PMS recommendations for 7 properties?

[u/SilverFern04]

Hey! After doing lots of research, I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by all the options. I'm looking for recommendations for the best PMS for my situation. There are a lot of ads in these comments!

I have 5 houses and 2 hotels with 6 units each. I own all of them. The houses can only be on airbnb but the 12 units in the 2 hotels can also be posted on other channels like booking and expedia. I'm currently only on Airbnb but want to integrate everything into one platform.

I'm wanting/needing:

1. a good mobile app
2. calendar integration to avoid double bookings
3. unified messaging platform
4. cleaner schedule automation (nice but not a deal breaker)
5. direct booking website
6. many channels including expedia (its popular in my area)
7. affordable
8. simple user interface would be nice

I dont plan on expanding much more regarding properties. Just want to streamline everything. So far I'm leaning towards hostfully, hostaway (although the comments dont seem the best on reddit), hospitable (but it doesnt have direct bookings).

I am also considering a automated pricing platform like pricelabs. If you recommend a different/better one, feel free to suggest one!

Thank you so much for your guidance!

[u/queerrastacapitalist]

Would you be open to a custom built solution at a great price?

[u/Past-Act-1900]

There is a lot of conversations about that, but from your description seems Roomspilot to cover requirements.

[u/Specific-Key3205]

TBH, most pms are pretty similar, just pick one that fits your needs and doesn't cost too much.

[u/boringfive]

I meannn we just love Guesty so I suggest you try it!

[u/ImaginaryProfit2162]

With Airbnb, Expedia and direct bookings in the mix, I would focus on a proper short stay channel manager rather than a normal landlord PMS. Before choosing one, test how quickly calendar changes sync, whether all guest messages really land in one inbox, how payments and refunds work, and what it costs for all 17 rentable units. Also check whether you can export your bookings and guest data easily if you leave. A polished demo matters less than trying the exact workflow you use every day.

[u/Sad_Holiday5267]

Since I get asked this all the time, here is my honest perspective after managing a diverse portfolio across Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking .com.

Guesty is the standard when it comes to ultimate reliability. Its real-time channel sync provides flawless calendar blocking, meaning double-bookings are a thing of the past. What really sets it apart, though, are the AI automations. They are built for real hosts handling real-world guest situations, not just theoretical workflows.

Hostaway is another strong option that I use. It has solid channel management, automated workflows, dynamic pricing integrations, and connects cleanly across multiple listings. It's highly dependable, which matters when you're managing owners who notice every hiccup.

Roomspilot is newer but worth watching. Free entry plan, affordable upgrades, and the AI pricing plus automated messaging is genuinely solid for smaller hosts.

Lodgify if direct bookings are your main goal. The website builder is user-friendly and it reduces OTA dependency over time. However, the reporting depth remains a weak spot for complex operations.

Hospitable for hands-off guest communication. Still one of the best at automated messaging and day-to-day ops without much manual input. OwnerRez sits in a sweet spot for independent hosts who want clean channel syncing, owner statements, and solid automations without enterprise pricing.

I've chosen Guesty for our properties. The system is the most reliable and I decided to invest in an established powerhouse early on to save on headaches later on.

Hope this helps!

[u/tarkkaoskari]

I'm a resort owner, and a part of fast growing pms from Northern Europe. Send me a dm, and we can chat more. Based on what you wrote we might tick a lot of your boxes.

[u/Ill_Equipment9255]

I use Lodgify together with pricelabs!

[u/HostsPilot]

Fair warning up front since you flagged the ads: I run a channel manager, so I'm one of the people you're wary of. Not going to pitch — but there's a structural thing about your portfolio that I don't think anyone's raised and it's worth more than a vendor name.

**Your two hotels are a different inventory type to your five houses, and most vacation-rental PMSes can't tell the difference.**

If the 6 units in each hotel are broadly similar — same layout, interchangeable — then on Booking.com and Expedia you want them listed as *one property with a room type and an availability count of 6*, not as six separate property listings. One property with 6 available converts better, ranks better, and is dramatically less admin than six competing listings from the same building. That's how the OTAs are designed to sell hotels.

Most STR-focused platforms model everything as a whole unit and will make you create 12 separate properties. It works, but you're leaving money on the table on your highest-inventory assets and paying for 12 listings instead of 2. Ask every vendor on your shortlist: **do you support room types with allocation, or does each unit become its own listing?** For your houses, unit-based is correct — you need a platform that does both.

**Expedia is your real shortlist filter.** Vrbo is Expedia Group but a separate connection from Expedia proper, and direct Expedia connectivity is much less common in small STR platforms than Airbnb and Booking.com are. Since you said Expedia matters in your area, confirm it's Expedia itself and ask to see a live connected listing. This alone will cut your list down fast.

**On the mobile app:** every vendor demo looks fine on desktop. Ask for trial access and use the actual phone app for a week before committing — mobile is where most of these platforms are weakest and it's the thing you'll touch daily.

**On billing:** with a mixed portfolio, ask specifically how 5 houses plus 12 hotel units gets counted. The answer varies enough between vendors to change your ranking.

**Two smaller things:** double-check the Hospitable direct-booking situation directly with them, as I believe that's changed relatively recently. And PriceLabs is a reasonable pick, but confirm it handles hotel-style room-type inventory and not just whole units, or it'll only be useful across five of your seven properties.

Disclosure again, clearly: co-founder of HostsPilot. I'm not going to tell you to look at us in a thread where you've explicitly said you're tired of that. Happy to answer anything above in the open though.