Top 5 Hotel POS Systems: Which Is Best for Your Business?

The best POS for hotels is Toast, offering an intuitive user experience with an in-depth tutorial, as well as advanced reservation tools to manage your guests more effectively. It’s not the only top POS out there, though, which is why we’ve collected some of the best in the guide below.

Hotels can’t simply choose from any of the best POS systems on the market – you need a POS with features suited to the hospitality industry. That’s why we’ve only considered solutions that have strong capabilities for managing guest bookings and services and have weighted our evaluations towards providers that offer the features that hotel owners care about most – like business management, business development, and till features.

We’ve extensively researched and user-tested these POS systems to provide you with the best recommendations possible. Scroll on for more information about the top hotel POS systems. Or, if it’s quick price estimates you’re after, fill out a couple of simple questions using our free comparison tool, and we’ll send you personalized quotes from leading POS systems that fit your bill. The form is easy to fill out, and there’s no obligation to move forward with any of the providers.

In this guide: 

• What Are the Best POS Systems for Hotels?
• How to Choose a Hotel POS System for Your Business?
• How Did We Compare Hotel POS Systems?
• Verdict — Ready to Choose a Hotel POS?
• FAQs

What Are the Best Hotel POS Systems?

Hotels are multifaceted businesses with lots of moving parts. Luckily, POS systems can streamline operations by helping staffers carry out several tasks, including managing room reservations, taking payments from guests, tracking stock levels, and more.

Based on the results of our rigorous data analysis and user testing, these are the best hotel POS systems the market has to offer.

1. Toast – Best for hotels with complex operations
2. Square – Best for growing your hotel
3. Clover – Best for professional hardware
4. Lightspeed – Best for driving repeat guests
5. TouchBistro – Best for ease of use

1. Toast — Best for hotels with complex operations

Pricing from: free (transaction fees apply)

Toast is the best POS for hotels, largely because it can handle a wide range of complex operations. Advanced reservation tools like that allow owners to control flow, block reservations, and view cost/profit management reports are built directly into the platform. We also found that features like automatic tip sharing and mobile ordering really enabled us to manage the kinds of complicated requests that come with hotel ownership.

Another bright spot for Toast is that it offers excellent customer engagement functionality, allowing for an additional layer of marketing. We were able to create loyalty programs with set spends and point systems with ease. With loyal customers more likely to stay at hotels for longer, and up their spend, strong customer loyalty tools like Toast’s should be a top priority for hoteliers.

The engagement features suggested campaigns to help us attract more customers. Source: Tech.co testing

Toast was also notably quite easy to use, mostly thanks to the in-depth tutorial that walked us through the setup process, step by step. In fact, we found the entire back-end experience to be particularly intuitive, so beginners should feel comfortable adapting to Toast at your hotel.

“You can’t fault a platform which pretty much has everything and actually it’s very very simple and simplistic” – A member of Tech.co’s user testing team

The system has a useful search functionality as well, which helped our testers locate features quickly without having to spend lots of time figuring things out. This gives Toast’s user experience a leg up over Square, as the POS does not currently offer this capability.

The dual screen for Toast makes customer interaction easier for your business. Source: Tech.co testing

Most suitable for:

• Full-service hotels that handle complex operations
• Hotel with accompanying bars and restaurants
• Hotels with large product inventories

Less suitable for:

• Hotels that require retail-specific features
• Users who rely heavily on customer support
• Hotels that want to integrate their POS with iOS hardware

Toast pricing

Toast does have a free plan – although it might be a bit too limited for hotels, notably not having access to the team management features that allow for scheduling and tip sharing. Luckily, the $69 per month plan isn’t terribly expensive, with transaction fees at 3.5% + $0.15. Check out how the pricing plans match up below:

If you like Toast, you may also like…

• TouchBistro, if you’re after a feature-rich iPad-based hotel POS system
• Square, if you run a smaller hotel or lodging and don’t require tons of advanced features

2. Square — Best POS for growing your hotel

• Pricing from: Free (transaction fees apply)

Square is one of the biggest names in the POS industry, and for good reason. The point of sale is feature-rich and extremely cost-effective, making it perfect for smaller lodgings like inns, B&Bs, hostels, and motels that want to grow into larger businesses. Our research suggests it’s the strongest system for retail businesses, restaurants, and the best POS for bars too, which is a pretty impressive feat.

But this reasonable price tag doesn’t mean Square won’t meet the needs of hotels. For instance, the POS offers lots of hotel-friendly features like “Square Appointments”, which lets users manage bookings and take payments for services.

Square’s hardware is also, in our opinion, some of the sleekest in the industry. First impressions matter – an ancient-looking POS terminal can make even the most stylish reception desks look dated, and Square is the only provider that can keep up with Clover when it comes to aesthetics.

The Square calendar makes it easy to schedule staff and find times that work. Image: Tech.co testing

When we tested Square out, we found it took quite a long time to search for specific features, like advanced payment splitting tools. This wasn’t helped by the fact that there wasn’t a search bar to access features quickly. Despite this, some functions like adding items to a tab and customizing floor plans were very simple, suggesting that the POS will be useful for hotels with accompanying cafes or bars.

