Hotel Management Software FAQ — Frontdeskey

Question 1

What is Frontdeskey?

Accepted Answer

Frontdeskey is a cloud-based hotel management platform for independent hotels, boutique hotels, resorts, hostels, guesthouses, serviced apartments and small hotel groups worldwide. The platform brings together a Property Management System (PMS), Channel Manager, Direct Booking Engine and hotel website tools to manage reservations, rates, availability, distribution and direct bookings — all in one subscription.

Question 2

Who is Frontdeskey designed for?

Accepted Answer

Frontdeskey is designed for independent hospitality businesses of all types — hotels, boutique properties, resorts, hostels, guesthouses, serviced apartments and small hotel groups worldwide. It is not built for large chains — the focus is on giving smaller properties access to enterprise-quality hotel management tools at a price that works for independent operators.

Question 3

What is included in the Frontdeskey subscription?

Accepted Answer

Your Frontdeskey subscription includes the full Property Management System, Channel Manager, Direct Booking Engine and Hotel Website. There are no hidden modules or per-feature fees — everything is included in one subscription.

Question 4

Is Frontdeskey cloud-based?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Frontdeskey is a fully cloud-based hotel management platform. There is no software to install and no hardware to maintain. You can access it from any browser on any device — desktop, tablet or smartphone.

Question 5

What types of accommodation can use Frontdeskey?

Accepted Answer

Frontdeskey is suitable for independent hotels, boutique hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, guesthouses and small hotel groups. It is designed for properties that need professional hotel management tools without the complexity or cost of enterprise systems.

Question 6

Who owns Frontdeskey?

Accepted Answer

Frontdeskey is a brand of The Miand Hospitality Group and a member of Skål International. The platform was built by hospitality professionals with direct experience managing independent hotels and boutique properties.

Question 7

Can I manage Frontdeskey from a mobile device?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Frontdeskey is fully responsive and works on any size screen. You can manage reservations, rates and operations from a desktop at the front desk, a tablet in the lobby or a smartphone anywhere.

Question 8

How is Frontdeskey different from other hotel management systems?

Accepted Answer

Most hotel management platforms were built for large chains and then scaled down for smaller properties — often with complex interfaces, expensive add-on modules and long implementation timelines. Frontdeskey was built from the ground up for independent hotels. The PMS, channel manager, booking engine and hotel website are all part of one integrated platform, with no middleware, no separate subscriptions and no per-feature fees.

Question 9

Is Frontdeskey available internationally?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Frontdeskey is an international hotel management platform available to accommodation businesses worldwide. It is not limited to any specific country or region. Independent hotels, resorts, hostels, guesthouses and serviced apartments in any country can use Frontdeskey to manage their operations, reservations and online distribution.

Question 10

What countries does Frontdeskey support?

Accepted Answer

Frontdeskey is available in all countries. The platform is cloud-based and accessible from any device with an internet connection, regardless of where your property is located. Frontdeskey connects to major international OTAs including Booking.com, Expedia and Agoda, which operate globally.

Question 11

What is a hotel Property Management System (PMS)?

Accepted Answer

A hotel Property Management System (PMS) is the central software platform that manages a hotel's day-to-day operations. It handles reservations, room assignments, check-in and check-out, guest folios, invoicing, rate management and reporting. The PMS is the operational hub that all other hotel technology — including the channel manager and booking engine — connects to.

Question 12

What does a hotel PMS manage?

Accepted Answer

A hotel PMS manages reservations, room inventory, rates and availability, guest check-in and check-out, guest folios and invoicing, housekeeping status, reporting and analytics, and automated guest communications. More advanced systems also manage channel distribution, direct bookings and revenue management from within the same platform.

Question 13

How does a hotel PMS work?

