Hotel management software pricing: subscription and setup costs

Hotel management software pricing is easier to compare when every offer covers the same property. The headline PMS subscription may not include setup, migration or all the staff accounts you need. This guide separates recurring hotel software costs from one-off services.

How to compare hotel PMS pricing fairly

Asking only for a monthly price rarely produces a useful comparison. One offer may include more rooms and users, while another charges for each extra account. Define your requirements in writing and give every supplier the same information.

List rooms for sale, staff who need access and the number of properties. Consider seasonal staffing and any planned room expansion. Knowing what happens when you cross a limit makes the future budget clearer than choosing a plan solely for today’s inventory.

What belongs in the recurring cost?

Cost item	What the offer should explain
Base subscription	Room allowance and included users
Extra accounts	Price per user and charging method
Hosting and SSL	Whether included or supplied separately
Updates	Which updates are part of the service
Support	Hours, contact channels and scope
Custom integrations	Availability and any separate charges

Do not assume a feature is included because it is common in another product. A PMS subscription does not automatically include a channel manager or online payment collection. If either is essential, ask for working availability and a written price.

Setup, training and migration are separate questions

Initial configuration may be a one-off service. Room and rate setup, staff training and data migration can be bundled or quoted separately. Ask exactly which tasks are covered by the phrase “setup included”.

Untidy source spreadsheets require preparation. Explain how many files, active bookings and historical records are involved before asking for a migration quote. Our Excel migration guide identifies the information to prepare.

Include your own team’s time in the internal plan. Staff will test records and learn workflows while continuing normal hotel operations. Keep this effort separate from the software licence fee, but do not ignore it. A lower subscription price does not remove transition work.

Calculate the first year with a worked example

The following figures are hypothetical and are not a BirOtel quotation. Assume a base subscription of AZN 100 per month, two extra accounts at AZN 5 each per month, and a one-off setup fee of AZN 150. Assume no annual discount or price change.

• Monthly cost: 100 + 2 × 5 = AZN 110.
• First year: 12 × 110 + 150 = AZN 1,470.
• Following year on the same terms: 12 × 110 = AZN 1,320.

This example excludes taxes and additional project work. In your own comparison, show applicable tax, agreed discounts and extra services explicitly. Do not charge one-off setup to every year or count a recurring service for only its first month.

What is included in BirOtel’s offer?

Current prices and room/user limits appear in the plans section. That is the primary source for the current offer; this article does not maintain a second, potentially outdated tariff table. Match the plan to your inventory and staff requirements.

BirOtel’s standard offer includes hosting, SSL, updates and support during business hours. Clarify optional extended setup and training, migration and custom work separately. Business-hours support should not be interpreted as a staffed round-the-clock support service.

Read introductory pricing, standard prices, annual payment conditions and VAT notes together. Confirm the price that will apply after an introductory offer in the written quotation. A crossed-out price alone is not enough information for a longer-term budget decision.

Questions to resolve before subscribing

During the trial, use sample data to test the actual workflow. Ask what happens if room inventory grows, how user accounts are added and what export format is available when the service ends. Establish who receives support requests and what response terms apply.

The best value is a system your team can operate and whose written scope meets your needs. Our PMS selection guide provides a concrete demo scenario. Combine the results of that test with the financial comparison instead of deciding on the monthly figure alone.