Phuket small hotels turn to property-management systems as high-season pressure grows

Phuket’s hotel occupancy reached 91.8% in January 2025 but fell to 66.9% in June, highlighting the sharp seasonal pressure faced by the island’s smaller properties, according to Knight Frank figures cited in a report by The Thaiger.

During the busiest months, early arrivals, late checkouts and reservations from multiple booking channels can cause room-status information to become outdated. A room may be marked vacant at reception while housekeeping is still working from a paper list showing it as occupied, leaving arriving guests waiting for rooms to be prepared.

The problem is more acute at small hotels and guesthouses, which may lack the supervisors, spare rooms and dedicated staff available at larger resorts. Properties also have to coordinate bookings from their own websites, major online travel agencies, agents and walk-in guests.

A labour shortage adds to the strain. The Nation reported that Phuket was short of about 17,000 hospitality workers in 2023, while operators have continued to describe seasonal recruitment difficulties, particularly for housekeeping and reception roles.

The supply of hotel rooms is also increasing. Knight Frank counted 2,134 new hotel keys arriving in Phuket in 2025, compared with 884 the previous year. Knight Frank’s Carlos Martinez warned operators to expect stronger competition over prices and service as more properties enter the market. The report also said Phuket visitor numbers were down 1.76% through August.

Shared room-status information

Small properties are increasingly using browser-based property-management systems, or PMS platforms, to replace paper room lists and separate booking records.

When reception checks out a guest, the room can be shown as dirty on a housekeeper’s phone. Once cleaning is completed, reception can see the updated status. Late checkouts can also be recorded so that housekeeping schedules reflect the change.

Unlike older systems that required an on-site server, current PMS platforms generally operate through a browser and are sold as monthly subscriptions, often priced per room. The report said that, for a 14-room property, the cost could be around one night’s room rate each month.

For guests staying at small hotels between December and March, the report recommends sending the property a flight number before arrival and asking in advance about early check-in, particularly when landing before 2pm. If a room is not ready, guests can ask reception to contact housekeeping directly rather than relying only on the status shown on the front-desk screen.