# Best hotel booking engines in 2026, 8 tools compared

> The best hotel booking engines in 2026, from SiteMinder and D-EDGE to Elloha, compared on fees, payments, upsells and price.

By Amber Doyon, web writer at [Hikoo](https://www.tryhikoo.com/en/?utm_source=hotelsoftwarecompared.com&utm_medium=best-hotel-booking-engine). Updated 2026-11-02. Hotel Software Compared, https://hotelsoftwarecompared.com/en/best-hotel-booking-engine

## Key takeaways

- SiteMinder is the best hotel booking engine for most independent hotels, sold inside SiteMinder Plus from €119 a month for a 5-room property, excluding tax.
- D-EDGE and Profitroom suit upscale hotels and resorts that sell packages and extras, Mews and Cloudbeds suit hotels that want the booking engine inside their PMS.
- Real-time bookings on hotel websites made up 13.9% of European hotel overnights in 2025, up from 7.4% in 2013, according to HOTREC's weighted estimates without chain data.
- 58% of European hotels in the HOTREC survey connect their rates to a metasearch engine through their own booking system, and 83% of those use Google Hotel Ads.
- Six of the eight vendors only sell on quote, so ask for payment fees and any commission on direct bookings in writing.

SiteMinder is the best hotel booking engine in 2026 for most independent hotels, because SiteMinder Plus bundles the engine, website, metasearch and channel manager at a public starting price. D-EDGE and Profitroom fit upscale hotels and resorts, Mews and Cloudbeds fit hotels that want it inside their PMS, and Elloha costs the least.

We compared eight booking engines on fit by property type, fees on direct bookings, payments, upselling and price transparency. Every price below was checked on the vendor's own website on November 2, 2026. "On quote" means the vendor publishes no figure. We did not run paid trials on a live hotel.

## Hotel booking engine key figures 2026

The booking engine is now the fastest-growing direct channel in European hotels, but phone and email still bring as much business. Most figures below come from the survey of 2,713 European hotels published in September 2026 by HOTREC and HES-SO Valais-Wallis.

| Indicator | Value | Scope | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time bookings on the hotel's own website | 13.9% of overnights | European hotels, weighted, without chain data | 2025 | [HOTREC 2026, p. 17](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf) |
| Same channel twelve years earlier | 7.4% of overnights | Same | 2013 | [HOTREC 2026, p. 17](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf) |
| Phone and email bookings | 14.1% and 13.5% | Same | 2025 | [HOTREC 2026, p. 17](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf) |
| All direct channels | 51.3% of overnights | Same | 2025 | [HOTREC 2026, p. 5](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf) |
| OTAs | 29.9% of overnights | Same | 2025 | [HOTREC 2026, p. 5](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf) |
| Hotels with a metasearch connection through their own booking system | 58% | European hotels in the survey, unweighted | 2025 | [HOTREC 2026, p. 140](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf) |
| Cancellation rate, direct bookings against Booking.com | 9.1% against 19.0% | European hotels in the survey, unweighted | 2025 | [HOTREC 2026, p. 110](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf) |
| Average booking value, hotel websites against OTAs | US$516 against US$312 | Bookings on the SiteMinder platform | 2025 | [SiteMinder, Hotel Booking Trends](https://www.siteminder.com/hotel-booking-trends/) |

## The best hotel booking engines in 2026 at a glance

The table shows who each tool is built for, how it is sold and what it costs. The ranked cards below give the strengths, the limits and our verdict.

| Booking engine | Best for | Sold as | Price checked 2026-11-02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SiteMinder | Independent hotels | Inside SiteMinder Plus, with channel manager and website | From €119 per month (5 rooms, excl. tax) |
| D-EDGE | Upscale hotels and groups | With CRS and channel manager | On quote |
| Profitroom | Resorts and package sellers | Booking Engine 360, with marketing tools | On quote |
| Mews | Hotels moving to a cloud PMS | Inside the Mews Pro PMS | On quote, per room |
| Cloudbeds | Small and mid-sized properties | Inside the Cloudbeds One plan | On quote |
| Reservit | French hotels and holiday accommodation | Standalone or with channel manager and PMS | On quote |
| Amenitiz | Small independents | With PMS, channel manager and payments | On quote, per room |
| Elloha | B&Bs and small hotels in France | With channel manager, website on Magic | €49 or €59 per month |

### 1. SiteMinder

SiteMinder Plus is the most complete direct-booking bundle with a public starting price. Ask for the payment fee and the metasearch commission in the same written quote.

