Cloudbeds Reviews

“User friendly from day one!

Pros

Right from the beginning it felt very flexible and simple to work with. The hotel management system is really user friendly and getting around the platform came naturally almost immediately.

Cons

One thing that stood out on the downside was that a few of the more advanced reports took a bit more time to customize than I expected. Even so that small inconvenience is outweighed by how user friendly the software is overall.

“Accessible platform for hospitality

Pros

The software felt very easy and user friendly which is impressive given how many features it offers behind the scenes. The way everything works together actually makes operational sense from reservations and channel management to payments and reporting. That cuts down a lot of the usual friction hospitality teams run into when juggling multiple systems.

Cons

A limitation is that payment processing in developing countries still depends on third party integrations and we would rather be able to use the softwares payments directly.

“Helpful support

Pros

Effective to use and genuinely useful in daily work. The platform keeps getting better with ongoing improvements and the customer support team has been helpful whenever needed.

Cons

Something I'd still like to see is better speed since the software can feel a bit slow at times. There are also additional features that would make it even more helpful and reporting could be stronger although it does seem like they're actively working on that.

“Great booking tools!

Pros

Has been an excellent tool overall. The interface looks really good and feels very easy to use. It's also a big plus that customer support is consistently available and getting answers to questions is usually quick and simple. The booking management works very well and the "Whistle for CB" feature is especially useful because it helps me stay connected with guests at all times. On top of that the wide range of channels available through the channel connection adds a lot of value.

Cons

An improvement I'd really like to see is stronger reporting functions. It would be much more helpful if reports could be run with a more detailed and itemized view so managing daily operations becomes easier and more effective.

“costly glitches and constant headaches

Pros

Gives the business a professional appearance and when everything is functioning properly it handles what we need fairly well. There are definitely some strong features in the system when it's working the way it should.

Cons

After all the ongoing changes the platform has become less user friendly and much more complicated than it used to be. Those updates have also made it glitchy and difficult for both admin and staff to use. As a customer of more than five years it's been incredibly frustrating to deal with and at this point I'm not sure it has been worth all the trouble and stress. Oher than that the automatic price increases over the years mean we are now paying too much every month for software that causes daily frustration for both my team and me. The reporting has also become unnecessarily complex and we're not even confident that some of the numbers are accurate. To make matters worse phone support costs extra so customer service feels mediocre at best. Relying on long back and forth email exchanges is clunky and time consuming especially with the number of glitches we've run into because of all these changes.

“constant outages and faulty reports

Pros

It pulls OTA channels and direct bookings into one place which would be useful but the system has too many ongoing outages for it to work reliably.

Cons

Reporting is where it really falls apart. There are a lot of flaws and some reports are so inaccurate that accountants can't even use them. Commission reporting is especially unreliable, showing numbers like 890% instead of the real percentage being charged which makes whole reporting categories basically useless.

“support disappears after setup

Pros

At first the customer service seemed helpful. Once they had my money though it completely fell apart. After that they showed no real interest in helping at all.

Cons

After the initial setup getting in touch with an actual person basically stopped happening. I've never felt this misled by a company before. I've been with them for three years now and I hate it.

“poor fit for latin america

Pros

Web interface is very good and the PMS is excellent. The whole platform is well designed generally with payment methods, customer management and the booking engine integrated nicely. Honestly the interface looks very polished and the customization is quite simple to handle.

Cons

There are several disadvantages here especially for Peru and Latin America in general. I really would not recommend it, it makes more sense to go with other cheaper options. It does not integrate with SUNAT which is terrible, how am I supposed to issue invoices by hand? The payment methods are also very limited (basically just PayPal and a few others but in Latin America that service is not widely used). Apart from that it does not allow integration with a local payment gateway from your own country which is a complete disappointment for what they charge.

“steadfast partner with innovation

Pros

I've been with this software since the very beginning and I'm truly thankful for how they've supported my business and ministry over the years. During Covid they really stepped up and gave me grace around the financial strain of that difficult period. That kind of selfless support showed me they were committed as a real partner not just a software provider. Their ongoing innovation and the platform's consistency continue to stand out the most to me.

Cons

One area that still needs improvement is customer service. I was recently assigned a new account manager and I'm very thankful for that but the turnover has been tiring and concerning. Relationships matter especially in hospitality. Without hospitality partners this software wouldn't exist. When urgent issues come up the level of immediate support still isn't enough.

“support tickets vanish completely

Pros

The onboarding is decent and at first the platform looks really nice. The basic features work well enough in the beginning.

