Travel · head to head
Stayntouch vs SiteMinder
Stayntouch
Travel
Cloud property management system for independent hotels
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
SiteMinder
Travel
Hotel channel manager and distribution platform
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Stayntouch quote-only pricing scaled by rooms, with no published rates; SiteMinder quote-only pricing scaled by rooms and channels, so comparison requires a sales conversation
- They diverge on capability: Stayntouch covers Mobile check-in, SiteMinder covers Channel manager.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Stayntouch and SiteMinder actually diverge.
| Attribute | Stayntouch | SiteMinder |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Cloud | Web, Cloud |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Travel).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Stayntouch
- Mobile check-in
- Guest self-service
- Cloud PMS
- Open API
- Housekeeping
- Payments
Only in SiteMinder
- Channel manager
- Booking engine
- Wide channel reach
- Rate management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Stayntouch
- Hotels wanting to check guests in away from a fixed desknot SiteMinder
- Properties reducing lobby queuing at peak arrivalnot SiteMinder
- Independents replacing an on-premise PMS with cloudnot SiteMinder
SiteMinder
- Hotels selling across several OTAs that must not double-booknot Stayntouch
- Properties wanting direct bookings alongside OTA distributionnot Stayntouch
- Groups managing rates centrally rather than channel by channelnot Stayntouch
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Stayntouch
- Quote-only pricing scaled by rooms, with no published rates
- Mobile-first depends on property-wide wireless coverage that many older hotels do not have
- A smaller vendor than the major PMS providers, with a narrower integration ecosystem
- Strongest in North America, with less coverage elsewhere
SiteMinder
- Quote-only pricing scaled by rooms and channels, so comparison requires a sales conversation
- A channel manager only, so a property management system is still needed alongside it
- Sync depends on the OTAs at the other end, and their API changes and outages present as your problem
- Setup and channel mapping is more involved than the marketing suggests
Pricing, plan by plan
Stayntouch
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Stayntouch review.
SiteMinder
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the SiteMinder review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Stayntouch if
- You need mobile check-in.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- You also want guest self-service.
Choose SiteMinder if
- You need channel manager.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want booking engine.
Questions people ask
- Is Stayntouch or SiteMinder better?
- Neither clearly leads. Stayntouch starts at On request and SiteMinder at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Stayntouch or SiteMinder?
- Stayntouch starts at On request and SiteMinder at On request.
- Does Stayntouch or SiteMinder run on more platforms?
- Stayntouch runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud. SiteMinder runs on Web, Cloud.
- What is Stayntouch best used for?
- Stayntouch is most often used for hotels wanting to check guests in away from a fixed desk, properties reducing lobby queuing at peak arrival, independents replacing an on-premise pms with cloud. Of those, hotels wanting to check guests in away from a fixed desk and properties reducing lobby queuing at peak arrival are not what SiteMinder is typically brought in for.
- What can Stayntouch do that SiteMinder cannot?
- Stayntouch covers Mobile check-in, Guest self-service, Cloud PMS, Open API. SiteMinder covers Channel manager, Booking engine, Wide channel reach, Rate management.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Stayntouch: What does Stayntouch cost?
Quoted per property by room count; not published.
SiteMinder: What does SiteMinder cost?
It quotes per property based on rooms and channels and does not publish standard rates.
Stayntouch: What does mobile-first actually change?
Check-in happens on a tablet anywhere in the property or on the guest's own phone, rather than at a fixed counter, which changes both queuing and front-desk staffing.
SiteMinder: What does a channel manager actually do?
It keeps rates and availability in step across every booking site, so a room sold on one channel is immediately closed on the others. Without it, double bookings are inevitable.
Stayntouch: What does it need to work well?
Reliable property-wide wireless. A mobile-first PMS is only as good as the network it runs on.
SiteMinder: Is it a full property management system?
No. It handles distribution; reservations, housekeeping and billing still need a PMS.