- Best for: Independent hotels that want the booking engine, website, metasearch and channel manager from one vendor on a short contract
- Price: From €95 per month (SiteMinder, no booking engine) or €119 (SiteMinder Plus, booking engine included), starting price for a 5-room property, per property, excluding tax (checked on 2026-11-02)
- Strengths: SiteMinder Plus bundles the booking engine, direct-booking plug-ins, a hotel website builder and metasearch advertising; Rate parity and competitor rate insights are included in Plus; Month-to-month plans with 30 days' written notice, and support by chat in nine languages; 56,000 hotels use SiteMinder, according to the vendor
- Limits: The booking engine is not sold in the base plan, only in Plus or as part of a group quote; Hotel payments carry a fee per payment and metasearch advertising a commission on completed stays, with no rates published
- URL: https://www.siteminder.com/booking-engine/

### 2. D-EDGE

D-EDGE suits a 4-star hotel or a group that sells to many countries and wants the booking engine, CRS and channel manager from one vendor. Small properties will pay for depth they rarely use.

- Best for: Upscale independents and hotel groups in Europe and Asia that want the booking engine tied to a CRS and channel manager
- Price: On quote (checked on 2026-11-02)
- Strengths: 39+ languages, including right-to-left scripts; Global and local payment methods, with Apple Pay and Google Pay; Extras, experiences and packages offered during the booking flow; 500+ integrations and 17,000 customers, according to D-EDGE
- Limits: No public price; Sold as part of a wider CRS and marketing suite, which is more than a small B&B needs
- URL: https://www.d-edge.com/product/booking-engine/

### 3. Profitroom

Profitroom is the strongest pick for hotels whose revenue depends on packages and extras. A small city hotel selling rooms only will not use most of it.

- Best for: Resorts, spa hotels and upscale independents that sell packages, experiences and vouchers on their website
- Price: On quote (checked on 2026-11-02)
- Strengths: Rooms, packages, experiences and extras in a single booking flow; Gift vouchers, a loyalty programme and abandoned booking recovery built in; Integrations with Trybe, FareHarbor and ResDiary for spa, activity and restaurant bookings; PCI-DSS Level 1 certified payment gateways
- Limits: No public price; The revenue figures on its page come from Profitroom's own clients, with no published method
- URL: https://profitroom.com/products/booking-engine/

### 4. Mews

Mews is the natural choice if you are moving to its PMS, because the booking engine, payments and upsells then share one guest profile. It is not a standalone booking engine.

- Best for: Hotels and groups choosing a cloud PMS that want the booking engine built into it
- Price: On quote, priced per room; the booking engine is included in Mews Pro (checked on 2026-11-02)
- Strengths: Booking engine built into the Mews PMS, with group bookings; Sells parking spaces and meeting rooms by the hour, day or month in the same engine; Guests book in their own language and currency, with tokenized payments; 1,000+ marketplace integrations and an open API, according to Mews
- Limits: Only makes sense if Mews is also your PMS; No public price, and the pricing page shows no figure
- URL: https://www.mews.com/en/products/booking-engine

### 5. Cloudbeds

Cloudbeds fits a property that is also replacing its PMS and wants one contract. If you keep your current PMS, a standalone booking engine is simpler.