Cons

Customer support comes across as very friendly but in practice they do absolutely nothing. The moment an issue goes beyond something basic they don't seem to know how to deal with it so they open a ticket and then it disappears into what feels like a black hole of nonexistent technical support. New releases keep introducing fresh problems that never seem to get fixed. On top of that actual software bugs get labeled as feature requests and posted in their online community as if they were just wishes for future changes. I have never seen any of those requests actually get picked up and turned into a real update.

“constant bugs and no payment protection

Pros

It feels quite fun to use.

Cons

App keeps glitching constantly and even worse they offer no protection at all when there is a dispute with a guest. A customer can cancel the payment at any time whether they stayed or not without giving any particular reason which is very worrying because there is no real certainty of getting paid.

“rude sales ruined it

Pros

During our evaluation of the software it seemed to offer a lot of features and looked quite capable overall.

Cons

That said we never got anywhere with it because their sales team was awful. They came across as rude and condescending and since sales is such a direct reflection of the company we chose to move on. I wouldn't recommend doing business with them.

“user friendly and simple

Pros

Getting around the software is simple and the system feels very user friendly overall.

Cons

There's no option to sort individual dates and it isn't very convenient to find specific data for DAI.

“frustrating reports

Pros

At least the interface looks cleaner and is a bit easier to read. Beyond that I really don't have anything positive to add.

Cons

Using this system has been a terrible UI experience overall. It doesn't seem built to handle even the basic service steps a hotel business needs. The reporting is by far the worst I've ever dealt with. There are more than 50 reports and most of them either don't allow proper date ranges, fail to provide accurate information or show everything in a double ledger format instead of clear line items which is incredibly frustrating even from an accounting perspective. Support is practically nonexistent. I've dealt with around a dozen support people and only one was actually able to resolve anything. Responses are slow and if you want to speak to someone by phone you have to pay extra. I'm already in the middle of moving to another provider because this has been such a bad experience.

“dishonest pricing

Pros

This was as a very disappointing experience overall. They misled me multiple times just to win my business and then in the very first week they doubled the price we had originally agreed on. When I asked to cancel because of that they refused to issue a refund.

Cons

The service was terrible from start to finish. They would not honor my requests which made the whole situation even more frustrating.

“All in one features, weak reporting

Pros

It works as an all in one platform for PMS, channel management and guest communication which is definitely useful. The support team is available around the clock even if the help itself is not always as effective as it should be. The calendar and dashboard are also well done and pleasant to use.

Cons

Using the software can be painfully difficult at times. The reporting side feels surprisingly limited especially compared with Hostaway which did a much better job there. Every reservation coming in from an OTA shows pending balances for us on Channel Connect and that creates problems for bookkeeping. Airbnb reservations also do not balance out automatically even though that setup is the same for everyone so it has to be handled manually. Cancellations need to be corrected by hand as well otherwise they continue to appear as paid. Google Hotel Ads has also been a disappointment because it still is not working for us. That was one of the biggest reasons we signed up so I would strongly suggest asking very detailed questions about it during the sales process.

“reliable support for our hotel

Pros

Whether I'm on desktop or using the mobile app this is very simple to work with. The service has been incredible as well someone is always available, always helpful, patient and well informed. It has truly become the lifeblood of our small hotel.

Cons

Honestly there's nothing I can really complain about. It covers everything we need and even goes beyond that.

“Too many bugs

Pros

It's fairly easy to use and everything is bundled together for a price that still feels reasonable.

Cons

There are far too many bugs, no phone support at all and the online support has been disappointing. Other than that they seem more focused on pushing extra products or services that don't even work properly instead of improving what's already in place.

“reliable support for hospitality

Pros

Right from the start it has felt like a dependable platform that brings leadership and accountability into hospitality management. It has consistently been a strong support system throughout my journey especially when it comes to improving business performance through daily operational help. It also makes handling customer inquiries and complaints much more manageable.

Cons

At one point we ran into problems with bookings because new entries were taking too long to load which disrupted our schedule. Thankfully the support team stepped in and resolved the issue.

“frustrating and counterproductive

Pros

I don't really have a choice here and honestly I can't point to a single advantage.

Cons

The user experience feels awful. The payment system is poor and has to be handled manually which only adds more work. Instead of making the process easier it gets in the way and slows everything down.

“support circles and login panic

Pros

Getting started with it was a really positive experience. The customer service team was excellent during signup and that level of support stayed consistent for about the first year.

