Start with how your hotel actually runs
Every system looks good in a demo, because a demo is a clean property with no history and no problems. Before you look at any software, write down what a normal day at your property involves: where bookings come from, who takes them, how the restaurant bills a guest, how housekeeping knows what to clean, and what your accountant asks for at month end.
That list is your test. The right system handles your day in fewer steps than you use now. The wrong one is impressive and adds work.
The 12 questions
- 1
Is it one system, or several products sold together?
Ask whether reservations, the restaurant POS and the channel manager share one database. If they are separate products joined by integrations, ask what happens when an integration fails and who you call.
- 2
What exactly is included, and what costs extra?
Get the channel manager, booking engine, POS, guest messaging, setup, training and support into the quote in writing. Ask about per-booking fees.
- 3
How does it connect to the OTAs I sell on?
OTAs only accept automated updates through approved connectivity, so ask how the connection is made, how long a new property takes to connect, and what you do in the meantime.
- 4
Does it have its own booking engine, and what does it charge?
Direct bookings should cost you nothing beyond card fees. Check that the engine sells from the same inventory as the OTAs and works well on a phone.
- 5
Does a restaurant bill post to the guest's room?
Watch it happen in the demo. A system that needs someone to retype the charge will miss charges on a busy night.
- 6
How does housekeeping see and update room status?
The desk should see a room turn clean the moment it is cleaned, without a phone call.
- 7
Can staff use it on their phones?
Housekeepers, waiters and maintenance staff are rarely at a desk. Ask what they can do from a phone and how they sign in.
- 8
What happens to my existing bookings when we switch?
Future reservations, deposits and guest details should be imported for you and checked, not retyped. Ask who does it.
- 9
What can the desk do when the internet drops?
Every cloud system depends on a connection. Ask what staff can still see and do offline, and what happens when the connection returns.
- 10
Who supports it, and when?
Find out whether support comes from the vendor or a reseller, which time zone they work in, and how you reach a person at night.
- 11
Can I get my data out?
Exports of reservations, guests and financial records should be available at any time without a fee. A system that makes leaving hard has told you something.
- 12
How are card details handled?
The system should never store full card numbers. It should keep a payment provider's token and the last four digits, nothing more.
How to run a demo that tells you something
Ask the vendor to load your own room types and rates before the call, then walk through a real day instead of a feature tour.
- Take a walk-in booking for tonight and check the guest in.
- Move a guest to a different room for the last two nights of a three-night stay.
- Charge a dinner to a room from the restaurant, then split the final bill between cash and card.
- Close a date on every channel, and show where the change was recorded.
- Check out a guest who still owes money, and see what the system does.
- Run the end-of-day close and open the next morning's arrivals.
Time each one. Then imagine it at 9pm on a full night, with a queue at the desk.
Red flags
- Prices that only appear after you agree to a long contract.
- Impressive customer results quoted without a named property you can call.
- A demo that avoids your questions about exporting your data.
- Separate logins for the restaurant, the channel manager and the PMS.
- Setup left to you, with a video library instead of a person.
Total cost, not monthly price
Compare what each option costs over a year, including add-ons, per-booking fees, card fees, setup and training. Then set that against what your current way of working costs: commission on bookings that could have come direct, charges missed at checkout, staff hours spent retyping, and the occasional guest you had to move to another hotel.
Where Orian fits
Orian HMS answers most of these questions the same way: one system and one database, with the channel manager, booking engine, POS and guest app on it; your rooms and bookings loaded by us before go-live; support from the team that builds it; and exports and an API so your data is never trapped. On the OTA question, the channel manager is built in, and your Booking.com, Agoda and Expedia connections are set up with you during onboarding and tested before cutover.
The best way to judge it is the demo described above. Book one with your own rooms.
Common questions
How long should choosing a hotel system take?
For a single property, two or three demos over a few weeks is usually enough. Longer normally means the shortlist is too long or nobody has written down what the hotel actually needs.
Should I choose an all-in-one system or separate specialist tools?
Specialist tools can be stronger individually, but every connection between them is a place where data goes missing. For most independent hotels, fewer systems and one support line is the better trade.
Is it worth paying more for AI features?
Only if they remove work you really do today, such as answering after-hours calls or pricing rooms. Judge them in the demo on your own data, not on the description.