The verdict in three sentences
As long as you run one or two properties, a per-site SaaS PMS/POS (CAD 350 to 1,000/month) is more than enough. Once you consolidate 3 sites or more, the lack of central reporting and yield management costs more than custom. A group back-office at CAD 130,000-300,000 turns silos into unified control: occupancy, margin and cash in real time.
Per-site SaaS vs custom group back-office
Per-property SaaS is simple but siloed: each hotel or restaurant has its own data, with no group view. Custom adds a consolidation layer that becomes strategic across multiple sites.
| Criterion | Per-site SaaS PMS/POS | Custom group back-office |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring cost | CAD 350 - 1,000/month/site | Maintenance CAD 2,500 - 6,000/month |
| Initial investment | Low | CAD 130,000 - 300,000 |
| Multi-site consolidation | No | Native |
| Group yield management | Rare | Yes |
| Payroll & accounting connectors | Limited | Tailored |
| Central reporting | Manual (Excel) | Automatic, real time |
| Go-live time | Immediate | 14 - 22 weeks |
The typical scope covers reservation and POS consolidation, a group back-office with per-property dashboards, and payroll and accounting connectors to avoid double entry.
Per-property cost and group TCO
The bigger the group, the more per-site SaaS costs against a single core. 2026 order-of-magnitude for a Toronto group.
| Sites | Per-site SaaS (yr) | Custom (maintenance + 4-yr amort.) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 site | ~CAD 8,500 | ~CAD 77,000 | SaaS |
| 2 sites | ~CAD 17,000 | ~CAD 85,000 | SaaS |
| 4 sites | ~CAD 34,000 | ~CAD 92,000 | Depends on yield |
| 6 sites | ~CAD 55,000 | ~CAD 100,000 | Break-even |
| 10 sites | ~CAD 95,000 | ~CAD 115,000 | Custom |
The real lever isn't software cost but revenue: group yield management delivers in practice +18% occupancy in low season and 6 hours per week saved on reporting consolidation.
Mini case study
Mr. Chen, director of a 4 hotel-restaurant group in Toronto, pays 4 SaaS licenses at CAD 700/month, about CAD 33,600/year, and spends 6 hrs/week consolidating Excel exports. A custom group back-office at CAD 220,000 + CAD 4,200/month maintenance comes to ~CAD 105,000/year amortized over 4 years. But +18% occupancy on CAD 2.8M of room revenue generates ~CAD 300,000 in additional revenue. Custom pays back within the first year.
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FAQ
Can we keep our current POS systems?
Yes. The group back-office connects to your existing PMS and POS via API or import, without replacing everything at once. We prioritize consolidation before migration.
Is yield management really useful here?
Yes, especially with business/leisure seasonality. Adjusting rates by channel and period, with a group view, recovers occupancy points in low season.
How much is maintenance?
Between CAD 2,500 and 6,000/month depending on site count and service level. It includes fixes, evolutions and monitoring.
What's the go-live timeline?
14 to 22 weeks. Multi-site consolidation and payroll/accounting connectors represent most of the effort.
Does it work during an internet outage?
Yes, POS run in local degraded mode and sync when the network returns, a key point for reliability.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many properties you run and your current tools (PMS, POS, payroll): we'll price consolidation and maintenance. 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.
