What is a PMS and how does it work?

What is a PMS and how does it work?

Running a hotel, campsite or small B&B means managing a variety of tasks at the same time. Bookings need to be managed, guests need to be checked in and out, payments need to be taken and rooms or cottages need to be cleaned. Many small businesses initially try to solve this with spreadsheets or various small stand-alone systems, but the risk is that administration becomes complicated and mistakes are made. Here is one Property Management System (PMS) into the picture. A PMS is a digital booking system that helps you gather and manage everything in one place - and it's no longer just big hotel chains that can benefit. Even the small guesthouse or campsite can save time and improve the guest experience with the right tools.

Lyra offers a modern platform - a complete reservation system for hotels and reservation system for camping - that make up your PMS and much more. In this article, we'll look at what a PMS is, how it works, and how it can streamline the day-to-day running of your business. We will give concrete examples of how Lyra can help you manage everything from reservations to guest check-out in an easier way.

What does PMS mean for hotels and camping?

The acronym PMS stands for Property Management SystemIn the hospitality industry, PMS refers to the central system used to manage day-to-day operations. A PMS hotels is thus at the heart of a hotel's administrative system, and similarly, a PMS camping the hub of a camping site. The PMS system handles everything from bookings, guest registers and room/site allocation to payments, invoicing and reports.

By centralising all this information in one system, you avoid duplication and manual transfers between different applications. The result is a smoother workflow and less risk of errors such as double bookings or missed entries.

Why do you need a PMS, even in a small business?

Many smaller hotels and campsites without a PMS today manage their bookings and guest management with manual procedures or simple tools like Excel. This may work when volumes are low, but as business grows - or during peak seasons - the risk of mistakes and time-consuming processes increases. For example, duplicate bookings can occur if the calendar isn't updated everywhere, important guest requests can get lost in emails, or staff spend unnecessary time collating statistics by hand. A PMS system eliminates many of these problems. By automating routine tasks and gathering all data in one place, you save time and can focus more on your guests instead of paper and administration.

For small operators like bed and breakfasts or hostels, a modern PMS means access to the same kind of efficient tools that larger hotels use - but adapted to a smaller scale. Cloud-based solutions like Lyra's platform make it possible to get started without a big investment in technology. Instead, you pay for a service that is constantly updated, securely stored and accessible from anywhere. What's more, a platform like Lyra is fully scalable - it can be optimised for anything from a global hotel chain to a small guesthouse. In other words, you don't have to worry about outgrowing the system; new rooms, cottages or even additional facilities can be added as you expand.

Whether you run a campsite with dozens of chalets or a small family hotel with a few rooms, a PMS can help you increase revenue by better controlling occupancy and giving each guest a professional experience.

Key features of a PMS

A modern PMS like Lyra covers a range of areas to simplify the running of hotels and campsites. Here are some of the key features that will help your business in everyday life.

Booking calendar and reservations

At the heart of a PMS is booking management. Instead of staff having to flick through paper or spreadsheets, you get a clear booking calendar where all reservations are displayed together. Lyra displays available rooms, cabins or pitches in real time, and you can book new guests, make changes or add comments in seconds. For a hotel, this means that the reception always knows which rooms are occupied or vacant, while for a campsite, it gives full control over which pitches or cabins are booked for the coming weekend. If a guest calls and wants to change dates, it's easy to adjust the booking directly in the system - the calendar is automatically updated without the risk of someone else double-booking the same room or pitch.

Another advantage is the flexibility in how units can be managed. For example, a hotel room can easily be marked as several different room types at the same time (if you want to rent it out as both a double room and a family room depending on your needs), or two rooms can be combined into a suite if necessary. In a campsite, you can define different categories of pitches (e.g. with or without electricity) and still manage them in one place. The PMS is customised to the business - not the other way around. All information about the guest's booking (number of nights, number of people, any requests) is stored in the system, so that all staff have immediate access to the correct information.

