For hoteliers, providing great experiences starts long before their guests even arrive, namely from researching and booking stages. That said, hotel operators sell their products through multiple distribution channels. To manage those channels, they need new software – Channel Manager.
From optimizing visibility and inventory across channels in real-time to easy rates, availability, and reservations management, the technology allows hotels to improve both profitability and efficiency.
True, the Channel Manager became key for them to stay relevant and compete with other players. What’s more, its usage is on the rise. According to the European Hotel Distribution StudyStudy by the Institute of Tourism, the use of hotel channel managers has increased from 39% to 54%, in the last decade.
In this blog post, we’ll cover the top 12 Channel Managers, as well as explain what a Channel Manager is and why hotels need it.
What is a Channel Manager?
The Channel Manager is a software for managing sales effectively across many online distribution channels. This task is particularly challenging for bigger hotels and multi-properties with hundreds of rooms.
The Channel Management System synchronizes connected OTAs with the Property Management System and automatically updates data on the availability, prices, restrictions, as well as incoming reservations.
Why you need a channel manager?
In the hospitality industry, innovation continues to transform the way hoteliers do business. If you are not adapting to the times, your competitors may capture the most interested guests from across the globe. This is why Channel Manager becomes the system that is critical for business. Below, we’ll focus in more detail on why your hotel needs it.
The tool eliminates the necessity to change inventory availability and rates manually on all portals – updates are made instantly and automatically everywhere. If data are not synchronized, it can lead to errors and overbooking – more rooms are sold than available at a certain period of time. While overbooking might be a deliberate strategy for some revenue managers, its reputational risks are quite high, too. In the best-case scenario, the hotel can upgrade the room category, and in the worst – downgrade or deny service. This way, a good software allows for efficient omnichannel inventory management without any additional risks.
Also, an advanced Channel Manager allows getting statistical data and performance reports on sales, which helps optimize revenue by improving the sales strategy accordingly.
How does it work?
As the information in the PMS changes, the channel management software updates the number of available rooms and prices on all synchronized online sales channels, and vice versa, reservations data are instantly reflected in the system thanks to bidirectional XML connections. If a room is booked through one website, it will no longer be available elsewhere.
Sales can be made via OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), the wholesalers. Placing offers on multiple channels allows optimizing online presence and achieving the Billboard Effect: many visitors see your property somewhere else but eventually book through the hotels’ own website not to pay the commission. Therefore, an integrated booking engine or booking button is an essential feature to get more direct reservations, and providers often include it in the package.
Obviously, hotels need the Channel Manager. However, how to pick the one that best suits your needs? Let’s discuss this below.
Criteria to consider when choosing a Channel Manager
If you're looking for a Channel Manager, you might think that there is a broad range of factors to consider. In a nutshell, these are key criteria to keep in mind when choosing the right tool:
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● Functionality
A small hotel needs a basic but reliable tool, while an international chain will benefit from the most sophisticated functions like compatibility with Google Analytics, competition and reputation checker, etc., which simplify revenue management. -
● System integration
The Channel Manager should be able to easily integrate with existing hotel systems such as PMS, RMS, and CRS. -
● Simple and effective reporting
The software must give the hotelier a clear overview of the connected channels' performance over a certain period of time, compared to previous periods, etc. -
● Connectivity with payment systems
It is important that your software is connected to major payment gateways to manage credit/debit card data. -
● Post-sales support
It's a perfect situation if maintenance and support are free and available 24/7. -
● Connectivity with payment systems
. It is important that your software is connected to major payment gateways to manage credit/debit card data. -
● Availability in the local language
Desirable if your personnel does not speak English, which is rare. -
● Price
It varies depending on the level of complexity and personalization, length of the commitment period, property size, etc. Small properties are often offered a Channel Manager/ Front Desk package at a flat monthly rate.
Choosing a channel manager for various types of accommodation
When choosing channel manager software, you should also consider the size and type of accommodation. In general, there are no solutions that are tailor-made for hotels, holiday apartments, or B&B’s. But there are certain channels that suit best in your specific case.
Here, you should take into account what kind of channels you need for your work. Can a channel manager under question connect to them? Apart from the world-famous Expedia and Booking.com, there are many niche options that cater to your target audience and increase conversions. They can help you a lot in attracting potential guests across various locations and markets.
The top 3 questions that you should ask yourself before choosing a channel management software are:
● What kind of property do you manage?
This is the main question that you need to answer before making a decision. If you own a small guest house or vacation rental, you may be good with working only with Booking or Airbnb. But the more properties and rooms you have in your hotel, the more channels you should cover for greater online visibility.
