A Guide to Essential Features in Hotel Housekeeping Software

Make sure you’re selecting the right housekeeping software with all the features you need to effectively run your housekeeping department and keep your hotel guests happy. 

Investing in housekeeping software can be a big purchase for a hotel. Whether you’re a 15-room boutique hotel in New York City, or a 400-room resort in the Caribbean, housekeeping software can keep your hotel organized, cut costs and save time. With 1.17 million housekeepers in the US, and millions more globally, it’s time to provide them the right tools for success.

Hoteliers have many options to choose from, so it’s important to evaluate each product before making a decision. Once you’ve prioritized which features are most important to your hotel, it’s time to start comparing your options. While there is no “one-size fits all” for housekeeping software, there are many products that can tick most, if not all of the boxes on your housekeeping software feature wishlist. We’ve identified a list of features to consider when evaluating housekeeping software.

Why Invest in Hotel Housekeeping Software?

Whether you manage a boutique hotel or a large resort, housekeeping software offers a range of benefits, including streamlined operations, reduced costs, and enhanced guest satisfaction. It’s a vital component for any hotel seeking to optimize workflows and improve communication between departments. By selecting housekeeping software with the right features, you can empower your team to deliver exceptional results. 

This guide delves into the key features to look for when choosing the right housekeeping software for your property.

8 Features of Hotel Housekeeping Software To Look For

1. Mobile Dispatch with Real-Time Updates
With booking windows shrinking and guest demands evolving, housekeeping staff need instant updates. Mobile dispatch allows supervisors to assign tasks dynamically, ensuring that staff are always working on high-priority rooms. Real-time updates ensure that team members have the latest information at their fingertips, reducing delays and confusion.

2. Robust Reporting and Analytics
These features can provide insight into people management, cost management and ROI you’re receiving from your software. Gathering data about how your housekeeping department is performing is great insight into individual employee and department productivity.

Housekeeping software that generates reports on how long it takes to turnover a room, or which employee is cleaning more rooms quicker than their colleagues, can help highlight room attendant superstars or identify inefficiencies in processes. Look for software that can provide an extensive variety of metrics and reporting for you to get both a big picture overview of your department and a detailed breakdown.

3. PMS Integration
Selecting housekeeping software that has the ability to integrate with your existing PMS allows you to avoid duplicate data entry, save time, and ensure accuracy by integrating directly with other systems at your property. If your PMS vendor is integrated with your housekeeping software, reservation and room status details will be exchanged between the two systems in real-time. No more keeping guests waiting at the front desk because you can’t determine if their room is clean or not. 

4. Interdepartmental Communication Tools
Does your hotel suffer from a lack of communication between departments? Purchase a housekeeping solution that can be accessed and used by other departments such as maintenance, management, and front desk teams. You want your software to bring your departments together in an easy-to-use manner which can provide faster solutions to raised issues. 

5. Customization and Flexibility
Every hotel has unique needs. Look for software that can adapt to your specific requirements. Customizable interfaces, tailored workflows, and adjustable settings ensure the system works seamlessly with your existing processes. Flexibility is especially critical as hotels face evolving industry standards and guest expectations.

6. Mobile Capabilities for Supervisors
Supervisors should be able to manage their teams on the go. Features like mobile task reassignment, prioritization based on occupancy, and VIP guest handling keep supervisors on the floor where they’re most effective.

7. Real-Time Alerts and Messaging
The business of cleaning rooms and managing a housekeeping department is fast-paced and dynamic. Requests and priorities can change in an instant. Make sure you have software with features for mobile alerts and messaging. Real-time information and alerts among staff or between staff and guests can increase efficiency and deliver faster results. 

8. Cross-Team Dispatch
From maintenance to engineering, collaboration between departments is key. Choose hotel housekeeping software that supports cross-team dispatch to address issues like room repairs or special guest requests efficiently. Visibility into other departments’ workflows can further reduce delays and miscommunication.

Learn more about how to streamline your housekeeping department.

Additional Considerations When Choosing Hotel Housekeeping Software

Operational Scalability
Whether your hotel is expanding or adapting to fluctuating occupancy levels, your hotel housekeeping software should scale with your operations. Ensure the system can accommodate increased staff, rooms, and new protocols.

Support for Enhanced Cleaning Protocols
Post-pandemic cleaning standards have raised the bar for housekeeping. Look for hotel housekeeping software that facilitates detailed task lists, compliance tracking, and automation of cleaning schedules to meet these enhanced protocols.

Employee Buy-In and Usability
Adoption is crucial. User-friendly interfaces and intuitive workflows ensure that your staff can quickly adapt to the new system. Provide training and gather feedback during the implementation phase to maximize the software’s effectiveness.

Benefits of Choosing the Right Hotel Housekeeping Software

Investing in robust housekeeping software offers numerous benefits:

• Efficiency: Streamlined task management reduces wasted time and resources.
• Guest Satisfaction: Faster room turnovers and seamless operations enhance guest services.
• Cost Savings: Automated processes and better resource management reduce operational expenses.
• Staff Empowerment: Tools that support real-time updates and clear communication make jobs easier and more enjoyable.

Evaluating the features of housekeeping software, and what it can do for your hotel can be a daunting process, but if you know what features are important for your property, you’ll have a much easier time narrowing in on your top contenders. Find a housekeeping software with features that work for your property, give your team the tools it needs to be more efficient, and keep your guests happy and returning after each stay.

Interested in learning more Actabl’s award-winning housekeeping software? Get to know Alice.