Online booking directly via the website

In today's world, many guests expect to be able to book their stay online. A modern PMS therefore usually includes a web-based booking engine which can be added to your own website. With Lyra, this web booking engine (WBE) is part of the same platform as the PMS, which means that as soon as a guest books a room or campsite online, the booking is automatically registered in the system. Availability and prices are always synchronised between the website and the internal system, so you don't have to spend time manually updating calendars or risk two guests booking the same dates.

For the small establishment, online booking may seem like a big step, but it is an investment in the guest experience. Your guests can see what rooms or cottages are available, compare prices and complete the booking at any time of the day or night. You can offer direct online payment to secure the booking and send automatic booking confirmations without lifting a finger. For the guest, it makes for a smooth start to their stay, and for you as the owner, it signals professionalism. You don't have to worry about technology either - the Lyra booking engine is continuously updated and designed to fit in with your website, making the experience seamless.

Management of external booking channels

Most homes today market themselves on several external booking channels or OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) such as Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com or perhaps camping platforms and Airbnb. Keeping these updated manually can be a full-time job in itself and carries a high risk of errors. A good PMS has a built-in channel manager which automatically synchronises information between your system and all external channels. This means that when you make a new booking or change the availability in the PMS, your connected booking pages are automatically updated. For example, if a guest books your last available cabin via Booking.com, that cabin will immediately be marked as occupied on your own website and other channels as well. The risk of overbooking virtually disappears, and you don't have to take panic measures to rebook guests.

The integration with channels also means that all the information about the booking is brought into the PMS system without manual labour. The guest's name, contact details, the dates and the room type or location booked - all flow into the system directly from the channel. Reception staff do not need to re-enter the data, saving time and reducing the risk of typing errors. In addition, you can centrally control which rooms or pitches are sold on which channels, and at which prices. With Lyra, for example, you can choose to have certain packages or special offers appear only on your own website, while the basic room types are listed on the major OTA sites. Since the system is jointly updated, you can easily broaden your marketing and reach more guests, without creating more work for you or your staff.

Flexible pricing and inventory

Correct pricing is crucial to maximise occupancy and revenue, both for hotel rooms and campsite cabins or pitches. A PMS gives you the tools to easily adjust prices and conditions. You can set up price control based on season, day of the week or occupancy rate - without having to manually adjust each channel. For example, you can automatically increase the price during peak seasons or weekends, and offer lower prices during quieter periods to attract more guests. In Lyra, all such price changes are centralised: you update the price or create a promotion once, and the system ensures that the change is reflected in real time on your website's booking engine as well as on all connected booking channels.

Availability is also easily managed via the PMS. You get a clear overview of how many rooms or places are booked and how many are left to sell on a given day. If you want to close the sale for a category (perhaps all single rooms are booked) or block dates for refurbishment, this is easily done with a few clicks. More advanced PMS systems also support dynamic pricingThis is sometimes referred to as yield management, which means that prices can be adjusted automatically according to demand. If your small hotel suddenly starts to fill up on a particular weekend, the system can suggest or implement a small price adjustment for the last rooms, to increase your revenue. For a campsite, this could mean that the system lowers the price of the last vacancies close to arrival to fill up, or raises the price of the premium cabins when many people are looking for them. By letting the system handle the pricing strategy, you take the guesswork out of it - you get data and formulas to help you sell the right room or pitch at the right price at the right time.

Automatic guest communication

A PMS helps you stay in touch with your guest before, during and after their stay - without having to manually send each message. Through automated guest communication the system can handle routine mailings such as booking confirmations, welcome greetings, pre-arrival reminders and thank you messages after check-out. In Lyra, for example, you can set up a confirmation email to be sent out immediately when a booking is registered, complete with all the important information about the stay. A few days before arrival, an automatic email or SMS can go out to the guest with information about check-in times, directions or perhaps offers to pre-book breakfast or spa treatments.

For you as a business owner, this means saving a lot of time and improving service levels. Guests are always given the right information at the right time, making them feel safe and well looked after even before they arrive. It also reduces the risk of forgetting something important - the system sends out reminders about check-in times or outstanding invoices, for example, without the need for staff to keep track of everything. After check-out, you can automatically thank the guest for their visit and perhaps ask for a review or suggest booking again next season. All communication is logged in the PMS, so you can see what was sent and when, making it easier if the guest contacts you with questions. In short, letting the system take care of the recurring messages makes for a smoother experience for both you and the guest.