● What kind of channels do you need and how many you can afford?
Connecting to many booking sites and expanding to new markets is important for your hospitality business to grow. The truth is, that more listings mean more sales opportunities. However, there is also such thing as connecting to too many channels. Featuring your hostel or vacation rental on every channel possible is costly and overwhelming. This way, keeping to a certain number of channels that work best for you may be a practical decision.
First, decide on major platforms, and include TripAdvisor or Agoda to the list of possible variants. Then, search for additional options to promote your accommodation to a specific audience. These may be:
- ● Channels that are used only for certain types of property, such as Bnbfinder which mainly features B&B’s, Hostelworld for hostels, or Hometogo for vacation rentals.
- ● Niche channels tailored to a certain lifestyle, like an eco-friendly Bookitgreen or Fairbnb which enable sustainable travel, or a pet-friendly hotel platform BringFido.
If your property caters to a specific kind of guest, it will star on such websites. So, when choosing a channel manager, check if it is possible to sync with niche channels or any other platforms that are especially important for your business.
● What is your budget?
While you can use free channel manager solutions that are available on the market, they may not be able to offer all the functionality that you need. In case you manage several properties, a restricted interface will not work in your favor. This way, you need to include your budget into the equation and choose a pricing option that suits you best. If you own a chain of hostels, you’d better choose a fixed-price option. If you own a small B&B or apartments, pricing per room will be a wise choice.
CMS and Channel Manager
In general, the only thing that matters is whether your channel manager can seamlessly connect with the PMS. But if you want it to be integrated into your website, you should take into account the website’s content management system (CMS). CMS can be defined as a tool that helps entrepreneurs to build a site without any coding skills. It allows to create, publish, and modify digital content there as well.
Many hotel websites are powered by such content management systems as, for instance, WordPress or Wix.
● Choosing a channel manager for the website on WordPress
Website: wordpress.com
WordPress is a free and open-source CMS that offers numerous plugins to enhance the functionality of the website. With such add-ons, you can transform it into anything you want, be it a blog or a digital store. It is also possible to embed a booking button, a payment gateway, or a web channel manager. WordPress offers several channel management plugins, such as Vik, CultBooking, Beds24, etc.
● Choosing a channel manager for the website on Wix
Website: wix.com
Wix does not offer such a great variety of plugins for hospitality, as they only have one channel manager by Hotelrunner. If you decide on this software, all the changes you make must be done via the Wix account and not in Hotelrunner, to avoid rate and availability mismatches on external channels. Earlier, Wix supported MyAllocator, but now they do not offer such an option.
Although adding a channel manager straight to your WordPress or Wix website may seem convenient. However, it has no point if you use a property management system. This may be a good choice only if you manage one or two apartments. But it will not work well for multichannel management that is necessary for bigger hotels. Here, you need your whole system to work as one. Plugins often have restricted functionality, offer a smaller amount of possible connections, and may be prone to crashes if they turn out to be of a low quality.
12 best Channel Managers to watch for in 2024
Based on ratings and reviews from HotelTechReport.com, Capterra, Tooly.tips, Hotelhero.tech, and information from companies’ websites, we have compiled a list of the top-12 Channel Managers for hotels, so read on.
HotelFriend
Website: hotelfriend.com
Hotelfriend allows to create tariff plans for 200+ OTAs in one system. This is a great solution for omnichannel inventory management. Based on Capterra, it offers the following:
• Rate Management
• Reservations Management
• Restriction Management
• Integration with a Property Management System (PMS)
• Support for Multiple Currencies
• Efficient Inventory Control
• Real-time Two-Way Integration
• Support that speaks Multiple Languages
• Streamlined User and Role Management
• Batch Updates for Efficiency
Hotelfriend smart tool corresponds to the highest industry standards. It displays information from all the connected channels on a single dashboard for maximum clarity. For each platform, you can easily set rate rules, e.g., minimum stay limitations.
Also, it helps hoteliers to:
• Manage quotas and prices for all distribution channels.
• Set restrictions for all OTA platforms.
• Set-up prices for the exact period, manage season rates.
• Update the number of available rooms on all OTAs.
• Receive reservations from all online channels.
HotelFriend has an outstanding support team, which can quickly fix any issues, as well as affordable pricing.
