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Communication is essential in the hospitality industry for guest satisfaction. Over the decades, hotel phone systems have drastically evolved from being a luxury upscale in the early 1900s to being integral to daily operations with the rise of cloud infrastructure. These modern phone systems not only facilitate calls but also integrate with property management and various business tools beneficial in the hotel industry.
Among different hotel phone systems in the market, VoIP is the most popular among hoteliers with its advanced guest-centric functionalities, flexibility, and affordability. Each VoIP hotel phone system offers different plans and features that vary depending on the service provider.
What is a Hotel Phone System?
Hotel Phone System is a telecommunication infrastructure that acts as a central hub for facilitating internal and external communication of a hotel. Internal communication comprises calls between guests and hotel employees as well as calls among employees. On the other hand, external communication includes all calls placed outside the hotel, whether it is with suppliers, potential clientele, or current guests.
In general, it is a network of phones that offers features tailored to the hospitality industry, including auto attendant, room status, and IVR (Interactive Voice Response), which are required to streamline hotel operations.
Importance of VoIP Phone Systems in the Hotel Industry
Phone systems are essential in the hotel industry to enhance the guest experience and improve service. Hotel telephone systems act as a means for guests to reach out to the front desk to query or request any service, whether it is regarding laundry, food, or bar. It also allows staff to reach out to customers if any need arises, including informing them of their stay duration and service delivery. Using the hotel telephone system, hotel owners can improve their service by leveraging the different benefits it provides.
- Professional Brand Image: Customer satisfaction is deeply intertwined with a brand image in the hospitality industry. Phone systems in hotels show the dedication and commitment that you have to customer communication needs. It helps you provide better service, which enhances your hotel’s brand reputation and image.
- Telecommunication Cost Saving: Unlike traditional phone systems, VoIP hotel phone systems provide cost-effective plans that offer a wide range of features. It includes unlimited calling, a unified communication platform, and per-user pricing. By utilizing these features, hotels can save significantly on telecom costs.
- Minimize System Maintenance: The PBX phone system requires hotel owners to be responsible for system maintenance and upgrades. However, with a VoIP system, your service provider will handle all your repairs when your system goes down. A single call to your service provider will minimize the hassle of system maintenance. This will save you time and money.
- Enhance Overall Guest Experience: You can enhance your overall guest experience by utilizing the advanced features of hospitality phone systems. The features include personalized greetings, call forwarding, and a contact center, which will significantly assist in improving operational efficiency with faster response times. It contributes to ensuring a pleasant stay by attending to guests' needs in a timely manner.
- Service Efficiency and Flexibility: The hospitality phone system facilitates service excellence with its advanced tools and features, such as call routing and multiple agents. These features unify your service in a single platform. It assists staff in collaborating more efficiently by optimizing call flow to provide a flexible working environment.
- Advance Communication Feature: VoIP hotel phone systems provide advanced communication features, including group calling, auto attendant, sentiment analysis, and AI voice and contact center. Automated and AI features reduce the staff workload and promptly assist with hotel customer queries 24/7.
- Analytics and Report: Telephone systems for hotels provide you with data insights and analytics reports. This report allows hotel owners to track their staff performance, customer reviews, response times, and the number of calls received/missed. It helps the owner to make informed decisions to improve their operation services and train the staff accordingly.
Criteria for Choosing Hotel Phone Systems
Understanding a hotel phone system's framework, which includes everything from pricing structure and operational ease to future-proofing, is essential when selecting one.
1. Subscription Cost
The pricing structure includes overall upfront and running expenses, monthly subscription costs, and installation fees associated with the phone system. These expenses should justify the prevailing fees in the market, features, and customer support.
2. Usability Ease
A system should be easy to navigate and user-friendly for the satisfaction of both hotel staff and guests. You should assess if the providers have an intuitive system.
3. Employee Training
The level of instructions and training required for employees to operate and manage the system is essential. Consider a hotel telephone phone system that offers free training resources with a user-friendly interface. It will save you time and resources.
4. Features Offered
A specialized hotel telephone system offers a wide range of general and advanced features, including call forwarding, room status updates, wake-up calls, AI receptionist, and auto attendant. The phone system with automated features reduces manual workload and increases operational efficiency.
