01/Glossary · Hotels
PMS — Property Management System
Central hotel management system — reservation calendar, check-in/out, housekeeping, rates, and occupancy reports.
02/Full definition
A PMS (Property Management System) is the operating system of a hotel: it manages the room calendar, processes check-ins/outs, assigns housekeeping tasks, manages dynamic rates, and produces occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR reports. Modern PMS systems integrate channel manager (sync with Booking, Airbnb, Expedia), online payments, and post-stay email marketing. The difference between a small PMS and an enterprise one is in multi-property, multi-currency, and advanced reporting.
03/In Costa Rica context
In Costa Rica there are commercial PMS like Cloudbeds, SiteMinder, and Hostfully (USD 50–300/mo by size), but many cabins and boutique hotels under 15 rooms end up paying for features they don't use. A custom PMS (USD 8,000–15,000) makes sense for properties with special workflows: integrated tours, packages with transport, or multi-property.
04/Related reading on the site
05/Related terms
06/Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Does my 5-room hotel need a PMS?▾
Probably not. For 5–8 rooms, a calendar + online payments + WhatsApp (USD 1,500–3,000) is enough. A full PMS only makes sense from 15+ rooms or multi-property.
Commercial PMS or custom?▾
Commercial (Cloudbeds, SiteMinder) if your workflow is standard. Custom if you have special rules (integrated tours, packages, multi-property) or the SaaS monthly cost exceeds USD 200/month.
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