Running a hotel without the right PMS is like asking your team to sprint with weights on. Every task feels harder, from juggling reservations to coordinating housekeeping and keeping the front desk sane.
A clunky system doesn’t just slow down workflows; it drains your team and holds back your business.
The flip side? A modern PMS acts as your hotel’s control center. It automates the repetitive stuff, connects every department, and gives your team the space to focus on what actually grows the property.
In this article, we’ll break down what a PMS really is, the core functionality to expect, and why the right one can transform the way your hotel business operates.
What is a hotel property management system?
PMS software is used in the hospitality industry to power daily operations. It centralizes everything from reservations and check-ins to guest data, housekeeping, maintenance management, availability, pricing, and reporting, all in one place.
In practice, the PMS is what front and back office teams rely on to keep the business running smoothly behind the scenes, coordinating departments, conducting administrative tasks, reducing manual work, and ensuring every guest interaction is accurate, timely, and connected.
Listen to a clip from The Turndown to hear Jennifer Barnwell, President at Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, discuss what types of property management systems she sees hotels adopting today.
See where to invest. Not all PMS platforms are created equal. Hear what’s changing & what’s being left behind.
10 functions of a PMS in 2026
A PMS is no longer just a system of record. The best platforms act as a connected growth engine, helping teams improve operational efficiency and decision-making property-wide.
HotelTechReport’s 2026 Hotel PMS Report found that 91% of hoteliers attribute their PMS to directly driving revenue growth.
91 %
of hoteliers attribute their PMS to revenue growth
Here are some of the key features to consider.
1. A control dashboard
Your PMS should give you instant visibility into what matters most: arrivals and departures, occupancy, room status, revenue performance, and exceptions that need attention.
Modern control centers go beyond static dashboards. They surface insights across operations, finance, marketing, and guest experience so teams can act quickly without digging through reports or switching systems.
2. Intuitive calendar and inventory management
A visual, drag-and-drop calendar isn’t a “nice to have,” it’s how teams spot opportunities.
Look for calendar tools that make it easy to:
Move and upgrade guests
Block rooms or units
Adjust rates and availability
Manage inventory across channels in one place
This flexibility helps unlock hidden availability, reduce gaps, and maximize revenue without complexity.
3. Real-time channel management
Your PMS should seamlessly integrate with your channel manager and booking engine to sync availability, room rates, and restrictions across all booking channels, including OTAs, your website, GDS, and more.
The better integration you have across booking channels, the better you can manage occupancy rates and increase direct bookings .
When you receive a booking or cancellation, this information should be directly reflected in your PMS to ensure your team has complete visibility.
4. Frictionless guest check-in and check-out
During check-in and check-out, speed matters for both guests and staff.
Be sure to look for a PMS that enables different check-in options. Whether that’s one-click for your team or self-service options for your guests, like contactless check-in or kiosks, providing options can improve the guest and employee experience.
5. Unified guest profiles
Guest data scattered across systems is one of the biggest blockers to personalization.
A PMS should centralize guest profiles from your CRM across stays, channels, and properties — merging duplicates and capturing lifetime value, guest preferences, messages, and stay history in one place. Your front office team can use the information in these profiles to personalize services and increase guest satisfaction.
6. Built-in guest communication and collaboration
Sticky notes and siloed inboxes don’t scale.
Look for guest notes, messages, and internal reminders built directly into the PMS that are visible from the dashboard or calendar. When everyone sees the same information, teams stay aligned, and nothing falls through the cracks.
Teams can also use messaging tools built directly into the PMS to communicate with guests pre-arrival or on-property. Whether they have a question about their reservation or are looking for recommendations on what to do, your guest services team can quickly respond.
7. Flexible payments
Modern PMS platforms support multiple payment methods — from digital wallets and pay-by-link to regional options and buy-now-pay-later — all while keeping reporting, reconciliations, and chargebacks centralized and secure.
