The origins of hospitality business date way back in the BC era when caves served as the first shelters for our ancestors. Since then, many things have changed not only in the way of how people live in their own "shelters" but also how they accommodate others. Bordellos and alehouses became a popular choice for travelers and traders. Until a very first official hotel opened its doors in Japan in 705 AD. Back in those times, no hotel management systems were used. And every guest was a "walk-in" guest.
Society needs changed year-by-year. This led the whole tourism and service-based industries redefine their goals and operating ways. If it used to be enough just to step in the hotel and ask for a bed, now you need to make reservations weeks and sometimes months ahead. The whole modern life shifted from social and human interaction towards operating via machines and gadgets. Now people want to be able to make reservations from their phones. They want to complete as many procedures as possible using gadgets. In 1986 you could wow your guest by introducing a telephone in the guest room. Nowadays you need to have some really special features in the room that the guest would be pleased and amazed.
From hotel management on paper to cloud-based administration
Hotel Management tools also evolved from simple paper to an Excel sheet and then to PMS. And even PMS systems grew from local (installed) to cloud-based ones.
In 2013, when SabeeApp was launched, it was clear that this was a time when people required a change. Cloud-based solutions were still very new and exotic because most of our customers were still using pen and paper. But hoteliers were realising that these tools are not enough. Moving hotel administration online became inevitable. That's when golden age for cloud-based PMS started.
Research shows, that in 2015 only 34% of hotels were using PMS. It's a very low number, considering the fact of how rapidly technology was evolving in the last 10 years. 25% of hotels still relied on a piece of paper. And 16% of hotels haven't been using any system at all. Not even a paper. This is madness, considering the fact, that first PMS was introduced already in the 1970s!
How hotel management changes influence hotel staff?
Together with the change of technology, the whole hotel personnel must change as well. For people who are not tech savvy, these changes can be quite scary. Some people might believe, that they don't need machines to do their jobs and they will be just fine with their notebooks and pens. However, the reality is different. People with this mindset will be "eaten" by their competitors who take advantage of the technology.
Not only hotel owners or managers have to adjust to the changes. Same applies for receptionists, front desk managers, housekeepers, and every other staff member. We know from our experience working with hundreds of customers that getting used to the new piece of technology is a real challenge.
People were used to certain ways of business operations and don't want to "replace something, what's not broken". We know that housekeepers still might fight with the idea of mobile housekeeping apps and online task lists. However, this is the reality of today. What once was solved and displayed on the paper, now is accessible via a mobile device. Sadly some people are having a really hard time with this change. That's why it is very important to prepare the employees carefully and thoroughly for the changes. Hotel management is not only about guests, but it is also about your employees and ways how you can manage your team.
Summary
We came a long way from living in caves or staying in the alehouses. Peoples' needs also grew considering any life situation. Holidays and traveling became an integral part of modern society. What once seemed to be top of luxury service, now is just as an obvious necessity. With the increased number of traveling and with the changes in technology, accommodation providers also had to adjust accordingly. Papers and Excel sheets were replaced by sophisticated property management systems that were designed to help in day-to-day operations. We are very excited to see what the future brings to hospitality business and what hotel management solutions will be present in the future.