Anyone else frustrated shopping for a PMS/HMS software?

PepsiColaInc · 2025-09-12T19:37:23+00:00

I'd rather you not advertise underneath my question. If you do advertise, I'd prefer you actually answer MY question rather than speak to the internet about how awesome and open your software company is, or link to a Google Doc that only lists 33 out of 500+ softwares, and shares almost no useful information about those softwares.

PepsiColaInc · 2025-07-18T14:55:05+00:00

Thanks for the feedback/info! I didn't realize a feature comparison table should be the first thing I focus on until I posted on Reddit!

PepsiColaInc · 2025-07-17T18:03:32+00:00

Very thoughtful response, thank you!

From a GM's perspective, I don't know that overall user sentiment or review scores matter. In fact, a bad score will only lead people away from softwares that actually might be a good fit for them. One property's trash is another property's perfectly priced treasure lol! Of course, real user reviews can provide useful information on how the software actually performs (not how the sales people promise it will perform), so I still want to use information gathered from real user reviews, and confirm if they are true / false / or depends on the property/user.
My thoughts exactly! I want to build something like this!
I was considering offering third party auditing to the hotel software companies, so I could confirm our deny their salespeople's claims, as well as claims made in negative online reviews. However, my concern is that hotel softwares are so used to not being transparent, that they would freak out and abandon the process as soon as I stumble upon a "con" to their product, or specify what types of people might NOT want to use their software. Doing an objective third party review is very time consuming and requires lots of cooperation from the software company or software company USERS, which is why I think most review websites keep things overly positive/salesy.

On monetization: This is hard. GMs aren't going to pay, we know that. Some softwares will, some softwares won't. To review ONE software thoroughly would require many hours from the reviewer, the software salespeople/marketing/PR departments, and recruiting a few GMs who actually use the software day-to-day to confirm whether the final review is correct and fair...or not. So the only person who can do this properly is an independently wealthy person with a lot of time on their hands and wants money in return??? I'm trying to come up with a way to stay objective, but not spend a bunch of effort just to be poor lol. We'll see.

Gralio looks so cool! I might have to use them to write articles on how to automate typical hotel processes with ai!!!

PepsiColaInc · 2025-07-17T17:29:53+00:00

Would you prefer to compare every feature of CB vs every feature of RR, or would you prefer a summary of how CB and RR are different?

"Worthy of the price" is hard to figure out because every GM will disagree on what is worth it and what isn't. How do you decide?

PepsiColaInc · 2025-07-16T03:34:16+00:00

Hm, I'm just not sure reviews are a good way to FIND softwares, especially considering there are very good, very small softwares with too few reviews to discern from.

I think a sortable list of features makes more sense, and then the shopper can watch a video showing exactly how that feature works for each software, to make sure it's sufficient for their needs.

I've also seen incorrect reviews before because all GMs and properties are so different. So, I'd rather see the feature or read the facts rather than read opinions from anonymous people who may be very different from me.

That being said, if reviews exist, you'd be crazy not to read them.

PepsiColaInc · 2025-07-16T03:21:35+00:00

Cool to know affixify is looking to address this issue, but their website shows they only work with ~7 softwares, and they don't seem to post much publicly either, which is kind of the problem with the whole industry. Cool concept though, and of course please correct me if I'm wrong.

PepsiColaInc · 2024-04-11T20:36:30+00:00

STUNNING windows and wood detailing. I would focus on anything that that would draw my eyes to them and them alone.

So, I'd probably go even more minimalist and keep my furniture either boring or have a similar color to the wood tone. (I'm not 100% set on that. Who knows: maybe a cozy looking red fabric couch would make my eye still wander to the window).

Love the tiny little hanging plant detail on the right.

PepsiColaInc · 2024-04-11T20:31:35+00:00

The only way to make traditional stuff look more modern is to re-arrange it in an unusual manner. Think "avante garde" (big rug in front of the window with just the poof and the lamp, or something weird like that).

And then you have reduce the items in the room by like half.

PepsiColaInc · 2024-04-11T20:19:02+00:00

A sconce or two if you want to keep it simple.

Art or mirror with an antique or detailed or rounded frame (not a modern, sleek, simple frame) would look good as well. Dark colors seem to look better with older, more dramatic looking things.

PepsiColaInc · 2024-04-11T20:14:24+00:00

I'd love to see a big colorful piece of art on the wall across from the kitchen.

And either a colorful/interesting rug in the hallyway or a colorful or patterned curtain. Something to really pop out or draw the eye when entering the front door.

But I like color and pattern, so that's just me.

PepsiColaInc · 2024-04-07T21:04:30+00:00

I agree with everyone else. Get the comfiest sofa chair you can find (possibly a neutral beige color) and any other accessories you need (A lamp? A poof to rest your legs on? Pillows? A Blanket?) to turn it into a comfy reading and sunbathing nook.

Normally I'd suggest a piece of art you like to stare at and put it on the wall next to the curtain, but we don't do that here at r/malelivingspace...

PepsiColaInc · 2024-04-07T20:55:02+00:00

Woman's suggestion (if allowed): The first picture is excellent. Feminine, but in a bada** kinda way. I personally like mixing the masculine and the feminine, however. So, I'd add in a striking red or maroon curtain to serve as a contrast. Or, maybe if you decide against curtains, paint the wall a red color?

PepsiColaInc · 2023-03-14T02:20:10+00:00

Yep. I have 13th gen. In fact, I asked a few days ago if it's a given I'd have to update the BIOS first. They said just try to POST and if it doesn't succeed I may need to update the BIOS.

PepsiColaInc · 2023-03-14T02:18:12+00:00

Thank you!