Accepted Answer

A hotel PMS works by centralising all reservation and operational data in one system. When a booking is received — from an OTA, a direct booking engine or a walk-in — it is recorded in the PMS. The PMS then manages the full guest journey: room assignment, check-in, charges, folio management and check-out. Rate and availability data held in the PMS is distributed to connected channels via the channel manager.

Question 14

What is the difference between a cloud PMS and a legacy PMS?

Accepted Answer

A legacy PMS is installed on a local server at the property and requires dedicated hardware, IT maintenance and on-site access. A cloud PMS is hosted online and accessed through a web browser — there is no hardware to install, no software to update and no need for on-site IT support. Cloud systems also allow remote access from any device, which is particularly valuable for owner-operators and small management teams.

Question 15

Does a PMS connect to Booking.com?

Accepted Answer

Yes — through a channel manager. The PMS holds the master record of rates and availability. The channel manager reads this data and pushes it to Booking.com, Expedia and other connected OTAs in real time. When a booking arrives from Booking.com, it is written back to the PMS instantly. In Frontdeskey, the PMS and channel manager are built into the same platform, so this connection is automatic.

Question 16

How long does it take to set up a hotel PMS?

Accepted Answer

Most properties are up and running with Frontdeskey within a few days. Our team guides you through the setup process, including room type configuration, rate setup, OTA channel connections and staff training.

Question 17

What is a hotel Channel Manager?

Accepted Answer

A hotel channel manager is software that connects a hotel's property management system to multiple online travel agencies (OTAs) and distribution channels simultaneously. It automatically synchronises rates and availability across all connected channels in real time — so when a booking is received from any OTA, availability is updated everywhere instantly. This eliminates overbookings and removes the need to log into each OTA extranet individually.

Question 18

How does a hotel Channel Manager work?

Accepted Answer

A channel manager sits between your PMS and your OTA channels. It reads the master rates and availability from your PMS and distributes them to every connected OTA simultaneously. When a booking arrives from any channel, the channel manager writes it back to the PMS and reduces availability across all other channels in real time. This two-way synchronisation is what prevents overbookings.

Question 19

What is the difference between a PMS and a Channel Manager?

Accepted Answer

A PMS manages the internal operations of a hotel — reservations, check-in, folios and reporting. A channel manager manages external distribution — it connects the PMS to OTAs and synchronises rates and availability in real time. The PMS holds the master data; the channel manager distributes it. In the Frontdeskey platform, both are built into the same system with no middleware required.

Question 20

Which OTAs does a channel manager connect to?

Accepted Answer

A channel manager connects to online travel agencies such as Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, Airbnb, Hotels.com, Trip.com and hundreds of other global and regional channels. The Frontdeskey Channel Manager supports hundreds of OTAs with real-time two-way synchronisation.

Question 21

How does a channel manager prevent overbookings?

Accepted Answer

The channel manager uses real-time two-way synchronisation. When a booking is received from any channel, availability is reduced in the PMS and updated instantly across all other connected channels. This means no two channels can sell the same room at the same time.

Question 22

Do I still need to log into Booking.com and Expedia separately?

Accepted Answer

With a channel manager, you do not need to log into each OTA extranet to update rates and availability — the channel manager handles this automatically. You may still need to log into OTA extranets occasionally for tasks the channel manager does not cover, such as responding to guest messages or managing reviews.

Question 23

What is a direct booking?

Accepted Answer

A direct booking is a reservation made directly with the hotel — through the hotel's own website, by phone or by email — rather than through an OTA like Booking.com or Expedia. Because no OTA is involved, the hotel pays no commission on the booking and retains full ownership of the guest relationship and data.

Question 24

Why are direct bookings important for hotels?

Accepted Answer

OTAs typically charge a commission of 15–25% per booking. On a direct booking, the hotel keeps that revenue. Beyond the financial benefit, direct bookings give the hotel full access to the guest's contact details, allowing for pre-arrival communication, upselling, loyalty building and repeat business — none of which OTAs facilitate.

Question 25

What is a hotel Booking Engine?

