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
- try the complete PMS for 30 days, 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 compares the common routes: a full PMS such as zimrly, Cloudbeds, RoomRaccoon or Mews, and lean landlord or vacation-rental tools such as Smoobu, Beds24 or Sirvoy. zimrly is a complete PMS for small properties, including Channel Manager, direct booking, § 14 invoicing, tourist tax, WhatsApp guest communication and review management. Optional Smoobu and Cloudbeds connectors can support a gradual transition. 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 includes natively
| 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 |
| One price — all functions included | ✓ | 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Base price for up to 10 rooms / units | €99 net/month | varies widely by provider (cheap to enterprise) |
| Example: small hotel with 15 rooms | €139 net/month | very different depending on the PMS |
zimrly prices are real net 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?
- Yes, but it should stay focused. zimrly combines booking management, Channel Manager, direct booking, invoicing and guest communication in one full PMS for small guesthouses.
- 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?
- Yes. zimrly is a complete PMS with its own channel manager and direct booking engine. Smoobu and Cloudbeds connectors are optional transition paths.
- What does zimrly cost for a small guesthouse?
- zimrly costs €99 net per month for up to 10 rooms; each additional unit is €8. All functions and user access are included. Cancellable monthly, 20% 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 small owner-operated guesthouse benefits from a focused full PMS such as zimrly; a larger property with a front-office team may need a broader enterprise suite. What matters is that booking management, channel sync, § 14 invoicing, tourist tax and GDPR work together cleanly.
One hotel. One system. Less manual work.
Try the PMS, channel manager, invoicing, guest communication and daily operations free for 30 days. No credit card, cancel monthly.