The criteria we used
Many systems call themselves modern. So we only chose features that you can check yourself on the vendors’ websites and that make a noticeable difference in the day-to-day running of a hotel with 5 to 80 rooms. A criterion only counts as met if the vendor clearly states it on its website or in its public help pages. If nothing is stated there or it remains unclear, it doesn’t count, even if it might be possible on request.
For online check-in, AI and booking engine, what counts is the vendor’s own offering, in whichever plan. If the function is only delivered through a partner app from another company, it doesn’t count. That is no judgement against open platforms: if you like assembling your system from apps, you often get more choice there, but also more contracts.
| Criterion | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Runs fully in the cloud | No server on site, no on-site updates, work from any authorised computer. |
| Publicly documented API | POS, door locks or accounting can be connected without every link becoming a separate project. |
| Online check-in from the vendor itself | Registration details and arrival time come in before arrival, and the front desk saves time on arrival day. |
| AI features from the vendor itself | Draft replies, rate recommendations or analyses that take routine work off your hands. |
| Own booking engine | Commission-free direct bookings on your own website from the same room inventory. |
| Public pricing | You know roughly what your hotel will pay before the first conversation. |
| Vendor | Cloud | API documented | Online check-in | AI | Booking engine | Public price | Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 STRYK | Yes | Yes, developer portal for partner API and POS interface | Yes, separate module in the core price | Yes, as add-ons | Yes, in the core price | Yes | |
| Apaleo | Yes | Yes, developer portal | Via partner apps | Yes, Copilot and Agent Hub | Via partner apps | Yes | |
| Cloudbeds | Yes | Yes, developer portal | Yes, with “Guest Experience” | Yes, “Signals” | Yes, from the “One” plan | On request | |
| HotelFriend | Yes, on-premise also available | APIs mentioned, documentation not public | Yes, guest app and kiosk | Yes, AI assistant for messages | Yes | Yes, “from” price | |
| Little Hotelier | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Yes, according to the pricing page | Only via calculator by room count | |
| Protel Cloud PMS (Planet) | Yes | Yes, Open API with documentation | Not stated | Not stated | Yes, Planet’s own product | On request | |
| RoomRaccoon | Yes | Not stated publicly | Yes | Yes, AI pricing in the “Pro” plan | Yes, all plans | Yes, “from” prices |
The vendors in detail
Vendors are listed with STRYK first; we do not rank them. STRYK meets all six criteria. Three vendors meet five of the six, each with a different gap: Cloudbeds lacks a public price, HotelFriend and RoomRaccoon public API documentation.
How many criteria a system meets says nothing about whether it is good or bad. Apaleo and Protel are well advanced on open APIs and are often the better choice for hotels with their own IT. If an open platform is your main priority, give the “API documented” column more weight.
Modern cloud hotel software for small and mid-sized hotels
- One system with a published priceSTRYK Hotel Management
Cloud PMS from Salzburg for small and mid-sized hotels, guesthouses and apartment properties, with its own booking engine; the channel manager is included in the STRYK core price.
- Best for
- Properties with 5 to 80 rooms that want front desk, direct booking, online check-in and invoicing in one system at a clear price.
- Pricing
- €59 plus €6 per room per month, excl. VAT, billed annually (20 rooms: €179)
Strengths
- Modern, clear interface: edit calendar bookings, check room status and open guest details directly
- Connect Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and other channels to STRYK. Manage rates and availability centrally and handle OTA reservations in the calendar.
- Booking engine and voucher sales in the core price; online check-in and self check-in kiosk as separate modules included in the core price
- Two AI modules: Guest AI drafts replies to guest messages and a person approves them; Pricing Intelligence gives traceable rate recommendations
- Public price from €65 a month for one room, no set-up fee, unlimited users, 14-day trial
- Interface, invoices and guest pages in 18 languages
- Publicly documented partner API with scoped keys and signed webhooks, plus the POS interface for restaurant, bar or spa; both described in the open developer portal
- Groups with their own IT
Apaleo
Open, API-first hotel platform from Munich with a large app marketplace.
- Best for
- Hotel groups and serviced apartments with their own IT that assemble their system from apps.
- Pricing
- €8 per room per month, from €400 per month according to the pricing page
Facts from: apaleo.com/pricingStrengths
- Extensive, publicly documented APIs at no extra cost
- AI assistant “Copilot” in the system, Agent Hub for AI solutions and an MCP server for AI agents
- Transparent price per room with no set-up fee
Limits
- Booking engine and online check-in come via partner apps at their prices
- Minimum charge of €400 per month
- International with its own AI
Cloudbeds
US platform for independent hotels, hostels, holiday rentals and groups.
- Best for
- Internationally oriented properties that want PMS, distribution, guest communication and revenue from one provider.
- Pricing
- On request; plans Flex, One, Experience and Enterprise
Facts from: cloudbeds.com/pricingStrengths
- Own AI model “Signals” for revenue, analytics and guest communication
- Public developer portal with REST and GraphQL documentation
- Digital check-in via the guest portal with “Guest Experience”
Limits
- No prices on the website; all plans on request
- Booking engine only from the “One” plan, guest features only from the “Experience” plan
- Hotel and restaurant in one
HotelFriend
All-in-one hotel software from Berlin with more than 20 products, including a guest app and kiosk.