What’s more, we didn’t think Square’s till features were very versatile, making it less suitable for hotels that require specific payment and ordering functions. However, with the system producing one of the best app stores we’ve reviewed, and Square’s support team available 24/7, we reckon this setback can be overlooked pretty easily.

Square’s 2nd generation iPad stand is more reliable than previous models, and is even able to operate offline. Source: SquareUp

Most suitable for:

• Smaller lodgings like B&Bs and motels
• Businesses that want to get started for free
• Hotels that manage appointments

Less suitable for:

• Full-service hotels that require very specific POS features
• Hotels with large accompanying restaurants
• Hotels after ultra-low card processing fees

Square POS pricing

A major reason Square deserves these accolades is because of its affordability. Square offers a generous free plan with all the features smaller hotels need to get started, like basic stock tracking and sales reporting.

Square’s paid POS pricing plans start at $60 per month, and its transaction fees, which we list below, aren’t as low as other systems.

• 2.6% + 10 cents of each card-based sale
• 3.5% + 15 cents for each keyed-in transaction
• 2.9% + 30 cents for online sales

To learn more about Square’s pricing model you can check out our Square POS pricing review, or compare its plans in the table below:

If you like Square, you may also like…

• Clover, if you’re able to invest slightly more in dedicated hardware and software hotel POS packages
• SpotOn, if you want to get started with a free hardware plan

Learn more about the free Square alternative in our SpotOn POS review.

3. Clover — Best for Professional Hardware

Price from: $14.95 per month (transaction fees apply)

Making a good impression can go a long way when it comes to hotels. With Clover, you’re getting some of the highest quality, professional hardware that will ensure that your team isn’t fumbling over a display in front of your guests.

For one, Clover offers POS terminals that operate with LTE connectivity. That means that even if your Wi-Fi goes out for some reason, you’ll still be able to get your guests checked in and out of their rooms.

On top of that, Clover offers fingerprint scanning technology for quick and easy staff logins and haptic feedback on devices to cut back on errors. All that to say, Clover is top-of-the-line when it comes to hardware.

The Clover Customers page offers options to customize data for your patrons. Image: Tech.co testing

The software isn’t too shabby either, with an intuitive, straightforward interface in the backend that can provide robust analytics like stock alerts and profit tracking. With most hotels managing multiple forms of revenue, these tools are essential for helping business owners track their lodging’s performance over time, and identify areas to boost profitability.

Plus, the front end is particularly equipped for fast-paced environments thanks to the responsive displays. One user tester in particular commended Clover for its “simple” and “modern” interface, and how easy it was to gain insights from performance reports.

Clover was found to offer the best hardware options in our research. Source: Tech.co testing

Most suitable for:

• Full-service hotels after professional hardware
• Hotels that want to retain loyal customers
• Hotels building a hardware setup from scratch

Less suitable for:

• Hotels with pre-existing hardware
• Businesses wanting low or free start-up costs
• Hotels that all sell services online

Clover pricing

Unlike many options on this list, Clover doesn’t offer a free plan, but the $14.95 per month starting price for its Professional Services Starter plan – which lets you manage business processes and take payments through a web browser – isn’t too steep.

However, that price doesn’t give you access to the hardware, though, nor the advanced analytics features. For that, you’ll need to opt for an industry-specific hardware and software bundle.

The price you’ll pay will depend on your needs, and which hotel function you’ll be using it to manage. For example, prices for its retail package start at $16 per month for 36 months, while prices for its full-service restaurant package start at $179 per month for 36 months.

Check out our table below for more clarity on the provider’s pricing, or check out our Clover POS pricing guide.

If you like Clover, you may also like…

• Square, if you run a simple lodging like a model or B&B, and want to avoid hefty start-up fees
• Toast, if you’re in need of advanced employee management capabilities like automated tip-sharing tools

4. Lightspeed — Best for driving repeat guests

• Pricing from: $89 per terminal, per month

Lightspeed offers one of the strongest inventory management toolkits on the market, with the POS boasting a number of specialist features like waste management, low stock alerts, and automatic replacements.

Its loyalty program ‘Lightspeed Loyalty’ offers advanced customer loyalty tools too, like omnichannel rewards and customizable loyalty points, making it a great option for larger hotels and those looking to franchise.

The Lightspeed customer data page is simple and easy to fill out. Image: Tech.co testing

Unlike rival Square, Lightspeed can be seamlessly integrated with your hotel’s property management system too, unlocking a wide range of useful functions like online and QR code ordering, room charging features, and venue management.

We didn’t find Lightspeed to be super intuitive when we tested it out ourselves. While its interface is simple and has an appealing contrasting color scheme, one of our user testers struggled to carry out quite basic tasks like filling out customer information.

While it shouldn’t take too long for staff to get to grips with this process, if you’re committed to finding a POS with a shallower learning curve, we’d recommend using TouchBistro or Clover instead. Lightspeed is a bit pricier than similar systems, too. We take a look at its pricing next.

