The verdict in three sentences
For a multi-site group (3 hotels + 4 restaurants), a SaaS PMS/POS suite costs 30 to 120 EUR/month per property but leaves each site in a silo with no native consolidated reporting. A custom core centralizing bookings, POS, inventory and steering runs 50,000 to 120,000 EUR over a 5 to 10 month timeline, but becomes an asset that cuts license costs and re-keying. The right call depends on the number of sites and how strategic real-time reporting is for leadership.
SaaS vs custom core: the 2026 cost comparison
SaaS suites are ideal to start fast. Custom takes over when multi-site consolidation and single-source-of-truth data become strategic.
| Criterion | SaaS suite (PMS/POS) | Custom core |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 5,000 EUR (setup) | 50,000 to 120,000 EUR |
| Recurring cost | 30 to 120 EUR/month/property | Maintenance 800 to 2,000 EUR/month |
| Consolidated reporting | Limited / paid add-on | Native, real-time |
| Customization | Low to medium | Total |
| Rollout time | 2 to 6 weeks | 5 to 10 months |
| Data ownership | With the vendor | With the group |
| Channel manager | Often included | Integrated via API |
For 7 properties at an average 80 EUR/month, a SaaS suite costs roughly 6,720 EUR/year in licenses, excluding reporting add-ons. Over 5 years that is 33,600 EUR with no asset built.
Functional scope of a group core
A consolidated project breaks into interconnected modules. Here are the typical blocks and their indicative budget weight (2026 order of magnitude).
| Module | Scope | Budget weight |
|---|---|---|
| Central PMS | Bookings, rooms, planning, no-show | 25 to 35 % |
| Restaurant POS | Checkout, tabs, kitchen, payment | 15 to 25 % |
| Channel manager | OTA, rate and availability sync | 10 to 15 % |
| Inventory & purchasing | F&B, thresholds, supplier orders | 10 to 15 % |
| Consolidated reporting | Multi-site KPIs, margin, RevPAR | 15 to 20 % |
| Portal & mobile | Leadership and manager access | 5 to 10 % |
RevPAR (revenue per available room) and real-time food cost are the two metrics that most often justify the move to custom: pulling them every morning across all sites transforms decision-making.
Mini case study
Lim, operations director of a 3-hotel, 4-restaurant group in Singapore, paid 7 x 80 EUR/month in SaaS licenses (6,720 EUR/year), plus a 2,400 EUR/year reporting add-on, and lost around 12 h/week to manual Excel consolidation. He invests 78,000 EUR in a custom core with 1,400 EUR/month maintenance (16,800 EUR/year). Removing licenses and the add-on (9,120 EUR/year) plus recovered time (12 h/week valued at ~35 EUR = ~21,800 EUR/year) creates about 30,900 EUR/year of value. Net of maintenance, the yearly gain is around 14,100 EUR, a payback of roughly 5 to 6 years on the upfront cost, while gaining a proprietary asset and real-time reporting.
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FAQ
How much does a hospitality group core cost in 2026?
Budget 50,000 to 120,000 EUR depending on modules and sites. A PMS + POS + reporting scope for 5 to 8 properties usually lands around 70,000 to 90,000 EUR.
What timeline should I plan?
Between 5 and 10 months for a full core, with progressive site-by-site go-live. A first pilot module (consolidated reporting) can ship in 8 to 12 weeks.
Must I drop my current SaaS tools?
Not necessarily. You can keep a strong SaaS PMS and build only the consolidation and reporting layer on top via API, for a reduced budget of 20,000 to 40,000 EUR.
What annual maintenance budget?
Maintenance runs 800 to 2,000 EUR/month, i.e. 9,600 to 24,000 EUR/year, covering fixes, minor enhancements and monitoring.
Is the channel manager included?
It integrates via API with OTAs (Booking, Expedia). Integration is 10 to 15 % of the total budget and prevents cross-channel overbooking.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of properties, current tools, and whether you want consolidation only or a full core; we frame the scope and indicative budget. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
