This surge is fueled by evolving traveler segments such as remote workers, digital nomads, extended assignment business travelers, and bleisure travelers, all seeking flexible, home-like accommodations. Aparthotels, which offer fully furnished units with kitchens, living areas, and a residential feel, are perfectly positioned to meet these demands. To fully capitalize on this trend, hoteliers need modern cloud-based PMS solutions to streamline operations, offer superior service, and reduce staffing needs. With mobile PMS technology that enables seamless management of both short-term and long-term stays, properties can ensure a high level of guest satisfaction while maintaining operational efficiency, even with minimal staff presence.

Powerful Automation to Boost Productivity and Elevate Service

In an industry where efficiency is key, a cloud-based Property Management System (PMS) with powerful automation features can revolutionize operations for aparthotels, especially those working with lean teams. With a mobile PMS that can automate up to 80% of routine tasks, hotels can streamline processes like room assignments, billing, and guest communications, freeing up staff to focus on personalized, high-touch services. Automation allows properties to handle everything from check-in to housekeeping requests with minimal staff involvement, improving service delivery while controlling costs. For aparthotels, which cater to both long-term residents and short-stay guests, automated processes are essential in maintaining operational efficiency while enhancing the guest experience.

Reducing Staffing Costs with Intuitive Technology

Combining an easy-to-use cloud PMS with powerful automation can dramatically reduce a hotel’s staffing needs, even extending the option of going completely staff-free to reduce staffing costs and deliver a more traditional apartment experience for guests. Employee turnover in the hotel industry remains extraordinarily high at 73.8% per year, with no signs of significantly decreasing. Continually training new staff can impact a hotel’s service and revenue, as on-site legacy PMS platforms often require weeks for staff to master. Training new staff is also expensive, costing hotels over $3,500 per employee, even for minimum-wage roles. A modern PMS with an intuitive, easy-to-learn user interface (UI) can drastically reduce these training costs. With a user-friendly system, staff can be onboarded quickly, minimizing the learning curve and allowing them to contribute to the team faster, often with training times as low as 90 minutes per module.

Fully Mobile, Staff-Free Stays for the Modern Traveler

As guest expectations change, the check-in and service experience needs to adapt as well. A cloud PMS that includes native mobile check-in, kiosk check-in options, and direct integrations to mobile Point-of-Sale, contactless payments, and digital key solutions can provide a completely staff-free and contactless stay. This kind of technology is becoming increasingly popular among guests and allows guests to check in, pay, and communicate with hotel staff directly from their mobile devices or at self-service kiosks, creating a streamlined check-in and stay, and reducing the burden on hotel staff. This mobile-first approach can also help redefine traditional hotel lobbies, turning them into Multi-use, guest-centric spaces that cater to socializing, coworking, and dining, rather than just check-in. The shift is particularly attractive to remote workers and bleisure travelers who are drawn to properties with flexible spaces where they can work, relax, and connect with others.

Driving Revenue Through Mobile & Kiosk Technologies

Combining a mobile PMS and kiosk technology opens up new avenues for revenue generation. By automating targeted offers through self-check-in solutions, such as personalized upgrades, dining packages, or spa treatments, aparthotels can deliver these promotions directly to guests’ mobile devices or kiosks throughout their stay. This data-driven approach not only boosts guest engagement but also significantly enhances revenue. For instance, Sentral, a full-building residential hospitality operator, implemented a mobile PMS and kiosk technology across its Class A apartment properties in the U.S. The results were impressive: within just a year, the company achieved a remarkable 253-percent return on investment at its Sentral Michigan Avenue property, all while improving both the guest experience and check-in speed.

A Cloud PMS for a Dynamic and Emerging Market Segment

As the demand for aparthotels grows, driven by new traveler segments like remote workers and bleisure travelers, it’s clear that the right technology is essential to success. A cloud PMS with automation, intuitive interfaces, mobile check-in, and targeted offers not only helps streamline operations but also enhances guest satisfaction and boosts revenue. By embracing modern, mobile-first technology, aparthotels can operate efficiently with smaller teams, reduce costs, and deliver the seamless, flexible experiences that today’s travelers expect.

By Priya Rajamani, VP of Implementation & Support at Stayntouch