As hotel operations become more complex, new software keeps emerging to manage different aspects of the business. 

While streamlining tasks with individual software provides time and labor savings, the approach of identifying a vendor and system for each business challenge sometimes means that hoteliers end up with a complicated workflow with many different data flows and subsequent data processing. This can lead to validity concerns, costly maintenance of the connections and software upgrades – even data outages due to these aspects, and of course delays.

Additionally, the need to bounce from system to system, rely on multiple platforms and logins, and the increase in potential points of failure are making many hoteliers reconsider this piecemeal approach. 

ERP’s Becoming a Go-to Solution

Enter the growing popularity of Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs) for hotels that provide consolidated functionality in one platform. Hotel ERP’s stand out from other software in that they are built to integrate different aspects of the business into one consolidated system. 

What is a Hotel ERP?

Hotel ERP software provides a broader range of functionality to replace multiple separate software, are built for tight integrations, and include advanced features like automations and workflows. Hotel ERP’s also provide:

• One System/ One Login
• Greater Accuracy
• Automate routine tasks, thereby reducing labor
• Minimize Manual Errors
• Greater Productivity & Intelligence
• Advanced Data Security
• Rich Dashboards with Data Feeds 

Hotel ERP software provides the backbone of an organization, often with a financial management base which assists in budgeting, forecasting, and enhancing overall profitability. These tools enable hotel managers to more accurately track performance, make financial predictions, and develop strategies to drive performance. Hotel ERP’s differ from accounting software in that they often provide additional modules, functionality, automations and workflows.

See this article on the Key Differences Between Hotel Accounting Software and Hotel ERP. 

Where to start with selecting an ERP system for your hotel management portfolio? Here are 4 Best ERP Software for Hotels recommendations. These software all include robust reporting, analytics, advanced security, and configurable dashboards that streamline data analysis and inform executive decision-making.

4 Best ERP Software for Hotels

1. Hotel Investor Apps (HIA)

Hotel Investor Apps (HIA) is a total back-office solution designed specifically for hospitality. The true-cloud ERP system is built to handle the complex demands of hotel management with advanced hotel accounting, business intelligence, and enterprise level modules like expense management, fixed assets, and more.

The system is designed with unlimited budgets, forecasting, pre-built hospitality reports, dashboards with KPIs and visibility across the portfolio, integrated data from PMS, POS, and payroll, live bank balances, AP Automations and more. This makes it easier to manage your portfolio of hotels and restaurants more efficiently. The workflows and automations help to streamline tasks, improving efficiency and reducing the risk of human error. 

Additionally, the mobile app helps management and ownership stay informed with accurate, timely intelligence.

The HIA system is also built on the Acumatica platform, which is the HIGHEST rated ERP in Usability on the global software ratings website G2. 

The full ERP capabilities, hotel-specific functionality, and overall usability is why HIA comes in first for best ERP software for hotels in 2024. 

 2. Oracle NetSuite

Oracle NetSuite is included in this list of best ERP software for hotels because it is perhaps the most well-known cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solution built to manage finances and operations. 

While not specifically designed for hotels, it is a robust solution for integrated financial management, orders and procurement, inventory, customer data, and more. Customers can add additional modules like CRM for sales, Human Resources (HR) for employee records, service, marketing digitization, and much more to help streamline different areas of the business.

Having all these modules in the same database helps ensure accuracy, optimize processes, and enhance visibility across the organization. Additionally, the financial consolidation and reporting capabilities can help companies streamline financial close processes. 

It should be noted that as a non-hospitality specific ERP, customizations and hotel-specific integrations would need to be built in order to provide hotel functionality.

3. Sage Intacct

As a modern, cloud-based financial management software, Sage Intacct is built for general business accounting and its functionality is broad enough to serve a wide swath of industries, earning its place in the best ERP software for hotels in 2024.

Particularly of note to larger organizations is the multi-entity and global consolidations capabilities Sage provides to consolidate data across the portfolio. The visual dashboards help stakeholders monitor financial performance and the ability to pull in bank balances helps the organization keep an eye on its cash balances across entities. 

The ability to transact in multiple currencies also helps organizations with properties outside of the US consolidate their finances. 

As another non-hospitality specific ERP, it should be noted that customization is required to make the software work for hotels.

4. Microsoft Dynamics

As a modern, cloud-based ERP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central can provide an organization with a single point of financial truth with a comprehensive suite of tools to help streamline processes.  This includes budgets and financial planning, fixed assets, cash-flow forecasting, multi-currency and more. The in-depth business analysis, reporting, and KPI’s in real-time help to accurately track costs.

The system can help to unify financials and operations across the portfolio, drive efficiencies, and assess investment opportunities. Users can take advantage of visual representations of operational areas and access cost information to adapt quickly to changing market demands.

Again, as a non hospitality-specific ERP system, the system would need to be customized in terms of features and functionality to work for hotels, but still makes the list of best ERP software for hotels. 

The Overall Best ERP Software for Hotels

Each of the above solutions may be the best for you, depending on your needs, portfolio, property type, timeframe, or budget.  However, when evaluating these solutions for the typical hotel management company, there is one solution that stands out from the rest in functionality, and that is Hotel Investor Apps. 

For another opinion, check out this article by Hotel Tech Report on the 6 Best Hotel ERP Systems 2024. 

Switching to a Hotel ERP system is a great investment in your infrastructure, but if your solution wasn’t built for hotels or doesn’t have all the features you need, it can significantly complicate the implementation process and prolong the ROI because of the customization required to build it out for hotels. 

That’s something you’ll never have to worry about with HIA. Our platform is designed specifically for the hospitality industry, giving you an all-in-one solution for all your accounting, business intelligence, and back office needs. 

HIA also stands out from many non-hospitality specific ERP’s in that it offers unlimited users with no per-user fees, an in-house Support team that speaks “Hotel,” and an in-house software implementation team to directly train your team, rather than relying on software consultants.

When evaluating ERP software for your hotel company, check out this video on 8 Selection Criteria when Choosing a Hotel ERP.

Find out why HIA is the most comprehensive ERP software for the hotel industry available on the market – Schedule a demo today!