SkyTouch alternative for independent hotels, inns and motels with a published price
Innkeeper is a SkyTouch alternative for US independent hotels, inns, motels and B&Bs with 4 to 80 rooms that want to see the price before a sales call. SkyTouch Hotel OS is priced per room by quote across its Basic, Independent and Enterprise packages, with directory figures starting anywhere from about $200 to $600 a month and onboarding reported at $1,000 to $5,000. Innkeeper costs $49, $149 or $499 a month by room count, with channel sync, the booking engine, invoices and the housekeeping board included and no setup fee.
Open the front desk now instead of booking a SkyTouch consultation
Every SkyTouch package on its pricing page ends in a free consultation button, and directories report no self-serve trial. Innkeeper's front desk opens in your browser right now. Replay a busy weekend at a 12-room roadside hotel, drag a stay to another room on the tape chart and switch channel sync off and on to watch the conflict check stop a double booking.
- Tape chart with 6, 8 or 12 room layouts and drag and drop between rooms
- Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and direct bookings on one calendar
- Housekeeping board and invoice preview for every stay, on every plan
Innkeeper vs SkyTouch Hotel OS at a glance
SkyTouch Technology is the hotel software division Choice Hotels launched in 2013, built on the web PMS Choice first wrote for its economy franchisees. Hotel Tech Report lists 123 reviews averaging 4.4, about 200 staff and 51 integrations, with most reviewers in the United States. SkyTouch does not publish prices, so check every line below against your own quote.
| What you compare | Innkeeper | SkyTouch Hotel OS |
|---|---|---|
| How price is set | Published, one price per property by size band | Per room, quote after a consultation (SkyTouch pricing page) |
| Starting price | $49 a month, or $24 a month paid yearly | From about $200 a month (ITQlick) to $600 a month (Hotel Tech Report) |
| Setup or onboarding | No setup fee on any plan | $1,000 to $5,000 onboarding reported (ITQlick) |
| Packages | Inn, Hotel, Boutique, Group, all listed with prices | Basic, Independent, Enterprise, no prices shown |
| Channel manager | Two-way sync included on every plan | Two-way channel distribution, SiteMinder connectivity to 450+ channels (Hotel Tech Report) |
| Booking engine | Included, commission free | Listed as a feature, direct bookings often run through web partners (RoomMaster) |
| Housekeeping board | Included on every plan | Housekeeping and maintenance included |
| Night audit | Included on Hotel, Boutique and Group | Automated night audit included |
| Support | Email on Inn, priority email above | 24/7 support and SkyTouch University training |
| How you see it | Live demo, no account or call needed | Consultation and demo with sales |
SkyTouch figures come from its pricing page, Hotel Tech Report, ITQlick, GetApp and RoomMaster and may differ from your quote. Every Innkeeper plan is on our hotel PMS pricing page, and the monthly cost at four property sizes is in our SkyTouch pricing article.
Why hoteliers look for a SkyTouch alternative
SkyTouch is easy to learn, and reviewers say new front desk staff pick it up in a shift. The reasons owners compare other systems are mostly about price visibility and the weight of a system built for franchise hotels.
No price until the consultation
The pricing page lists three packages with the same long feature list and one button, free consultation. Directories cannot agree on a starting figure: ITQlick says $200 a month, Hotel Tech Report says $600. An owner with 14 rooms cannot tell which number applies until sales calls back.
Onboarding fees on top of the subscription
ITQlick reports onboarding at $1,000 to $5,000. For a 20-room inn that is up to a full year of Innkeeper's Hotel plan paid yearly, spent before the first booking. Ask SkyTouch for the onboarding line in writing and whether data migration is part of it.
A system shaped by franchise hotels
SkyTouch grew out of choiceADVANTAGE, the system Choice franchisees run, and its feature list includes a central reservation system, point of sale and enterprise administration. That is useful for a branded hotel or a group. A country inn or a 10-room B&B pays for that depth whether it uses it or not. Our small hotel management software page shows the lighter daily routine.
Updates and outages at the wrong hour
Hotel Tech Report reviewers mention updates that land during check-in hours, glitches, and phone holds of 30 to 60 minutes on busy days. Capterra reviewers add that there is no offline mode when the internet drops. Ask any vendor, including us, when updates ship and how you work through an outage.
Where SkyTouch is the better pick
Be fair about it. SkyTouch has 24/7 phone support, an automated night audit on every package, point of sale, a central reservation system and 51 integrations including Duetto, M3 and Canary. For a branded or soft-branded hotel, a property above 80 rooms or a group that wants enterprise reporting, it is the stronger fit. Stay and use this page to check your renewal quote.
How to move from SkyTouch to Innkeeper
-
01
Export reservations and guests
Export future reservations, guest profiles and open folios from SkyTouch, and keep your OTAs connected there until the move is finished.
-
02
Import and check the tape chart
Upload the files to Innkeeper. Future stays land on the tape chart with guest, dates, room and total, so you can spot any gap before you switch.
-
03
Connect channels and the booking engine
Connect Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Google in Innkeeper and place the booking engine on your website so direct bookings arrive without a commission.
-
04
Switch over after a night audit
Run your last SkyTouch night audit, disconnect the OTAs, confirm the next 90 nights of availability match, then give notice under your SkyTouch agreement.
Who should pick Innkeeper, and who should stay on SkyTouch
Innkeeper fits owner-run independent hotels, motels, country inns and B&Bs in the US from 4 to 80 rooms that sell on two or more OTAs and want one published monthly price with no setup fee. The inn management software page shows how an inn runs it day to day.
Stay on SkyTouch if you fly a brand flag, need a central reservation system or point of sale, run more than 80 rooms, or rely on round-the-clock phone support. A switch costs a few evenings of work, so make it when both the fit and the yearly bill are clearly better.
SkyTouch alternative questions
What is a good alternative to SkyTouch for an independent hotel?
For a US independent hotel, motel or inn under 80 rooms, a good SkyTouch alternative is a cloud PMS with a published monthly price, channel sync and housekeeping included and no setup fee. Innkeeper does this from $49 a month for up to 10 rooms. Other systems hoteliers compare are RoomMaster, RoomKey, innRoad and Cloudbeds.
How much does SkyTouch Hotel OS cost per month?
SkyTouch does not publish prices. Its pricing page describes a per-room model across Basic, Independent and Enterprise packages. ITQlick lists a start of about $200 a month, Hotel Tech Report about $600 a month, and ITQlick reports onboarding at $1,000 to $5,000. Your quote depends on rooms and add-ons.
Is SkyTouch owned by Choice Hotels?
SkyTouch Technology was launched by Choice Hotels International as a separate division that sells its cloud PMS to hotels inside and outside the Choice system. Choice franchisees use choiceADVANTAGE, which runs on the same platform. Independent hotels buy SkyTouch Hotel OS directly from SkyTouch.
Does SkyTouch have a channel manager?
Yes. SkyTouch lists two-way channel distribution management in every package, and Hotel Tech Report describes SiteMinder connectivity to more than 450 channels. Innkeeper includes its own two-way channel sync with Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Google on every plan at no extra charge.
Can I switch from SkyTouch without losing reservations?
Yes. Export future reservations and guest profiles from SkyTouch, import them into the new PMS, connect your OTAs there, and only then disconnect them from SkyTouch. Check the next 90 nights of availability in both systems and collect card details again for future stays before you give notice.
Innkeeper plans for hotels leaving SkyTouch
No setup fee, no fee per booking, no per-room surcharge and no contract. Full details on the hotel PMS pricing page.
See the whole price before anyone calls you
Create your account, import your reservations and run every channel and the housekeeping board from one calendar at one published price.