Best (inexpensive) room and guest software?

[seashanty]

A b&b owner contacted me through a widows group I keep in touch with. She has asked me about guest and room software. The owner's husband passed away and she is slowly recovering. They had been using a notebook for reservations and her husband did the accounting and all the financials. It sounds to me like he used quickbooks. I got Webervations up and running for her using the notebook for existing reservations ... this will help enormously. But it doesn't go the next step (or is there a version that does?) that will show the rooms and the names, allergies etc. like her old notebook.
Her budget is small (around $200?) and I don't have any personal knowledge of guest tracking software. They have six rooms but she's only been renting out a couple while he was ill.
Thank you.

 

[muirford]

Webervations does have a guest management software function which is an add-on to the original online booking system. It has had some kinks but there are some good things about it and some good reports as well. I thought even the old Webervations showed dietary restrictions, individual rooms and names - that is the Night Clerk portion of it. Our total cost including the GMS portion is $230/year.

 

[vancouverislander]

There is iMagic Hotel Reservation - it is a software program for your computer and when you get a reservation, it links with Webervations and uploads to your availability calendar. You can try it for free and I believe it is very reasonable.

 

[agoodman]

I use resnexxus, it is based on number of rooms, I pay $45/mos based on 4 rooms (I think it is more at 5 rooms+)
I love it, having installed hotel computer systems in large and small hotels, this one has some wonderful features and I have had no issues.
I used to use Savvy booking, who - although they did a good job with my website, I cannot recommend their booking engine

 

[EmptyNest]

I used a software called InnReserve. It works from a MS ACCESS database. Does it all and uploads to Webervations with a click of the mouse.

 

[seashanty]

i went into night clerk .. looks promising but a lot of the features are not working
my account STILL has not been updated to the 'new' version, i don't get it!
i looked at innreserve, price is right ... but you can't upload to webervations from innreserve. is there a program that allows this or maybe i am asking too much?

 

[muirford]

i went into night clerk .. looks promising but a lot of the features are not working
my account STILL has not been updated to the 'new' version, i don't get it!
i looked at innreserve, price is right ... but you can't upload to webervations from innreserve. is there a program that allows this or maybe i am asking too much?.

I think they have stopped working on night clerk and are only using the new GMS. You can ask to be upgraded to the new system and they will give you a trial period at no charge. You have to call webervations and talk to someone there, though.

 

[EmptyNest]

i went into night clerk .. looks promising but a lot of the features are not working
my account STILL has not been updated to the 'new' version, i don't get it!
i looked at innreserve, price is right ... but you can't upload to webervations from innreserve. is there a program that allows this or maybe i am asking too much?.

Yes, you absolutely can upload your webervations and download as well. You probably missed that. I did it for 7 years.

 

[egoodell]

SS, I agree with Webervations. Once you help her set it up it is very user friendly and she does not have to learn a huge new system. It will run the tax reports for her too. And she only has to check her email for her bookings. As a beginner, I found it relatively easy to start. And they answer the phone if you need help and are very nice. I've called them at 7:30 in the morning and they were right there to help.
I'm sure the others are fine, but she needs to start with something simple and inexpensive for now. Once she has Webervations running, she might want to go with one of the bigger ones. Keep it simple for her right now!
Riki

 

[seashanty]

catlady? this is what i got from the innreserve website today ... this to me means she would have to manually input any reservations made in webervations to innreserve
did you configure it some other way on your own?
" InnReserve does not support downloading reservations from Webervations.
InnReserve has a command button on the reports menu that will allow you to set up your system to automatically upload your availability calendar to Webervations "

 

[EmptyNest]

catlady? this is what i got from the innreserve website today ... this to me means she would have to manually input any reservations made in webervations to innreserve
did you configure it some other way on your own?
" InnReserve does not support downloading reservations from Webervations.
InnReserve has a command button on the reports menu that will allow you to set up your system to automatically upload your availability calendar to Webervations ".

Hmmm I haven't done it in a year but i thought it did. Guess I was wrong. I think you can export data and import into a spreadsheet
Under YOUR GUESTS, there is a section that says "download guest data" you select what you want and then export it.
THis is what it says:
"When you run this program on a computer for the first time, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to select MS Excel as the application software to view the data.Select the fields from the list at the left to export to an Excel spreadsheet, then click on the "Get Data...." button."

 

[seashanty]

thanks. i am going to try the free trials one at a time, and see what might be the most basic for her. looking for a calendar on screen showing rooms and detail and print out since she likes printed hard copies ... one that she can easily integrate with webervations since she's happy so far with the free trail of that.
i am always a little surprised when someone under 50 is not computer comfortable. she is reluctant to visit any forums including this one. she confuses it with online chat rooms. she's not ready to post anything because she is overwhelmed with everything right now. but i told her she can come in and just read.

 

[Copperhead]

SS - sure hope you can convience her to read this forum for a while. She is sure lucky you are there to help her out!
BTW - I just recently contacted Webervations about their upgrade. They told me about a few glitches they still were working out and have not officially released it but that I could switch over for no cost. Then he continued and I quote "If you don't need a built in guest management system or advanced pricing features you may not want to convert because of the higher cost. We also have no plans at time to stop the original system."

He also attached 2 documents regarding the new system which I have yet to read. I decided to hold off on this until after my vacation. Give them a shout via email, I am sure they will forward you the same material. Please check on the cost issue as you can tell by my previous paragraph that he 1st told me no cost, then later said higher cost. (I am sure there is a cost, but the amount is ?)

 

[agoodman]

thanks. i am going to try the free trials one at a time, and see what might be the most basic for her. looking for a calendar on screen showing rooms and detail and print out since she likes printed hard copies ... one that she can easily integrate with webervations since she's happy so far with the free trail of that.
i am always a little surprised when someone under 50 is not computer comfortable. she is reluctant to visit any forums including this one. she confuses it with online chat rooms. she's not ready to post anything because she is overwhelmed with everything right now. but i told her she can come in and just read..

another reason I use resnexxus, it auto sends me detailed res report for the next 7 days (by day/guest) and an availability calendar for the next 30

 

[muirford]

thanks. i am going to try the free trials one at a time, and see what might be the most basic for her. looking for a calendar on screen showing rooms and detail and print out since she likes printed hard copies ... one that she can easily integrate with webervations since she's happy so far with the free trail of that.
i am always a little surprised when someone under 50 is not computer comfortable. she is reluctant to visit any forums including this one. she confuses it with online chat rooms. she's not ready to post anything because she is overwhelmed with everything right now. but i told her she can come in and just read..

The specifics on Webervations are: $80 for the basic webervations; $70 for Reservations Plus (this level includes packages and a few other add-ons; I'm not entirely sure what the breakout is between the two) and $80 for the guest management system. There is usually a discount for the basic package if you belong to your state association, PAII or Select Registry.
I switched over to the new system early this year and am still on the trial basis as they haven't worked all the bugs out yet. But, it works fine for me (now - we had to get some things fixed). I don't use all the GMS features since we do our taxes and sales on quickbooks.

 

[seashanty]

oh boy ... i guess i will call webervations because when i hit the keys to look at other services they offer, etc. i get dead links ... nothing happens.