Accepted Answer

A hotel booking engine is a reservation system embedded on a hotel's own website that allows guests to check availability, select rooms and complete a booking directly — without going through an OTA. The booking engine connects to the hotel's PMS so availability is always accurate and reservations are recorded automatically.

Question 26

How does a Booking Engine connect to a PMS?

Accepted Answer

The booking engine reads live availability and rates directly from the PMS. When a guest completes a booking on the hotel website, the reservation is written to the PMS immediately — with no manual entry required. In the Frontdeskey platform, the booking engine and PMS are built into the same system, so this connection is seamless and automatic.

Question 27

Can I offer rates on my website that are cheaper than Booking.com?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can create exclusive direct-booking rates that are only available through your hotel website. Many hotels offer a 'best rate guarantee' or a small discount to guests who book direct, combined with added-value perks such as a complimentary breakfast or early check-in. This gives guests a clear reason to book direct rather than through an OTA.

Question 28

Why does a hotel need its own website?

Accepted Answer

A hotel's own website is the only distribution channel it fully owns and controls. Unlike OTAs, there is no commission on bookings made through your website, no competing listings on the same page and no algorithm that can reduce your visibility. A professional hotel website with an integrated booking engine is the foundation of any direct booking strategy.

Question 29

What should a hotel website include?

Accepted Answer

A good hotel website should include high-quality photography of the property, rooms and facilities; clear room descriptions and rates; a direct booking engine; an about page that tells the property's story; a location and directions page; and contact details. It should also be mobile-optimised, load quickly and have a clean SEO structure so it can be found in search results.

Question 30

Does a hotel website help with SEO?

Accepted Answer

Yes — when built correctly. A hotel website needs clean code, fast load times, proper heading structure, descriptive page titles and meta descriptions, and location-specific content to rank in Google search results. Frontdeskey hotel websites are built with SEO structure included, so your property can be found by travellers searching for hotels in your area.

Question 31

Does Frontdeskey build hotel websites?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Frontdeskey includes a hotel website builder that creates a professional, mobile-first hotel website with an integrated direct booking engine. The website is connected to your PMS so guests always see live availability and accurate rates. It is included as part of the Frontdeskey platform subscription.

Question 32

Can I update my hotel website myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Frontdeskey hotel websites include a content management system that lets you update content, photos, offers and packages without needing a developer.

Question 33

What is rate management in a hotel?

Accepted Answer

Hotel rate management is the process of setting, adjusting and distributing room rates across all sales channels. It involves creating rate plans for different room types and seasons, applying restrictions such as minimum stay rules, and ensuring that the correct rates are displayed on every channel at all times. Effective rate management is central to maximising a hotel's revenue.

Question 34

What is a rate plan?

Accepted Answer

A rate plan is a defined pricing structure for a room type. A hotel may have multiple rate plans — for example, a standard flexible rate, a non-refundable rate, a breakfast-included rate and a direct-booking rate. Each rate plan can have its own price, cancellation policy and booking conditions. Rate plans are managed in the PMS and distributed to OTAs via the channel manager.

Question 35

What is a derived rate?

Accepted Answer

A derived rate is a rate that is automatically calculated as a percentage or fixed amount above or below a base rate. For example, a non-refundable rate might be set to always be 10% lower than the standard flexible rate. When the base rate changes, all derived rates update automatically — saving significant time when managing multiple rate plans across multiple channels.

Question 36

What is a minimum stay restriction?

Accepted Answer

A minimum stay restriction requires guests to book for at least a specified number of nights. Hotels commonly apply minimum stay restrictions during peak periods — for example, requiring a minimum of three nights over a public holiday weekend — to avoid short stays that leave gaps in the calendar that are difficult to fill.

Question 37

Can Frontdeskey manage rates and availability?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Frontdeskey PMS includes full rate and inventory management — seasonal pricing, derived rates, occupancy-based pricing, room-type restrictions and minimum stay rules. These rates are pushed to all connected OTAs via the channel manager in real time.

