Reservation systems...

[Tdblanchard]

I’ve searched the forums and not a lot has been said recently about which reservation systems offer the best packages/pricing. It seems like the general consensus is that Res Nexus and Reservation Key are the two front runners.
i noticed that Res Nexus has some great “Techy” features like the keyless locks, text messaging guests, etc.
Are there any other contenders out there that might be rising to the top?
I was a web developer for over a decade so I tend to lean more toward cutting edge tech...
That said, we’re not trying spend too much time configuring things (unless it’s to create a ton of automation).
What have folks found to be the best platform?

 

[Arks]

I've used and loved Reservation Key for years.It does everything I need at a good price. A lot of people just starting with a system are using ThinkReservations because it has a lot of modern bells and whistles, but it's a little more expensive.

 

[gillumhouse]

I was an early user of ReservationKey and it has everything I need and more AND is affordable for my 3-rooms. I just had to add my City's 1% sales tax and it was easy. I can change things as needed and customize my correspondence. I love it.

 

[Baygirl]

Highly recommend Reservation Key. John the owner is wonderful and they have great customer service.

 

[Momma Smurf]

Reservation Key!

 

[Morticia]

Working from the few things you’ve said what I would look at is ease of setup — reservation key is pretty much ‘build it yourself so it does what you need.’ You are supplied with the building blocks and video tutorials and there’s a decent forum. You can test drive it for free for a month. Gives you an idea of what it can do for you
Pro: inexpensive, can connect to multiple OTA’s, can be setup so every different place you list your reservation calendar is a different url so you really know where traffic comes from, continual improvements and additions, can be fully automated to take the reservation, charge the credit card, send different emails for different types of reservations.
Con: the build it yourself part (which can also be a pro if you like to do that sort of thing). Does not do key cards or texting to guests.
Think Reservations is another small company but they do more of the setup piece with/for you. Can be pricey if you want to connect to lots of OTA’s and do online payments. From what I’ve heard they have excellent phone help.
The only other system I have used shut down.
You might want to check with your state innkeeping association to see if they’ve put together a comparison chart.