- Best for
- Mid-sized hotels and groups that want to run hotel and restaurant in one system.
- Pricing
- “FLEX” plan from €156 per month according to the pricing page
Facts from: hotelfriend.com/pricingStrengths
- Online registration by smartphone before arrival and a kiosk for issuing key cards
- AI assistant for personalised replies in guest communication
- Cloud, and in the “Signature” plan also on-premise or hybrid
Limits
- Public price only as a “from” price for the “FLEX” plan
- APIs are mentioned, but we found no public documentation
- Very small properties, with an app
Little Hotelier
Software from SiteMinder for small properties with 1 to 30 rooms.
- Best for
- Very small hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs that want to get started quickly on their own.
- Pricing
- Depends on room count; amount via the calculator on the pricing page
Facts from: littlehotelier.com/de/preiseStrengths
- Channel manager, booking engine, calendar and app as core features according to the pricing page
- Online check-in via your own website before arrival
- 30-day free trial, mobile app
Limits
- Designed for up to 30 rooms according to the vendor
- No AI features and no public API documentation mentioned
- According to the pricing page, a 1% booking fee on the booking value
- Connecting many systems
Protel Cloud PMS (Planet)
Cloud PMS from Planet, successor to the well-known protel systems, with a large partner network.
- Best for
- Mid-sized and larger hotels and groups that connect many systems and want payments from one provider.
- Pricing
- On request
Facts from: weareplanet.com/hotel-pmsStrengths
- Cloud-native according to the vendor
- Open API with documentation and sandbox according to the vendor, more than 1,100 integrations
- Planet’s own booking engine and payment solution
Limits
- No prices on the website
- Online check-in and AI features not mentioned on the product pages
- All-in package with revenue tools
RoomRaccoon
Hotel software for independent hotels with PMS, channel manager, booking engine and payment processing in every plan.
- Best for
- Independent hotels looking for an all-in package with revenue features.
- Pricing
- According to the pricing page, “Entry” €130 or €156 and “Pro” €345 or €414 per month, depending on billing; final price via the price calculator
Facts from: roomraccoon.de/preiseStrengths
- Booking engine and channel manager in all four plans
- Digital check-in and check-out according to the website
- AI-supported pricing “RaccoonRev Plus” and an AI assistant for questions about the software
Limits
- AI pricing only from the “Pro” plan
- No publicly documented API found on the website
What a 20-room hotel pays
A direct price comparison is only possible where vendors publish amounts. Pay particular attention to AI: at most vendors it is an add-on or tied to a higher plan, and it changes your monthly costs noticeably.
With STRYK, both AI modules are free for the first month. After that, Guest AI costs €4 per room per month and Pricing Intelligence 1.9% of the room revenue sold through STRYK, in each case only if you activate the module. Direct bookings paid online through STRYK carry a platform fee of 1.9%; the payment provider’s fees come on top.
| Vendor | Amount according to vendor | What it includes | Also note |
|---|---|---|---|
| STRYK | €179 per month for 20 rooms (billed annually) | PMS, booking engine, vouchers; online check-in and kiosk as separate modules in the core price | AI modules after one month only if activated; 1.9% on direct bookings paid online |
| Apaleo | €400 minimum charge (20 × €8 = €160) | PMS, APIs, payment function | Booking engine and online check-in via partners at extra cost |
| HotelFriend | From €156 (“FLEX” plan) | Depends on the products chosen | Total price depends on the plan |
| RoomRaccoon | €130 to €414 depending on plan and billing | PMS, channel manager, booking engine, payments | AI pricing only in the “Pro” plan; final price via the price calculator |
| Cloudbeds, Protel Cloud PMS, Little Hotelier | On request or via calculator | Depends on the plan | The plan determines booking engine, guest features and AI |
When another system is a better fit
If you have your own IT or a partner who connects systems for you, and you want to assemble your set-up from specialised apps, Apaleo and Protel Cloud PMS are the obvious choice. Both open up their APIs, and you choose booking engine, online check-in or door locks from a wide range. For hotel groups with several hundred rooms, a meetings business and their own IT, Oracle OPERA Cloud is also an option.
If you want to keep your existing PMS but modernise guest communication or online check-in, there are specialised vendors that connect to many systems. In that case, check whether your PMS has a certified connection to the tool.
How to make your decision
Don’t be guided by buzzwords. “AI” and “open platform” sound good, but they only count if they solve a task in your hotel. Write down the three tasks that take the most time today, such as guest enquiries by email, registration details on arrival day or updating rates before the weekend, and test every system with exactly those tasks.
Questions for every vendor
- Does everything run in the browser, or does any part need an installation on site?
- Which APIs are publicly described, and who pays for connecting your POS or accounting?
- Are online check-in and booking engine part of the basic plan or of a higher plan?
- What exactly does the AI do, who approves its suggestions, and is it recognisable to guests as AI?
- What does the AI cost after the trial, and does it renew automatically?
- How long does onboarding take, and who migrates your data from the old system?
