Contents

Introduction
Rankings
Benefits
Features
Pricing
Implementation
Latest Developments
Free Downloads
FAQs
Further Reading
Methodology

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10 Best Hotel Reservations Systems in 2025

Jordan Hollander

| Last updated December 12, 2024

44 PRODUCTS REVIEWED

477 HOTELIERS SURVEYED

QUICK SUMMARY

Here at HotelTechReport our job is to help you find the best fit hotel reservations system for your business as quickly and painlessly as possible. Whether you are looking to grow direct bookings, add new channels or just get smarter about your overall distribution strategy - you'll find tools and advice below that our community has spent thousands of hours building and compiling to save you time and help you make better decisions.

We know that finding the perfect hotel reservations system for your hotel is tough - that's why we surveyed 477 hoteliers across 53 countries to create this in-depth guide and help you find the best fit hotel reservations system for your business. Inside you’ll find everything you need to know including top vendors, feature comparisons, price benchmarking, required integrations and more.

Hotel Reservation Systems Shortlist

Here are 10 of top Hotel Reservations Systems that are covered in this in-depth guide:

1. Cloudbeds — Best for offering upsells like room upgrades and add-ons.
2. Mews — Best for boosting your property's visibility with customizable booking widgets
3. SiteMinder — Best for increasing direct bookings with a fast, clear interface.
4. Safara — Best for leveraging technology to attract and retain loyal customers.
5. ThinkReservations — Best for seamless website integration and guest-friendly experience.
6. roomMaster — Best for accepting secure payments and instant confirmations.
7. Profitroom — Best for capturing more bookings with tailored promotions
8. SHR Group — Best for boosting your revenue with smart upselling
9. Yanolja — Best for managing multi-property bookings effortlessly
10. Paraty Tech — Best for boosting your hotel's online visibility

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BENEFITS

How can a central reservations system improve profitability and efficiency?

A Central Reservations System (CRS) like Sabre SynXis, Cendyn CRS, or SHR Windward stands as a cornerstone technology, revolutionizing how hotels manage their bookings and engage with their guests. This sophisticated platform transcends traditional reservation management, offering a seamless nexus between hotels and the global market. Through a CRS, hotels achieve streamlined operations, where the daunting task of synchronizing bookings from various channels becomes effortless, ensuring a harmonized workflow and reducing the potential for errors.

The strategic advantages of employing a CRS are manifold. It propels hotels into the global arena, significantly expanding their reach and visibility across a multitude of distribution channels. This global exposure is invaluable for capturing diverse guest segments and maximizing occupancy. Moreover, the dynamic pricing capabilities inherent in these systems empower hotels to adjust rates with agility, responding adeptly to market demand and competitive pressures. This flexibility not only secures optimal revenue per available room (RevPAR) but also positions the hotel as a competitive player in the industry.

Beyond operational efficiency and revenue maximization, a CRS profoundly enhances the guest experience. The system's capability to store and analyze guest preferences enables hotels to offer personalized services, crafting unique experiences that resonate on a personal level with guests. This customization fosters loyalty and repeat business, elements crucial to a hotel's long-term success.

The utility of a CRS extends to various scenarios, from managing multi-property operations under a single brand to boosting direct bookings through a hotel’s website. It serves as the backbone for sophisticated revenue management strategies, allowing for targeted promotions and optimized pricing models. Moreover, its global distribution capabilities ensure that a hotel's inventory is visible and accessible to travelers worldwide, while its data analytics functions provide deep insights into booking trends and guest behaviors, informing strategic decisions.

The integration of a Central Reservations System into a hotel's operational framework is more than an upgrade—it's a transformation. It equips hotels with the tools needed to navigate the complexities of the modern hospitality landscape, offering a strategic edge in a highly competitive market. Through improved efficiency, enhanced guest experiences, and optimized revenue management, a CRS becomes an indispensable ally in achieving operational excellence and driving business growth.

Types of Hotel Reservation System

When choosing the best hotel reservation system, it is important to know the types the market offers. These types include:

On-premise hotel reservation systems: These types of CRSs are set up locally, on hotel servers. They are managed by the hotel staff, which gives more control and customization options. However, they also require expertise and inquire more costs for set up and maintenance.
Cloud-based hotel reservation systems: Cloud-based systems are hosted on remote servers. The hotel staff accesses them through the internet from any location, which reduces costs and maximizes productivity.

