by Mike Pnematicatos, CEO and chief architect

When a business contacts us about Merlin Software’s resort management system, they are often at different stages in their life cycle.

First, we hear from resorts that have yet to be launched. They have exciting plans for sales and marketing activities. But they know that once sales begin, they’ll need a cutting edge system that grows with them and supports their activities as their product develops and guests arrive.

Then we hear from resorts that have been active for some time and chose their current resort system based on previous alliances, budgets and, in some cases, the understanding that off-the-shelf products would be able to support their business requirements.

Finally, we get mature resorts who have been working on archaic systems for years, maybe even just on spreadsheets. They now need a resort management system for the way business is done today.

So how do these three types of business choose the right resort management system for them? Well, it is a complex subject but here are five pointers they should consider:

1. Experience

Does the resort management system provider have actual business experience running a business such as yours?  More often than not, these systems are built by software developers who may not understand your resort business and how it works.  Look for a system provider with experience and who understands every aspect of your business.

2. Cloud-based technology

Are the solution and your data stored in the cloud?  If not, then you run the risk, and have the responsibility of managing your own servers. And for securing and backing up your data.  Gone are the days when you should keep your data locally, in your office.

The other advantage of cloud computing or software as a service (SaaS) is that you always receive the latest version of the software and you should never have to pay for upgrades to get the “latest version” of the software.

3. All-in-one-management system

The ideal resort management solution will have everything that you need in one integrated system. If part of your solution includes, (and it should), a property management system, then it should also include, for example, housekeeping, maintenance and preventative maintenance modules. 

It’s just a hassle to have multiple systems to run your resort business.  Sure, you can build Application Program Interfaces (APIs) between systems, but these need to be monitored, maintained and kept up to date.  And they cost money.

There will be times when you need to connect two systems via an API, but this should not be the norm and you shouldn’t have too many of these.

Some APIs you can expect to have are where third-party hardware is involved.  So expect to have APIs for point of sale and telephone PBX systems.  Also, expect APIs for credit card gateways and card readers. 

Finally, connectivity to channel managers and global distribution systems are to be expected. All of these systems are complex and you are unlikely to find these features in one single resort management system other than Merlin Software.

4. Member access to their data

In this day and age of everything being done online, your resort management system provider must be able to give real-time access for your owners, members and transient renters to have access to THEIR data and to transact with you online, in real-time.

5. Support

Everyone provides support.  But how rapidly do they respond and how quickly do they resolve issues?  Ask to see their support ticketing system.  Look at the real-time data and see what’s going on.  Ask for stats like response times and so on.

Choosing the right resort management system can take time, but you must do your homework. Don’t just choose the first one you find. Make sure they have hands-on industry knowledge, understand your products and processes based on their own experiences and can provide guidance and support with every step of the way.

Why choose Merlin Software’s Resort Management System?

Merlin Software has a proven track record in delivering innovative, cloud-based resort management software with specific vacation ownership features. These enhance and streamline the operations of some of the biggest names in the hospitality industry.

Merlin has been developed by Mike Pnematicatos who has over 35 years’ experience in the timeshare and fractional industry. Our clients choose Merlin Software over others because they trust Mike and the Merlin team to understand their needs and deliver premium software on time and budget.

To arrange a demo of our software, complete the online demo request form, email us at info@quickmerlin.com, contact us on +1 646 233 3503, +44 870 803 4418, +27 87 898 3598 or Messenger us through our Facebook page.