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Best CRM Software for Hotels

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Author
Isabelle Dubois
International Marketing and CRM Strategy Expert
picture of Isabelle dubois, CRM expert
Biography
Isabelle Dubois brings a global perspective to CRM strategy. With a seasoned career in international marketing for multinational firms, Isabelle understands the unique challenges of fostering client relationships across cultures and languages. Through her blog contributions, she leverages this experience to guide readers on how CRMs can optimize communication, personalize marketing efforts, and ultimately drive growth in the international marketplace.
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Latest Update: Sep 16, 2024, 8:45 am
Best CRM for Hotels
Latest Update: Sep 16, 2024, 8:45 am

In a Nutshell

As a hotel proprietor, manager, or administrator, you understand the significance of maintaining strong connections with your guests in the highly competitive hotel industry. That’s where having the best CRM software for hotels becomes a critical factor in your success. But with such an abundance of products available, each offering slightly different features and benefits, which hotel CRM software is the ideal fit for your business?

5 Best CRM Software for Hotels

After thorough testing and evaluation, I’ve discovered the following tools as the best Hotel CRM software:

  1. Zoho CRM Best all-around CRM for Hotels
  2. HubSpot CRM – Best for inbound marketing and sales alignment
  3. Pipedrive CRM – mall and medium-sized Hotels
  4. Revinate – Best for improving guest experience & loyalty
  5. Guestwere – Best for managing guest requests, and other hotel operations.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to hotel CRM software as the optimal solution depends on your unique requirements and the scale of your hotel. Smaller businesses may not need all of the features that more extensive hotels demand from hospitality CRM software. Conversely, larger hotels can profit from a comprehensive suite of features, including advanced automation tools and analytics capabilities.

In considering the best solution for an outstanding hotel CRM software, the main requirements should be to simplify guest communication, enhance the organization’s contact details, and ultimately boost efficiency across your entire operation. In this article, I have taken a look at some of the leading options available for hotels seeking an effective hotel customer relationship management software solution that meets those requirements.

The Best CRM Tools for Hotels

1

Zoho CRM

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Zoho CRM Logo
4.8
4.8
Starts at $16 per user per month
zoho crm website screenshot img

Zoho CRM is an ideal choice for businesses seeking swift problem resolution, bypassing the need for intricate technical tasks, developer involvement, or prolonged wait times for setup completion. I found the platform to be quite easy to use without too much in the way of clutter and very little head-scratching. As a result, Zoho CRM might appeal to hoteliers who prioritize responsiveness over clutter.

The primary application, Zoho CRM, simplifies sales process management and automates everyday tasks, allowing for increased focus on essential aspects of business operations. Additionally, it aids in tracking opportunities and actions for each client while fostering long-term customer relationships.

A standout feature of Zoho CRM is its multi-channel approach, which I found quite interesting. It enables managers to engage with leads through various platforms, such as websites, social networks, online chats, phone calls, and emails – an essential requirement in this modern age, and often lacking in other platforms.

The CRM solution’s robust analytics component allows users to evaluate tasks like advertising investment efficiency and lead management, manage inventory, operations management, and monitor costs and returns.

My Verdict

Zoho CRM stands out to my mind as an excellent choice for hotels and sales teams seeking a comprehensive and user-friendly customer relationship management platform. With a rather robust set of features, such as multi-channel communication, automation of processes, and social media integration, this is a powerful tool for managing and nurturing customer relationships. 

The platform’s built-in collaboration tools and business intelligence reporting capabilities further strike me as worthy of note, enabling teams to work together more effectively and make data-driven decisions.

With a focus on data protection and records management, Zoho CRM ensures the security of sensitive information. In summary, Zoho CRM offers a versatile and cost-effective solution that can greatly improve efficiency, promotional automation, and customer support while fostering long-term customer loyalty in the process. The free plan is really quite useful too.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Affordable pricing tiers
  • Automation available on all plans
  • Various integrations
  • 30- to 45-day money-back guarantee

Cons

  • AI only on top tiers
  • Limited custom fields
  • No integrations for free plan
2

Hubspot Sales Hub

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Hubspot logo
4.7
4.7
Starts at $45 per user per month
hubspot-deals-dashboard-img

HubSpot CRM emerges as an all-encompassing solution crafted to refine and enhance customer interactions within the realm of most business types, although the CRM processes work very well for the hotel or the hospitality business. Boasting a user-centric interface and a rich set of features, HubSpot CRM enables hotels to elevate customer service, automate mundane tasks, and track customer engagement effectively.

