The best PMS for guest houses and B&Bs.
A guest house needs a PMS that one person can run between check-ins and breakfast: a planner that refuses double bookings, breakfast on the bill and M-Pesa or card payments with their reference. Here is what to look for, and how Tivuzo does it as part of one back office.
The best property management system (PMS) for guest houses and B&Bs covers reservations, rates and seasons, the room planner, check-in and check-out, guest folios, housekeeping and the night audit, and handles what is specific to guest houses and B&Bs: a simple planner on a phone or tablet; bed and breakfast posted with each night; extras such as laundry and transfers; payments with their reference. It should share one database with the rest of the back office so nothing is typed twice. Tivuzo includes it with the PMS, POS, procurement, stores and accounting for $13 per user per month.
What guest houses and B&Bs need
A guest house needs a PMS that one person can run between check-ins and breakfast: a planner that refuses double bookings, breakfast on the bill and M-Pesa or card payments with their reference.
- A simple planner on a phone or tablet
- Bed and breakfast posted with each night
- Extras such as laundry and transfers
- Payments with their reference
The full checklist
Beyond the specifics above, any property management system (PMS) for a guest house should have:
| Must have | In Tivuzo |
|---|---|
| Room types, rate plans with seasons and meal plans | ✓ |
| A drag-and-drop planner that refuses double bookings | ✓ |
| Single and group bookings with source, agent and reference | ✓ |
| Check-in with guest ID, room moves and check-out | ✓ |
| Folios with deposits, extras and split billing | ✓ |
| Housekeeping status shared with reception | ✓ |
| A night audit with occupancy, ADR and RevPAR | ✓ |
| Shares data with the rest of the back office | ✓ One database: PMS, POS, procurement, stores, accounting |
Why it should be part of one system
When the PMS is joined to the accounts and stores, every night posted at the audit is already revenue, every bar bill charged to a room is already on the folio, and check-out produces an invoice that the payment matches. Read one system vs separate systems.
What it costs a guest house
At a typical guest house the people who log in are the owner, receptionist and a housekeeper or cook: 3 users, $39 a month or $374.40 a year, with every module included. See pricing.
Read more
The module in detail: hotel pms software. For guest houses and B&Bs: guest house and b&b software, and procurement, inventory and stores, accounting, restaurant and bar pos. PMS for hotels, lodges, safari and tented camps, serviced apartments, boutique hotels. By country: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria, Ghana. Guides: How to choose a hotel PMS, What is a night audit, Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR.
PMS for guest houses and B&Bs: questions
What is the best PMS for a small guest house?
One simple enough for one person, that refuses double bookings, bills breakfast and extras, records mobile money and feeds the accounts.
Is the PMS included in Tivuzo's price?
Yes. Every module is included for $13 per user per month; there are no add-ons and no fees per room.
Does Tivuzo work for small guest houses and B&Bs?
Yes. A guest house pays only for the people who log in; switch on modules as you need them.
Does Tivuzo work with weak internet?
The restaurant and bar tills sell offline and sync later; the rest needs a connection, and light use works on mobile data.
What does Tivuzo not do yet?
No live channel manager, booking engine, door-lock integration, payroll or country e-invoicing links.
Last updated by the Tivuzo team.