Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for hotels.
A checklist built from how hotels work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Room calendar across channels
- Check-in with registration card and ID capture
- Housekeeping board
- Folio with kitchen and minibar charges
- Agency payout reconciliation
- Tax invoices and an accounts export
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners
- For the front desk
- For housekeeping
- For restaurant and banquet staff
- For the accounts desk
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Occupancy percentage and nights sold by room type
- Arrivals, departures and the in-house guest list
- Average room rate (ARR) realised by rate plan and booking source
- Collection by cash, card, transfer and account
- Outstanding on guest folios and agent accounts
- Housekeeping status, blocked rooms and linen issued
- Banquet bookings and hall occupancy by date
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS and email
- Payment links and gateways
- OTA channel manager
- Key card door locks
- Thermal and label printers
- Biometric attendance devices
- Accounting software export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Can two bookings be stopped from taking the same room?
- Does it handle season and weekend rates?
- Can restaurant and laundry charges go on the room bill?
- Is the guest ID proof kept, and does it cover foreign guests?
- Do online travel agency bookings and our own website bookings arrive by themselves?
- Can housekeeping change room status from a phone, and what if the line drops?
- Does it cover more than one property?
- Is there a night audit at day close?
- Can folio figures reach my accounting software?
- What does it cost?
- How long does a property take to go live?
- What should the hotel have ready?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Rooms are sold twice
- Room service does not reach the bill
- Housekeeping status sits in a WhatsApp group
- Agency payouts do not match booking reports
Prefer to talk it through? See the hotels page.