Fast check-in and check-out

Check-in and check-out are critical moments in the guest experience. A PMS can simplify these moments significantly. With all guest information already recorded in the system, it's faster for staff to check in an arriving guest - often with just a few clicks to update room status and issue key cards. Modern solutions like Lyra also offer a digital guest portal where guests can prepare their check-in themselves. This could mean filling in their details from home before arrival, signing any terms and conditions digitally, and perhaps even receiving a mobile key or code to the room/cottage. For a small family-run campsite with limited staffing, this can be invaluable - guests can arrive late in the evening and still check in smoothly without the need for staff to be on site.

Checking out is also made easier. As all costs (room rent, any extra services purchased by the guest, restaurant bills if you have a linked POS system) are collected in the guest's account in the PMS, the bill can be finalised automatically. You can offer express checkout where the guest authorises the final bill via mobile phone or a link and just hands over the key on departure. This means no long queues at reception in the morning. It also reduces the risk of missing something on the bill - everything from minibar purchases to camping kiosk goods can be registered on the room or reservation. At the touch of a button, the room or pitch is marked as checked out, housekeeping is notified that it's time for cleaning (more on that below), and the guest's profile in the system is updated with the history. Smooth check-in and check-out through PMS makes the experience better for the guest and saves you time.

Cleaning and internal tasks

A PMS helps not only the front desk, but also the cleaning and service team. By connecting cleaning lists and tasks to bookings and rooms, everyone has a better idea of what needs to be done and when. As soon as a guest has checked out, reception marks the room as available for cleaning in the system - and this can automatically appear on the cleaning staff's to-do list. When the room is ready, staff change the status in the PMS, which is immediately visible in the reception view. This way, you know immediately when a room is ready for the next guest to check in, without having to run and check physically.

For a campsite, it works the same way: if a guest leaves a cabin or camping pitch, a task can be created for cleaning or overhaul to be done, for example, the barbecue area to be cleared or the cabin to be cleaned and bed linen changed. As the situation changes, the status is updated in real time. This brings order to everyday life - no cottages are forgotten and everything is ready when the next guest arrives. In addition, the system allows you to enter other tasks or maintenance work, such as changing a light bulb in room 3 or repairing the fence at site 15. You can assign tasks to specific employees and set deadlines. By having these features integrated into the PMS, you avoid loose notes or verbal messages that can get lost. Everyone on the team sees their tasks in the system and can tick them off as they are completed. This leads to fewer missed chores and a higher quality of maintenance and cleanliness - something that guests definitely notice.

Payments and invoicing

In an efficient business, the payment flow should be as simple as possible - for both the guest and the staff. A modern PMS like Lyra has integrated solutions for payment and invoicing which saves time and reduces hassle. All the costs associated with a booking can be grouped together on a folio (one account for the guest's stay). This means that room hire, camping fees, extra bed, meals or other purchases can be added to the same bill throughout the stay. When it's time to pay, the guest only needs to pay one consolidated bill instead of several separate parts.

Lyra supports seamless payments by any method: card payments, Swish, Klarna, cash via a linked POS system, or invoicing to businesses - all recorded directly in the PMS. If your hotel has a restaurant or if the campsite has a kiosk, these sales can be linked so that the guest's purchase can be posted to the room or reservation. It all lands automatically in the same system. For staff, this means no need to enter amounts on the card terminal and then manually mark as paid in another system; when the guest pays, it's synchronised instantly. Splitting the bill between several people is also easy - perhaps two colleagues want to split the cost of a room, or a family wants to split the cost of accommodation and activities between them. The PMS allows you to split the items and charge in any combination of payment methods.

After payment, you can generate receipts or invoices with your logo in a few clicks and email them to the guest. All transactions are saved in the system for accounting and future reference. For you as the owner, integrated payment flows mean you have better control over revenue. You can see in real time how much has been paid and what is outstanding. You also avoid errors such as double debits or missed payments, as the system keeps track of every cent. In short, cash management is both safer and faster - a win-win for you and your guests.

