Welcome to Brance's blog series, where we dive into the world of channel managers for hotels. We've conducted an in-depth review of the top channel managers, and today, we're focusing on the innRoad channel manager.

In a nutshell, the innRoad channel manager is what you should be going for when ease of use, revenue management, and customer support are your top concerns. 

Want a complete review? Jump into the below article.

Our Channel Manager Reviews You Can Trust 

As part of our review policy, we’d like to state that our reviews were created with the help of AI analysis. Then, we parsed the whole review for any inaccuracies before editing it for clarity and crispness.

Moreover, we’ve picked specific parameters, like ‘ease of use’, for example, that we believe best demonstrate the performance of a channel manager. We then judged based on the channel manager's performance against these parameters.

Here are all the parameters we have picked:

Parameter | Positive | Negative | Ok

------ | ------ | ------ | ------

Ease of Use | 88% | 9% | 3%

Technical Reliability | 42% | 37% | 21%

Customer Support | 89% | 9% | 2%

Price | 73% | 27% | 0%

Operations Management | 77% | 19% | 4%

Integration | 69% | 26% | 5%

Revenue Management | 93% | 7% | 0%

Marketing Visibility | 50% | 50% | 0%

Reporting Analytics | 62% | 31% | 7%

So that’s our review in a nutshell. For a complete breakdown, jump into the below section. 

1. Ease of Use

| Positive | Negative | Ok  |

|----------|----------|-----|

| 88%  | 10%   | 2%  | 

Positives: 

innRoad's ease of use is highly praised, with an 88% positive score. Users love the intuitive interface, which simplifies training for new employees and enhances system navigation. The seamless integration with existing websites and real-time updates significantly boost operational efficiency. 

The centralized management of all channels in one place, immediate integration capabilities, and the user-friendly online booking engine are standout features. 

Similarly, the customizable booking platform allows easy branding and implementation into existing systems; this 24/7 customer service ensures continuous support. ‍

Negatives: 

Naturally, some users find certain functions non-intuitive, particularly with room blocking and price changes. 

For example, there are reports of unresolved software issues and a long learning curve for rate programming, which could require a dedicated admin.

It’s no wonder, then, that the tool gets a clear 10% negative review while a 2% rate it as OK. 

2. Technical Reliability 

| Positive | Negative | Ok  |

|----------|----------|-----|

| 43%  | 37%      | 20% | 

Positives: 

innRoad's technical reliability receives mixed feedback. 

A 43% majority votes them a positive score, highlighting its simultaneous multi-functionality and constant system updates. As per popular collective reviews, users appreciate the seamless channel management, real-time updates, and reliable integration with hotels' websites and OTAs

Similarly, the cloud-based system allows for remote access with minimal downtime, a significant advantage. ‍

Negatives: 

Unsurprisingly, there’s room for improvement. A clear 37% negative score indicates the areas for improvement. For example, users mention the frequent glitches, performance issues, and problematic OTA integrations. 

Similarly, the software's API is considered outdated, complicating data export to Excel, and the system regularly allows overbookings, indicating reliability issues.

3. Customer Support

| Positive | Negative | Ok  |

|----------|----------|-----|

| 90%  | 9%       | 1%  |‍

Positives: 

A 90% positive score clearly shows how innRoad excels in customer support. The app's 24/7 availability, and highly responsive support staff are a significant plus, as the reviews show. 

Users also commend the knowledgeable team for quick issue resolution and screen sharing, which effectively solves problems. Client feedback is also highly valued, as is the proactive implementation of helpful online tools and resources. ‍

Negatives: 

On the downside, some users feel that customer support can sometimes respond uncertainly and lack helpfulness. Issues raised to tech support remain unresolved for some, indicating room for improvement in this area. 

4. Price

| Positive | Negative | Ok  |

|----------|----------|-----|

| 73%  | 27%      | 0%  | 

Positives: 

innRoad's pricing is considered economical by many, as demonstrated by its 73% positive score. 

