Changing your property management system (PMS) is one of the most important – and potentially disruptive – technology decisions a hotel can make. When it goes well, you unlock efficiency, revenue and a better guest experience. When it goes wrong, it can cause operational chaos, staff frustration and costly delays.
But here’s the thing: most failed projects don’t collapse because the technology was wrong. They fail because the hotel wasn’t prepared for what the change really involved.
Here’s what the smartest hoteliers do before, during and after a PMS change to set themselves up for success.
Mistake 1: Thinking it’s just a swap
The most common misconception with a PMS migration is treating it as a like-for-like swap. A PMS isn’t just another tool – it’s the operational backbone. It touches reservations, housekeeping, finance, distribution, payments, guest communication… the list goes on.
If you simply replicate your old setup in a shiny new system, you’ll carry over every inefficiency and outdated process you already had. A PMS change is a chance to rethink how your hotel runs – from workflows to rate structures – and align everything with the experience you want to offer guests.
Smart move: Start by asking why you’re changing. Is it to reduce manual work? To improve integrations? To enable a self-service guest journey? Once you know the goal, you can build the right ecosystem around it.
Mistake 2: Leaving staff out of the loop
The decision to change PMS often comes from ownership or the executive team. But for frontline staff – receptionists, night auditors, housekeeping – it can feel like change for change’s sake. If they don’t understand why it’s happening, resistance is inevitable.
Smart move: Communicate the vision early. Explain to your team how automation will reduce repetitive tasks, how mobile tools will make their jobs easier, and how the change will benefit guests. Seek their advice and make them part of the journey. They’ll know your operational pain points – and how you might solve them – as well as anybody.
Mistake 3: Ignoring the rate structure
In many hotels, rate plans multiply over time. There are small properties with over 150 active rates – half of them unused for years. Bringing that mess into a new PMS makes configuration harder, confuses staff and slows the system down.
Smart move: Use the migration as a clean-up opportunity. Audit your rates. Retire the ones with no bookings in the last year. Simplify and align them with your revenue strategy before go-live. Better yet – use the opportunity to onboard an RMS like Atomize.
Mistake 4: Underestimating reservation migration
If there’s one part of a PMS change that can derail everything, it’s migrating reservations. Every booking that’s migrated across needs the right dates, prices and guest data. Even a small error multiplied across hundreds or thousands of reservations can cause major issues at check-in.
Smart move: Pilot your migration in a demo environment first. Involve your channel manager if you use one. Understand what can and can’t be transferred automatically – things like traces often need manual work – and plan for a final sweep to catch inconsistencies.
Mistake 5: Not preparing for go-live day
Go-live is not just aswitch on and carry on moment. It’s a day where the usual flow of work is interrupted and every department is adapting in real time.
Smart move: Create a detailed storyboard for the day. Outline exactly when ledgers will be closed, when reservations will be imported, and which manual tasks will still be required. Schedule extra staff, provide hands-on support, and run through real booking scenarios in advance – not just theoretical training.
Mistake 6: Holding on to outdated systems too long
The biggest competitor to most PMS providers isn’t another PMS – it’s inertia. If your current system isn’t evolving to meet modern guest expectations or your future business plans, it’s already holding you back.
Smart move: Ask your provider to show you their roadmap. If they can’t demonstrate how their product will help you deliver better guest experiences in the next 3-5 years, it may be time to move on.
Two overlooked opportunities in the tech stack
When hotels change PMS, they often focus on core operations but miss other categories that can transform performance. Here are two big opportunities to consider:
- Payments: A good integration (or embedded solution) can save hours of reconciliation work each week and reduce costly errors.
- CRM: A hospitality-specific CRM helps you capture OTA guests and build loyalty through targeted offers, segmented by booking patterns and guest preferences.
Three golden rules
Is switching PMS on the horizon for your property? Here are three golden rules to follow before you make the move.
- Fix the basics first
Clean your ledgers, simplify rates and make sure your current setup is correct before migrating. - Stay current
Implement all relevant features and integrations, even before switching. You might find you can solve issues without migrating at all. - Get expert help
An experienced consultant or implementation manager can see pitfalls before you do and guide you through them.
Changing your PMS is a rare opportunity to reinvent how your hotel operates. With the right preparation, communication, and focus, it doesn’t have to be a leap into the unknown – it can be a leap forward.
For a deeper dive into the world of PMS migration, check out this episode of Matt Talks with Mews CEO, Matt Welle, and Director of CMC Hospitality Software, Claudia Meglin.
Watch the episode
About Mews
Mews is the leading platform for the new era of hospitality. Powering over 12,500 customers across more than 85 countries, Mews Hospitality Cloud is designed to streamline operations for modern hoteliers, transform the guest experience and create more profitable businesses. Customers include BWH Hotels, Strawberry, The Social Hub and Airelles Collection. Mews was named Best PMS (2024, 2025) and listed among the Best Places to Work in Hotel Tech (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025) by Hotel Tech Report. Mews has raised $410 million from investors including Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Kinnevik and Tiger Global to transform hospitality.
www.mews.com
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