- Best for: Small and mid-sized properties that want the booking engine, channel manager and PMS in one platform
- Price: On quote; the booking engine is included in the One and Experience plans, and Cloudbeds Distribution is optional in Experience and Enterprise (checked on 2026-11-02)
- Strengths: Mobile-first, two-step checkout, according to Cloudbeds; One-click upsells and add-ons during booking; Multi-property search across a hotel portfolio; 20,000+ properties in 150+ countries use the platform, according to Cloudbeds
- Limits: No figure on the pricing page, every plan needs a quote; The Flex plan leaves distribution, including the booking engine, to a partner tool
- URL: https://www.cloudbeds.com/booking-engine/

### 6. Reservit

Reservit suits French independents that want one local vendor and a flat subscription. Hotels selling mainly to foreign guests should check the language list during the demo.

- Best for: French hotels, B&Bs and campsites that want a French vendor for the booking engine, channel manager and PMS
- Price: On quote, subscription with no percentage of revenue (checked on 2026-11-02)
- Strengths: 0% software commission on bookings made through the engine; Deposits and card guarantees with 3-D Secure 2; Extras, packages and upgrades sold during booking, with several currencies; 35,000 properties equipped and a French-speaking contact, according to Reservit
- Limits: No public price, pricing starts with a demo; The booking engine page lists no languages or metasearch connections
- URL: https://www.reservit.com/moteur-de-reservation/

### 7. Amenitiz

Amenitiz is a sound all-in-one for a small hotel that wants to stop juggling tools, and its payment fee is published. Get the subscription figure in writing before the demo ends.

- Best for: Small independent hotels and B&Bs that want booking engine, channel manager, PMS and payments in one subscription
- Price: On quote, based on room count; monthly or annual billing (checked on 2026-11-02)
- Strengths: Booking engine and channel manager with unlimited OTA connections in the Core plan, plus Google Hotel integration (listed under Core in the plan table, under Advanced in the FAQ); No commission on direct bookings and no per-reservation fee, according to Amenitiz; AmenitizPay charges 1.5% plus €0.25 per transaction; 15,000+ customers, according to Amenitiz
- Limits: No public subscription price; The advanced website is a paid add-on
- URL: https://www.amenitiz.com/en/pricing/

### 8. Elloha

Elloha is the cheapest published price in this comparison for a small property that wants its website and booking engine sorted in an afternoon. Check that its 8 languages cover your guests.

- Best for: B&Bs, gîtes and small hotels in France that want a fixed monthly price for the booking engine and website
- Price: €49 per month (Connect) or €59 (Magic, website included), 12% off on annual billing, VAT treatment not stated (checked on 2026-11-02)
- Strengths: Direct booking engine, 60+ accommodation OTAs and a mobile app in Connect; Google Direct at 0% commission, and an official site badge through its Google, Trivago and Tripadvisor certification; Magic adds a website, 8 languages, payments and guarantees; 21-day free trial without a card, and 10,000+ professionals equipped, according to Elloha
- Limits: Built for small accommodation and leisure businesses, not for hotel groups; Only 8 languages, and only on the Magic plan
- URL: https://elloha.com/
## How we compared these booking engines

We ranked each tool on how well it serves the hotels it targets, not on the length of its feature list. The facts come from vendor websites and pricing pages listed in the sources and in the cards.

The criteria:

- Fit by property type, from a 6-room B&B to a multi-property group.
- Fees on direct bookings, meaning a flat subscription, a commission or a mix, plus payment processing.
- Payments and guarantees, such as deposits, card guarantees, 3-D Secure and local payment methods.
- Upselling, from extras and packages to vouchers and non-room inventory.
- Connectivity to the PMS, the channel manager and Google Hotel Ads.
- Price transparency and contract terms.

