The usual pricing models
Hotel software is almost always sold as a subscription today. The differences lie in what the price is based on and what the base price actually covers.
| Model | How it works | What to watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Per room per month | Fixed amount per room, often plus a base fee | Easy to budget. Ask whether all modules are included. |
| Packages by hotel size | Tiers such as up to 20, up to 50, up to 100 rooms | Price jumps at tier limits; modules often restricted per package |
| Modular pricing | Core PMS plus modules paid individually | The sum of the modules is often far higher than the entry price |
| Commission per booking | A percentage of bookings or revenue | Costs rise with your success and are hard to plan |
| Licence plus maintenance | One-off licence, annual maintenance contract | Typical of installed software, plus hardware and IT |
Hidden costs you should ask about
Certain items have a habit of appearing only in the small print. Ask every vendor the same questions and get the answers in writing.
Questions for every vendor
- Is the channel manager included in the price or a separate product?
- Does the booking engine cost extra, and is there a commission on direct bookings?
- Is there a set-up or training fee?
- Are interfaces to POS, door locks or accounting charged separately?
- Is the number of users limited?
- What does it cost to migrate data from the current system?
- How long is the contract term, and what does monthly billing cost?
- What fees apply to online payments, on top of the bank or payment provider?
Worked example with STRYK
STRYK charges a €59 base fee plus €6 per room per month, net, billed annually. With monthly billing, fees are 20% higher. In the first contract year there is a 20% discount on the base fee. There is no set-up fee and no limit on the number of users.
| Hotel size | From year 2 | In year 1 (20% off base fee) | With monthly billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 rooms | €119.00 | €107.20 | €142.80 |
| 25 rooms | €209.00 | €197.20 | €250.80 |
| 50 rooms | €359.00 | €347.20 | €430.80 |
| Component | Cost with STRYK |
|---|---|
| PMS, tape chart, rooms, housekeeping, guests, invoicing | Included in the base price |
| Channel manager for OTAs | The channel manager is included in the STRYK core price. |
| Booking engine for the hotel website | Included in the base price |
| Online check-in, self check-in kiosk, gift voucher sales | Online check-in and kiosk as separate modules included in the core price; gift voucher sales in the core price |
| Interface for POS systems | Included in the base price |
| Direct booking with integrated online payment | 1.9% platform fee on the amount paid, plus payment provider charges |
| Smart rate recommendations (optional) | 1 month free, then 1.9% of room revenue through STRYK while active |
| Guest AI for messages and reviews (optional) | 1 month free, then €4 per room per month |
How to calculate the total cost
A fair decision takes more than software fees into account. Include your team’s time: how many hours a week currently go into updating rates twice, retyping OTA bookings, reconciling lists and chasing open invoices?
Total cost in four steps
- 01Add up today’s costs
Total all running fees for PMS, channel manager, booking engine, invoicing software and interfaces.
- 02Add the commissions
Project percentage fees on direct bookings and payments using last year’s actual revenue.
- 03Put a value on staff time
Hours of duplicate entry per week × hourly cost × 52 weeks.
- 04Compare like with like
Set every quote side by side with the same rooms, modules and contract term.
Why STRYK keeps pricing deliberately simple
Hoteliers should know what they will pay before they decide. That is why STRYK publishes its price, charges per room and puts every core area into the base price. Extra costs only arise for clearly named modules you choose to switch on, or for online payments processed through STRYK.
The calculator on the pricing page shows the exact amount for your number of rooms. You receive a quote personally, with no automatic contract sign-up on the website.
