If you run an inn, a motel or a B&B, you’re probably the owner, the receptionist and the person who changes the beds. Booking software built for a large hotel assumes there’s a team behind the desk. Yours is a different job, and the software should fit it.
One person, many jobs
At a small property the person taking a booking may also be cooking breakfast. The software has to be quick to use and hard to get wrong. A step by step booking wizard helps, because it asks for the next thing in order and you don’t have to remember what comes next. In iMagic Hotel Reservation it’s five steps, from the dates to a summary you can print or email. It also means that someone covering for you, such as a relative or a weekend helper, can take a booking with very little training.
Rooms that aren’t all the same
Small properties often have a mix: a few rooms, a self-contained apartment, a cabin or a lodge. Check that the software lets you book each kind and set its own rate. iMagic Hotel Reservation books rooms, apartments, studios, halls and lodges, or whatever else you define. A single booking can cover more than one room, which suits a family or a wedding party.
Pricing that matches how you charge
Some places charge per night, others per person, and a long stay might be priced by the week or the month. Check that the software handles your method, and your seasons as well. The software can charge per night, per person, per week, per hour or per month, or a combination, and you can set several seasons across the year. If your rates include tax, it can work out inclusive tax such as VAT or GST for you.
Add the extras you really sell, such as laundry, towels, a mini bar or a breakfast. Common charges can be saved and added to new bookings automatically.
Knowing your guests
At a small place, guests notice when you remember them. A customer record can hold preferences, food allergy notes and special occasions such as birthdays, so a regular’s room and breakfast are right before they arrive. Customer history shows when they stayed before, and you can build a mailing list for the guests you want to contact about quiet periods.
Taking bookings through your website
A small website with a “book now” form can bring in guests who’d otherwise book through a site that takes a commission. iMagic Hotel Reservation can send your availability to a website booking service, and you aren’t tied to one provider. If you only want to show guests which dates are free, the Online Guest Calendar add-on embeds a live calendar on your website for $230 per year. Taking online hotel reservations goes through setting it up.
Housekeeping
The software can export cleaning lists, and reports show who’s in the house, who has checked out and which reservations aren’t confirmed yet.
Cost and setup
The desktop edition is a license per PC at $399 per year for one PC, with support and updates included and no cost per booking. If one person handles the desk, one PC and one license is all you need. A Configuration Wizard walks you through adding your rooms, charges and seasonal rates, so you can start without being a computer expert. The Purchase page has current pricing, and the system requirements list the minimum for a Windows PC.
If you’d rather use a browser on a phone or tablet, the Cloud Edition is available by subscription, priced by the number of rooms.
Download the free iMagic Hotel Reservation trial, a fully functional 10 use evaluation, and set up your own rooms and rates to see how a month of bookings looks.