## What is a hotel booking engine?

A hotel booking engine is the software behind the "Book now" button on a hotel's website. It shows live availability and rates, takes the guest's details and payment, confirms the reservation and sends it to the property management system, all without a phone call or an email. HOTREC measures this channel as "real time booking over own website with availability check", which separates it from contact forms where staff must confirm by hand. In the 2026 study, real-time website bookings made up 13.9% of overnights in European hotels in 2025, against 5.2% for website contact forms without an availability check ([HOTREC and HES-SO Valais-Wallis, European Hotel Distribution Study 2026, p. 17](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf)). The booking engine shares its inventory with the channel manager, so a room sold on your website disappears from Booking.com and Expedia at the same moment. It also feeds metasearch: the price a traveller sees for your "official site" on Google usually comes from the booking engine.

## How much business does a booking engine bring in Europe?

Real-time bookings on hotel websites made up 13.9% of overnights in European hotels in 2025, almost as much as the phone (14.1%) and more than email (13.5%). The channel nearly doubled from 7.4% in 2013.

![HOTREC table of European hotel channel shares, 2013 to 2025, with real-time website bookings rising from 7.4% to 13.9%](https://hotelsoftwarecompared.com/images/booking-engine/hotrec-europe-channel-shares-2013-2025.webp "Weighted shares of distribution channels in European hotels, 2013 to 2025. Source: HOTREC and HES-SO Valais-Wallis, European Hotel Distribution Study 2026, page 17, consulted 2026-11-02")

The weighted series from HOTREC and HES-SO Valais-Wallis shows a steady climb for the booking engine: 7.4% of European hotel overnights in 2013, 7.6% in 2019, 12.1% in 2021, 12.3% in 2023 and 13.9% in 2025, while phone bookings fell from 20.5% to 14.1% over the same twelve years ([HOTREC 2026, p. 17](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf)). The authors describe direct distribution as "increasingly shifting from traditional contact channels toward real-time online booking engines". Direct channels as a whole generated 51.3% of overnights in 2025 and OTAs 29.9%, according to the same weighted estimates, which leave out the aggregated chain data. The survey covered 2,713 hotels between February and May 2026, including 1,882 individual hotel responses ([HOTREC press release, September 15, 2026](https://www.hotrec.eu/en/news_booking-holdings-and-expedia-group-account-for-85-of-europe_E2_80_99s-ota-market-hotrec-study-finds.html)). By our calculation, the booking engine therefore carried 27.1% of direct overnights in 2025 (13.9 divided by 51.3). For an independent hotel, that means the engine is now one of three direct channels of similar weight, next to the phone and the inbox, and none of them can be neglected.

Our [hotel direct booking statistics](/en/hotel-direct-booking-statistics) break down the direct share by hotel size, region and country.

## Are direct website bookings worth more than OTA bookings?

On the figures available, yes. Bookings on hotel websites are larger on average and cancelled less often than OTA bookings, although the two sources below measure different populations.

SiteMinder, which also sells a booking engine ranked in this comparison, reports that hotel websites generated an average of US$516 per booking in 2025 on its platform, against US$445 for wholesalers, US$392 for global distribution systems and US$312 for OTAs ([SiteMinder, Hotel Booking Trends](https://www.siteminder.com/hotel-booking-trends/)). The same report says direct bookings finished in the top three channels in 90% of the 20 markets it tracks. In the HOTREC survey, guests cancelled 9.1% of direct bookings (made through the hotel's own website) in 2025, against 19.0% of Booking.com bookings ([HOTREC 2026, p. 110](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf)).

## How much does a hotel booking engine cost in 2026?

Published prices run from €49 a month on Elloha to €119 a month and more on SiteMinder Plus, and six of the eight vendors only sell on quote. Payment fees come on top almost everywhere.

| Booking engine | Published price, checked 2026-11-02 | Unit and period | Billed on top |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elloha | €49 (Connect) or €59 (Magic) | Per month, 12% off on annual billing | VAT treatment not stated, payment provider fees |
| SiteMinder Plus | From €119 | Per property per month, 5-room starting price, excl. tax | Fee per payment, commission on metasearch stays |
| Amenitiz | On quote | Per room, monthly or annual | AmenitizPay at 1.5% plus €0.25 per transaction |
| Mews | On quote | Per room | Payments |
| D-EDGE, Profitroom, Cloudbeds, Reservit | On quote | | |

[SiteMinder's pricing page](https://www.siteminder.com/pricing/) showed €119 per month for SiteMinder Plus to a visitor in France on November 2, 2026, as a starting price for a 5-room property, per property and excluding tax. The base plan at €95 has no booking engine. Over a year, Plus costs at least €1,428 before tax (12 times €119), while Elloha Magic costs €708 on monthly billing (12 times €59).