Cons

Lately getting help has been incredibly frustrating. The live chat just sends me around in circles and keeps pointing me to links instead of actually resolving anything. Right now I can't even log into the platform and I'm stuck waiting for someone to reply to my email. It creates a real sense of panic because I have customers trying to book and I can't access the system to make reservations or even check availability.

“helpful quickbooks integration!

Pros

Being able to connect it with QuickBooks is a big plus and the support team has been very helpful whenever needed.

Cons

There's no 'click and drag' option for reservations and a few features feel more complicated than they should be.

“good onboarding, frustrating support load

Pros

From the beginning the people handling sales, onboarding and setup were incredibly friendly. They were well informed and supportive throughout the process of getting everything up and running.

Cons

At the same time the information around hidden charges and certain features feels unclear and a bit questionable. As with any platform issues are bound to come up but having to open 2 to 3 support tickets almost every day just to sort things out has been really frustrating.

“constant outages and blackouts

Pros

At its best it works reasonably well but some features feel pretty useless like housekeeping. There's also no proper app, just a web app and that doesn't perform very well.

Cons

Since November 2023, the system has been plagued by frequent outages. Almost every day some kind of technical problem comes up and about once a month, there's a blackout that lasts for hours. When that happens, there's absolutely no connection at all.

“powerful complete platform

Pros

It comes with a lot of features which makes it feel like a very well integrated system.

Cons

The support team has been helpful but the follow up hasn't been as consistent as it is in other departments like Compliance.

“Hotel Operations Win

Pros

Running everday hotel operations feels much more manageable with this siftware because it combines everything into one system. The online access is especially helpful since I can review things and make reservations from our main corporate office without needing to be at the property every day. It really helps keep everything organized when I'm not on site. Another big plus is that they continue to roll out new features and make ongoing improvements which has been really valuable.

Cons

Because there are several different ways to complete tasks the system can feel a bit overwhelming at times. I'm also not a fan of how cancelled reservations are handled and I'd prefer a simpler way to have them zeroed out.

“billing without delivered service

Pros

They tried to charge us even though the services were never actually provided.

Cons

The sales rep was excellent but after that the whole experience went downhill.

“feature-rich and very useful

Pros

It comes with a wide range of features and functions and many of them are genuinely useful. Some parts of the system are also simple to use which makes daily tasks a lot more manageable.

Cons

Support is where it becomes frustrating. The customer service process feels overly complicated and takes far too long especially since there's no phone number to call for quick help. Instead you have to report the issue by email, wait for a confirmation and then wait again for a response. Everything is handled through email and sometimes the reply doesn't even address what you actually need. When you're running a busy business and need problems resolved immediately, waiting days for help is not practical at all and creates a lot of unnecessary stress.

“Reservations Handled Remotely

Pros

A really good software that lets me handle reservations remotely and manage everything without having to travel anywhere. It's a solid tool and has been very useful for me.

Cons

At the moment I haven't run into any issues with this software.

“clean UX and top support

Pros

This isn't the cheapest PMS out there but from a UX standpoint it's definitely one of the cleanest solutions I've used and the support is outstanding. You really do get what you pay for.

Cons

I don't have anything major to complain about. It's a really solid PMS... if I had to point to anything then... maybe the price.

“Feels secure and simple

Pros

One thing I appreciate most about it is how secure and user friendly it feels. Also it is simple to work with and the Channel Analytics feature has been especially helpful.

Cons

There's really nothing I dislike about�this software. The only thing I'd suggest is adding some new updates from time to time.

“very slow and complex

Pros

Their sales team came across as friendly and proactive which is what convinced me to sign up with the company.

Cons

Using it has not been easy, also updates and fixes happen very slowly and the customer service has been terrible.

“able to learn it in hours

Pros

Running a 25 room boutique hotel, I feel like Cloudbeds puts everything we need into one clean, well-organized system. Also the platform is very easy to use and it doesn't take long to learn the features as you can even teach yourself in less than a day. Every screen has helpful instructional videos that explain the tools right where you are which makes training much easier. They also have Cloudbeds University if you want a more step by step training option. Honestly none of my employees has needed more than a few hours to get comfortable with it. One thing I appreciate is that the software is designed more around the guest experience than just the property itself and it includes several tools that make check-in simpler for both staff and guests. The customer support though, is probably the best part of the whole service. Problems with the system are very rare but we did have a major slowdown and outage one Saturday afternoon. I clicked Get Help and within minutes I was connected to a live agent. They stayed on top of it and even emailed me directly once everything was fixed. That level of follow-up is something I definitely haven't seen from several bigger companies I have worked with before. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for easy to use, cloud-based software to manage their property.