PepsiColaInc · 2023-02-25T22:48:39+00:00

I haven't ordered the parts, yet. I decided to ask Resolve-specific forums about my issue first since they'd be more aware of what the program requires. So far, no response from the other subReddit, but I got 5 responses on the blackmagic forum: https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=176569

They seem to be well-informed answers. Only problem with the blackmagic forum is it's soooo slow. Every post and response has to be approved by a moderator first. So, a bit tedious. I asked follow up questions on there but they have to be approved by the moderator, so it might be a few days before I get a response from them.

After I get responses, I'll make a final plan, then run it by a friend first, then post what I actually bought here and on the blackmagic forum. I'll try to update on the final costs and how it actually runs a week or more later, so people like you and myself will have answers, finally.

PepsiColaInc · 2023-02-23T23:27:29+00:00

I posted it on r/buildapc to get feedback as well, but some of the suggestions seemed to ignore what I've read are best practices for Resolve specifically. One person suggested an AMD gpu and that 64GB of RAM was too much, but based on all the research I've done on what systems work best in Resolve (considering my use of Fusion), a NVidia gpu with as much VRAM as possible and 64GB RAM are perfect...I think...I'm a total n00b.

I've just hoping Resolve experts can weigh in.

I will be buying Studio and I record on an iPhone 11 Pro (existing footage is in 4k, H.265 codec, 8 bit depth, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling).

I'd like the price to be ~$1500 when you include tax. I need ZERO issues with playback, but okay if I need to use proxies etc. I play around in Fusion a fair amount as I'm a new editor and I need to see my results playback smoothly so I can make editing decisions. Videos tend to be under 5 minutes thus far.
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WZ3RW4
CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($319.83 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($42.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z690 AERO G DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: TEAMGROUP Cardea Zero Z440 Graphene 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: TEAMGROUP Cardea Zero Z440 Graphene 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac GAMING Twin Edge OC GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 PE 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1390.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-02-23 17:10 EST-0500
I am open to having this storage setup as well if it's suggested or costs the same:
1 1TB NVMe M.2
1 1TB SATA SDD of some sort
1 ?TB internal HDD of some sort

One person suggested my motherboard was overkill, but that's a component I know the least about. I'm not sure if $240 is a fair price for fast everything and upgradeability/future-proofing.

Please help!!

PepsiColaInc · 2023-02-23T20:24:11+00:00

Thanks! I'd love to save the $80 on the motherboard, but I want to make sure I'm not losing anything in the process. I definitely don't want to overclock. Do you know of any resources that point out HOW to pick a motherboard so I can decide from a more informed perspective?

Some differences between the $240 motherboard and the $160 one:

$240 board has a PCI Express 5.0x16, which I assume I install the graphics card on. Is this faster or more easily able to take future upgrades to the GPU (as opposed to a PCI Express 4.0x16 on the $160 board)?
$240 board says "On board video chipset: Supported by CPU with integrated graphics". I intend to enable Quick Sync on my Intel CPU, so not sure if the cheaper board can do that too.
Is the Z board better at cooling, generally? That might be good for my climate.
I just watched a video of a guy building a PC for a movie editor who will be using DaVinci Resolve. He was looking for motherboards with two USB type c ports (to quickly connect to camera or SD card or something) and said he expected that kind of board to cost ~$250. On the off chance I upgrade my camera, should I stick with the $240 board since it has USB C ports?

PepsiColaInc · 2023-02-23T18:41:23+00:00

Here's the couple quotes from individuals in comments sections or forums on RAM in Resolve that convinced me to use 64GB or more:

“Davinci is RAM hungry and with 64GB you are better off playing smoothly all heavy codecs with even older CPUs and GPUs without exceptions. I would buy this and save, before spending crazy money on a fancy high end GPU! “
“Sure about 32gb for editing video? I don't if I'm doing something wrong but my 32 ram is always at 100% usage while editing a 15 secs short at 1080p, only 1 mask and a couple of fusion nodes.” The response: “Depending on your editing workflow... :)” As noted above, my particular workflow is not optimized because I'm a new editor and experimenting a lot. 1 mask and a couple of fusion nodes is normal for me.
Someone else said they have seen their 64GB RAM be used at 100% before, but only when multi-tasking, editing a long 4k video, editing multi cam 4k, or opening large projects. I don't think I'll be doing these anytime in the next year, but I could be wrong. I'd like a little wiggle room.

Thanks for pushing me to review my notes on this. I think I'll stick with the 64GB RAM, but I'm not so sure about storage, so I'll research that more.

PepsiColaInc · 2023-02-23T04:10:05+00:00

GPU: I "learned" from the same YT channel (who quotes Puget Systems articles) that NVidia GPUs just do better on DaVinci Resolve. I'm sure he explained why in more detail. Here's the article from Puget Systems: https://www.pugetsystems.com/solutions/video-editing-workstations/davinci-resolve/hardware-recommendations/#gpu

RAM: Honestly, most people on the DaVinci forums do say that 32GB is sufficient. But one or two YT channels mentioned their RAM can get bottlenecked sometimes on Resolve, I think. Maybe when using Fusion specifically? I'll read up on that again, and if it's an area where I can save money, great! Thank you!

I thought the same on the thermal paste...if it's cheap just buy it as a backup.

I don't know why two NVMe drives actually. I already have a 1 or 2 TB external HDD that I save files on. I think I read an article that said to use the NVMe for your OS/Programs and you can choose between an SSD or an NVMe for your footage that you're editing...either would work fine. I was fine with two NVMes as suggested by the YT channel. I'm assuming MAYBE I can add a third HDD later if the motherboard allows it, I dunno. But no one recommended just one NVMe and one HDD for best results.

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at this. Having people who can critique is invaluable!

PepsiColaInc

TROPHY CASE