Its seamless integration with a variety of HubSpot tools and third-party applications enables hotels to manage multiple facets of marketing initiatives, sales management, internal communication, marketing campaigns (marketing teams will love HubSpot) and booking monitoring. With a strong focus on enhancing guest experiences and maximizing revenue, HubSpot CRM has gained traction among hotels seeking a comprehensive and easy-to-navigate CRM software.

My Verdict

HubSpot CRM is a very user-friendly platform that presents a reliable and adaptable solution for hotels aiming to fortify their customer relationship management. The rich interface, all-encompassing features, and effortless integration possibilities make it a compelling option for hotels of varying sizes.

Although the pricing structure might deter smaller hotels, the platform’s capacity to bolster customer service, streamline processes, and coordinate marketing efforts ultimately goes a long way to justifying the cost. HubSpot CRM is an invaluable asset for hospitality businesses striving to enrich guest experiences, nurture customer loyalty, and expand their revenue. If it were not for the slightly high pricing, I might have selected this platform as my favorite, actually.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • User friendly interface
  • Wide-ranging feature suite, covering automation, multi-channel communication, and marketing automation (even email marketing)
  • Collaborative tools that bolster internal communication and contact management
  • Business intelligence and reporting functionalities for customer data and guest data driven insights
  • Smooth integration with other HubSpot tools and external applications

Cons

  • Pricing structure could be tough for smaller hotels with tight budgets
  • Customization choices may be more limited than with other CRM platforms
  • Navigating advanced features may present a learning curve for some users
3

Pipedrive

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Pipedrive logo
4.6
4.6
Starts at $16 per user per month
Pipedrive crm insights dashboard img

While useful for hotels and hospitality, Pipedrive CRM feels more like a sales-driven platform tailored to enhance customer interactions and streamline operations. Again, as I mentioned in the introduction, none of these CRMS are designed specifically for hotels, although all of them are perfect for the hospitality industry through one reason or another.

Pipedrive’s intuitive, easy to follow design (I am a fan of anything user-friendly) and comprehensive set of features allow hotels to elevate customer service, automate routine tasks, and effectively track customer engagement. As one of the better-known CRM solutions, Pipedrive has been tailored to meet the unique needs of hotels and the hospitality industry, despite the generic design for all businesses.

You get a real sense that the main focus is on streamlining customer interactions and boosting efficiency across various departments, with a focus more on the customer service side of things through customer data, and less on the marketing and promotional side of a hotel business, although it is set up for managing marketing campaigns such as email marketing. Hotel marketers will appreciate Pipedrive, despite its leaning towards customer service more.

Generally speaking, Pipedrive is a generic CRM but by the time you have set everything up, it will feel like a purpose built hospitality CRM, offering an intuitive interface that ensures seamless implementation within a hotel setting.

My Verdict

Pipedrive is a viable CRM choice for hotels that value simplicity and ease of use – although things get a little complicated when you start exploring the extra features. Its strength lies in streamlining guest communication and enhancing staff productivity with its customizable sales pipeline and advanced automation. While it may not be the perfect fit for larger hotels with intricate needs, it’s a dependable option for hospitality businesses aiming to elevate guest satisfaction and achieve their revenue goals.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • User-friendly interface means quick adoption for new team members
  • Feature-rich, covering automation, multi-channel communication, and marketing automation
  • Collaborative tools that enhance internal communication and productivity
  • Business intelligence and reporting capabilities for data-driven decision-making

Cons

  • Pricing structure might be challenging for smaller hotels with limited budgets
  • Customization options may be more restricted compared to other CRM platforms
  • While the basic features are very easy to pick up, the advanced features may present a learning curve for some (but not all) users
  • No free plan available
4

Revinate

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revinate-crm-logo
4.5
4.5
Free Plan: No
revinate crm software screenshot

Moving onto a more tailored, bespoke solution now, with the only CRM on this list that might be described as designed with the hospitality industry in mind. Revinate is a hospitality CRM software specifically designed to engage hotel customers at every stage of their lifecycle. The CRM is a comprehensive data platform and marketing automation tool, nicely stitched together into one product. It offers omni-channel communication options to engage and nurture customers via telephone, text message, email marketing (or through the hotel’s website).

