Very small guesthouse (few rooms)
- an affordable booking tool (e.g. Smoobu, Beds24, Sirvoy) as the base
- zimrly added for § 14 invoices, tourist tax and WhatsApp
- begin with the Start plan, cancellable monthly, no large commitment
Hotel software for guesthouses compared (2026)
For a small guesthouse the software choice is different than for a large hotel. You don't need an enterprise PMS with a hundred features — you need reliable booking management, legally compliant invoices with tourist tax, and you don't want to answer every guest enquiry by hand.
This guide sorts out the common routes: a full PMS (e.g. Cloudbeds, RoomRaccoon, Mews), a lean landlord/vacation-rental tool (e.g. Smoobu, Beds24, Sirvoy), or an existing system plus a modular add-on. Important to know: almost all PMS leave the same gaps open in the DACH region — with § 14 invoices and correct tourist tax, with WhatsApp guest communication and with review management.
Those are exactly the gaps zimrly closes. zimrly is not a PMS but a modular add-on hub that layers over your existing hotel software. For Smoobu and Cloudbeds there is already a connector; for other systems the add-on stack works PMS-independently. Below you'll find an honest take on when each route fits — plus a feature and price comparison.
What a typical PMS covers — and what zimrly adds
| Feature | zimrly | Typisches PMS |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic § 14 UStG guest invoicesMany PMS can do simple invoices; legally compliant § 14 / tourist-tax logic with accounting hand-off is the exception. | ✓ | Partial |
| Tourist & accommodation tax on the invoice | ✓ | ✗ |
| Accounting hand-off (easybill, lexoffice, sevDesk, QuickBooks) | ✓ | Partial |
| WhatsApp guest communication (Business API) | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI assistant for guest enquiries | ✓ | ✗ |
| Review management (Google, Booking) with AI replies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self check-in & smart lock (Nuki) | ✓ | Partial |
| Occupancy & revenue insights (ADR, RevPAR) | ✓ | Partial |
| Full PMS (reservations, availability, calendar) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Channel manager (OTA sync) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Direct booking engine | ✗ | Partial |
| Bookable module by module — pay only for what you use | ✓ | Partial |
| EU hosting & GDPR data processing agreement | ✓ | Partial |
| Built for DACH law (§ 14, tourist tax, GDPR)Internationally built PMS are rarely tailored to DACH law — that's where zimrly comes in. | ✓ | ✗ |
“Partial” = generally available, but in the DACH context often involving configuration or manual work.
What does it cost? Orientation for a small guesthouse
| zimrly | Typisches PMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Start plan (incl. 2 office users + 2 cleaners) | €49/month | varies widely by provider (cheap to enterprise) |
| Pro plan (incl. 4 office users + 2 cleaners) | €99/month | Price on request |
| Max plan (incl. 6 office users + 2 cleaners) | €159/month | Price on request |
| Each additional user | €9/month | Price on request |
| Start plan, annual | €470/year | Price on request |
| Pro plan, annual | €950/year | Price on request |
| Max plan, annual | €1,500/year | Price on request |
| Example small property (Pro plan) | €99/month | very different depending on the PMS |
zimrly prices are real gross list prices (as of 2026). The PMS column is a rough orientation across different providers and depends heavily on room count, plan and modules — without warranty; please check with the respective provider.
Which route fits your guesthouse?
Growing guesthouse / small hotel
- a full PMS (e.g. Cloudbeds, RoomRaccoon, Mews) as the foundation
- zimrly adds § 14 invoices, tourist tax, reviews and AI replies
- self check-in relieves the front office during off-hours
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a dedicated PMS for a guesthouse?
- Not necessarily. A very small guesthouse often gets by with an affordable booking and channel tool, plus zimrly for invoices and guest communication. Only with more rooms and a dedicated front office does a full PMS pay off.
- Does zimrly create § 14-compliant invoices with tourist tax?
- Yes. zimrly generates legally compliant guest invoices with correct tax disclosure, calculates tourist and municipal accommodation tax per stay, and hands the documents off to your accounting provider (easybill, lexoffice, sevDesk, QuickBooks).
- Does zimrly replace my existing hotel software?
- No. zimrly is not a PMS but a modular add-on hub that layers over your existing system. For Smoobu and Cloudbeds there is a connector; with other systems the add-on stack works PMS-independently.
- What does zimrly cost for a small guesthouse?
- zimrly comes in three plans: Start €49, Pro €99, Max €159 per month. Included are 2 office users on Start, 4 on Pro and 6 on Max — plus 2 cleaner logins each. A small guesthouse is usually well served by the Pro plan at €99/month. Cancellable monthly, cheaper when paid annually.
- Is zimrly GDPR-compliant and hosted in the EU?
- Yes. zimrly is hosted in the EU and provides a data processing agreement. The whole architecture is built for DACH legal certainty — from § 14 invoices through tourist tax to data processing.
Fairly put: there is no single right software. A very small guesthouse with few rooms often does well with an affordable tool plus zimrly for invoices and communication. A growing property with a front office benefits more from a full PMS — and even then zimrly adds the DACH-mandatory building blocks. What matters is that § 14 invoicing, tourist tax and GDPR are cleanly covered.
Keep your system. zimrly does the rest.
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