Both of these CRS types offer significant benefits to hoteliers. Depending on your specific management needs and daily operations, choose between the two to ensure a smooth transition of operations for your staff.

FEATURES

What are the most important features of a hotel reservation system?

Integrations and distribution: reservation software should integrate seamlessly with your existing property management system and allow your hotel to distribute rates and availability through a wide network of channels, including direct channels (website, call center) and third-party travel industry channels (OTAs, GDS (global distribution systems), metasearch). The CRS should have integrated channel management capabilities to facilitate hotel distribution with OTAs (online travel agencies like Expedia and Booking).
Pricing capabilities and flexibility: Every revenue manager needs a good toolset to develop a sound distribution strategy whether they work for an independent hotel or one of the major hotel chains. Your CRS partner should offer dynamic pricing tools that will give your hotel enormous flexibility when it comes to executing complex revenue strategies and selling multiple hotel room types across multiple channels. Also consider whether integrations between your revenue management, merchandising, and CRM platforms with the CRS would help to increase operational efficiency (e.g. being able to automate pricing from an RMS, being able to enter rates only once within a backend, etc.)
Booking engine / e-commerce platform: A huge deciding factor for many hospitality industry businesses is the quality of the CRS’s booking engine, which should offer conversion optimization features to encourage direct bookings and enable high volumes of online bookings. Key features include the ability to showcase strikethrough pricing, social proof, scarcity messaging, and incremental pricing, dynamic room rates, among others. The CRS should integrate with the most user-friendly and mobile optimized booking engines on the market. Learn more in our article: What is a booking engine?
Support and account management: A good CRS partner should not only provide round-the-clock customer support, but should also have active account management focused on customer success. Client services should include performance reviews with detailed analytics and reporting, as well as advice on revenue and pricing strategies. Ultimately a CRS provider provides more than just a way to take hotel reservations and should be considered a true strategic partner in hotel management.
Innovation: Your CRS partner should always be seeking to enhance features, support the latest technology trends, and evolve the platform to fit the needs of today’s hotel.

Choosing the Best Reservation System for Your Hotel

Know what you need: Each hotel has specific needs when it comes to daily operations management. Based on the characteristics such as the hotel size, your budget, the customer base, guest preferences, hoteliers should assess what CRSs have to offer.
Research and evaluate: After establishing the features you require in a CRS, do a deep research on what the market has to offer. Do not hesitate to reach out and ask for a demo if one isn’t offered already. Also, make sure to check out reviews and feedback from other hoteliers who used the platform.
Check for integration capabilities: A CRS you choose must integrate seamlessly with the existing systems your staff uses for operations management. This includes systems such as property management software, business analysis tools, accounting platforms, etc.
Train your staff: After choosing the best fit, train your hotel staff on how to make the best out of your CRS. Also, implement periodic revisions and training programs when your CRS is upgraded with new features to ensure all employees are familiar with them.

PRICING

What is the typical pricing for a central reservations system?

A CRS is typically priced on a variable basis and varies by channel. For example, direct bookings via booking engine can cost 1-5% of bookings or a flat fee per booking. Call center reservations are generally priced on talk time or commissions and GDS is usually priced on a flat fee per booking plus membership fees. Pricing varies dramatically in this category so make sure to compare quotes on Hotel Tech Report to find the best fit for your business.

IMPLEMENTATION

How long does it usually take for a hotel to implement new a central reservations system?

A designated implementation team will reach out to begin the implementation process, which includes completing required forms, building out the system, and proactively reaching out to third-party vendors where integrations are needed. Generally, implementation can be completed within 2-4 weeks, including staff training, provided that hotels provide all the required information in a timely manner and attend the training sessions.

FAQs

Hoteliers Also Ask

What makes great a central reservations system?

- Drives high volume of bookings: A good CRS should help a hotel to gain visibility and expand global reach across all distribution channels via dedicated channel manager, which should raise overall revenue via increased bookings and occupancy. It's also important that a hotel reservation system prevent overbooking. - Helps shift share from OTAs: A good CRS will help to shift more bookings from high-cost channels (third-party) to low-cost channels (direct ) . Hotel s with poor - performing / low-converting booking engines will often see a shift ranging from 7 to 25+% when switching to a good CRS. It’s not a panacea, however — a smart direct booking strategy also takes into account a high-converting website, well-managed digital marketing strategy, and other direct booking tools to accomplish its goals. - Direct impact on NOI (net operating income): If hotels are seeing their overall revenue increase through increased overall bookings, while simultaneously shifting more of those bookings from third-party channels to direct channels, overall profitability should increase as hotels pay out less commissions.

