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Susicia

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Hiya everybody
My name is Marie and I just found this wonderfull website :)
I've managed my own Bed and Breakfast in Ireland for 3 years so far with just 3 rooms, we're pretty small but I love what I do.
I know it's not the best way but I've always tracked my reservations in a good old fashioned notepad over the years but have decided that it's time to update my system a little bit so my question is:
If I'm looking to download a good software programme to help me with reservation managing, what's a good one?
I've searched around the web and this forum but there seem to be so many people with so many opinions of reservations systems that all do the same thing, I can't pick the good from the bad, so I guess I'm asking as well:
what makes a progreamme good enough to invest in?
Thanks very much for ye're help, I appreciate it,
Marie..
 
Welcome Marie, my sister and her family live in Ireland in Co Louth
Do you want reservation software or an online reservations system? The second is MOST IMPORTANT in this day and age.
 
welcome.gif
i'll let those currently managing b&b's/inns to jump in first.
 
I use RezovationGT, it is very good software (well written, well documented, well supported, with lots of flexibility) but it is even better when paired with the online booking engine AND the credit card processing but I'm not sure if you are looking for those things as well.
 
Hiya all, thanks for the welcome :)
JoeyBloggs: I live in a place called Limerick if you've heard of it, not too far from Louth at all, though not many places are in Ireland!
Regarding software or Online, I hadn't really thought about it I guess, I'm just starting to consider the potential of both. So you'r saying Online is the way to go? What about if my internet went down some day in my house, couldn't I loose business or do you find it akward that you have to be online to manage your business? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm just trying to see it from the "modern" perspective,
Swirt: Thanks for RezovationGT recomendation! I just took a look at it there. I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
Thanks for ye're time
Marie.
 
Hiya all, thanks for the welcome :)
JoeyBloggs: I live in a place called Limerick if you've heard of it, not too far from Louth at all, though not many places are in Ireland!
Regarding software or Online, I hadn't really thought about it I guess, I'm just starting to consider the potential of both. So you'r saying Online is the way to go? What about if my internet went down some day in my house, couldn't I loose business or do you find it akward that you have to be online to manage your business? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm just trying to see it from the "modern" perspective,
Swirt: Thanks for RezovationGT recomendation! I just took a look at it there. I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
Thanks for ye're time
Marie..
Take a look at Webervations.com
 
Hiya all, thanks for the welcome :)
JoeyBloggs: I live in a place called Limerick if you've heard of it, not too far from Louth at all, though not many places are in Ireland!
Regarding software or Online, I hadn't really thought about it I guess, I'm just starting to consider the potential of both. So you'r saying Online is the way to go? What about if my internet went down some day in my house, couldn't I loose business or do you find it akward that you have to be online to manage your business? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm just trying to see it from the "modern" perspective,
Swirt: Thanks for RezovationGT recomendation! I just took a look at it there. I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
Thanks for ye're time
Marie..
My brother in law's brother lives in Limerick, I have been there. He used to own the Bewleys (2 story) coffee house there in the center of town - I think it was sold and is another chain now?
YES ONLINE IS THE WAY TO GO! YES I AM SHOUTING! Bookings made online from all over the world, you wake up and in your inbox are the reservations waiting for you. They get an automatic confirmation and it is a done deal. (The confirmation is anything YOU want to put on there, policies, directions, info).
Look at it as an added amenity for your guests. Trust me, and the others here that will confirm you do not know how many bookings you are NOT GETTING by not being current and having online availability and reservations. :)
 
Hiya all, thanks for the welcome :)
JoeyBloggs: I live in a place called Limerick if you've heard of it, not too far from Louth at all, though not many places are in Ireland!
Regarding software or Online, I hadn't really thought about it I guess, I'm just starting to consider the potential of both. So you'r saying Online is the way to go? What about if my internet went down some day in my house, couldn't I loose business or do you find it akward that you have to be online to manage your business? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm just trying to see it from the "modern" perspective,
Swirt: Thanks for RezovationGT recomendation! I just took a look at it there. I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
Thanks for ye're time
Marie..
I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
As far as a software option, I don't think you will find anything simpler to use unless it does considerably less. I think the complex part is deciding what you want it to do.
If you want it to take reservations for you online (and this is the part that Joey is so adamant about, and with good reason. Here in the States, online reservations are very important), then you need the booking engine (but then you get the software for free).
If you want it to handle credit card payments for you then you need to establish an account with Intuit Credit card processing (not sure if intuit restricts its use to the United States or not)
However, buy itself, the software RezovationGT is a very good guest management program that allows you to keep information about your guests, reservations, email communications, deposits, payments, taxes and probably most of the other things you are doing by hand. Data resides in an encrypted form (secure) both on your computer, and is backed up continuously to the Rezovation server.
I think for any of us to give you better advice on one product or another, we'd need to know more about what YOU want the program to be able to do.
 
