Thinking about a new PMS? 6 things to consider.

📰 In This Issue

✔️ What to Look for When Choosing a Property Management System for Your Hotel:
6 Core Considerations + 1 Bonus Tip for Hotel Leaders
✔️ Indaba 2025, are you attending?
✔️ Cheapflights got you tickled for a trip.
✔️ Sphynx-AI - Hotel tech of the future?
✔️ The way we are buying tech is changing forever.

🌟 What to Look for When Choosing a Property Management System for Your Hotel

🔍 Investing in the right Property Management System (PMS) is one of the most impactful decisions a hotel leader can make. A modern PMS doesn’t just manage rooms and reservations—it’s the digital nerve center of your operation, connecting departments, enhancing guest experiences, and driving profitability. But with so many options available, how do you choose the right one?

Here are six essential considerations, plus my personal favourite, to guide your decision:

1. Integration, Scalability, and Flexibility

Your PMS must work in harmony with other core systems, such as channel managers, booking engines, revenue management tools, CRM platforms, and payment gateways. Seamless integration allows real-time data sharing, reduces manual work, and improves operational efficiency.

Beyond integration, consider how scalable and flexible the platform is. Whether you're managing a single boutique property or a multi-property group, the system should adapt to your current size and future growth. It should support evolving guest expectations and service models, like extended stays, co-working spaces, or automated check-in solutions.

2. Ease of Use and Training Requirements

No matter how powerful a PMS is, if it’s difficult to use, it won’t add value. Look for intuitive, user-friendly interfaces that your team can pick up quickly. Evaluate how easily new staff can be onboarded, and what kind of training and support the supplier offers. A straightforward system reduces staff errors and empowers teams to focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional service.

3. Support, Reliability, and Vendor Reputation

Technology issues can bring operations to a halt, so dependable vendor support is crucial. Investigate the vendor’s track record: uptime guarantees, customer service responsiveness, and client testimonials. Ask about service-level agreements (SLAs), escalation processes, and whether support is available 24/7. A trusted, experienced vendor becomes a long-term partner in your hotel’s success.

4. AI Integration and the Future of Hotel Technology

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly accelerating the development of hotel technology, and PMS platforms are no exception. From automated guest communications and predictive pricing to smart housekeeping schedules and anomaly detection in bookings, AI is reshaping hotel operations in real-time.

When evaluating a PMS, ask how the vendor is leveraging AI today and in their product roadmap. Does the system support features like automated guest messaging, dynamic pricing, or AI-powered forecasting? Is the platform using machine learning to improve operations over time?

More importantly, think beyond buzzwords. Look for practical, embedded AI tools that save staff time, personalize the guest journey, and offer actionable insights. A forward-looking PMS should empower your team to do more with less—and stay ahead in a fast-moving, data-driven industry.

5. Data Security and Compliance

Handling guest information and payment data brings serious responsibility. Your PMS must comply with key data privacy and protection regulations such as POPIA (South Africa), GDPR, and PCI DSS. Ensure the system has strong encryption, access controls, secure hosting, and audit trails. Ask vendors how they handle data breaches and their approach to compliance—this is non-negotiable.

6. Analytics and Reporting Capabilities

Beyond operations, your PMS should help you make better business decisions. Look for robust reporting features, customizable dashboards, and real-time insights into KPIs like occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR. Systems that integrate with business intelligence tools or offer predictive analytics give you a strategic edge in a competitive market.

More on BI tools here: Revenue vs Jargon

Bonus: Guest Experience Features

Ultimately, the PMS should support your most important mission—delivering a superior guest experience. Look for features that enhance the guest journey, such as mobile check-in/out, digital room keys, personalized communications, upselling tools, and loyalty program integration. Technology should empower your team to anticipate guest needs and exceed expectations.

Final Thought

💡 A PMS is more than a piece of software—it’s the foundation of your hotel’s operational strategy. Choose a system that not only meets today’s needs but is built for tomorrow’s challenges. Involve cross-functional teams in the selection process, ask the hard questions, and partner with vendors who understand hospitality from the ground up. How is it transforming hospitality in SA?

📢 Industry Insights: Tourism & Tech News

📰 Indaba 2025 🎺🎺🎺
📊 I have not been to Indaba since 2016. Can anybody tell me if it is worth going?
📌 If you are going, what are you going to do there? Is it just about the mingle, or is there business to be done?

🔗 Indaba website

😂 Meme of the Week

🎯 Sponsored Ad

I recently had a deep dive with founder Evan from Sphynx, a few things caught my attention regarding the company, but more importantly, the technology being used to build the product.

Want to skip ahead and see all their features? Here you go.

Firstly, do they score well on the list above? Let’s give them a 6/10. BUT, they have only been at it for about 6 months at the time of writing this newsletter 🤯🤯🤯

Sphynx is the perfect example of how AI technology will revolutionise the speed at which hotels can adopt new technology and trends. Waiting 6 months for a new feature from your PMS supplier is unacceptable, 3 weeks onboarding and manually transferring reservations, not anymore.

New features will be done in days, onboarding and data transfers, fully automated, API connectivity, pre-built, and ready. It’s a completely new mind shift on moving fast and efficiently with technology, and I’m not sure hotel managers are ready for this…

First client is live with Sphynx, that’s incredible, and already in talks with small hotel groups to come on board as product roadmap partners.

Stay tuned for a full deep dive into the product, features, and company on the next Hospitality Pulse.

📌 Final Thoughts & What’s Coming Next

✨ The way we are buying technology is changing forever. You won’t have 12 months to evaluate a new product; by then, the growth and evolution of that product has gone to the moon.

Hotel managers will need to adapt to fast-moving technology trends, the ability to see it, learn, and implement so that you can catch the wave will be pivotal, while maintaining a solid foundation of operational technology.
 
🔮 Deep dive into Sphynx and a look at other notable PMS options in South Africa.

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