What is the difference between a CRS, PMS and IBE?

A central reservation system (CRS) is a platform used by hotels to centrally manage and distribute room inventory, rates, and reservations. The CRS extracts rates from your PMS (property management system) and then writes back reservations into the PMS when booked across a variety of channels like GDS and IBE. IBE stands for internet booking engine and is a somewhat dated term. Modern hoteliers have taken out the word "internet" because frankly the whole world is the internet today and it's a bit redundant. The easiest way to think about a booking engine is it's basically the shopping cart for a hotel website where (direct) bookings and payments happen.

What is a hotel reservation system?

A hotel central reservations system (CRS) is a booking engine that allows hotels to manage their online reservations and pricing through a property management system (PMS). This system integrates with various distribution channels, such as online travel agencies (OTAs) and global distribution systems (GDS), to maximize occupancy and revenue. The CRS also acts as a channel manager, allowing hoteliers to manage room availability and pricing across multiple booking platforms in real-time. Additionally, it includes features such as reservation management, revenue management, and user-friendly automation for tasks such as confirmations and check-in. The CRS also allows hotels to optimize their distribution system, by using dynamic pricing and inventory across different room types, to increase the guest experience and drive direct bookings via the hotel's own website. This system is not limited to large hotels but also applies to small hotels, inns, hostels, B&Bs, motels, vacation rentals, and even bed and breakfasts. A hotel reservation system is a software tool used by the hospitality industry to manage and distribute room inventory, pricing, and reservations. It is often comprised of a central reservation system (CRS) and a booking engine. The CRS connects to a property management system (PMS) to extract rates and write back reservations when booked through various distribution channels, including online travel agencies (OTAs) and the hotel's own website. The booking engine, which is often integrated into the CRS, is essentially the online shopping cart for a hotel's website where guests can make direct bookings and payments. This system allows hoteliers to optimize occupancy and revenue management, while also providing a user-friendly booking experience for guests. Other features of a hotel reservation system can include real-time room availability, check-in automation, customer support, and integrations with social media and other apps. The system can also be cloud-based, which allows for remote access and real-time updates.

What is the best hotel booking system?

Finding the "best" hotel booking system isn't as straightforward as it may seem, largely because the ideal choice depends on a multitude of factors unique to each property. Whether it's a sprawling resort complex, a quaint boutique chalet, a cozy bed and breakfast, or a bustling city hotel, the requirements can vary dramatically. This diversity extends to whether a property is branded or unbranded, part of a chain or independently operated, and even down to its chain scale ranking. The essence of a great booking system lies in its functionality, flexibility, and how well it aligns with the property's specific needs. Key considerations include pricing structures, the integration of a booking engine for direct bookings, a channel manager to efficiently distribute room inventory across various online travel agencies (OTAs), and a property management system (PMS) that ensures smooth hotel operations from check-in to check-out. For hoteliers, the priority is to streamline operations, enhance the guest experience, and maximize occupancy and revenue. This necessitates a booking system with a powerful reservation software that is cloud-based, user-friendly, and intuitive, enabling real-time management of room availability, reservation management, and payment processing with secure payment gateways. Online booking capabilities are essential for capturing direct bookings through the hotel's website, reducing dependency on OTAs like Expedia and improving profit margins. An all-in-one software solution that includes a property management system (hotel PMS), a channel manager, and a booking engine can significantly reduce overbookings and facilitate efficient room inventory management. Additionally, small hotels, motels, inns, B&Bs, and vacation rentals benefit from a system that offers automation and integration with front desk operations, revenue management, and CRM modules to personalize the guest experience. The system should support various room types and be capable of handling special requests to enhance guest satisfaction. Customer support is another critical factor; hoteliers need reliable access to assistance for any issues that arise with the booking system, ensuring that hotel operations run smoothly around the clock. A system that offers robust messaging and communication tools, integration with social media for marketing purposes, and mobile app functionality for guest convenience can further differentiate a property in a competitive market. The best hotel booking systems in the market, like Cloudbeds, offer comprehensive solutions that combine reservation software, a channel manager, a booking engine, and a property management system (PMS) into an intuitive, cloud-based platform designed to meet the varied needs of the hospitality industry. These systems are designed to automate day-to-day operations, support dynamic pricing strategies, manage online reservations and direct bookings, and enhance the overall efficiency of hotel management through advanced modules and management tools. The "best" hotel booking system is subjective and varies by property. It's about finding a solution that aligns with the specific needs of the property, whether it's a small independent hotel or part of a large chain, and choosing a system that offers the right mix of functionality, user experience, and customer support to meet those needs effectively.