Hiya all, thanks for the welcome :)
JoeyBloggs: I live in a place called Limerick if you've heard of it, not too far from Louth at all, though not many places are in Ireland!
Regarding software or Online, I hadn't really thought about it I guess, I'm just starting to consider the potential of both. So you'r saying Online is the way to go? What about if my internet went down some day in my house, couldn't I loose business or do you find it akward that you have to be online to manage your business? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm just trying to see it from the "modern" perspective,
Swirt: Thanks for RezovationGT recomendation! I just took a look at it there. I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
Thanks for ye're time
Marie..
I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
As far as a software option, I don't think you will find anything simpler to use unless it does considerably less. I think the complex part is deciding what you want it to do.
If you want it to take reservations for you online (and this is the part that Joey is so adamant about, and with good reason. Here in the States, online reservations are very important), then you need the booking engine (but then you get the software for free).
If you want it to handle credit card payments for you then you need to establish an account with Intuit Credit card processing (not sure if intuit restricts its use to the United States or not)
However, buy itself, the software RezovationGT is a very good guest management program that allows you to keep information about your guests, reservations, email communications, deposits, payments, taxes and probably most of the other things you are doing by hand. Data resides in an encrypted form (secure) both on your computer, and is backed up continuously to the Rezovation server.
I think for any of us to give you better advice on one product or another, we'd need to know more about what YOU want the program to be able to do.
.
Thanks again everyone for taking the time to help me, I truly appreciate it!
I'm deffinitley getting what ye're saying to me now about online bookings, how I usually manage is by phone calls. We're not even listed online as I do most of my business in affiliation with a Univeristy close by that book my B and B when they have guest lecturers, guest speakers... etc that need somewhere to stay up for the night. I guess there was no real need to reach out to the internet for bookings untill the money catastrophy happened throughout the world and everybody is feeling the pinch.
Ye deffinitley have reassured me about online systems being secure, I looked up a bit about them myself as well, I think I'm deffinitley going to invest in one of them.
Another question for ye, what about if I choose one system now and want to changover later, is it easy to switch over?
also, just a general curiouslity really if I'm missing out on anything out there, is there any particular things ye all do that can't be managed by a computer system?
I'm really liking this forums way of sharing ideas thing :) deffinitley thinking it could help business...
Thanks again everybody.
Marie.
 
Hiya all, thanks for the welcome :)
JoeyBloggs: I live in a place called Limerick if you've heard of it, not too far from Louth at all, though not many places are in Ireland!
Regarding software or Online, I hadn't really thought about it I guess, I'm just starting to consider the potential of both. So you'r saying Online is the way to go? What about if my internet went down some day in my house, couldn't I loose business or do you find it akward that you have to be online to manage your business? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm just trying to see it from the "modern" perspective,
Swirt: Thanks for RezovationGT recomendation! I just took a look at it there. I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
Thanks for ye're time
Marie..
I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
As far as a software option, I don't think you will find anything simpler to use unless it does considerably less. I think the complex part is deciding what you want it to do.
If you want it to take reservations for you online (and this is the part that Joey is so adamant about, and with good reason. Here in the States, online reservations are very important), then you need the booking engine (but then you get the software for free).
If you want it to handle credit card payments for you then you need to establish an account with Intuit Credit card processing (not sure if intuit restricts its use to the United States or not)
However, buy itself, the software RezovationGT is a very good guest management program that allows you to keep information about your guests, reservations, email communications, deposits, payments, taxes and probably most of the other things you are doing by hand. Data resides in an encrypted form (secure) both on your computer, and is backed up continuously to the Rezovation server.
I think for any of us to give you better advice on one product or another, we'd need to know more about what YOU want the program to be able to do.
.
Thanks again everyone for taking the time to help me, I truly appreciate it!
I'm deffinitley getting what ye're saying to me now about online bookings, how I usually manage is by phone calls. We're not even listed online as I do most of my business in affiliation with a Univeristy close by that book my B and B when they have guest lecturers, guest speakers... etc that need somewhere to stay up for the night. I guess there was no real need to reach out to the internet for bookings untill the money catastrophy happened throughout the world and everybody is feeling the pinch.
Ye deffinitley have reassured me about online systems being secure, I looked up a bit about them myself as well, I think I'm deffinitley going to invest in one of them.
Another question for ye, what about if I choose one system now and want to changover later, is it easy to switch over?
also, just a general curiouslity really if I'm missing out on anything out there, is there any particular things ye all do that can't be managed by a computer system?
I'm really liking this forums way of sharing ideas thing :) deffinitley thinking it could help business...
Thanks again everybody.
Marie.
.
Another question for ye, what about if I choose one system now and want to changover later, is it easy to switch over?
Changing over can be a bit of a pain and there is often a lot of data that gets lost. For example you can usually import your customer list, but importing reservation and payment history doesn't always work so well.
There may be an exception with migrating between Webervations and RezovationGT. Those two products are now owned by the same company so they may be able to transfer data more thorougly than others. John from Rezovation/webervations is a member here and will likely be able to address this point specificallly.
Most of the companies offer a free trial of some sort so it is worth trying them out before committing, but also when you try them out, don't spend a lot of time entering ALL your information. Enter some sample reservations and play around with those. I think many people make the mistake of entering a lot of information on their first free trial and by the time they are done they are too unwilling to undertake the process on the next product, so they just use the first one.
also, just a general curiouslity really if I'm missing out on anything out there, is there any particular things ye all do that can't be managed by a computer system?
LOL Cooking, cleaning, repairing, raking leaves, mowing the lawn...
wink_smile.gif