Throughout each campaign, the system collects data on targeted audiences to help enrich customer profiles, segment customer lists, and ultimately optimize campaigns for more bookings and revenue. I was impressed by the various levels with Revinate, actually. To say it is all encompassing for the hotel industry would be an understatement.

Personally, I feel Revinate stands out as the best hotel on this CRM list because of its sophistication and supplemental services. For example, teams can use Ivy (which is the fancy artificial intelligence or AI feature), to text guests, manage routine customer requests, and offer personalized upselling based on the customer profile. The built-in tools and integration options also enable a robust reputation management and contact management system where a hotel can request and manage online reviews for Google, Booking.com, and Tripadvisor, all from one interface.

This is customer experience gone wild – taking your front end game to the next level. I really enjoyed testing this platform actually, and I think you will as well.

My Verdict

This truly is a fantastic system and in truth, nothing else on this list compares if you are a hotel owner, manager, or employee. Revinate stands out as the clear winner, and a serious option for hotels that want to improve customer experience and handle their online reputation skillfully.

Crafted specifically for the hospitality industry, this CRM software boasts potent AI functionalities and versatile communication channels, offering a well-rounded approach to managing customer interactions. Although the learning curve and pricing might pose challenges for some, the long-term advantages of using Revinate make it a valuable asset for hotels seeking to elevate customer engagement, loyalty, and ultimately, revenue.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Industry-specific CRM: Revinate is specifically designed for the hospitality industry, ensuring a better understanding of hotel needs and customer expectations.
  • Omni-channel communication: The platform supports multiple communication channels such as telephone, text message, email marketing, and hotel websites, allowing for better customer engagement.
  • AI-powered features: Ivy, the AI feature, helps manage routine customer requests and offers personalized upselling based on customer profiles.
  • Robust reputation management: Revinate enables hotels to request and manage online reviews from multiple platforms like Google, Booking.com, and Tripadvisor, all in one place.
  • Comprehensive data platform: The software collects data on targeted audiences to enrich customer profiles, segment customer lists, and optimize campaigns for increased bookings and revenue.

Cons

  • Learning curve: May require some initial training for staff to fully understand and utilize the platform effectively, but this is a pretty sophisticated platform designed for the hotel industry, so you might expect a little effort is required to learn something so extensive.
  • Cost: The pricing of Revinate may be higher compared to other CRM solutions, potentially making it less accessible for smaller hotels with tight budgets.
5

Guestware

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Guestware CRM Logo
4.4
4.4
Free Plan: No
Starting at $112
guestware-survey-software-screenshot-img

Another CRM software tailored for the hospitality sector, Guestware concentrates on elevating guest experiences, refining hotel operations, and boosting customer satisfaction. This platform empowers hotels to gather and handle guest data, monitor preferences, and customize interactions for what the company describes as “unforgettable visitor experiences”.

Beyond its CRM functionalities, Guestware offers tools for managing guest requests, preventive maintenance, and swift responses to guest requirements, assisting hotels in providing top-notch service and nurturing guest loyalty.

My Verdict

Guestware, like Revinate, is suitable for small and large hotels alike. With three plans based on room count, it covers guest and incident management, facilities maintenance, and marketing through email, loyalty programs, and pre-arrival planning.

As a hotel PMS, Guestware really grabs my attention in terms of operational management. Modules handle guest requests and maintenance, offering preventive engineering features, mobile inspections, and optional IVR tools for housekeeping or incident response services.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Provides features for tracking guest incidents, managing responses, and automating dispatch processes
  • The platform comes with facility management capabilities such as monitoring preventive maintenance, conducting mobile inspections, and overseeing housekeeping operations
  • A comprehensive tool for managing both sales and operations

Cons

  • Initial pricing can be costly
  • Loyalty program management only accessible with Guestware Plus plan
  • CRM functionality not provided until upgrading to Guestware Suite plan

What Is a CRM Software?

CRM, otherwise known as customer relationships management, is an essential software resource that hotels can use to arrange their guest data. By using a CRM, hotels are able to better comprehend the needs of their guests, providing more individualized services. Think of a CRM as an online central hub to connect the business seamlessly and efficiently with its customers or clients.

