The verdict in three sentences
An off-the-shelf PMS costs 6 to 15 EUR per room per month and starts in weeks, but it bills each property and silos your group data. A custom PMS costs 70,000 to 160,000 EUR and ships in 6 to 10 months, consolidating channel manager, revenue management and multi-property reporting. The switch depends on the number of hotels and rooms: past 250 combined rooms, the 5-year TCO leans toward custom.
Off-the-shelf PMS: cost per room in 2026
SaaS PMS bill per room, with add-on modules charged extra. Here are the orders of magnitude for a group in 2026.
| Cost item | 2026 range (EUR) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| PMS licence per room | 6 - 15 / month | Per room |
| Channel manager | 3 - 7 / room / month | Add-on |
| Revenue management | 4 - 9 / room / month | Add-on |
| Onboarding | 6,000 - 20,000 | Per property |
| Premium support | 12 - 20 % | % of licence |
With 300 rooms at 11 EUR plus channel manager and revenue management, you exceed 90,000 EUR of licence per year across the group.
Custom build: scope and timeline
A dedicated PMS centralises several properties in one database and removes per-room billing. Here is the typical 2026 breakdown.
| Module | Indicative price (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-hotel bookings and planning | 20,000 - 42,000 | 2 - 3 months |
| Built-in channel manager | 14,000 - 30,000 | 1.5 - 2.5 months |
| Revenue management and pricing | 16,000 - 34,000 | 2 - 3 months |
| Consolidated group reporting | 10,000 - 24,000 | 1 - 2 months |
| Guest portal and loyalty | 10,000 - 26,000 | 1 - 2 months |
| Annual maintenance | 10 - 18 % of build | Recurring |
Overall delivery fits in 6 to 10 months. Hosting a multi-property PMS runs around 300 to 800 EUR per month.
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Mini case study
Mr Reynaud runs a group of 3 hotels, 300 rooms in total, with an average occupancy of 71 %. The off-the-shelf PMS costs him roughly 90,000 EUR per year all in, or 450,000 EUR over 5 years. The custom build is quoted at 130,000 EUR plus 15 % maintenance (19,500 EUR/yr) and 7,200 EUR of annual hosting, for 263,700 EUR over 5 years. Custom saves nearly 190,000 EUR of TCO. Better still: dedicated revenue management lifts occupancy from 71 % to 75 %, four points on a 6.4 M EUR room-revenue potential, roughly 256,000 EUR of additional revenue per year.
FAQ
How much is a PMS per room in 2026? Between 6 and 15 EUR per room per month, excluding channel manager and revenue management billed extra. A 300-room group quickly exceeds 90,000 EUR per year.
Is the channel manager included in custom? Yes, natively integrated for 14,000 to 30,000 EUR. It syncs availability and rates across OTAs and the direct site with no double entry.
How long does a custom PMS take to deliver? Expect 6 to 10 months depending on the number of properties. Multi-hotel bookings and revenue management weigh 4 to 6 months of development.
What occupancy gain should I target? A well-tuned revenue management typically recovers 3 to 5 points of occupancy. On a 6 M EUR potential, each point is worth about 60,000 EUR of annual revenue.
From how many rooms does custom pay off? Past 250 combined rooms, the 5-year TCO of custom drops below per-room licensing. Occupancy gains speed up the return further.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of hotels, rooms and distribution channels, and we will frame the PMS scope and an 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.
