The verdict in three sentences
For a London serviced apartment operator running 4 buildings and 220 apartments, the mix of off-the-shelf PMS, channel manager and spreadsheets for long stays creates double bookings, monthly invoices rebuilt by hand and a blurry view of real occupancy. A SaaS PMS at 5 to 12 EUR per unit per month is still the right call for a single building, but an operator mixing nightly stays, one to six month stays and corporate clients gains from a custom PMS or a connected business layer. London agencies quote this kind of project at 70,000 to 160,000 GBP (market estimate), while the Kolonell grid puts it at 7 M to 15 M FCFA (10,670 to 22,870 EUR excl. VAT), with a timeline of about 4 months.
PMS licence or custom PMS
Online PMS vendors charge per unit, which gets expensive at 220 apartments, and handle serviced apartment specifics poorly: long stays with monthly billing, deposits, recharged utilities, corporate contracts.
| Criterion | Market SaaS PMS | Custom PMS |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost for 220 units | 13,200 to 31,700 EUR (about 11,300 to 27,100 GBP) | Maintenance 600 to 2,160 EUR a year |
| Upfront investment | Setup 2,000 to 8,000 EUR | 10,670 to 22,870 EUR (Kolonell grid) |
| Long stays and monthly billing | Workarounds, manual notes | Contracts, schedules, automatic reminders |
| OTA connectors | Native through channel manager | Through existing channel manager (API) |
| Consolidated multi-building view | Often one account per site | Group view, moves between buildings |
| Corporate clients | Basic negotiated rate | Framework contracts, central invoicing |
| Timeline | 2 to 4 weeks | About 4 months |
Over three years, the licence alone already reaches 40,000 to 95,000 EUR, a figure comparable to custom software, without the long-stay fit.
Typical scope and cost
Custom software does not reinvent OTA connectivity: it relies on an established channel manager (Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia) through its API and puts the effort where your margin is.
| Module | Functions | London agency (2026 estimate) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning and bookings | Group view, 4 buildings, drag and drop | 15,000 to 35,000 GBP | 4 weeks |
| Long stays | Contracts, deposits, monthly schedules | 14,000 to 30,000 GBP | 3 weeks |
| Channel manager connector | Availability, rates, OTA bookings | 10,000 to 25,000 GBP | 3 weeks |
| Invoicing and payments | Compliant invoices, VAT, long-stay VAT rules | 10,000 to 22,000 GBP | 2 weeks |
| Housekeeping and maintenance | Tasks, team tablets, check-in reports | 8,000 to 20,000 GBP | 2 weeks |
| Dashboards | Occupancy, RevPAR, average length of stay | 8,000 to 18,000 GBP | 2 weeks |
Kolonell maintenance then costs 50, 110 or 180 EUR a month (35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA). The scoping workshop confirms what must be built and what can stay in your current tools.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Hannah, operations director of a serviced apartment group in London, 220 apartments across 4 buildings, 40% of stays longer than 30 nights.
| Indicator | Before | After 6 months (assumption) |
|---|---|---|
| Average occupancy | 71% | 77% |
| Double bookings per month | 6 | 0 to 1 |
| Long-stay invoicing time | 5 days a month | 1 day a month |
| Annual PMS licence | 21,000 GBP | Removed, maintenance 1,900 GBP |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Calculation: 6 occupancy points across 220 units at an average 160 GBP a night is about 770,000 GBP of extra annual revenue in theory, say 250,000 GBP under a cautious assumption. Add 19,100 GBP of licence savings. For a project around 18,000 EUR, payback is counted in months, not years.
FAQ
Do we have to drop our channel manager?
No, it remains the bridge to Booking.com and Airbnb. The custom PMS connects to it through its API, which avoids rebuilding 3 to 6 months of connectors.
Is invoicing compliant in the UK?
Yes, invoices handle VAT, including the reduced rate rules that apply after 28 nights for long stays, with export to your accounting software. The format is validated with your accountant during scoping.
How long does it take to migrate existing bookings?
Migrating future bookings and running contracts takes 1 to 2 weeks. It is done in low season over a cutover weekend.
Can housekeeping teams use the tool?
Yes, on phone or tablet, with the list of apartments to prepare and condition report photos. Any recent Android device at around 150 GBP works.
Who owns the software?
The code and data are yours on delivery. You no longer pay a per-unit licence, only the maintenance level you choose.
Let's scope your project. Describe your buildings, your share of long stays and your current tools: we price a PMS between 10,670 and 22,870 EUR excl. VAT delivered in 4 months. 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.