The tool is competitively priced compared to other software, offering the best value for money. The low cost of product acquisition and integrated credit card processing is also seen as significant advantages in many reviews, with costs quickly covered by increased sales within 90 days. ‍

Negatives: 

Despite the overall positive view on pricing, some users find the monthly invoice presentation confusing and merchant fees not clearly explained. The overall costs are considered higher than expected by some, suggesting a need for scaled pricing based on room count and facility type. 

5. Operations Management

| Positive | Negative | Ok  |

|----------|----------|-----|

| 77%  | 19%      | 4%  |

Positives: 

innRoad scores well in operations management, with a 77% positive score. 

The customizable guest interface and streamlined check-in/out process are highly praised for enhancing flexibility in guest interactions and reducing wait times. Similarly, the comprehensive solution integrates modules for various hotel management aspects, offering efficient reservation management with detailed reporting capabilities. ‍

Negatives: 

However, 19% of negative and 4% of OK reviews show areas needing improvement. 

For example, grouped reservations management and the back-end interface for making rate changes are highlighted as cumbersome. Tracking payments to customer accounts and managing room maintenance mode are also highlighted as cumbersome. 

6. Integration

| Positive | Negative | Ok  |

|----------|----------|-----|

| 69%  | 26%      | 5%  | 

Positives: 

innRoad's integration capabilities receive a 69% positive score, demonstrating its love for integration. The platform effectively integrates booking engines, card processing, and property management systems. 

The quick setup and seamless integration with top OTAs, along with real-time integration capabilities with various platforms, are notable strengths—unsurprisingly, it gets lots of love for this.  ‍

Negatives: 

On the downside, incomplete guest information from OTAs and the need for improvements in the InnRoad and QuickBooks interface are noted. 

Limited integration options with door locks and marketing software, along with issues in collecting CVV for credit card transactions, are areas for improvement too. Similarly, the negative and ok reviews accounted for 26% and 5%, respectively, showing the clear dislike of users. 

7. Revenue Management

| Positive | Negative | Ok  |

|----------|----------|-----|

| 93%  | 7%       | 0%  |‍

Positives: 

innRoad's revenue management tools are highly effective, as hows its 93% positive score. 

These tools significantly aid financial planning and forecasting, with customizable robust reporting features enhancing financial management. Similarly, the software's influence on sales is evident, with a reported 20% increase in room revenue. ‍

Negatives: 

The only notable negative—bagging 7% bad reviews in total—is the booking engine's lack of revenue tracking from third-party integrations, which affects revenue analysis and decision-making.

8. Marketing Visibility

| Positive | Negative | Ok  |

|----------|----------|-----|

| 50%  | 50%      | 0%  |‍

Positives: 

With a 50% positive rating, innRoad's marketing visibility has a balanced score. 

Moreover, it increases direct bookings for hotels and enhances the professional appearance of small boutique hotels, providing a competitive edge.‍

Negatives: 

However, the platform lacks mass email marketing and promotions features, and the email templates are not visually appealing, affecting the overall marketing capability.

It is for this reason the tool gets a whopping 50% for its negatives, making it a risky bet for marketing visibility. 

9. Reporting Analytics

| Positive | Negative | Ok  |

|----------|----------|-----|

| 62%  | 31%      | 7%  |‍

Positives: 

A 62% score means innRoad's reporting analytics are seen positively by most users.

The reports provide detailed financial data for tax and revenue tracking, with customizable reporting options catering to different managerial needs. Real-time and comparative data in comprehensive reports are precise, easy to read, and accessible with just a click.

So, in a nutshell, you get a clear idea of what’s working and what isn’t, giving yourself a much-needed notion of what’s happening under the hood.

‍Negatives: 

Despite these strengths, there is a need for more comprehensive and detailed reporting functionality. Improvements are required for rate display order customization and calendar enhancements, and advanced reservation search should include booking sources without extra steps.

Should You Buy innRoad Channel Manager? 

That’s all about the innRoad Channel Manager from our side. But there’s more, of course. The tool will help you with visibility and reach while, at the same time, helping you avoid unwanted manual updates.

There are some apparent slip-ups, but overall, it works well. If you’re still unsure about the tool, you can always request a demo.  

Read Also - Sabre Channel Manager: A Complete Review