Siteminder
Website: siteminder.com
Siteminder allows to reach guests through 400+ distribution channels like Booking.com, Airbnb, TripAdvisor, and Expedia. According to HotelTechReport, it offers the following features:
• PMS connectivity
• Analytics dashboard
• Multi-Currency Support
• Inventory Management
• 2-way real-time integrations
• Unlimited Channels (no additional cost)
• Multi-lingual
• Centralized user & role management
• Bulk Updating
• Channel Self-Mapping
• Derived Rates
• Yield Rules
Siteminder provides detailed performance metrics to build a successful sales strategy, as well as guest reservations/check-in summary reports. Even if the property is large and connected to hundreds of channels, it has the capacity to synchronize data instantly without any glitches.
RateTiger by eRevMax
Website: erevmax.com
RateTiger by eRevMax offers seamless 2-way XML connectivity with over 400 online distribution channels, including Booking.com, Expedia, HRS, Agoda, priceline.com, etc. Based on HotelTechReport, it provides the following features:
• PMS connectivity
• Analytics dashboard
• Multi-Currency Support
• Inventory Management
• 2-way real-time integrations
• Unlimited Channels (no additional cost)
• Multi-lingual
• Virtual Properties
RateTiger by eRevMax helps hoteliers to monitor and manage room rates, availability, and restrictions in real-time across all connected distribution channels. It is security certified under GDPR, PCI, and ISO.
Hotel Spider’s Channel Manager
Website: hotel-spider.com
Hotel Spider’s Channel Manager works with two-way interfaces to OTAs, destination management, web booking engines, international and local connectivity partners, namely HRS group, Booking.com, Pegasus, Expedia, etc. HotelHero.tech provides us with the list of the Hotel Spider’s major features:
• Channel analytics dashboard
• Multi-currency
• 2-way XML integration
• Virtual Properties (different OTA account IDs to one PMS)
• Flexible user rights & roles
• 365 days rate management
• 1 click on/off
• Connect to main GDSs
• Pooled inventory
• Mobile access
• Custom inventory levels per room type & channel
• Pricing & availability rules
Hotel Spider’s Channel Manager helps to synchronize hotels’ availabilities, prices, and booking rules on all booking channels, as well as automatically retrieve reservations, modifications, or cancellations and adjust inventory.
Octorate
Website: octorate.com
Octorate’s channel manager allows hoteliers to connect with 110+ distribution channels, including Booking.com, Airbnb, and HomeAway. Based on Tooly.tips, it offers the following features:
Octorate not only enables effective distribution across numerous channels – it includes invoice management functionality. Like the other market leaders, it is cloud-based, so it can be accessed from any location through a mobile device. The Octorate product boasts such features as integration with Google Analytics, Reputation Checker, Rate Shopper, etc. The price depends on the number of connected channels.
• One-click option to close all channel on a specific date/period
• Rate increase/reduction by channel
• Rates and availability data update double-checking
• Rates by rate type
• Rates by room type
• Real-time sales/availability overview
• Real-time reservations retrieval from OTA
• Reservation details available for any channel
• RMS Interface
STAAH
Website: staah.com
STAAH allows to reach a global audience through 200+ channel manager integrations with OTAs, GDS, and other booking platforms. According to Hotelhero.tech, it features:
• Booking engine module
• one click on/off
• Channel analytics dashboard
• Multi-currency
• 2-way XML integration
• Flexible user rights & roles
• Connect to main GDSs
• Pooled inventory
• Mobile access
The provider offers two options: Instant Channel Manager and CM Max. The first one is a solution for independent properties, while the second one is for hotel groups and vacation rentals. The product has advanced features like channel performance analytics, top 5 competitors tracker (RateSTalk) tool, bulk updates, etc. Another competitive advantage is STAAH Mobile App, which allows 27/7 accessibility. STAAH Channel Manager is a cloud-based, the real-time application is suitable for properties of all sizes.
Cubilis
Website: cubilis.com
Cubilis offers 350+ connections, including Booking.com, TripAdvisor, and Expedia. According to HotelTechReport.com, it offers the following features:
• PMS connectivity
• Analytics dashboard
• Multi-Currency Support
• Inventory Management
• 2-way real-time integrations
• Multi-lingual
• Centralized user & role management
Cubilis not only allows instant data exchange with multiple platforms but also ensures the highest quality of connection. It helps manage prices and availability of booking sites (OTAs) on one central dashboard. The platform has a flexible pricing model based on the number of rooms at the property, so a hotelier can scale up if the business expands and new locations are added.