Ensure your payment gateway and point-of-sale (POS) system are integrated with your PMS so that all charges, whether from your spa or room service, automatically flow into the guest folio.
8. Revenue and rate management that works across properties
Rate management shouldn’t live in spreadsheets.
The right PMS makes it easy to update rates and availability across one or multiple properties in real time, automatically syncing changes across your booking engine and distribution partners. When paired with intelligent forecasting , you can start implementing dynamic pricing strategies that increase RevPAR.
9. Reporting that delivers answers
Reporting shouldn’t slow your team down.
Your PMS should give you on-demand access to operational, financial, marketing, and guest experience insights — without exporting data or jumping between tools.
10. Groups, non-room inventory, and new revenue streams
Today’s PMS needs to support how hotels actually make money.
That includes:
Groups and rooming lists
Shoulder dates and allotments
Upsells and add-ons Non-room spaces and flexible inventory models
When rooms, beds, spaces, and experiences live in one system, teams can unlock revenue beyond the room night.
11. Open API
No PMS can do everything, and it shouldn’t have to.
Look for platforms with an open API and a strong marketplace of service providers , giving you the freedom to connect the tools you love or build your own. Your tech stack should adapt to your business, not lock you into rigid workflows.
12. Intelligence that drives growth
This is where modern PMS platforms pull ahead.
The next generation goes beyond task management by using algorithms and automation to:
Optimize process
Surface patterns and opportunities
Improve forecasting and pricing
Connect revenue, marketing, and operations
These systems leverage your own data using causal and multi-modal AI to surface actionable insights that power automated workflows.
A PMS built for what’s next. See how Cloudbeds can fuel your growth.
Hotel property management software comparison
Choosing the right PMS software is a big decision, as your team will be living in the system day-to-day. Here’s how to evaluate your operations with the future in mind.
Decision factor Legacy approach Modern, future-ready PMS Deployment model On-premise systems that require local servers, manual updates, and ongoing IT maintenance Cloud-based platforms that are accessible anywhere, update automatically, and scale without infrastructure System architecture Disconnected tools stitched together over time One connected platform that unifies operations, revenue, payments, marketing, and guest experience Flexibility & integrations Closed systems with limited integrations and vendor lock-in Open APIs and robust marketplaces that let you connect or build the tools you need Data visibility Data trapped in silos across systems and spreadsheets Centralized, real-time data shared across departments and properties Reporting & insights Static reports pulled after the fact Live dashboards and on-demand insights across operations, financials, marketing, and guest experience Pricing models Complex, opaque pricing or commission-heavy structures Transparent pricing that scales with your business and supports growth Support experience Ticket-based support with limited availability 24/7 access to in-house hospitality experts and hands-on onboarding Ability to grow Built for stability, not change Designed to evolve with automation, intelligence, and new revenue streams
Top 12 PMS systems
The following property management systems offer the features mentioned above and much more:
Cloudbeds
Cloudbeds is a PMS built for what’s next. It goes beyond traditional platforms by unifying hotel operations, distribution, payments, revenue, guest engagement, and marketing into a single, connected system.
Instead of managing a patchwork of tools, teams operate from one source of truth — reducing manual work, eliminating data silos, and gaining clearer visibility across the entire guest journey. With built-in automation, real-time insights, and the flexibility of an open API and extensive marketplace, Cloudbeds is designed to adapt as independent hotels and groups grow and take on new complexity.
Apaleo
Apaleo is an API-first property management system built for hotels that want maximum flexibility and control over their tech stack. Rather than offering a traditional all-in-one interface, Apaleo functions as a platform that connects best-in-class apps through open APIs — making it a strong fit for tech-forward teams and developers building highly customized hotel ecosystems.
ClockPMS
A cloud-based, guest-centered system with tools for booking, mobile check-in, kiosks, and integrations. Great for hotels that want flexible, modern guest touchpoints.