5. Integration
Your chosen phone system should be able to integrate with your existing hotel systems and technologies, including CRM, PMS, and call accounting software. This integration allows an interconnected guest experience by streamlining operations.
6. Scalability
The hotel phone system must accommodate the growing hotel needs and operations, whether scaling up or down. It includes integrating with new technologies, handling growing capacity, and supporting other requirements.
7. Customer Support
The level of assistance and support provided by your service provider ensures that any issues are addressed in a timely manner to minimize operational downtime in the hotel. It includes responsiveness, technical support, expertise, and availability for customer support.
Best 10 Hotel Phone Systems Ranked in 2024
- Calilio
- Ooma
- RingCentral
- Nextiva
- 8x8
- Phone.com
- Vonage
- Dialpad
- Grasshopper
- Aircall
Analyzing the Top Hotel Phone System
Service Provider Pricing per user / per month Key Features GuaranteeTrial Period Calilio Basic: $12
Business: $28
Enterprise: CustomWeb App
Call Filters
Unified Callbox
Internal Messages
Sentiment Analysis
Bulk SMS Campaigns 14-day money-back guarantee Ooma Essentials: $19.95
Pro: $24.95
Pro Plus: $29.95Hot desking
Online Bookings
CRM Integration
Shared Voicemail Boxes
Virtual Receptionist Scheduling30 days RingCentral Core: $20
Advanced: $25
Ultra: $35Cloud PBX
Contact Center
Call Management
VoIP System Collaboration
Unified Cloud Communications 15 days Nextiva Essentials: $18.95
Professional: $22.95
Enterprise: $32.95Call Recording
Do Not Disturb
Call Forwarding
Busy Lamp Field
Threaded Conversation30 days 8x8 X2: $24
X4: $44 Front Desk Application
Advanced Call Handling
Unlimited Domestic and International Calling
All-in-one voice, video & chat30 days Phone.com Basic: $14.99
Plus: $21.99
Pro: $31.99Live Receptionist
Call Handling Rules
International Dialing
IP Phone Connection
refund within 30 days Vonage Mobile:: $19.99
Premium: $29.99
Advanced: $39.99Call Flip
Business Inbox
Visual Voicemail
Multi-level Auto Attendant
Unlimited SMS and Calling14 days Dialpad Standard: $23
Pro: $35
Enterprise: Contact for pricingSimultaneous Ring
Fully Integrated Caller ID
AI Voice and Contact Center
Advanced Voicemail Features14 days Grasshopper True Solo: $14
Solo Plus: $28
Partner Plan: $46
Small Business: $80VoIP/Wi-Fi Calling
Ruby Receptionist
Desktop + Mobile Apps
Simultaneous Call Handling7 days Aircall Essentials: $30
Professional: $50
Custom planBusiness Text Messages - SMS & MMS
Third-party Integrations
IVR
Call Routing7 days
1. Calilio
Calilio provides the cheapest VoIP plans, starting from $12 per user per month without compromising on quality and functionality. It offers a unified communication solution that enhances collaboration between hotel staff, increasing productivity. Each hotelier has different needs, and Calilio will assess yours to provide custom phone solutions with 24/7 support, enabling you to personalize your guest experience.
Best For: Hotels of all size
Standout features and integrations: Calilio offers unique features, such as a unified call box, automatic call distribution (ACD), chat reminder, and sentiment analysis, which are rarely found among other service providers in the market.
Calilio provides industry-leading integration with different CRM systems and other productive business tools.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Hassle-free setup Reliable 24/7 customer support 1 free US, UK, and Canada local and toll-free number per user | Users may find it challenging to get used to advanced functionalities An extensive range of features causes selection challenges in custom plans |
2. RingCentral
In the hospitality industry, RingCentral is best known for unifying hotel staff and guests' communication with its unified cloud communication platform. It also provides a comprehensive dashboard of your hotel operations, including occupancy levels, room status, and system alerts. In addition, RingCentral supports integrations with property management systems.
