Managing a hotel or any hospitality business efficiently requires having the right tools in place, and QloApps offers a fantastic solution for managing room bookings, reservations, payments, and customer interactions. This open-source hotel booking system is ideal for small hotels, guesthouses, resorts, or any accommodation provider looking to streamline operations while keeping costs low.
In this article, we will guide you through the step-by-step process of setting up QloApps on your server. Whether you’re new to server management or an experienced IT professional, this guide will break down the process into easy-to-follow instructions to help you get your hotel management system up and running.
What is QloApps?
QloApps is a powerful, open-source hotel and reservation management system designed to handle a variety of tasks, including:
Online bookings: Allow customers to book rooms directly through your website.
Room and rate management: Easily configure room types, pricing, availability, and policies.
Payment integration: Integrate popular payment gateways to process transactions securely.
Multi-language and currency support: Cater to international customers with options for multiple languages and currencies.
Booking rules and management: Set rules for room availability, minimum stay requirements, and cancellation policies.
QloApps is designed to make hotel management simple. It’s customizable to fit your unique business needs. Let’s go over installing and basic configuring of QloApps on your own server.
System Requirements for QloApps
Before you start, make sure your server meets the following system requirements for QloApps:
Software Requirements:
- Web Server: Apache or NGINX web server
- Database: MySQL (5.0 or higher)
- PHP: Version 7.2 or higher (with required extensions: PDO, cURL, SimpleXML, GD, OpenSSL, DOM, SOAP, Zip, and Phar)
- SSL Certificate: Recommended for secure payments (if not using secure payment systems such as PayPal)
Server Configurations:
- Minimum Memory Limit: 128MB
- Max Upload File Size: 16MB
- Max Execution Time: 500 seconds
- Check with your hosting provider to ensure that these specifications are met. If you’re unsure, consult their documentation or support for assistance.
Many hosting providers provide information on PHP configurations or allow you to set them. If you’re unsure, review their documentation or reach out to their support.
Step-by-Step Installation of QloApps
Step 1: Download QloApps Software
Visit the official QloApps website and download the QloApps package.
Fill out a brief form with your name and email address to get the download link. You’ll need this file for uploading later.
Step 2: Create a Database
QloApps requires a database to store hotel-related information, including bookings, customer data, and room availability. If you are self hosting, you’ll need to create a database from terminal. If using a hosting service, log in to your hosting provider’s control panel dashboard. and go to the databases section to create a new database.
Create the new database, noting down the database name, user and password for later use).
Step 3: Upload Files to Your Server
Next, upload the QloApps zip file to your server, hosting provider’s File Manager tool, or via FTP.
Once uploaded, you can unzip. You’ll only need the contents within the extracted folder, so you may need to move these subfolders out.
Step 4: Launch the Installation
Now that the files are on your server, you can begin installing. Open a web browser and navigate to the URL where you uploaded the files (e.g., http://yourdomain.com).
The QloApps installation wizard will appear. You’ll choose options for steps including:
Language: Set your preferred installation language, which you can always change later.
System Compatibility: The installer will check your system’s compatibility with QloApps to ensure your server meets the system requirements. If everything is good to go, click Next to continue.
Enter Store & Database Information: Enter the store details that you want to display on your QloApps site (such as hotel name, address, email, etc.). These details will be used for the hotel’s public-facing information. You’ll aos need to enter the database name, username, and password you created earlier. The installer will verify the connection and proceed to the next step if everything is correct.
Finalize Installation:
Click Next to begin the installation process. QloApps will now install all required files and set up your hotel management system.
Once the installation is complete, you will be prompted to delete the install folder from your server for security reasons.
Step 5: Clean Up & Access the Admin Panel
After installation, it’s important to delete the “install” folder from your server via your hosting provider’s File Manager tool or via FTP.
You can now access the admin panel of QloApps by navigating to the URL in your browser (e.g., http://yourdomain.com/adminfoldername). The admin folder name is generated automatically which you’ll use it to log in.
Post-Installation Setup
Once the installation is complete, you can begin configuring your QloApps system and adding your hotel details, amongst other settings and configurations you desire. Here are a few basic post-installation tasks that should be completed post install:
Add Rooms: Go to the Room Management section to add and configure your room types, pricing, and availability.
Payment Gateway Configuration: Set up your payment methods (e.g., PayPal, Stripe) to accept online payments securely.
Customize Your Site: You can change themes, upload your logo, set up your hotel’s homepage, and modify other aspects of the site to suit your branding.
Advanced Configuration:
Set advanced pricing rules based on dates or customer groups.
Enable or disable guest check-out without registration.
Manage order preferences and customer address settings.
You’ve successfully installed and set up QloApps, an open-source hotel and reservation management system. Now you can begin using it to manage your bookings, guests, and reservations.
As your business grows, you can explore further customization options or add third-party modules to enhance the system’s capabilities. Whether you’re managing a single property or multiple locations, QloApps offers the flexibility and features needed to streamline your operations and improve your customer experience.
If you need further help configuring QloApps or want to explore advanced features, check out QloApps’ official documentation for exploring configuratiosn and advanced features. or reach out to their support community.
Leave a Reply