Increasing demand for more functionality in basic PMS package 

Over the past 15 years, the world of hotel management software saw a huge rise in all kinds of specialised apps for revenue management, housekeeping and guest communication, among other things. However, partly in view of the often high costs involved - especially for individual hoteliers - there is currently a development. "From the hotel market, there is an increasing demand to start offering more functionality in the basic PMS package again ", says Head of Sales and Partnerships Krispijn Westerink of VIPS PMS, the company behind VIPS CloudPMS.

Following the general rise of apps, specialised apps in the hotel industry also shot up like mushrooms in recent years. "Upselling in the hotel industry has been totally hot in recent years. All kinds of apps have been developed that take the guest experience to the next level," Westerink says. "As a result, you saw that hoteliers started shopping around in order to contract with several specialised app providers so often. Large hotel chains can easily afford this, but for the average hotelier with, say, 60 rooms and a lower budget, it is quite different. Suppose a PMS costs an average of 12 euros per hotel room every month. Well, with a total solution including all kinds of third-party apps, you quickly end up with as much as thirty euros per room. Because of this cost aspect, you now see a strong desire, especially among individual hoteliers - who account for about fifty per cent of all Dutch hotel beds - to opt for a PMS with a broader basic package and which reduces the need to shop in the app store."

Founded in 1988, VIPS PMS specialises in a cloud-based property management system, PMS for short. This makes managing reservations, billing, guest communications and revenu management, among other things, very easy. "With our cloud solution, we are quite easily able to bring back specific app functionalities that are now offered by third-party providers into the PMS," says Westerink, who stresses that his company does still offer hoteliers the option to choose links with external partners; examples include new players such as Runnr.ai for guest communications or a CCV for payment transactions. "And if, for example, a hotelier wants to integrate our PMS with a third-party provider that offers very comprehensive housekeeping, of course they can. But to meet the needs of an individual hotelier who does not have the budget for that, we also have in the basic package of our PMS a housekeeping app with which that department can also work on mobile." 

An illustrative example of integrated software is the meeting and events module, which Krispijn says will be added to the new version of VIPS CloudPMS in 2024. "This will make it possible to book meeting rooms and events directly through VIPS CloudPMS, without the need for external parties. This approach is not only cost-efficient, but also offers operational benefits as hoteliers can now work with one system.

In other words, our solution acts as a single point of contact, including support services. This approach meets the growing demand for comprehensive basic packages and less care for the hotelier. This simultaneously enables him to operate more efficiently."

All in all, hoteliers are increasingly recognising that they should not rely solely on app stores. The combination of a comprehensive base package and specialised providers with app store solution contributes to cost-effective management, guest experience optimisation and more efficient hotel operations. This balance between internal and external resources is proving crucial for successfully navigating the challenges of cost management and operational optimisation in today's hotel industry."