Best for: Large hotels with global international chains
Standout features and integrations: RingCentral offers an extensive range of features, including team messaging, HD video and audio conferencing, automatic call distribution (ACD), VoIP system collaboration, and third-party integrations with business tools, such as Office 365, Salesforce, G Suite, and Zendesk. These tools ensure a robust unified solution for better networking with staff and guests in hotel operations.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Easy setup and intuitive user interface Prebuilt 300-plus integrations Operates seamlessly on a multitude of devices, including smartphones, laptops, desktops, and tablet | Pricier compared to other systems in the market Customer service can be improved Offers limited customization on different features |
3. Ooma
Ooma offers an easy-to-manage VoIP hotel telephone system with a feature-rich set delivering efficiency across your communication ecosystem. It provides customized SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions developed explicitly for hospitality. These customized solutions help you deliver a guest-centric personalized experience. Moreover, Ooma provides its brand of VoIP phones with year-round promos like buy one, get one free.
Best For: Small and large-sized hotels looking for a cost-effective system
Standout features and integrations: Ooma Hospitality provides features to automate housekeeping and room status updates, check-in/check-out, wake-up calls, maid room status, and more.
Ooma also has integration with CRM systems and 30+ leading property management systems, including Infor, Maestro, WynGuest, Marriott Full Service, and Opera.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Local and long-distance calls within 50 US states for free 24/7 customer support with white glove installation Reception load-sharing capabilities | Poor security High-tier plans are pricier with limited features Frequent outages disrupting call quality |
4. Nextiva
Nextiva is an AI-driven platform that focuses on customer experience tools. It uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand customer behaviors. NLP helps facilitate hotel guests with better service by allowing self-service, such as processing payment and booking hotel reservations.
Best For: Medium to large hotel with a professional admin setup
Standout features and integrations: Nextiva offers various advanced features, such as caller ID, voicemail, greeting & announcement, threaded conversations, and conversational AI to handle long-distance calls and high volume.
Nextiva also offers 20+ third-party integrations, including Zoho, Salesforce, Zendesk, and HubSpot.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Complete control over different systems aspects, including setting business hours & call flows and assigning numbers Free number porting service Unlimited video calls and internet faxing | Poor call quality Bad mobile interface Lack of international phone number |
5. 8x8
8x8 provides an all-in-one communication space with a range of chat and video solutions. It has a flexible and budget-friendly service plan with unlimited domestic inbound and outbound calls that is ideal for hotel businesses.
Best For: Growing and enterprise-level hotels
Standout features and integrations: 8x8 offers engaging features, such as SMS text messages, public & private streaming on YouTube, advanced call handling, team chat and video calling, and so on.
8x8 supports integrations with up to 47 popular applications, including Slack, Bullhorn, Zoho, and Google Workspace.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
24/7 customer support on all plans Unlimited voice calls up to 14 countries (US, Canada, and more) HD audio and video conferencing for 500 participant | Pricier plan for small business Moderate staff training is required to get used to the interface Limited personalization of system software aspects |
6. Phone.com
Phone.com is an affordable VoIP business phone system for hotels with seasonal surges in booking requests and inquiries with expert support. It provides an address book to sync contacts across all devices, making it easier for hotel owners to contact every department on the go. Phone.com also offers a trained live receptionist who is ready to assist you during peak seasons via phone, chat, or support ticket to enhance customer service.
Best For: Small and mid-sized hotels looking for customizable VoIP phone service
Standout features and integrations: Phone.com comes with standard features, including international calling billed at local US rates, HD voice quality, intuitive account management, dial-by-name directory, fax-from-phone, and personalized greetings.
Phone.com allows integrations with your existing platforms, such as CRMs, marketing, billing, and support functions. However, third-party integrations are limited to four business tools, including Zoho and AllProWebTools.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
It is an inexpensive system with a user-friendly interface and setup Easy mobile app settings configuration Money-back guarantee within 30 days | Limitation in native third-party integrations The added cost for video conferencing, even in a low-tier plan Limitation of screen sharing in mobile app |
7. Vonage
Vonage provides a communication API integration that streamlines hotel operations by allowing communication between various business systems. The hotel API integration helps automate core services for both customers and hotels, including checking in or out, sending reminders to customers about their bookings, and unlocking doors.
Best For: Large hotels with professional IT teams looking to support staff mobility
Standout features and integrations: Voice API and conversational AI stand out the most among Vonage’s numerous features. It allows personalized and automated customer interactions using AI.
