The verdict in three sentences
Custom operations software for a hotel group or multi-site restaurant group costs between 80,000 and 220,000 EUR in 2026. The most direct financial gain is the direct booking engine, which saves 15-25 % in OTA commissions on repatriated room nights. Add multi-property consolidation and reliable group reporting, and the investment pays back in 8 to 14 months for a group with more than 4 sites.
Where group software creates value
A multi-site group suffers from siloed systems: each property has its own PMS, POS and staff scheduling, and management consolidates by hand in a spreadsheet at month-end. Three levers concentrate the value:
- Direct booking: each night sold direct instead of via an OTA saves 15 to 25 % commission.
- Group consolidation: occupancy rate, RevPAR, margin per site, available in real time rather than at day +30.
- Multi-site staff scheduling: optimize teams across properties during peak periods.
Modules and 2026 budget
| Module | What it covers | 2026 ballpark (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Direct booking engine | Booking, rates, availability, payment | 18,000 - 42,000 |
| Multi-property PMS | Stays, rooms, check-in/out | 16,000 - 40,000 |
| Payments / POS | Restaurant, extras, consolidation | 12,000 - 28,000 |
| Staff scheduling | Multi-site, skills, hourly cost | 10,000 - 24,000 |
| Group reporting | RevPAR, occupancy, margin per site | 10,000 - 26,000 |
| Channel manager / OTA | Rate and availability sync to OTAs | 8,000 - 20,000 |
| Payroll / accounting integration | Payroll export, accounting | 8,000 - 22,000 |
A core of direct booking + PMS + reporting starts around 80,000 EUR. A full platform for a multi-site group reaches 220,000 EUR, over 5 to 9 months.
ROI: repatriated OTA commissions
| Gain area | Current situation | With the software | Estimated annual gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of OTA bookings | 55-70 % | -10 to -20 points | Commissions saved |
| Average OTA commission | 15-25 % of price | 0 % on direct | Net margin |
| Reporting consolidation | Day +30, manual | Real time | Faster decisions |
| Scheduling optimization | Per site | Multi-site | Labour cost |
For a group with 6M EUR in accommodation revenue of which 60 % via OTAs, repatriating 15 points of bookings to direct equals roughly 900,000 EUR of room nights. At 18 % average commission saved, that is on the order of 160,000 EUR a year of recovered margin.
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Mini case study
Fabrice runs a group of 5 hotel-restaurants in south-west France, 6M EUR accommodation revenue, 60 % via OTAs. He consolidates figures by hand at day +30. He invests 148,000 EUR in a direct booking + PMS + group reporting + scheduling core.
Over 12 months: 14 points of bookings repatriated to direct (~840,000 EUR of room nights, i.e. ~150,000 EUR of commissions saved at 18 %), real-time group reporting and scheduling optimized across sites. The investment pays back in 11 to 12 months.
FAQ
Do I really need to leave the OTAs? No, the goal is not to leave them but to rebalance. OTAs remain an acquisition channel; the direct engine captures loyal guests and repeat bookings, on which paying 18 % commission makes no sense.
Custom software or an off-the-shelf PMS? For a single property, a market PMS is often enough. Custom pays off for a multi-site group that needs consolidation and specific rules vendors do not cover.
Is the channel manager essential? Yes if you keep the OTAs: it syncs rates and availability to avoid overbooking. It connects to the direct engine for unified availability management.
How long to roll out across all sites? Allow 5 to 9 months, with a pilot site first. A site-by-site rollout limits risk and lets you train teams gradually.
How do I integrate payroll and accounting? Via connectors budgeted at 8,000 to 22,000 EUR. It is essential so staff scheduling feeds payroll directly, without multi-site re-entry.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of properties, your share of OTA bookings and your priority modules (direct booking, group reporting), and we will frame a platform that pays back within the first year. 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.
