PMS (Property Management System)

PMS (Property Management System) is the operational software that runs a hotel's day-to-day business. It handles reservations, check-in/check-out, room assignments, housekeeping status, folio/billing, and guest history. The PMS is the single source of truth for what's happening on-property.

Core functions

• Front office — reservations, arrivals, departures, room moves
• Housekeeping — room status, cleaning schedules
• Billing & folios — charges, payments, invoicing
• Guest profiles — history, preferences, loyalty data
• Reporting — occupancy, ADR, pickup, arrivals/departures lists

How it fits in the tech stack

The PMS typically integrates with:

• CRS and channel manager — to push inventory and rates to OTAs and the GDS
• Revenue management system (RMS) — to pull historical data for forecasting
• POS systems — to post F&B and other charges to guest folios
• CRM & loyalty — to sync guest data

Leading vendors

Major PMS providers include Oracle OPERA, Mews, Cloudbeds, Apaleo, Protel, StayNTouch, and Infor HMS.