![Elloha pricing page with the Connect plan at 49 euros and the Magic plan at 59 euros a month](https://hotelsoftwarecompared.com/images/booking-engine/elloha-pricing-page.webp "Elloha plans on monthly billing, both including a direct booking engine. Source: Elloha, page consulted 2026-11-02")

Commission-based pricing works differently. If a vendor charged an assumed 3% on direct bookings, for illustration only, a hotel taking €100,000 a year through its website would pay €3,000, more than twice the SiteMinder Plus subscription. Amenitiz is the only vendor here that publishes its payment fee: on a €150 booking, AmenitizPay takes €2.50 (1.5% of €150 plus €0.25, our calculation from [its pricing page](https://www.amenitiz.com/en/pricing/)).

## Which booking engine for a small hotel or B&B?

For a property under about 30 rooms, pick a tool that bundles the booking engine with the channel manager, so one calendar feeds both. Elloha, Amenitiz and SiteMinder Plus fit that brief at three price points.

Elloha's Connect plan costs €49 a month with a direct booking engine, 60+ accommodation OTAs and a mobile app, and its [21-day trial](https://elloha.com/) needs no card. Amenitiz puts the booking engine and a channel manager with unlimited OTA connections in its Core plan, priced by room count. [Reservit](https://www.reservit.com/a-propos/) has developed booking software in France since 1999 and says 35,000 properties use it.

If you are also changing PMS, compare all-in-one systems in our [hotel PMS comparison](/en/best-hotel-pms). Cloudbeds, which says 20,000+ properties in 150+ countries use its platform ([Cloudbeds](https://www.cloudbeds.com/)), includes its booking engine in the One plan ([Cloudbeds pricing](https://www.cloudbeds.com/pricing/)).

## Which booking engine for an upscale hotel, resort or group?

Hotels that sell packages, spa treatments or several properties need more than a room calendar. D-EDGE, Profitroom and Mews are built for that, and SiteMinder sells a group booking engine as an add-on.

D-EDGE supports 39+ languages and says it serves 17,000 customers, with support in 20 languages ([D-EDGE, about us](https://www.d-edge.com/about-us/)). Profitroom puts rooms, packages, experiences, extras and gift vouchers in one booking flow, and links to Trybe, FareHarbor and ResDiary for spa, activity and restaurant bookings. Mews lets hotels sell parking spaces and meeting rooms by the hour or the day in the same engine, and prices its PMS per room ([Mews pricing](https://www.mews.com/en/pricing)).

## Should the booking engine connect to Google Hotel Ads?

Yes. Metasearch is where many travellers compare your direct price with the OTA offers, and the connection usually runs through the booking engine.

In the HOTREC survey, 58% of European hotels said their rates and availability reach a metasearch engine through a permanent connection to their own booking system, 25% said metasearch is of no interest to them and 17% did not know the option existed ([HOTREC 2026, p. 140](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf)). Among hotels using metasearch, 83% used Google Hotel Ads, 39% TripAdvisor, 35% Trivago and 10% Kayak in 2025. HOTREC found the connection most often in 4-star, urban and larger hotels, and least often in hotels under 30 rooms and in independents.

![HOTREC chart, 58% of European hotels connect their rates to metasearch through their own booking system in 2025](https://hotelsoftwarecompared.com/images/booking-engine/hotrec-metasearch-connection-2013-2025.webp "Share of European hotels with a direct metasearch interface, 2013 to 2025. Source: HOTREC and HES-SO Valais-Wallis, European Hotel Distribution Study 2026, page 140, consulted 2026-11-02")

Elloha includes "Google Direct 0%" in its Connect plan, Amenitiz lists Google Hotel integration on its pricing page, and SiteMinder sells metasearch advertising in Plus with a commission on completed stays.