 
I have 3 rooms and would not be without Webervations. When the guest books the room is out of inventory - now! I like online booking.
And yes, welcome. Hope to hear more from you.
 
Welcome Susicia
welcome.gif
Céad míle fáilte
I miss Ireland! My family is from the Dingle area and my husband's family is from Vinegar Hill.
When we visited Ireland two years ago I made all the reservations online months ahead of time. If a place didn't have online booking, I didn't book there. So you are definitely heading in the right direction. I use Webervations and love it. It's very simple to use and understand. Good luck.
 
Hiya all, thanks for the welcome :)
JoeyBloggs: I live in a place called Limerick if you've heard of it, not too far from Louth at all, though not many places are in Ireland!
Regarding software or Online, I hadn't really thought about it I guess, I'm just starting to consider the potential of both. So you'r saying Online is the way to go? What about if my internet went down some day in my house, couldn't I loose business or do you find it akward that you have to be online to manage your business? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm just trying to see it from the "modern" perspective,
Swirt: Thanks for RezovationGT recomendation! I just took a look at it there. I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
Thanks for ye're time
Marie..
I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
As far as a software option, I don't think you will find anything simpler to use unless it does considerably less. I think the complex part is deciding what you want it to do.
If you want it to take reservations for you online (and this is the part that Joey is so adamant about, and with good reason. Here in the States, online reservations are very important), then you need the booking engine (but then you get the software for free).
If you want it to handle credit card payments for you then you need to establish an account with Intuit Credit card processing (not sure if intuit restricts its use to the United States or not)
However, buy itself, the software RezovationGT is a very good guest management program that allows you to keep information about your guests, reservations, email communications, deposits, payments, taxes and probably most of the other things you are doing by hand. Data resides in an encrypted form (secure) both on your computer, and is backed up continuously to the Rezovation server.
I think for any of us to give you better advice on one product or another, we'd need to know more about what YOU want the program to be able to do.
.
Thanks again everyone for taking the time to help me, I truly appreciate it!
I'm deffinitley getting what ye're saying to me now about online bookings, how I usually manage is by phone calls. We're not even listed online as I do most of my business in affiliation with a Univeristy close by that book my B and B when they have guest lecturers, guest speakers... etc that need somewhere to stay up for the night. I guess there was no real need to reach out to the internet for bookings untill the money catastrophy happened throughout the world and everybody is feeling the pinch.
Ye deffinitley have reassured me about online systems being secure, I looked up a bit about them myself as well, I think I'm deffinitley going to invest in one of them.
Another question for ye, what about if I choose one system now and want to changover later, is it easy to switch over?
also, just a general curiouslity really if I'm missing out on anything out there, is there any particular things ye all do that can't be managed by a computer system?
I'm really liking this forums way of sharing ideas thing :) deffinitley thinking it could help business...
Thanks again everybody.
Marie.
.
Marie,
Welcome! Check out Superinns.com while you are researching - I have found this to be the most simple reservation systerm that I have ever worked with, and I have worked with a lot of them. When an Innkeeper tells me they use SuperInns I breathe a sigh of relief - makes my job that much easier.
 
