Hotel property management systems (PMS) have become an essential tool for hotels and other lodging businesses to efficiently manage reservations, housekeeping, staffing, and more. Two popular choices on the market are Little Hotelier and Cloudbeds PMS solutions. But how do you know which option is better suited for your hotel?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare the key features, pros and cons, and pricing of Little Hotelier Vs. Cloudbeds to help you make an informed decision when choosing a PMS.
A Brief Comparison Table
Feature | Little Hotelier | Cloudbeds |
Best For | Small independent hotels | Larger hotels, chains, resorts |
Primary Features | PMS for reservations, housekeeping, staff | Integrated PMS, channel manager, booking engine |
Ease of Use | Very easy, intuitive | Steeper learning curve |
Pricing | Starts at $3/room/month | Starts at $249/month + $35/room/month |
Customization | Limited capabilities | Highly customizable |
Support | Excellent customer service | Mixed reviews on support |
Mobile Apps | Basic apps | Advanced mobile apps |
Reporting | Standard reports | Robust analytics and reports |
Overview Of Little Hotelier And Cloudbeds
First, let’s start with a quick rundown of each platform:
Little Hotelier
![Little Hotelier](https://comparedhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Little-Hotelier.jpg)
- Cloud-based PMS founded in 2012
- Designed for independent hotels and small chains
- Key features: reservation management, guest profiles, housekeeping tools, rate management, reporting
- Integrates with other platforms like QuickBooks, Mailchimp, TripAdvisor
- Used by over 600 hotels worldwide
Cloudbeds
- Founded in 2012, based in San Francisco
- Provides an all-in-one hospitality management suite
- Serves hotels, hostels, inns, and vacation rentals
- Main features: PMS, channel manager, booking engine, integrated payments
- Claims to have 10,000+ hotels as customers globally
So in a nutshell, both Little Hotelier and Cloudbeds cater to independent and boutique hotels with cloud-based PMS solutions. But Cloudbeds offers a more complete technology stack going beyond just PMS functionality.
Next, let’s do a deeper comparison of their features.
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Key Feature Comparison
The main features and functionalities of Little Hotelier and Cloudbeds include:
Reservations and Booking Management
Both systems provide tools to manage reservations across channels in one central dashboard. You can maintain reservation calendars, track booking status, configure rates and room types, handle deposits/payments, generate confirmations, and more.
Cloudbeds offers a built-in booking engine and channel manager for direct bookings and OTA distribution. Little Hotelier focuses just on PMS but can integrate with other booking engines and channel managers.
Guest Records and Profiles
The PMS solutions let you store guest details, preferences, stay history, special requests, and other notes for personalized service. You can also save company/travel agent profiles.
Housekeeping Management
Housekeeping features allow staff to track room status, view cleaning schedules, update maintenance issues, manage stock levels, and more.
Little Hotelier has customizable housekeeping charts while Cloudbeds includes housekeeping apps for mobile devices.
Also watch the video of Little Hotelier!
Staff Management
Both systems provide tools to manage hotel staff schedules, assignments, timeclocks, and communications.
Cloudbeds has mobile apps that let staff chat with each other. Little Hotelier focuses more on schedules and timesheets.
Reporting and Analytics
Robust reporting functionality helps monitor KPIs like occupancy, RevPAR, sales, costs. Custom reports can also be generated.
Cloudbeds analytics are more detailed including data on marketing performance, channel sales, revenue sources, etc.
Integrations
Little Hotelier and Cloudbeds integrate with other apps for accounting, payments, POS, channel managers, and more.
Cloudbeds has tighter integrations between its own platform modules.
Payments
Cloudbeds enables booking deposits and credit card processing directly through the PMS. Little Hotelier requires a payments integration.
Pros And Cons Comparison
Based on these feature comparisons, what are the major advantages and disadvantages of each platform?
Little Hotelier Pros
- Simple and intuitive interface
- Specialized for independent hotels’ needs
- Lower pricing tiers for smaller hotels
- Excellent customer support
- Flexible integrations with other tools
Little Hotelier Cons
- Functionality is focused on core PMS
- Mobile apps need improvement
- Advanced features may require customization
- Limited brand recognition Vs. bigger players
Cloudbeds Pros
![Cloudbeds](https://comparedhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cloudbeds.jpg)
- End-to-end solution with PMS + channel manager + booking
- In-depth analytics and reports
- Integrated payments processing
- Scales to large multi-property hotels
- Global brand recognition
Cloudbeds Cons
- Much more expensive for smaller hotels
- Steeper learning curve
- Less specialized for boutique hotels
- Mixed reviews of customer support
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Pricing Comparison
Pricing is where you see a major difference between Little Hotelier and Cloudbeds:
Little Hotelier Pricing
- Starts at $3/room per month
- Mid-tier plan is $5/room per month
- Custom enterprise pricing for large hotels
Cloudbeds Pricing
- Startup plan: $249/month base + $35/room monthly
- Mid-tier plan: $499/month base + $45/room monthly
- Enterprise tiers up to $899/month base fee
So Cloudbeds costs significantly more, especially for smaller hotels with under 50 rooms. Little Hotelier is more affordable for independent properties.
But Cloudbeds provides more capabilities like integrated payments, website builder, marketing tools, etc that may justify the higher pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes, Cloudbeds is generally a reliable PMS platform though some users have complained about occasional glitches. It has uptime of 99.9% and good customer support.
Cloudbeds claims to have over 10,000 hotels and lodging businesses as customers. But they do not disclose details of property sizes or segments.
Yes, Little Hotelier offers a full-featured cloud-based PMS for independent hotels and small chains.
Yes, Cloudbeds provides its hospitality management software as a cloud-based SaaS solution.
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Which Is Better For Your Hotel?
Determining whether Little Hotelier or Cloudbeds is the better PMS solution depends on your hotel’s specific requirements and budget.
Little Hotelier excels at meeting the core PMS needs of independent and boutique hotels at an affordable price point. It’s a streamlined system that’s easy to use.
For hotels that need integrated payments, website booking, and extensive analytics, Cloudbeds provides a more complete hospitality platform. But the higher pricing may not make sense for smaller hotels.
Think carefully about the size of your hotel, business goals, staff capabilities, and budget. Weigh the pros and cons before deciding on Little Hotelier Vs. Cloudbeds. Leverage any free trials or demos to evaluate the systems first-hand.
With the right PMS partner, you can efficiently manage your hotel operations and deliver top-notch guest experiences.