BookingCenter

Overview

BookingCenter is a cloud property-management and reservation platform for independent hotels, motels, inns, B&Bs, resorts, and vacation rentals. It suits operators looking to bring bookings, channel connections, guest requests, and payments into one system. Its breadth is appealing, but the Mac desktop option has a firm OS ceiling and the full cost can include a substantial setup charge.

Key features

MyPMS combines front-desk booking management with an interactive availability chart, folio controls, customized messaging, and back-office reports. That mix serves day-to-day lodging operations, while the booking engine’s templates, HTML APIs, and WordPress solutions offer several routes to online reservations.

The channel manager synchronizes rates and availability in both directions and automatically imports bookings across OTA and GDS connections. Connections include Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Airbnb, VRBO, Google Hotels, Sabre, Amadeus, and Travelport. This is a broad set of distribution channels; operators should weigh its value against the monthly and, on one plan, setup costs.

MyGuest adds a mobile-friendly guest concierge and staff request and incident tracking. The AI concierge supports guest communication in 14 languages through SMS, iMessage, and WhatsApp. MyCard is a PCI-compliant payment gateway with EMV and contactless support. The desktop product includes built-in encryption and user-defined access levels.

Developer APIs and a sandbox are available after a developer signs and returns a mutual NDA, a meaningful condition for teams planning custom integrations. BookingCenter also advertises 24/7 support, training, videos, and online manuals.

Pricing

BookingCenter is paid, has no free plan, and offers a free trial. MyPMS has two listed setup options, both with unlimited rooms, 24×7 support, and software upgrades:

• MyPMS Self-Setup: $50 a month (billed $50/month), with no setup fee. This is the lower-cost choice for operators prepared to handle setup themselves.
• MyPMS Concierge Setup: $1,200, paid once (billed $1,200 USD setup and training, then $50/per month). It adds account-representative setup, data transfer, and unlimited training; support and upgrades are included in the monthly fee.

MyPMS offers a full-featured 30-day free trial. The desktop PMS has a separate 45-day free trial. No trial terms beyond those durations are stated.

Platforms

BookingCenter lists Android, iOS, macOS, web, Windows, and API support, with cloud deployment. Its desktop PMS supports Windows and Macintosh OS X, but desktop Mac support ceased after OS X version 10.13. Mac users on newer systems should not treat the desktop option as a fit; the separate platform listing includes macOS, but does not establish desktop support beyond that cutoff.

Who it's for

BookingCenter is best suited to independent lodging operators who need reservation management alongside multi-channel distribution and guest-service tools. The unlimited-room MyPMS plans avoid a stated room cap, while the choice between self-setup and paid concierge onboarding lets operators trade upfront cost for setup and training help. It is a weaker fit for businesses requiring a free plan or desktop Mac support beyond OS X 10.13.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Two-way rate and availability synchronization plus automatic booking imports connect operations with a wide range of OTA and GDS services.
• Pros: MyGuest, multilingual AI concierge messaging, and MyCard extend the product beyond reservations into guest service and payment handling.
• Pros: Both MyPMS plans include unlimited rooms, 24×7 support, and upgrades, and a full-featured 30-day trial is available.
• Cons: There is no free plan, and concierge setup adds a $1,200 USD upfront charge before the $50 monthly fee.
• Cons: Desktop Mac OS X support stops after version 10.13, limiting the desktop choice for newer Mac systems.
• Cons: Developer API and sandbox access requires a signed mutual NDA, adding a step for custom integration work.

Alternatives

Hotel Management software is the broader category to explore when comparing lodging-management options.

• KWHotel is worth considering when a free plan matters: KWHotel Free costs nothing, though feature availability varies by version. It supports Android, iOS, web, and Windows.
• Sirvoy Website Builder has a free web plan at no cost for one room and up to five extras, making it a better starting point for a very small property prioritizing a free option.
• Amenitiz Website Builder may suit operators seeking a web-based system with Android and iOS support; its Sales Pro plan combines a booking engine, online payments, channel manager, PMS, AmenitizPay, and PriceAdvisor.
• Jonas Chorum is another paid option with Android, iOS, and web platforms.
• Mews Accounting is a paid web and API option whose Essentials plan includes Mews PMS and exportable accounting reports, with 24/7 chatbot support.
• RoomKeyPMS Booking Engine is a web booking engine included in onboarding for new RoomKeyPMS clients; it may be the relevant choice for operators already adopting that system.
• ThinkReservations Booking Engine is a web and API option that includes a channel manager, account manager and staff training, and on-demand training.
• HotelFriend offers a paid Android, iOS, and web option combining PMS, channel manager, housekeeping, and payments.

Verdict

Choose BookingCenter if you run an independent lodging property and want reservations, channel distribution, guest-service tools, and payments under one roof, with unlimited rooms on either MyPMS plan. The self-setup plan keeps the listed cost to $50 per month, while concierge onboarding adds a significant upfront fee. Look elsewhere if a free plan is essential or you need desktop Mac support newer than OS X 10.13.