HostelMate vs Little Hotelier for hostels
Little Hotelier is SiteMinder's system for small properties, counted in rooms. It's well established and covers what a small hotel or B&B needs. If you run mostly private rooms, it's a reasonable choice; if you sell dorm beds one at a time, HostelMate is built around the bed.
| What we compared | HostelMate | Little Hotelier |
|---|---|---|
| Price a month | $19 up to 30 beds, $45 with no bed limit, per property | Reported from $29 (Basics) |
| Fees per booking or channel | None | Reported 1% per booking on Basics |
| Sells single dorm beds | Yes | Not stated on the pages we could read |
| Channel manager | Included in both plans | Included |
| Price published | Yes, on our pricing page | No; reported by third parties |
| Built for | Hostels, from one small hostel to a small group | Small properties counted in rooms |
HostelMate prices are from our pricing page. Little Hotelier's site blocked our check; its figures are reported by Costbench, read 5 October 2026.
Where Little Hotelier is the better choice
Little Hotelier is backed by SiteMinder, one of the biggest names in hotel distribution, and it suits a small property that sells whole rooms.
- You run a B&B or guesthouse that sells whole rooms.
- You want a system from a large, long-established company.
- You already use SiteMinder products elsewhere.
Built by people who ran hostels
HostelMate was sketched on a surf-wax box in Bali by two hostel managers who couldn't find software that treated a bunk as something you sell.
That's still the brief: the bed is the unit, and the price is on the website.
What HostelMate does day to day
- Change dorm prices for a whole season at once, by date range, weekend or event.
- Let prices move with demand through the day, if you switch it on.
- Send pre-arrival messages by email or WhatsApp with directions, check-in times and house rules.
- Give staff their own permissions, so the night shift and the owner see different things.
- Keep Booking.com, Hostelworld, Airbnb and the rest on one calendar, with each bed sold once.
- Let guests check in online before they arrive.
- Open smart lockers by Bluetooth from an app, with a PIN as backup.
- Hold unpaid bookings on a waitlist for your OK, while the bed stays on sale.
- Put a group on one booking, with each guest able to pay their own share.
Where HostelMate is the better choice
If most of what you sell is dorm beds and you want one published price, these are the cases where we fit better.
Mostly dorms
Every bed is its own unit for selling, pricing and assignment, so mixed, female and male dorms stay apart.
You want the price first
Both plans are on the pricing page. No call, no quote and no setup fee.
Hostelworld matters
HostelMate is on Hostelworld's list of connected channel managers, and its bookings land bed by bed.
Direct bookings
The booking engine on your own website takes no commission and shares one calendar with every OTA.
Moving over
Send us your export as it is. It's usually loaded within the day, often within the hour.
Volunteers on the desk
Give each person their own permissions, so a two-week volunteer sees what they need and nothing else.
Frequently asked questions
Third parties report it from $29 a month plus 1% per booking on the Basics plan; its own site didn't let us check (5 October 2026). HostelMate is $19 or $45 a month with no fee per booking.
It's built around rooms, and the pages we could read don't say it maps individual beds. Ask for a demo with your own dorms before deciding.
On the Basics plan, a 1% fee per booking is reported. HostelMate has no fee per booking on either plan.
For a property that's mostly private rooms, it can be. For a dorm-heavy hostel, a system built around beds will fit better.
Export your bookings and guest list from Little Hotelier and email the files as they are to contact@hostelmate.co. Small files are usually loaded within the hour, a full property within the day, and you keep taking bookings the whole time. How switching works.
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Competitor information comes from public sources, checked on 5 and 6 October 2026. Prices, features and trademarks belong to their owners and may change. HostelMate is not affiliated with or endorsed by Little Hotelier.