Cons

One thing I'd still really like to see is a way to store guest vehicle or license plate details. There is a Suggest a feature option and I have used it but it feels a lot like dropping something into an online suggestion box. There's no real indication that anyone has seen it or that the idea is actually being considered for the product.

“Connects well with channels

Pros

I find it very user friendly and it connects well with different booking channels.

Cons

Overall I am happy with just about everything. The only possible downside is the pricing for some of the additional service integrations.

“Automation streamlines daily work

Pros

Cloudbeds really brings a strong automation approach to what can otherwise feel like a one person operation. Their idea for managing company assets is impressive and it helps streamline daily work in a practical way. The market still feels wide open for growth and the platform seems to have plenty of room to keep developing as well.

Cons

I think one area that could be improved is expanding integrations and upgrades around features like door access and power control through mobile phones. Hotels could get even more value from the property if there were better solutions in that area. At times�the platform�feels more advanced than what some properties are ready to handle so direct operator coaching would help a lot. That said this is not really�the company's�fault.

“broken payment workflow

Pros

Having everything in one platform is convenient and the system itself is fairly simple to navigate.

Cons

I feel like the payment processing side is nowhere near acceptable. Although�it�connects with Stripe, that integration feels incomplete and still leaves a lot of manual back-office work just to confirm a reservation after a payment clears. One of the main reasons we signed up for�it�was to reduce manual admin but later we realized there are still too many tasks that have to be handled by hand. Needing manual confirmation in a tech-driven environment is disappointing especially when we expected automation from a digital all-in-one PMS. Here's a typical example when a guest makes a booking and chooses to pay by credit card, it sends them a pending confirmation email while Stripe handles the payment verification and then the process just stops there. My team has to return to�the system, review every successful transaction one by one and manually confirm each guest so they can receive the proper confirmation email.�Also it�should automatically change the guest status from Pending to Confirmed and send email once Stripe confirms the payment but at the time of writing, that still has to be done manually by the property. On top of that if a credit card payment fails Stripe verification,�it�does not retain the customer's information so we can follow up and offer another payment method. If the payment fails, the guest details basically disappear.

“Keeps everything clearly organized

Pros

Running a hotel is much more manageable with Cloudbeds. We use it to handle all of our assets in a hospitality setting and it keeps every room organized, clear and easy to access. It also connects with other programs which makes instant booking possible and it takes care of tasks for us too, like automated emails and responses. I'd definitely recommend it.

Cons

One issue we ran into with�the platform�was the learning curve at the beginning which felt a little steep. There were also a few features we needed that weren't available at first but after reaching out to the support team, they were actually willing to add them into�the system.

“Onboarding was very fast

Pros

Getting started with it was quick because the system is user friendly and simple to learn. The onboarding process moved fast, the Channel Manager works really well and the support team has been excellent whenever needed.

Cons

A few limitations still stand out such as it isn't available in German, there's no accounting integration and the invoice format cannot be customized.

“Fast and profit-boosting

Pros

It has been quick to navigate and simple to work with. It saves me a lot of time and the range of features has helped increase my bookings. My hotel is running more efficiently and bringing in better profits than before. On top of that their support team has been fantastic. I'd absolutely rate Cloudbeds 10/10.

Cons

Honestly it's difficult to point to much that needs improvement.�The platform�feels like it offers some of the best technology available. I chose the Premier Package and I regularly get updates about new or improved features I can use. It's reassuring to see they keep innovating instead of standing still.

“Booking site is reliable

Pros

The connection with third-party channels works really well. It would be better if there were less manual work between systems but that's not something Cloudbeds can fully control since part of it depends on the outside platforms too. The online booking widget and site are very reliable. They're customer-friendly and we have barely had any calls from guests who couldn't figure out how to complete a booking. The calendar is also fairly easy to use and shows more than 80% of the information I need on a typical day.

Cons

A big frustration is that there's no integration with a credit card swiping device. For walk-ins or when an existing reservation needs a card updated, we have to key in the card details manually. That takes extra time and also costs us thousands more per year in processing fees since keyed-in cards are 1% higher for us than swiped transactions. There's also no mobile app so you're stuck using the website which isn't very mobile-friendly. Another weak spot is adding items to a reservation. Entering items into�the system�itself is quick but attaching them to a reservation is far too click-heavy. I mean 7 clicks if you're already in the folio and up to 10 if you're starting from the calendar. It's a real time drain especially since we sell a lot of small items in our on-site store.