This post is based on a series of conversations we’ve had with boutique hotel businesses considering a custom software solution.
A common request from boutique hotel business owners is to help them enable their online presence through the major aggregators like Hotels.com and Booking.com.
This post is a case study outlining a custom build scoping exercise we ran for a customer in this industry.
Industry-Specific Platforms & Terms
Property Management Systems (PMS)
The specific inquiry involved a boutique hotel who already has a Property Management Systems (PMS), which is software that helps manage inventory, customer booking intake, and other hotel operations.
Online Travel Agents (OTAs)
The objective of this inquiry was to connect to online hotel booking sites, which are known as Online Travel Agents (OTAs). Websites like Hotels.com, Booking.com, and even AirBnB are OTAs, and they each have their own API integrations and requirements for submitting your hotel listing.
Channel Managers
In order to synchronize their listings across OTAs with consistent listings and pricing, many hotel owners turn to Channel Managers (SiteMinder is an example of this), which can integrate with PMSs. For many single-property operators, direct integration with large aggregators like Hotels.com isn’t always available or practical without going through a proven technology partner such as a Channel Manager or working out a corporate-level partnership.
Scoping a Custom Software Solution
The first question our team asks when approaching any custom build project is:
Does a solution already exist on the market?
If an off-the-shelf option already solves the core problem, it’s often the best place to start. Mature tools tend to be faster to implement, cheaper to maintain, and easier to support over time because their edge cases, integrations, and failure modes have already been tested in the real world.
A custom software build usually makes sense only when those existing tools introduce constraints that materially limit how the business operates or scales.
However, in many cases, our customers have specific requirements or operate in markets that make it difficult for them to use off-the-shelf options.
Here’s the customer context behind this case study:
They operate in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) market, they don’t have a Channel Manager, and they wish to connect with multiple OTAs.
The essential scope of a custom software build is: “Provide a solution that connects my PMS with various OTAs”.
Their geographical presence is important.
While major Channel Managers are prevalent in North America, this does not necessarily mean they operate in the APAC market, offer a localized language UI, or integrate with country specific PMSs.
Options like SiteMinder advertise a number of integrations to world-wide platforms, but these are likely to be global platforms instead of market-specific ones like our inquiring customer has.
In this case, their PMS was not supported, and we were contracted to bridge this gap.
There are two options we can take:
Option 1
We assist the customer in migrating their PMS & data to a global platform that supports major Channel Manager integrations. This is not preferred as it changes the user experience for the customer and there is a risk when migrating data. Data loss, customer retention, dissatisfaction with the new platform. None of which are ideal.
Option 2
We develop an API integration layer between the customer’s PMS and a Channel Manager. Many Channel Managers advertise their public API documentation to encourage integrations, which is why they are able to advertise so many integrations (for instance, SiteMinder advertises SiteConnect | SiteMinder APIs).
This is the preferred option.
To fulfill this option, we would deploy a back-end only application that synchronizes data between the customer’s PMS and the Channel Manager by interfacing to both services. This may be a combination of subscriptions to server endpoints and webhooks to receive event-based pushes from the client:
With a custom-built interface layer, the customer would be able to maintain both their current user experience while also reaching a global audience with well-known OTAs like Hotels.com.
When Custom Software Makes Sense
This case study highlights a common pattern we see across custom build inquiries.
In this case, off-the-shelf options fell short because they were designed for a different market context. Regional availability, language support, and compatibility with local systems created real constraints.
Rather than forcing a platform migration or accepting long-term tradeoffs, a narrowly scoped integration layer allowed the customer to preserve their existing workflows while extending their reach across global booking platforms. The result was a solution that addressed the specific gap without introducing unnecessary complexity or operational risk.
This is typically where custom work delivers the most value, serving as a connective tissue between systems that weren’t built to work together.
If you’re evaluating a custom software build and trying to understand whether it’s truly warranted, this kind of scoping exercise is often the most important first step. It helps clarify where existing tools end, where constraints begin, and what level of custom work is actually justified.
Evaluating a custom software solution? Want help scoping what’s necessary versus what’s not? Already have a project in mind? Get in touch with us through our onboarding form.