Hiya all, thanks for the welcome :)
JoeyBloggs: I live in a place called Limerick if you've heard of it, not too far from Louth at all, though not many places are in Ireland!
Regarding software or Online, I hadn't really thought about it I guess, I'm just starting to consider the potential of both. So you'r saying Online is the way to go? What about if my internet went down some day in my house, couldn't I loose business or do you find it akward that you have to be online to manage your business? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm just trying to see it from the "modern" perspective,
Swirt: Thanks for RezovationGT recomendation! I just took a look at it there. I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
Thanks for ye're time
Marie..
I think I'm looking for something simple that just does the job and it looks quite complex and confusing in terms of the options I could choose from, is it hard to use or manage?
As far as a software option, I don't think you will find anything simpler to use unless it does considerably less. I think the complex part is deciding what you want it to do.
If you want it to take reservations for you online (and this is the part that Joey is so adamant about, and with good reason. Here in the States, online reservations are very important), then you need the booking engine (but then you get the software for free).
If you want it to handle credit card payments for you then you need to establish an account with Intuit Credit card processing (not sure if intuit restricts its use to the United States or not)
However, buy itself, the software RezovationGT is a very good guest management program that allows you to keep information about your guests, reservations, email communications, deposits, payments, taxes and probably most of the other things you are doing by hand. Data resides in an encrypted form (secure) both on your computer, and is backed up continuously to the Rezovation server.
I think for any of us to give you better advice on one product or another, we'd need to know more about what YOU want the program to be able to do.
.
Thanks again everyone for taking the time to help me, I truly appreciate it!
I'm deffinitley getting what ye're saying to me now about online bookings, how I usually manage is by phone calls. We're not even listed online as I do most of my business in affiliation with a Univeristy close by that book my B and B when they have guest lecturers, guest speakers... etc that need somewhere to stay up for the night. I guess there was no real need to reach out to the internet for bookings untill the money catastrophy happened throughout the world and everybody is feeling the pinch.
Ye deffinitley have reassured me about online systems being secure, I looked up a bit about them myself as well, I think I'm deffinitley going to invest in one of them.
Another question for ye, what about if I choose one system now and want to changover later, is it easy to switch over?
also, just a general curiouslity really if I'm missing out on anything out there, is there any particular things ye all do that can't be managed by a computer system?
I'm really liking this forums way of sharing ideas thing :) deffinitley thinking it could help business...
Thanks again everybody.
Marie.
.
Marie,
Welcome! Check out Superinns.com while you are researching - I have found this to be the most simple reservation systerm that I have ever worked with, and I have worked with a lot of them. When an Innkeeper tells me they use SuperInns I breathe a sigh of relief - makes my job that much easier.
.
Check out Superinns.com while you are researching - I have found this to be the most simple reservation systerm that I have ever worked with, and I have worked with a lot of them.
SuperInn is good. I used it for 6 years, but for around the same cost, RezovationGT paired with the booking engine and the intuit credit card processing is much easier and more powerful. I'm glad I switched and have not looked back.
The only time I would recommend SuperInn now is if you absolutely MUST have a 100% online solution. There is no software to it as it resides on completely on their server. If internet connectivity is up and down, then SuperInn can leave you disconnected at those times when it is out.
 
Glad to have you on board
chef.gif
Welcome, hope your life as an Innkeeper is nothing but smooth sailing......I use Webervations as I am only 2 cottages and easy for guest to use + the price is right...Mary in Bridgewater.
 
We use Superinn. It's what was running when we bought the place. It works very well for us as we have pretty dependable internet service. Lot's of reporting features. We can compare occupancy back 5 years. Just really learning to use all these features. This is the only program we have used so I have nothing to compare it against though...
 
I too am am looking at the online reservations possibilities...Rezo GT O ( online) vs. Nexus vs. SuperInn...just researching..at this point...
 
We use Superinn. It's what was running when we bought the place. It works very well for us as we have pretty dependable internet service. Lot's of reporting features. We can compare occupancy back 5 years. Just really learning to use all these features. This is the only program we have used so I have nothing to compare it against though....
Do you still use Superinn? Challenges?
 
I too am am looking at the online reservations possibilities...Rezo GT O ( online) vs. Nexus vs. SuperInn...just researching..at this point....
I have recently got a recommendation for RezStream from an innkeeper who knows her stuff. I haven't investigated it myself, though.
 
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