How many hours of your time are you wasting manually allocating inventories at your property, checking availability, taking care of overbookings and more?

You're lucky if you have only five rooms to manage, but if you have more, we bet half your day is already gone...

Investing in a Channel Manager will definitely make your life easier.

What is a Channel Manager?

Channel Management is the process of managing online distribution channels in order to sell your hotel inventory to various agents across the globe.
A Channel Manager allows you to directly connect with those agents, such as OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), as well as smaller retail agents in different markets.

Here is an article explaining in detail what exactly is a Channel Manager and how it works; and here is a list of the 10 Online Travel Agencies we recommend you connect to today.

Why do you need a Channel Manager?

If you have a small Bed & Breakfast or only a couple of apartments, you probably don't need a Channel Manager.
If you have more than that, or several room types, then you should really look into using one.
But if you have more than 10 rooms and you're not already using a Channel Manager, you're doing it wrong!
Why? Because it will help you send and synchronize your availability and rates in real times to more Online Travel Agencies than you could do it manually.

Being listed on several OTA websites is not only a key part of your Distribution Strategy; it is also an essential element of any respectable Marketing Strategy - geared towards increasing healthy Direct Bookings thanks to, among other things, the Billboard Effect.

The best Channel Manager for your Business

"I just want the best Channel Manager, which one is it?"
Is most probably what you would like answered right away? And you're not the only one: we're asked the same question sometimes several times a day!

The answer is always the same, and nobody likes it: "It depends!".

Here are the main things to consider when choosing a Channel Manager:

• The size of your hotel

  If you are a big hotel and getting a lot of bookings every day, you probably need a powerful Channel Manager. Not so much if you have only a few rooms.

• The other applications you're already using

  Not all Channel Managers can connect to your existing Booking Engine or Property Management System.

• Your needs and expectations

  Do you have a really complex rate or/and rooms setup? Are you fine setting things up yourself or do you want 24/7 phone support? Is reliability and instant updates a priority?

• Your budget
  Some Channel Managers are definitely more reliable or more functional than others - but they might cost much more. So what is it?

List of the Best Channel Managers

Note that the products listed below are ranked by order of preference with HotelMinder staff, customers & website users. It's important to understand that one solution cannot suit all types of properties: The best Channel Manager for a 500 bedrooms luxury hotel in Las Vegas has very little in commun with the one for a 25 rooms boutique hotel in the middle of rural Tasmania.

We usually work with independent properties and groups ranging from around 20 to 200 units. The solutions listed below match the typical needs and budget of this kind of businesses.

Feel free to look at and demo some of the Channel Managers listed below, several of them with special offers and discounts only for HotelMinder users!

If you want more choice have a look at our Partners Marketplace, and if you would like professional guidance on what solution to choose for your business, consider booking a 1-to-1 Tech Advice Session with an HotelMinder Expert.

If you didn’t find a suitable solution on this list, have a look at our Partners Marketplace for more options and special offers.

Most of the owners of small properties think that investing in an all-in-one solution costs a lot of money, so they decide on a Channel Manager solution only. Whilst it’s true that Channel Managers significantly automate work, save time and avoid human error, we know that having an ‘all-in-one’ solution is in most case the best option!

An all-in-one solution is composed of a Property Management System (PMS) - to easily check-in and check-out guests, make payments and take care of housekeeping tasks.
You also need a Channel Manager (CM) - to track reservations, increase your online visibility and avoid overbookings.
Finally, you need a Booking Engine (IBE) - to push direct bookings to your website and social media, save you money on commissions and to allow you become more competitive within search engine results.

Our clients opting for an all-in-one hotel solution, even the smallest Bed & breakfast, are by far the hapiest once they are used to their new system.

Why not letting us walk you through the technology market landscape and help you select the right system for your business? When it comes to selecting the right technology solution for a business, professional advice is invaluable!
Not having to go through dozens of different vendors sales pitches will save you a lot of time, confusion and pressure. The assurance you are moving forward with the right solution from the start will make you an efficient decision maker while guaranteeing no costly mistake is being made.

A 1-to-1 Tech Advice Session with an expert is the perfect way to ensure you are making the right choice through smart and informed decision making!