Most suitable for:

• Hotels with large or complex inventories
• Hotels that want to build a loyal customer base
• Hoteliers serious about expanding profit margins

Less suitable for:

• Hotels that want to get started for free
• Vendors after an all-in-one POS terminal
• Business owners who want low transaction fees

Lightspeed pricing

Lightspeed offers three paid pricing plans that start at $89 per month. No free tier is provided, and most of its features are reserved for pricier tiers, which makes it a hard value pick against more affordable options. Take a look at our table below for a detailed breakdown of Lightspeed plans:

If you like Clover, you may also like…

• Clover, if you manage a full-service hotel and need a sophisticated hardware setup to match
• Toast, if you require automated tip management tools for your hotel staff

5. TouchBistro — Best for ease of use

Pricing from: $69 per month

There’s something to be said for a POS that is easy to use, so that your team uses it effectively rather than spending time trying to figure it all out. Fortunately, in our research, TouchBistro was the easiest to use POS system, with an intuitive back-end and front-end experience for even the most novice of users.

This ease of use largely comes from the fact that TouchBistro’s software is entirely tablet-based, so users are already familiar with the interface in some capacity. Combine that with the flexibility for users makes it a key tool for hotels that may need to be a bit more mobile on the job.

“It has everything. It’s not the prettiest, it’s not the most straightforward, but it literally has everything and even certain capabilities and functionalities that I didn’t even think we needed.” – A member of Tech.co’s user testing team

Despite TouchBistro’s perks, one of our users had an issue managing the inventory process, specifically when it came to adding stock to the system and modifying orders. While this probably won’t be a dealbreaker for many hotels, if your business does manage complicated or large inventories, we’d advise using a POS with stronger stock management features like Toast or Lightspeed instead.

We found the front-end and back-end of TouchBistro to be exceptionally intuitive. Source: Tech.co testing

Most suitable for:

• Hotels after a low learning curve
• Businesses content with a relatively simple tablet-based setup
• Hotels serious about keeping track of their performance

Less suitable for:

• Hotels after a physical POS terminal
• Hotels that require retail-specific POS features
• Businesses looking to get started for free

TouchBistro pricing

TouchBistro pricing starts at $69 per month for the software, with add-ons available for everything from gift cards and marketing to loyalty and reservations. The pricing is fairly standard for this kind of functionality, matching the paid plans of Lightspeed and Toast exactly.

TouchBistro will generate digital, interactive copies of bills you can edit and then print. Source: Tech.co testing

TouchBistro does not offer a free plan, which can be a bit of a bummer, but as a hotel, free plans are typically a bit too limited to handle everything you’d need a modern POS for.

If you like TouchBistro, you may also like…

• Clover, if you prioritise ease of use, but want a slightly more sophisticated hardware setup
• Square, if you’re happy with a simple tablet-based set up and want to avoid monthly fees

Which Hotel POS System is Best for Your Business?

The ideal hotel POS system will depend on a number of factors, including the type of establishment you run, its size, your budget, and your unique business goals.

Smaller lodgings like B&Bs, inns, hostels, and motels may be better off opting for iPad and tablet-friendly POS systems like Talech with affordable monthly plans. This way, managers can access all the POS features they need, while keeping hardware and software costs to a minimum low as possible.

Resort-style hotels that offer a range of facilities like restaurants, bars, spas, and gift shops would be best suited to a system with industry-specific packages, like Vend and Square. With these systems, each part of your business can benefit from a tailored set of POS features, and your company data can be centralized into a streamlined system.

Finally, larger hotels and chains would be better off seeking advanced management and business growth tools like employee management, personalized loyalty programs, and performance-tracking software. Systems that offer these capabilities, like NCR Aloha and Lightspeed, help to reduce unnecessary admin while making it easier for hoteliers to keep an eye on their bottom line, saving valuable time and money as a result.

Need to upgrade how you communicate with customers? Check out our guide to hotel phone systems.

How Did We Compare Hotel POS Systems?

Not every POS system can meet the needs of hotels. So, to make sure this page only contains accurate recommendations, our research team has created a unique research framework for ranking hotel POS systems.

First, we identified the 16 POS systems on the market. Then we researched and tested them, focusing on the following categories:

• Software: Here we assessed the quality of the POSs’ software features, specifically paying attention to capabilities that would be useful to hotels like booking and reservation tools.
• Hardware: We analyzed the strengths of each POS’s hardware setup – identifying if they offer their own terminal, and assessing the quality of their hardware accessories.
• Ease of use: We tested the POS systems out to measure how user-friendly a product’s software and hardware were. Here, we focused on metrics like error rates, overall ease of navigation, and the aesthetics of the visual display.
• Pricing: Here we assessed the provider’s overall value offering by logging the price of its average plan, as well as the presence of a free version.
• Help and support: We looked for various support functions like live chat, 24/7 support, and robust knowledge centers.
• Customer satisfaction: We took the aggregate score from customer review sites like Trustpilot and TrustRadius to understand how popular the POS systems were among their customers.

After collecting the relevant data, our research team gave each POS system a score out of five as well as an overall ranking that prioritized features more important to hotels. We then used these scores to gain a clearer overview of each provider’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as how they compare side by side.

Interested in learning more about how we make our verdicts? You can read our full research process here.