San Diego, CA – Cloudbeds, the premier hospitality management software platform, has revealed 38% of hotel employees say their experience with property management systems (PMS) influenced their decision to leave a job.
Cloudbeds’ newly unveiled user experience research found that while hotel employees generally rate their PMS highly for usability and productivity, issues such as system complexity, slow learning curves, and poor integrations create daily frustrations that can directly impact staff retention.
‘The PMS User Experience Report’ by Cloudbeds also uncovered that despite advances in technology and automation, PMS training remains a highly manual process, with more than two-thirds of employees receiving in-person training from a supervisor or colleague. Coupled with high staff turnover, this means training is a near-continuous process – reinforcing the need for intuitive technology that minimizes onboarding time.
Adam Harris, Co-Founder and CEO of Cloudbeds, said: “When it comes to hotel tech, user experience isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the difference between spending time with guests or spending time navigating software. The right PMS platform should drive productivity, reduce training time, and boost employee confidence – not create additional roadblocks.”
Key findings from the research include:
- Complexity slows confidence. More than half of managers (52.2%) said staff require at least four months – and up to three years – to use their PMS confidently.
- Training is still manual. 73% of employees received PMS training from a supervisor or colleague, keeping managers tied up in training instead of focusing on guests.
- Efficiency drives satisfaction. Hotel employees cited too many clicks, too many manual tasks, and a lack of integration with other tech as their main PMS pain points.
- PMS experience impacts staff retention. 38% of hotel employees reported that PMS usability influenced their decision to leave a job.
The study, conducted in partnership with NYU professors Dr. Vanja Bogicevic and Dr. Olena Ciftci, is based on a survey of 500 hotel employees working with PMS platforms at independent hotels and small chains in the US, UK, Canada, Mexico, and Spain, offering a global perspective on the challenges and impact of hotel technology.
For a deeper look into the research findings, download the full report at https://cbdev2.cloudbeds.com/hotel-pms-ux/.
Published on 15 January, 2025 | Updated on 20 October, 2025