My Allocator (by Cloudbeds)
Website: myallocator.com
My Allocator (Cloudbeds) allows to synchronize inventory with 300+ online booking channels like Airbnb, Expedia, and Booking.com in real-time. Based on HotelTechReport.com, it offers the following features:
• PMS connectivity
• Analytics dashboard
• Multi-Currency Support
• Inventory Management
• 2-way real-time integrations
• Multi-lingual
Named Cloudbeds Channel Manager after rebranding, this effective cloud-based tool eliminates booking errors. The bi-directional XML connection ensures instant updates of sales information. It integrates with other Cloudbeds solutions and PMS from other providers, as well as one of the leading Metasearch platforms – ADS Hotels. The pricing depends on the number of rooms.
eZee Centrix
Website: ezeetechnosys.com
eZee Centrix is connected with 130+ travel booking sites including global and regional OTAs, GDS, vacation rentals, metasearch sites, and more. HotelTechReport.com provides us with insight into the features it offers:
• PMS connectivity
• Analytics dashboard
• Multi-Currency Support
• Inventory Management
• 2-way real-time integrations
• Unlimited Channels (no additional cost)
• Multi-lingual
eZee Centrix Channel Manager allows to automate a hotel's inventory distribution through one-stop control. It ensures that hotel rooms are distributed globally by making property connect to the Global Distribution System (GDS) consisting of Galileo, Amadeus, Sabre, and Worldspan.
NightsBridge
Website: site.nightsbridge.com
NightsBridge allows to manage 250+ distribution channels with one click, including Agoda, HRS, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, etc. According to HotelTechReport.com, it provides the following features:
• PMS connectivity
• Multi-Currency Support
• Inventory Management
• 2-way real-time integrations
• Virtual Properties
• Centralized user & role management
NightsBridge provides up-to-the-second room availability to potential guests through the hotel’s own website or the accommodation sites the company partners with. Guests can check availability, book, and pay online in one go.
Hotelogix
Website: www.hotelogix.com
Hotelogix provides 50+ OTA Integrations. According to HotelTechReport.com, it offers the following features:
• PMS connectivity
• Multi-Currency Support
• Inventory Management
• 2-way real-time integrations
• Virtual Properties
• Centralized user & role management
• Integration with popular OTAs
Hotelogix offers a range of robust capabilities, such as centralized rate control, immediate distribution of inventory, and in-depth analytics, providing comprehensive tools for effective channel management.
D-EDGE
Website: www.d-edge.com
D-EDGE allows hoteliers to connect to 300+ online distribution channels, including global and local OTAs, and GDSs. Based on HotelTechReport.com, D-EDGE features:
• PMS connectivity
• Analytics dashboard
• Multi-Currency Support
• Inventory Management
• 2-way real-time integrations
• Multi-lingual
• Centralized user & role management
• Bulk Updating
• Channel Self-Mapping
• Yield Rules
D-EDGE provides Central Inventory. Using this centralized dashboard, hoteliers can connect to any of their partner channels. The platform offers planning management, which helps automate the planning and channel pool rules.
That said, all the software above can help you manage multiple distribution channels and ease the strain and stress associated with it. Now you can decide for yourself what Channel Manager system suits your specific requirements.
Final Thoughts
Nowadays, all Channel Managers work nearly the same way, nothing special: the list of reservations, quotas, and rates. The technology is not new at all and does not surprise anybody. And HotelFriend platform also has a Channel Manager, which is able to cope with standard tasks easily.
But what is the advantage? Where is the real benefit of using HotelFriend software? And the thing is that only with us:
- you get a multifunctional cloud-based solution with an integrated Channel Manager for not much money;
- the guest is always connected – he will receive an email and be able not only to see the reservation but influence on it directly from the smartphone: make a fast check-in or extend his stay;
- all of it works as a single ecosystem with no APIs inside, where the guest is always a priority.
This way you get more than just a Channel Manager. You get an innovative platform for multichannel management and a loyal, satisfied customer who will return to you.
Whatever Channel Manager for hotels you will choose, it will simplify your life greatly
● One login for all OTAs and other channels, which saves lots of time.
● Information on inventories and rates is always up-to-date with one click across all platforms, overbooking is eliminated.
● Guests’ personal data are automatically added to PMS.
● The strategy of dynamic pricing is easy to implement and results are easy to track with efficiency reports and statistics. What works best for your property and at what period of time: deals, early-bird rates, last-minute offers or other incentives? A good Channel Manager gives you enough clarity.
● Much lower chance of human error thanks to automation.
If you are using one of the above-mentioned Channel Managers and would like to make sure it will integrate smoothly with the HotelFriend property management system, contact our team for a free channel manager consultation. Your success is our top priority.