Question 38

How do hotels accept online payments?

Accepted Answer

Hotels accept online payments through a payment gateway integrated with their booking engine. When a guest completes a booking on the hotel website, they enter their card details into a secure payment form. The payment gateway processes the transaction and the funds are transferred to the hotel's bank account. The booking engine records the payment against the reservation in the PMS.

Question 39

What is the difference between a payment gateway and a payment processor?

Accepted Answer

A payment gateway is the technology that securely captures and transmits card data from the guest to the payment processor. A payment processor is the financial institution that handles the actual movement of funds between the guest's bank and the hotel's bank. In practice, many providers offer both services together.

Question 40

Does Frontdeskey support online payments?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Frontdeskey booking engine supports secure online payments, allowing guests to pay at the time of booking. Please contact us for details on supported payment gateways and regional availability.

Question 41

What is PCI compliance for hotels?

Accepted Answer

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a set of security standards that any business accepting card payments must comply with. For hotels, this means ensuring that card data is handled, stored and transmitted securely. Using a certified payment gateway and booking engine — rather than collecting card details manually — is the most straightforward way for independent hotels to maintain PCI compliance.

Question 42

What technology does a hotel need?

Accepted Answer

At a minimum, an independent hotel needs a Property Management System (PMS) to manage reservations and operations, a Channel Manager to distribute rates and availability to OTAs, and a Direct Booking Engine on its own website to accept commission-free reservations. A professional hotel website is also essential for direct bookings and online visibility. More advanced properties may also use revenue management tools, a CRM and guest communication platforms.

Question 43

What is a hotel technology stack?

Accepted Answer

A hotel technology stack is the collection of software systems a hotel uses to manage its operations and distribution. A typical stack for an independent hotel includes a PMS, channel manager, booking engine, hotel website and payment gateway. The most efficient stacks are integrated — meaning data flows automatically between systems — rather than a collection of disconnected tools that require manual data entry.

Question 44

What is two-way synchronisation in hotel software?

Accepted Answer

Two-way synchronisation means that data flows in both directions between connected systems. In the context of a hotel channel manager, two-way sync means that rate and availability updates are pushed from the PMS to OTAs, and new bookings from OTAs are pulled back into the PMS — automatically and in real time. This is what prevents overbookings and eliminates the need for manual updates.

Question 45

What is an OTA?

Accepted Answer

OTA stands for Online Travel Agency. OTAs are third-party websites that allow travellers to search for and book hotel rooms alongside flights, car hire and other travel products. Major OTAs include Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, Airbnb and Hotels.com. OTAs charge hotels a commission — typically 15–25% — on every booking they generate.

Question 46

What is the difference between a GDS and an OTA?

Accepted Answer

A GDS (Global Distribution System) is a network used primarily by travel agents and corporate travel managers to search and book hotel rooms, flights and car hire. Major GDS platforms include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. An OTA is a consumer-facing website where individual travellers book directly. Hotels typically connect to OTAs via a channel manager and to GDS networks via a separate GDS connection or a channel manager that supports GDS distribution.

Question 47

What is Frontdeskey?

Accepted Answer

Frontdeskey is an international hotel management platform and hospitality technology solution for independent accommodation businesses. It combines a cloud-based Property Management System (PMS), Hotel Channel Manager, Direct Booking Engine and Hotel Website Builder in one subscription. Hotels, resorts, hostels, guesthouses and serviced apartments worldwide use Frontdeskey to manage daily operations, reservations, room inventory, housekeeping, OTA distribution and guest information from a single platform.

Hotel Management — Questions Answered

About Frontdeskey

Property Management Systems

Channel Management

Direct Bookings

Hotel Websites

Rates & Inventory

Payments

Hotel Technology

Built for Every Type of Independent Accommodation

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