Property management app: Uses and basic functions

What is a property management app?

A property management app is a piece of software that allows a hotelier and their team to manage hotel operations via a phone or mobile device. Hotel and rental property management apps allow you to run your property on the go, rather than being tied to the front desk or reception office.The best property management apps will offer a similar level of functionality to the property management software that you use on a desktop, and will work across all devices: you’ll be able to download a property management iPhone app or Android app that you can seamlessly integrate into your tech stack.

Enjoy more control with Little Hotelier

Little Hotelier’s Mobile App places total control over your hotel in the palm of your hand. Communicate with guests, process payments, and tweak rates and availability across your distribution channels from wherever you are.

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What is the use of a rental property management app?

A small, independent hotelier has to wear a lot of hats, and will inevitably be pulled in a lot of different directions. Between checking rooms, restocking supplies and doing all that you can to enhance the guest experience, taking a seat behind the front desk can be a rare event.

The best rental property management apps grant you the ability to take the front desk with you wherever you go. They remove the need to constantly shuffle back to the office – you can control hotel operations from your mobile device through a property management app for iPad or a smartphone.

Basic functions of a property management mobile app

What does a property management mobile app enable you to do? That depends on the specific app that you choose, but the best property management apps will deliver the following level of functionality.

Control bookings and availability

Your property management app should grant you the ability to create, accept and edit OTA reservations and direct bookings, and close and open specific rooms on specific dates.

Check guests in and out

A property management app should allow you to check your guests in and out, to give you and your staff, particularly your housekeepers, total clarity on which rooms are currently occupied.

Process payments

The best hotel management apps will let you process payments on the go, ensuring you get paid sooner.

Communicate with guests

With the help of a dedicated guest communication function, you can keep in close contact with your guests through your app to ensure that they have a five-star experience. You can also use the app to follow up after check-out to ensure that five-star stay converts into a five-star review.

Check your numbers

The best property management apps will offer up a live dashboard that delivers all your most important numbers in a glance, from revenue to booking channel breakdowns.

Examples of property management apps for hotels

Property management apps come in a few different forms. Little Hotelier’s Mobile App is designed to grant you mobile access to your property management system, through which you control every aspect of your property.

Then there are the more specialised apps that can enhance your operations and guest experience in a myriad of ways. Examples of such apps from the Little Hotelier app store include:

HelloShift

• A communication and collaboration app that enhances the guest experience without adding more staff.
• Communicate with guests through instant messaging, offer contactless check in, and power seamless collaboration between staff members and departments.

4WiFi

• Provide your guests with a seamless internet experience, and take advantage of upsell opportunities, with minimal time and effort.
• Authenticate WiFi users, set data and bandwidth limits, and increase revenue by offering premium paid options.

OptiWatti

• Gain total control over room temperature through a smart energy management system that controls electric heating and cooling room by room.
• Enhance the comfort of your guests while also saving money on utility bills.

Little Hotelier had fantastic onboarding help, and was easy to set up. It’s really convenient to have the app to go to. Most of what I do on a day to day basis is on the app.

Jen Llewellyn,

Owner

Country Dome Suites

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What is the best property management app?

The best property management app is one that lets you seamlessly switch between desktop and mobile – whether Android, iPhone or iPad – placing all the most important hotel management functionality in your pocket.

The best app will grant you total control over your hotel, through a full complement of features. It will let you accept and edit bookings, process payments, check guests in and out, communicate with those guests, and analyse data to understand your operations and how to enhance them.

The best app will be built specifically for you, the small, independent hotelier. It will be smooth, clear and ultra-intuitive. It will integrate effortlessly into your current tech stack, it will allow you to add extra functionality through third-party apps, and it will just work. In short, the best property management app is Little Hotelier’s Mobile App.

By Dean Elphick

Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).