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A hotel phone system must support guests, office staff and receptionists. This infrastructure usually requires particular features such as extension-to-extension dialing, call forwarding and automated interactive voice response (IVR). We researched and compared over 20 cloud phone platforms to determine today’s best hotel phone systems.
RingCentral is our top choice for a hotel phone system due to its easy management, customer relationship management (CRM) integrations and call-routing tools. However, other voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) systems also make good choices such as Zoom for its value or Dialpad for its detailed analytics. In our list below, we outline our choices for the 10 best hotel phone systems of 2024.
Featured Partners
1
RingCentral
$20 per user, per month (paid annually)
Yes
200 monthly SMS per user, 1 cent per SMS after
2
Zoom
$10 per user per month, $15 unlimited calling
U.S. and Canada
Unlimited in the U.S. and Canada
3
Dialpad
$27 per user per month
Your country, the U.S. and Canada
250 monthly SMS per user, 8 cents per SMS after
Our scores above reflect the careful testing and comparison of 20 top VoIP phone systems. We examined each software’s interface, user experience and features, assigning the heaviest weight to those that would provide the greatest benefit to hospitality companies. We then used our rubric with the criteria below to evaluate, score and rank the providers in our list.
Here are the general criteria we considered when ranking the best hotel phone systems:
| Decision Factor | Scoring Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 44% | We looked for important phone-system features such as extensions, IVR menus, high-volume SMS, CRM integrations, etc. |
| Value | 25% | Not just a software’s price, but its “bang for your buck.” We considered the overall price value in relation to the features, user experience, calling, texting and integrations you get on each plan. |
| Expert Score | 20% | Our expert writers have tested and studied VoIP phone systems for years. Their opinion on the product’s features, value and ease of use had a substantial impact on scoring. |
| Customer Support | 6% | It’s essential to be able to connect with your provider whenever you need help—with setup, maintenance or something else. We looked at the channels, self-help options and support availability for each hotel phone system. |
| Hotel-Specific Features | 5% | We factored in hotel-specific features such as quick-dialing capabilities and direct call forwarding. |
Read More: How We Test VoIP Phone Systems
A hotel phone system is a communication technology that enables hotel staff and guests to make voice calls. Since cloud-based VoIP systems generally offer extensions and IVR alongside easy setup and virtual maintenance, most hotels have switched their phone system from landline to VoIP.
However, beyond the fully cloud-based VoIP systems we listed above, some VoIP providers offer hybrid and on-premises infrastructures. These VoIP providers—such as Mitel, Grandstream and Avaya—are cost-effective and enable hotels to provide guest rooms with minimal calling capabilities. These hybrid on-premises systems are worth looking into if you want your guests to be able to call only the front desk.
When choosing a phone system for your hotel, it’s important to find a platform with the features and communication channels your staff and guests require. Next, consider factors including each platform’s interface and usability, customer support and overall reputation among users.
A hotel VoIP phone system typically relies on an IVR menu, basic call management tools and phone-line extensions. However, many hotels also utilize extra features such as SMS, CRM software integrations and team collaboration channels.
Here’s a look at the key features to prioritize for your hotel phone system.
Your VoIP platform must be easy for administrators, managers, staff and guests to use. A phone system’s interface must enable users to easily make calls, answer inbound calls and transfer active calls to other users. Supervisors must be able to manage staff members’ phone numbers, guest extensions and IVR call flows.
Further, the VoIP system should be easy to implement, with a streamlined and guided process for purchasing new numbers and assigning them to users. Look for a phone system with desktop and mobile apps that are visually appealing and comfortable to use. Check out the dashboard, messaging screen and active call interface to make sure that all the tools feel intuitive.
Since telephony plays a critical role in hotel communications, it’s essential that you can contact your provider’s customer support through multiple channels. Support agents can assist with issues including setup, software integration, demonstrating how to use certain features and working through service outages.
Ideally, your business phone system includes 24/7 live customer support by phone, live chat and email.
When choosing a phone system, it’s helpful to learn from users’ experiences and reviews, such as those posted on review sites. Reviewing a software’s overall score and commonly used phrases can be helpful in confirming your top choice.
Further, a higher number of recent online reviews tends to indicate that a product is popular and more likely to be actively updating its software.
| Company | Starting Monthly Price (monthly plan) | Starting Monthly Price (annual plan) | VoIP Phone (one-time cost) | Additional Taxes and Fees | Total Cost per Month (25 lines) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RingCentral | $30.00 per user | $20.00 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $865 |
| Dialpad | $27.00 per user | $15.00 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $790 |
| Nextiva | $35.00 per user | $30.00 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $990 |
| Zoom | $10.00 per user | $10.00 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $365.00 + per-minute calling rates |
| Aircall | $40.00 per user | $30.00 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $1,115 |
| net2phone | $22.99 per user | $27.99 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $690 |
| VirtualPBX | $11.00 per user | $21 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $390 |
| Vonage | $19.99 per user | $13.99 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $615 |
| Avaya Cloud Office | $25.00 per user | $20.00 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $740 |
| Ooma | $19.95 per user | $19.95 per user | $40.00 | Roughly $5.00 per user | $615.00 |
With taxes, the average VoIP system costs $30 monthly per user (or per line). Remember that if you don’t currently have VoIP-compatible phones in each guest room, you will also need to pay a one-time cost of roughly $40 per room for phones.
This monthly rate includes a virtual number for each user, unlimited domestic calling, an allotment of SMS texts, desktop and mobile apps, IVR menus and team collaboration channels such as chat and video.
However, many hotels don’t want these advanced features and just want basic front-desk calling for hundreds of rooms. In this case, some VoIP providers offer high-volume discounts or cheaper rates if you only want to enable guest rooms to call the front desk. If you prioritize low-cost and basic calling capabilities, you will find the cheapest option with an on-premises system, or a low-cost option from our list such as Zoom or VirtualPBX.
Featured Partners
1
RingCentral
$20 per user, per month (paid annually)
Yes
200 monthly SMS per user, 1 cent per SMS after
2
Zoom
$10 per user per month, $15 unlimited calling
U.S. and Canada
Unlimited in the U.S. and Canada
3
Dialpad
$27 per user per month
Your country, the U.S. and Canada
250 monthly SMS per user, 8 cents per SMS after
A hotel phone system provides a phone line to each staff member and guest room, connected by a call distribution system. Typically, each guest room has its own extension, which branches from a primary hotel line. Each hotel staff member may have an extension or their own phone number.
Some hotel phone systems allow guests to make and receive calls to external numbers, while some restrict each room’s calling capabilities.
Yes, many hotels today use VoIP phone systems instead of landline telephony. Some hotels use on-premises VoIP systems with analog phones in each room, while others place VoIP desk phones in each room and connect them with a cloud-based system.
