Both Cloudbeds and RoomRaccoon are excellent choices for independent hotels — but they make fundamentally different bets on what matters most to hoteliers.
Cloudbeds bets on breadth: maximum OTA reach, a massive integration marketplace, and a platform flexible enough to serve properties from 5-room guesthouses to large multi-property groups across 150 countries.
RoomRaccoon bets on depth: native revenue optimisation, a purpose-built European focus, and an all-in-one system that requires fewer third-party tools to reach the same operational outcome.
For most European independent hotels, that difference is the decision.
Quick verdict
Choose Cloudbeds if you need maximum OTA reach, want 400+ integrations, or run a property outside Europe where RoomRaccoon's presence is thinner.
Choose RoomRaccoon if you're a European independent hotel (10–100 rooms) wanting built-in rate optimisation, a cleaner all-in-one experience, and a vendor that genuinely understands the European market.
Background
Cloudbeds was founded in San Diego in 2012. It's now used by tens of thousands of properties across 150 countries and was voted #1 Hotel Management Software at the 2026 HotelTechAwards. It raised significant venture capital and has grown aggressively through acquisitions and product expansion.
RoomRaccoon was founded in 2017 in the Netherlands by tech entrepreneur Tymen van Dyl and former hotelier Nadja Buckenberger. Its origin story — built by someone who actually ran a hotel — shapes the product. It's used by thousands of independent properties and consistently ranks as the #1 Hotel Management Software in Europe on Hotel Tech Report.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Cloudbeds | RoomRaccoon |
|---|---|---|
| PMS | ✓ Full-featured | ✓ Full-featured |
| Channel manager | ✓ 300+ connections | ✓ 200+ connections |
| Booking engine | ✓ Commission-free | ✓ Commission-free |
| Payment processing | ✓ Cloudbeds Pay | ✓ Native payments |
| Rate optimisation | Add-on required | ✓ Native (RaccoonRev) |
| Upselling | ✓ Experience plan | ✓ Native (RaccoonUpsell) |
| Housekeeping | ✓ Included | ✓ Native |
| Digital check-in | ✓ Experience plan | ✓ Included |
| ID scanner | ✗ | ✓ RaccoonID |
| Website builder | ✗ | ✓ RaccoonSite |
| Marketplace integrations | 400+ | 300+ |
| Free trial | Demo only | 14 days (no card) |
| EU data hosting | Check contract | Yes (Netherlands) |
Pricing
Neither vendor publishes pricing publicly. Both price by room count and plan tier, requiring a direct quote.
Cloudbeds offers four plans: Flex (core PMS only), One (adds channel manager and booking engine), Experience (adds guest messaging, digital check-in, reputation management), and Enterprise (custom). Users consistently report that the total cost — once payment processing, add-ons, and support tier are factored in — is higher than the initial quote suggests. Several reviews specifically mention "unclear pricing" and "hidden fees."
RoomRaccoon also prices by room count and tier, with a similarly opaque quote-only model. For a 20–40 room property, expect roughly €150–300/month depending on the plan and add-ons. One advantage: RoomRaccoon includes more capabilities natively — rate optimisation, upselling, housekeeping — that Cloudbeds charges extra for.
Bottom line: Request full cost breakdowns from both — including payment processing fees — before comparing.
Distribution and OTA connectivity
This is where Cloudbeds has a genuine edge. Its channel manager connects to 300+ OTAs and distribution channels directly, and the total marketplace of integrations exceeds 400 partners. For properties that need to push inventory across many niche channels or global GDS connections, Cloudbeds' reach is superior.
RoomRaccoon connects to 200+ channels directly, which covers every major OTA (Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, and more) and most secondary channels relevant to European independent hotels. For the vast majority of European independents, this is more than adequate.
If your distribution strategy relies on specific niche OTAs or GDS connections, verify RoomRaccoon's connectivity before committing.
Revenue management
This is where RoomRaccoon has a genuine edge for European independents.
RoomRaccoon includes RaccoonRev natively — a dynamic pricing engine that adjusts room rates in real time based on occupancy, demand signals, and competitor data. You don't need to buy a separate RMS tool to access intelligent rate recommendations.
Cloudbeds' core plans do not include native dynamic pricing. The Signals AI model (launched 2025) adds demand forecasting and pricing intelligence, but it's an add-on priced separately. For properties that want automated rate optimisation without assembling a multi-vendor stack, RoomRaccoon wins this round.
User experience and interface
Both platforms have modern, cloud-based interfaces that staff can learn quickly.
RoomRaccoon is widely praised for being genuinely intuitive — the drag-and-drop calendar, colour-coded room status, and streamlined check-in flow are consistently cited in reviews. The interface feels designed for small teams running at pace.
Cloudbeds' interface is functional and well-organised, but several users note it can feel cluttered at scale, and loading speeds during peak hours draw complaints in multiple independent reviews. The mobile app receives mixed feedback.
Customer support
Support quality is where the two platforms diverge most noticeably in user reviews.
RoomRaccoon consistently earns strong support ratings. European time zone coverage, multilingual support (Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish), and the ability to reach a human quickly are recurring themes in positive reviews.
Cloudbeds support receives more polarised feedback. Many users describe positive experiences during onboarding. Others report slow email response times for urgent issues and note that phone support requires a premium support tier. One Hotel Tech Report reviewer described Cloudbeds as "a sales-first company, not a support-first company."
For independent hoteliers running lean teams where a system outage is genuinely a crisis, this distinction matters.
GDPR and data handling
RoomRaccoon is headquartered in the Netherlands (EU) and stores data within the EU. GDPR compliance is built in from the ground up.
Cloudbeds is US-headquartered. It does operate EU-based infrastructure and offers GDPR-compliant data processing agreements, but independent hoteliers should review these carefully and ask specifically where guest data is stored and processed. This is particularly relevant for properties in Germany, France, and the Netherlands where regulators have been active on third-country data transfers.
Who should choose Cloudbeds?
- Properties outside Europe where RoomRaccoon's presence is limited
- Hotels that need maximum OTA and channel connectivity (300+ direct connections)
- Properties with complex tech stacks that need Cloudbeds' 400+ integrations
- Multi-property groups wanting a proven global platform
Who should choose RoomRaccoon?
- European independent hotels of 10–100 rooms
- Properties that want native rate optimisation without buying a separate RMS
- Teams that need excellent multilingual support in European time zones
- Hoteliers who want an all-in-one system with fewer third-party dependencies
