STRYK or SiteMinder? Standalone channel manager or hotel PMS compared for 2026

In short: two designs for the same purpose

SiteMinder describes itself as “the world’s leading hotel commerce platform”. At its core is the channel manager, which according to the vendor serves more than 500 distribution channels including GDS, among them Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Agoda. A hotel PMS of its own is not part of SiteMinder’s offer; instead, the vendor names more than 350 two-way connections to PMS and revenue systems. For very small properties, SiteMinder offers a separate product with PMS features, Little Hotelier.

STRYK is a cloud PMS from Salzburg for properties with roughly 5 to 80 rooms. Reception and booking engine work with the same room inventory, the same rates and the same guest database. Connect Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and other channels to STRYK. Manage rates and availability centrally and handle OTA reservations in the calendar. STRYK cannot be connected to another vendor’s PMS as a pure channel manager.

STRYK and SiteMinder at a glance (according to vendor websites, as of 7 October 2026)

Criterion	STRYK	SiteMinder
Type of solution	Hotel PMS; the channel manager is included in the STRYK core price	Standalone distribution platform, connected to an existing PMS
Target group	Small and mid-sized hotels, guesthouses, aparthotels (roughly 5 to 80 rooms)	Independent properties as well as hotel groups and chains (“Multi-Property” plan)
Pricing model	€59 base price plus €6 per room per month, net, billed annually	By number of rooms and products, amount via sales; “Multi-Property” on request
Channel manager	Yes, in the core price	Core product; according to the vendor more than 500 channels including GDS
PMS	Included	Not included; more than 350 connections to PMS and revenue systems
Booking engine	In the core price, own subdomain or own domain	Only in the “SiteMinder Plus” plan, commission-free, according to the vendor in more than 20 languages and currencies
Online check-in	Separate module in the core price, with registration details, ID and signature	Via “Guest Engagement” with ID upload and digital signature; price on request
On-site kiosk	Separate module in the core price; shows the room number or a stored key safe code	Not publicly stated
Invoicing, tourist tax, guest registration	Included in the PMS, Austrian guest registration with deadline monitoring	Task of the connected PMS; not mentioned on the pricing page
Payments	Online payment (deposit, balance)	Own payment processing in both plans, transaction fees may apply
Trial and contract	14-day free trial, no set-up fee	14-day trial; according to the pricing page cancellable monthly with 30 days’ notice unless a fixed term is agreed; set-up costs depend on configuration

What it costs: worked example for 10, 25 and 50 rooms

For STRYK, the price can be worked out directly: a €59 base price plus €6 per room per month, net, billed annually. Billed monthly, both amounts are 20% higher. There is no set-up fee, and the number of users is unlimited. Direct bookings that guests pay online through STRYK carry a platform fee of 1.9%; bookings without online payment are not affected.

On its pricing page, SiteMinder says the price depends on the number of rooms and the products used. The sales team quotes the amount for your property, and according to the vendor transaction fees apply to payment processing. We therefore do not estimate the price. What the amount covers also matters in the comparison: SiteMinder does not replace a PMS. A SiteMinder quote therefore always comes on top of the cost of your hotel software; with STRYK, the PMS is already included.

Monthly costs based on the public price, net (as of 7 October 2026)

Rooms	STRYK, billed annually	STRYK, billed monthly	SiteMinder
10	€119	€142.80	By number of rooms and products, amount via sales; plus the cost of your PMS
25	€209	€250.80	By number of rooms and products, amount via sales; plus the cost of your PMS
50	€359	€430.80	By number of rooms and products, amount via sales; plus the cost of your PMS

Where SiteMinder is strong

SiteMinder’s greatest strength is that you do not have to change your PMS. If reception, invoicing, till and guest registration run well in your current software, SiteMinder adds distribution without touching those processes. With more than 350 two-way connections to PMS and revenue systems, there is a good chance your software is already connected.

On distribution, SiteMinder is broadly positioned. The vendor names more than 500 channels including GDS, so also travel agencies and corporate bookings through global distribution systems. The “SiteMinder Plus” plan adds insights into competitors’ rates, rate parity alerts, a website builder and metasearch. STRYK does not offer automatic comparison with competitor rates.

SiteMinder also has advantages in daily operations: according to the pricing page, support is available around the clock by chat, phone and email, plus an onboarding specialist. The mobile app for iOS and Android is included in the subscription and, according to the vendor, lets you change rates and availability on the go. The “Guest Engagement” add-on sends messages by email, SMS, WhatsApp and Airbnb. For hotel groups there is a dedicated “Multi-Property” plan. STRYK offers no SMS or WhatsApp; on the go there is the STRYK app for iPhone and Android.

Where STRYK is strong

With STRYK, channel manager and PMS belong to the same system. Connect Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and other channels to STRYK. Manage rates and availability centrally and handle OTA reservations in the calendar. A rate you create applies immediately to reception and the booking engine, and to connected OTAs; minimum stay, closed to arrival and departure, and channel surcharges come directly from the PMS. Every booking, whether from reception, the booking engine or a connected OTA, checks the free inventory of the room category before it is saved.

The price is public and covers the entire hotel software. The booking engine, gift vouchers and POS interface are in the core price, as are online check-in and the kiosk as separate modules. On top of that come housekeeping with a daily plan based on actual occupancy, unchangeable invoices numbered without gaps with tourist tax, e-invoicing, bank import and a tax advisor package with DATEV, BMD, CSV and Excel. For Austria, STRYK monitors the 24-hour deadline for guest registration and creates the registration file in MBS format or as CSV. The interface, booking engine, guest pages and documents are available in 18 languages.

Hotel software should feel good to use. STRYK pairs a modern, clear interface with everyday reception tasks: editing calendar bookings, checking room status and opening guest details directly. Consistent controls across pricing, housekeeping and billing make moving between departments feel familiar.

What switching from PMS plus SiteMinder to STRYK looks like

If you work with SiteMinder today, switching to STRYK replaces the PMS and, where the channels for your property are confirmed through STRYK, the channel manager too. The data therefore comes mainly from your previous PMS. STRYK takes over rooms, categories, upcoming bookings and key guest data through the data import with a test run: you map the columns, STRYK checks the data and shows what would be taken over before anything is saved. Issued invoices usually remain in the old system for archiving.

The cut-over date for the portals is decisive. Availability and prices must not be sent to the same portals from SiteMinder and STRYK at the same time. That is why the portals confirmed for your property are mapped and tested in STRYK in advance and only activated on the cut-over date, when the connection via SiteMinder ends. We clarify which portals these are before you switch.

The questions that decide

The most important question comes first: are you keeping your PMS? If so, a standalone channel manager such as SiteMinder is the right route, and STRYK is not an option.