CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Definition

A system for managing guest relationships across stays — profile data, preferences, marketing communications, loyalty status. Distinct from PMS, which handles operations during stay; CRM persists between stays.

What it tells you

CRM is the tool for nurturing repeat business. Strong CRM use correlates with higher direct-booking ratios and better customer-lifetime-value metrics.

How to track it

CRM systems surface guest segmentation, marketing-campaign performance, and lifetime-value metrics. Most are integrated with PMS for guest-data sync.

Where it fits

CRM and revenue management connect at the segmentation layer — CRM defines guest segments based on history; revenue management uses these segments for pricing and marketing decisions.