Eviivo
With seven headquarters across the globe, Eviivo Suite is an integrated property management system featuring an online booking engine, channel manager, guest manager, performance manager, and numerous other features.
Frontdesk Anywhere
Frontdesk Anywhere’s cloud-based hotel management software is designed to reduce costs, streamline operations, and increase revenue. Solutions include a PMS, booking engine, channel manager, payment system, and revenue management system.
Hotelogix
Headquartered in Singapore, Hotelogix is a cloud-based PMS designed to simplify hotel operations, featuring a web booking engine, channel manager, and an app that works from your mobile device.
LittleHotelier
LittleHotelier’s hotel management software is built especially for small properties, offering an array of solutions that include a PMS, mobile app, booking engine, and channel manager, as well as an app store offering third-party integrations.
Oracle
Enterprise-grade and highly scalable, OPERA Cloud is trusted by global hotel brands. Known for deep integrations, it supports complex operations at scale.
ResNexus
Based in Utah, ResNexus is a cloud-based property management system that offers a number of products, including a reservation system, payment processing, and web booking engine, as well as marketing services and integrations with third-party vendors.
RMS Hospitality
Headquartered in San Diego, RMS Hospitality is a fully integrated, cloud-based reservation and property management system offering a hotel booking engine, channel manager, RMS, and more than 100 third-party integrations.
RoomRaccoon
Toronto-based RoomRaccoon is a cloud-based hotel management system built for independent properties, featuring a PMS, online check-in, accounting automation, and an upsell solution, as well as integrations with a variety of third-party apps.
StayNTouch
StayNTouch is a cloud-native property management system designed for hotels modernizing away from legacy enterprise platforms. Known for its mobile-first approach and flexible deployment, it supports front desk mobility, self-service check-in, and integrations that help streamline operations without the complexity of traditional enterprise systems.
The difference a modern PMS makes
Casetta Group is a collection of boutique hotels known for restoring historic properties and turning them into vibrant, community-driven spaces. With five properties live and more in development, the team needed a PMS that could support growth without compromising guest experience.
At their Pearl property in San Diego, the team had grown frustrated with legacy systems that struggled with integrations, reliability, and day-to-day usability. Disconnected tools made it harder for front desk teams to stay aligned, respond quickly to guests, and manage operations efficiently.
After switching to Cloudbeds, the difference was immediate. The front desk team found the PMS intuitive and accessible, especially compared to other major systems they’d used in the past. With everything from reservations and pricing to guest communication living in one place, teams spent less time troubleshooting technology and more time supporting guests.
Our front desk team – a lot of them have previous hotel experience using major Property Management Systems – and the consensus overall is that the accessibility, how intuitive Cloudbeds is, it really feels like a Property Management System for today’s age.
– Anthony Gutierrez, General Manager at The Casetta Group
A PMS that powers your team
Your PMS isn’t just another piece of software — it’s the system your team will live in every day. The right one clears bottlenecks, unifies operations, and gives your staff the clarity to focus on growth instead of fighting fires. Don’t settle for clunky tech that slows you down. Look for a platform that’s intuitive, integrated, and built to scale with your ambitions.
Stop fighting your PMS. See what happens when your technology finally works the way your team does.
Published on 22 November, 2022 | Updated on 9 January, 2026
About Cloudbeds
Cloudbeds is hospitality’s only intelligent growth engine — a unified platform trusted by the world’s most ambitious hoteliers across 150 countries. Built to challenge the limits of outdated tech stacks, Cloudbeds connects operations, revenue, distribution, and guest experience in one powerful, intuitive system. The platform is enhanced with Signals, a hospitality AI model giving hoteliers the power to anticipate demand, run smarter operations, and craft more personal, profitable guest journeys at scale. Founded in 2012, Cloudbeds has earned top honors from Hotel Tech Report (Top PMS, Hotel Management System, and Channel Manager, 2021–2025), the World Travel Awards (World’s Best Hotel PMS Solutions Provider, 2022), and Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 (2024).