Some CRM systems are made with features that are designed to simplify hotel management specifically, engineered to increase effectiveness and improve client satisfaction. CRM for hotels has grown in popularity over the past ten years across a variety of sectors, especially for businesses that regard customer service as a key element of their growth – as all hotels should.

Now that CRM software has become so popular, it’s hard to imagine running a hotel without one, and those who may be using more antiquated old-fashioned management systems are missing out on a highly effective tool. 

While some of the larger multinational chains run their own in-house customer relationship management CRM system, created specifically for the hotel in question, the majority of hotels are using a ‘Software as a Service’ plug-and-play type of CRM system, all of which come with a level of flexibility that allows for adjusting to the hotel’s specific needs. It is those plug-and-play type CRM systems that I have been looking at recently and bring to you today for review.

In all honesty, anyone who is not particularly well versed in computers or possibly lacks experience in using software might find some hotel CRM systems a little overwhelming at first, owing to a plethora of different options, pages, and sections within the software. 

After a gentle learning curve, however, even the most technically non-proficient of users will soon become adept and consider the software indispensable. If you have not used hospitality CRM software previously, you will be pleasantly surprised at what a huge difference it makes to your day to day operations.

Why Do You Need Hotel CRM Software?

You can probably gather I am something of a fan of CRM software – I honestly believe we have been spoiled with a vast range of remarkable software over the last decade or so, all of which makes such a huge difference to the growth and management of a wide range of businesses. So yes, I am indeed something of a fan. The technology behind CRMs and the impact they have made on various industries have been significant.

Prior to SaaS products becoming available, most hotels (or indeed, most businesses, generally speaking) used paper, spreadsheets, day-timers, and Rolodexes to track and manage customers. This excludes, of course, hotels and businesses that run some kind of reservation software, but for the most part, you would be surprised at just how many hotels relied on paper and how recently.

The CRM system came along and instantly revolutionized the way in which businesses interact with their customers and has improved customer service dramatically. In the very early days of CRM systems, many hotels would use something like Ledger as a customer interaction and management hub. Now, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of SaaS-based CRM software options. In short, if you manage a hotel and need new CRM software, you are spoilt for choice.

But why exactly have customer relationship management CRM tools become so popular and essential? What is it exactly that they do that makes everything so much easier? Let’s take a look at the main benefits of using a CRM before moving on to my specific reviews. I have identified five areas in total that might be described as key solutions for hotels specifically.

Features and Benefits of Hospitality CRM Software

1) Customer Management

The bond between a hotel and its guests starts long before check-in. A hotel CRM or hospitality CRM will manage this journey, from website visits to booking confirmations and post-stay follow-ups, prioritizing personalized experiences and staying connected with guests.

2) Unified Database

A centralized hospitality CRM is essential for managing guest information across various departments like sales, front desk, kitchen, housekeeping, and customer service, especially for multiple hotel locations.

3) Guest Data Analysis

CRMs help to analyze customer preferences (such as special mattresses or food allergies, for example), in order to personalize upselling and create targeted marketing campaigns for similar prospects. A good hospitality CRM will form a link between marketing, customer service, and guest experience to increase hotel revenue.

4) Fostering Customer Loyalty

Another reason to consider hospitality CRM software is because of a greater chance of repeat business through loyalty programs, special offers, and post-stay surveys, demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.

5) Sales & Booking Tracking

With varied sales processes and multiple booking channels, hospitality CRM software will help keep track of payments and monitor sales performance, supporting reps to achieve targets and increase revenue.

Wrap Up

Mastering customer satisfaction is crucial for a modern hotel business, especially in the hospitality industry where the experience is everything.

Hotel franchise owners, hoteliers, and independent hotel managers can now utilize powerful digital tools designed for their industry by using a CRM. These systems offer more than just marketing automation, sales boosting, and customer service streamlining; they provide a comprehensive solution for the entire hotel operation, from property management to personalizing each guest’s experience.

Whether it’s an escape from daily life, an adventure, or a work trip, a smooth stay and a pleasant experience is, of course, essential. Given the importance of your guests’ experiences, investing in the best CRM for hotels should be an obvious choice – I hope this guide has helped you do just that.