hospitality companies because of its user-friendly interface, powerful features, and helpful customer support.

From pipeline management to sales automation to email marketing and beyond, Nutshell has the CRM features you need to help you grow your business.

Learn why Nutshell is the best CRM for the hospitality industry by starting a 14-day free trial of Nutshell today!

See Nutshell in action!

Try Nutshell free for 14 days or let us show you around before you dive in.

free trial contact sales

BACK TO TOP