Vonage enables integrations with CRM systems, team collaboration tools like Slack, and third-party integrations, including HubSpot, Microsoft 365, Zapier, and Zendesk.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
User-friendly admin website with customizable communications HD call quality Unlimited calling and SMS | Potential issues during sign-up Inconsistent customer support Additional API features require an upgrade to pro plans |
8. Dialpad
Dialpad is a unified cloud communication platform with a built-in AI designed to aid efficiency in your hotel’s workflows. It uses NLP to streamline customer communication. Moreover, Dialpad also offers global coverage, supporting up to 10 office locations.
Best For: Hotels searching for an AI-driven communication platform
Standout features and integrations: The most standout features of Dialpad are Automated Speech Recognition (ASR), AI-powered call routing, and an AI sales center. These AI features assist in automating customer interactions in hotels.
Dialpad integrates with CRM software, including HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho CRM, as well as professional tools like Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Unlimited domestic calls Offers Local numbers in over 70 countries Advanced analytics and reporting | Lack of end-to-end encryption for calls and messages Limited customer support hours Video conferencing is limited to 10 participants in low-tier plans |
9. Grasshopper
Grasshopper provides one of the cheapest VoIP plans, starting at just $14 per month on the market. It is famous for its easy-to-use mobile application with a customer-centric communications system, making it ideal for the hospitality industry.
Best For: Startups, small hotels, and inns with a limited budget
Standout features and integrations: The most standout feature of Grasshopper is Ruby's virtual receptionist, who will attend to your administrative tasks on demand virtually. Grasshopper integrates with Skype and also offers virtual fax, voicemail transcription, and dedicated business lines.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Suitable for small teams Multiple number types: toll-free, vanity Affordable plans with unlimited extensions | Lack of video conferencing No direct integrations with third-party platforms. Constant marketing ads |
To mitigate some of Grasshopper's major problems, there are some major alternatives to Grasshopper that provide a range of services to solve its drawbacks.
10. Aircall
Aircall is a call center software that mainly caters to the hospitality business. Hotels use it to manage customers efficiently as it offers a 360-degree view of guests by integration with CRMs.
Best For: Midsize and large hotels
Standout features and integrations: Aircall offers a wide range of features, including payment & billing, IVR, shared contacts, and sales automation, that is centered on enhancing the overall hotel guest experience.
Aircall easily integrates with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, as well as other business tools like Chorus.Ai, Slack, Voxpay, Zendesk, Shopify, and Intercom.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Easy set up, so it eliminates hiring IT expert 100-plus app integrations Unlimited calls within the US and Canada | Limited functionality in IVR flow Frequent connectivity issues causing bad call quality and jitters Lacks basic call handling and video conferencing. Must use third-party apps to host video meetings |
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Phone System for Your Hotel
With the proliferation of hotel phone systems available in the market, it can be challenging to find a phone system that meets your hotel's unique needs and goals. While each has its own standout feature and integrations, it is necessary to evaluate your options, keeping in mind its compatibility with your current technology, possible integrations, your call volume, and your required hospitality functionalities. Consider a VoIP hotel phone system from a reputable service provider and responsive customer support that matches your unique needs.
To transition to a phone system from the hotel industry from PBX or a traditional phone system, choose Calilio as your service provider. It offers competitive pricing plans even against industry-leading providers without cutting on functionality and quality. Calilio’s advanced features and integrations enhance operational efficiency and guest satisfaction, making it a top pick among hoteliers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do hotels use VoIP?
Hotels use VoIP phone systems due to their cost-effective plan, easy set-up, and robust features, including mobile integration, unlimited calling, auto-attendant, and room status updates, which are specifically beneficial for the hospitality industry.
How does a hotel phone system work?
Hotel phone systems work by leveraging PBX and VoIP networks to integrate with the hotel’s operational system. It allows the management and requests of hospitality operations by interacting with advanced features like IVR menus, room status updates, and many more.
Why do hotels still have phones?
Hotels still have phones because they act as a medium of communication between hotel staff and guests. Guests reach out to hotel authorities in case of emergencies, requesting services, and vice versa.
What does PBX do in a hotel?
In a hotel, a PBX phone system manages internal and external calls by routing them appropriately within a designated department. It also integrates with CRM applications and property management systems to streamline hotel operations.
For which industry Calilio business phone system is suitable?
Calilio offers a business phone system for retail, schools, healthcare, dental and other different industries. The platform of Calilio provides secure and efficient service to different industries with affordable services.
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