What is a cloud based reservations system?

A cloud hotel reservations software, often referred to as a cloud-based hotel management software or property management software (PMS), is an all-in-one solution designed to streamline hotel operations and enhance the guest experience. It integrates various functionalities to manage hotel bookings, reservation management, and other aspects of hotel operations. Key features of a cloud hotel reservations software include: Booking Engine: Enables direct bookings through the hotel’s website, reducing reliance on online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia and Booking.com. Channel Manager: Syncs availability and pricing across multiple booking channels, including OTAs, Airbnb, and Google Hotel, ensuring real-time updates and reducing the risk of overbookings. Property Management System (PMS): Centralizes hotel operations such as front desk management, check-in/check-out processes, and room assignments, improving efficiency and accuracy. Reservation Management: Automates the booking process, allowing hoteliers to manage reservations from inns, motels, hostels, B&Bs, campgrounds, and vacation rentals seamlessly. Revenue Management: Helps optimize occupancy and pricing strategies to maximize revenue. Payment Processing: Integrates with payment gateways for secure credit card transactions and streamlined payment processing. Point of Sale (POS): Manages on-site transactions, such as restaurant bills or spa services, enhancing the overall guest experience. Guest Communications: Facilitates direct messaging with guests, improving service and satisfaction. Mobile App: Provides hoteliers and guests with access to hotel management features and services on the go. API Integrations: Ensures compatibility with other hospitality management tools and software solutions. Templates: Offers customizable templates for invoices, booking confirmations, and other essential documents. Customer Support: Provides robust support to address any issues and ensure smooth operations. The cloud-based system allows hoteliers to manage their property from anywhere, at any time, using any device with internet access. This flexibility and automation help streamline operations, reduce manual tasks, and improve the overall efficiency of hotel management. By leveraging cloud hotel reservations software, independent hotels, general managers, and hospitality industry professionals can enhance their service delivery, boost direct bookings, and reduce commission fees from OTAs. This software solution is user-friendly and caters to the needs of various types of properties, including hotels, inns, motels, hostels, B&Bs, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.

How do online hotel reservations work?

Online hotel reservations work through a seamless and user-friendly hotel booking process facilitated by advanced booking engines. These systems help hoteliers manage pricing and room availability in real-time, allowing guests to make online bookings efficiently. Providers of hotel booking systems, such as OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) like Booking.com and Expedia, play a crucial role in this ecosystem. They enable direct bookings through the hotel's website and third-party channels, enhancing overall functionality. The heart of the online reservation process is the hotel reservation system, integrated with the property management system (PMS). This system allows for smooth check-in, efficient reservation management, and prevents double bookings through a channel manager that automates distribution across various distribution channels. Modern booking systems are equipped with cloud-based solutions to streamline operations, such as booking software, hotel management systems, and hotel reservation software. These tools enhance the guest experience by managing room types, payment processing, and reservation management. Booking engines also integrate payment gateways to facilitate online payments, making the booking experience seamless. Hoteliers leverage these tools for better revenue management and to prevent overbooking. They offer a variety of modules and management tools to streamline hotel operations. The use of mobile apps further enhances the booking experience, allowing guests to book rooms, check availability, and even check-in via their smartphones. The hospitality industry, including small hotels and motels, benefits greatly from these systems. They can manage occupancy, avoid overbooking, and ensure a smooth operation of the front desk. Hotel chains and independent hotels alike can use these software solutions to manage their distribution systems and booking channels effectively. The integration of hotel booking systems, online booking engines, and PMS into a cohesive hotel reservation system allows the hotel industry to offer a superior guest experience, improve operational efficiency, and maximize revenue.

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