## What should you check before signing a booking engine contract?

Get six answers in writing before you sign. A cheap subscription with a weak payment setup or the wrong PMS connection costs more in the end.

1. Ask whether the vendor takes any commission on direct bookings, and how payment processing is billed.
2. Check the two-way connection to your PMS and channel manager, so every booking lowers the shared inventory.
3. Test the booking flow on a phone, from the room choice to the 3-D Secure payment.
4. List the languages and currencies your guests need, and compare them with the vendor's list.
5. Ask how extras, packages and upgrades are sold, and whether they reach the PMS folio.
6. Check the term and the notice period, for example 30 days at SiteMinder on a month-to-month plan.

Start with your last twelve months of website traffic and direct bookings, then ask two vendors for a quote on the same basis. A small property can open Elloha's trial or request an Amenitiz quote this week. A resort or a group should ask D-EDGE and Profitroom to show how packages and extras reach the PMS. Our [channel manager comparison](/en/best-hotel-channel-manager) covers the other half of the setup.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best booking engine for a small hotel?

For a property under about 30 rooms, Elloha has the lowest published price at €49 or €59 a month, and Amenitiz bundles the booking engine with a PMS and channel manager on quote. SiteMinder Plus, from €119 a month, suits a small hotel that also wants metasearch and rate parity tools.

### Do hotel booking engines take a commission?

Most of the tools we compared charge a subscription instead. Reservit says its software takes 0% commission, Amenitiz and Elloha say they take none on direct bookings. Payment processing is billed separately, for example 1.5% plus €0.25 per transaction on AmenitizPay.

### Is a booking engine the same as a channel manager?

No. The booking engine takes reservations on your own website, while a channel manager sends rates and availability to OTAs such as Booking.com. Many vendors sell both, and the two must share the same inventory to avoid overbookings.

### Can I use a free booking engine?

None of the eight tools here is free for a live hotel. Elloha gives a 21-day trial without a card, and some PMS plans include the booking engine in the subscription, as Cloudbeds does in its One plan.

### How long does it take to switch booking engine?

Plan for the room and rate mapping, the payment gateway and the website widget, then test a real booking before going live. SiteMinder quotes 24 hours to 14 days for onboarding. Keep the old engine live until the new one has taken its first paid booking.

### Does a booking engine connect to Google Hotel Ads?

Most do, either directly or through a partner. In the HOTREC survey, 58% of European hotels had a permanent metasearch connection through their own booking system, and 83% of hotels using metasearch were on Google Hotel Ads. Ask each vendor whether free booking links and paid ads are both supported.

## Sources

- [HOTREC, Booking Holdings and Expedia Group account for 85% of Europe's OTA market (September 15, 2026)](https://www.hotrec.eu/en/news_booking-holdings-and-expedia-group-account-for-85-of-europe_E2_80_99s-ota-market-hotrec-study-finds.html)
- [HOTREC and HES-SO Valais-Wallis, European Hotel Distribution Study 2026, results for the reference year 2025 (September 2026)](https://www.hotrec.eu/media/static/files/import/all_news_2026_2026_35/full-study_european-hotel-distribution-study-2026_hotrec.pdf)
- [SiteMinder, Hotel Booking Trends 2025](https://www.siteminder.com/hotel-booking-trends/)
- [SiteMinder, pricing](https://www.siteminder.com/pricing/)
- [D-EDGE, about us](https://www.d-edge.com/about-us/)
- [Mews, pricing](https://www.mews.com/en/pricing)
- [Cloudbeds, pricing](https://www.cloudbeds.com/pricing/)
- [Cloudbeds, homepage figures](https://www.cloudbeds.com/)
- [Reservit, about us](https://www.reservit.com/a-propos/)