Reports and activity analyses

A major advantage of having all the information in a PMS is that you can easily retrieve reports and key figures Instead of manually counting bookings in a calendar or totalling revenue from different sources, the system can generate statistics at the touch of a button. You can see the occupancy rate (the percentage of rooms or spaces that have been rented out) by day, week or month. You can track revenue over time and break it down by channel (how much came via direct bookings versus via Booking.com, for example) or by room/seat type. Lyra offers flexible reports that allow you to filter and dig into the data for what's most relevant to you.

This insight will help you make better decisions. If reports show that your campsite had very low occupancy on weekdays in September, you might want to introduce a special offer or event to attract more guests then. If your B&B sees a significant increase in revenue per guest when breakfast is included, you might want to start packaging rooms with breakfast included. You can also forecast - looking ahead at the booking situation will give you an idea of upcoming peak periods and quiet weeks, which will help you plan staffing and purchasing. Reports on guest ratings or feedback (if the PMS collects such data) can show you where you can improve service. In short, analytical tools put you in control of your business beyond your gut feeling, giving you concrete numbers to optimise your operations and increase profitability over time.

Packaging and upselling

A PMS can also help you increase revenue per guest through smart additional sales. It is about offering extra products or services to complement the accommodation itself. Lyra makes it easy to create packages and add-ons that guests can buy either at the time of booking or during their stay. For example, you can build a weekend package for your hotel that includes two nights, breakfast and spa entrance, or an autumn package for your campsite that includes cabin accommodation and canoe rental. These packages are displayed to the guest when they book online, making it tempting to opt for added value right from the start.

You can also offer extra services à la carte - like adding breakfast, late check-out, bike hire, bed linen, sauna or guided tours. Because the PMS keeps track of all add-ons, it makes it easy for the guest to book them and for you to deliver. The system can automatically suggest suitable add-ons: for example, a family booking a cottage might be asked if they want to rent bed linen and towels, or a hotel guest staying for the weekend might be offered a Sunday brunch. All these upselling opportunities are integrated, meaning that if the guest chooses something, it is added directly to their booking and final bill. You don't have to do the extra work of keeping track of booked options in separate lists - everything is visible together with the booking in the PMS.

In addition to increased revenue, this leads to more satisfied guests, as they can easily get a more complete experience. They don't have to call or email to book for an activity, but can do so in one go online or via the on-site guest portal. Because the system handles much of the upselling automatically (e.g. by showing the right offer at the right time), you can increase your sales without burdening your staff with extra work. It's simply selling more, in an easier way - benefiting both the guest experience and your business profitability.

Simplify your life with the right PMS

All these features and benefits boil down to one thing: giving you more time and better control, so you can focus on what really matters - your guests and business development. A powerful PMS doesn't have to be complicated; on the contrary, it should be intuitive and customised to your reality. The Lyra platform is developed with this in mind. The interface is user-friendly and staff quickly learn how everything fits together, from booking to payment. The system is cloud-based, which means you can access it anywhere, anytime - perfect for those who may need to check a booking from home or manage the campsite remotely during the off-season.

Switching from manual procedures or legacy systems to a modern PMS can feel like a big step, but with Lyra the process is smooth. Our team helps with migration of existing bookings and guest databases, so you don't lose any history. What's more, our support team is available 24/7 to answer questions and solve any problems - you're never alone. Before long, you'll notice the difference: fewer administrative mistakes, less stress, and a more professional approach to your guests. Whether you run a large resort or a small campsite, you will benefit from having everything in one platform.

To summarise: A PMS is at the heart of your booking and guest management work. By investing in a good PMS system that covers the needs of your hotel or campsite, you can streamline your operations, increase guest satisfaction, and ultimately improve profitability. Lyra offers a complete solution where PMS, booking engine, channel systems, payments and much more work together seamlessly. The result is that you can work smarter - not harder - and give your guests an experience that makes them want to come back. It's the future of hospitality, and it's available today.