On this page
- What a hotel phone system has to do
- Hotel phone systems compared
- Hotel features by vendor
- What PMS integration does at check-in
- What a hotel phone system costs
- Worked costs by hotel size
- 3CX editions for hotels
- 911 in hotels: Kari's Law
- How to choose a hotel phone system
- Questions to ask a hotel phone vendor
- Cloud, on-premises or hybrid
- Frequently asked questions
What a hotel phone system has to do
Guest rooms
Room phones, wake-up calls, do not disturb, and blocking outside calls from empty rooms.
PMS integration
Check-in and check-out from the property management system, room status from housekeeping, and call charges posted to the room.
Front desk
A console or multi-line phone that answers the main number and receives 911 alerts.
911 compliance
Direct 911 dialing from every room and a notification to staff, required by Kari's Law.
Hotel phone systems compared
| System | Property management (PMS) integration | Hotel features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3CX Hotel Module | Micros Fidelio, roommaster, Hilton and more, via a Fidelio or Mitel compatible interface | Wake-up calls, DND, room billing (via Fidelio), housekeeping room status by phone, check-in resets the room's extension | Included in Basic, PRO and AI; Basic from $300 a year for 8 simultaneous calls |
| Ooma hospitality | 30+ systems, including Opera, Maestro, Infor, Marriott Full Service, OnQ for Hilton, WynGuest and RoomKey | Wake-up calls, maid room status, call accounting, check-in/check-out, staff-level E-911 notification; no new phones needed | Front Desk $19.99, Guest Room $5.00, SIP trunking $16.95 a line a month |
| Mitel hospitality | PMS and call accounting through open APIs | IP and DECT phones; Mitel Voice Assist for routine guest questions | Not published; CapEx or OpEx pricing |
| Phonesuite | Not stated on its home page | Says it is on the approved vendor list for all major brands; its page cites both 6,500 and 10,000+ hotel installations | Not published |
From each company's own hotel pages, read October 29, 2026. Phonesuite's figures are its own claims. Mitel's page was read through a summary tool and is paraphrased.
Hotel features by vendor
| Feature | 3CX | Ooma | Mitel | Phonesuite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake-up calls | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Room status from housekeeping | Yes, by phone | Maid room status | Not stated | Not stated |
| Calls billed to the room | Yes, via Fidelio PMS | Call accounting | Call accounting integrations | Not stated |
| Block outside calls from empty rooms | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| 911 or emergency notification | Not stated in the hotel module page | Staff-level E-911 notification | Mass notification (Mitel Revolution) | Says it keeps you compliant with Kari's Law |
| Keep existing phones | IP phones re-provisioned at check-in | No new phones needed | IP and DECT phones | Not stated |
"Not stated" means the vendor page we read does not mention it, not that the system lacks it.
What PMS integration does at check-in
The property management system (PMS) is where guests are checked in and out. Linked to the phone system, it changes the room phone automatically. When a guest checks in, 3CX's hotel module:
Sets up the room
- Sets the extension name
- Allows outbound calls
- Clears do not disturb
Cleans up after the last guest
- Deletes all voicemail messages
- Updates phonebook files for IP phones
- Re-provisions supported IP phones
From the 3CX hotel module documentation. Ooma lists check-in and check-out, voicemail management and call accounting among its hospitality features.
What a hotel phone system costs
Ooma, per line
Ooma lists Front Desk at $19.99 a month and Guest Room at $5.00 a month, with volume and contract discounts. If one front desk line and 40 rooms were each billed at those rates, that is $219.99 a month. SIP trunking, for hotels keeping their own PBX, is $16.95 a line a month with unlimited US and Canada calling (Ooma). Ooma does not state a contract term for these prices.
3CX, per system
The hotel features come in every paid edition: Basic is $300 a year, PRO $395 and AI $575 at 8 simultaneous calls. 3CX licenses by calls in progress, not rooms, and SIP trunk service is bought separately. See 3CX pricing for larger systems and hosting.
Worked costs by hotel size
| Rooms | Ooma: 1 front desk + every room, a month | 3CX Basic license, a year (system size) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $119.99 | $300 (8 simultaneous calls) |
| 50 | $269.99 | $600 (16 simultaneous calls) |
| 100 | $519.99 | $745 (24 simultaneous calls) |
Ooma computed from its Front Desk ($19.99) and Guest Room ($5.00) rates, assuming each room is billed at the Guest Room rate; Ooma does not state the term. 3CX from its price table for the simultaneous-calls size shown, license only; SIP trunks and hosting are extra and 3CX sizes by calls at once, not rooms.
3CX editions for hotels
| Edition | What it adds | 8 simultaneous calls, a year |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Calling, routing, apps and essential reporting | $300 |
| PRO | Adds call queues, CRM and Microsoft 365 integrations, advanced reporting, AI voicemail transcription | $395 |
| AI | Adds AI agents, full call transcription, summaries and sentiment analysis | $575 |
All three include the hotel module. Edition descriptions from 3CX, as recorded on 3CX pricing.
911 in hotels: Kari's Law
Kari's Law is named for Kari Hunt, killed in a motel room in Marshall, Texas in 2013. Her 9-year-old daughter tried to call 911 four times from the room phone, but the motel system needed a 9 for an outside line first (FCC).
- Which systems. Multi-line systems, typically found in office buildings, campuses and hotels, made, sold, leased or installed on or after February 16, 2020. The rules are forward-looking.
- Who is responsible. Makers and vendors must pre-configure direct 911 dialing; installers, managers and operators must make sure the system supports it (FCC).
- The rule text. Users must reach 911 from any station without dialing any digit, code or prefix, including the digit 9 (47 CFR 9.16).
How to choose a hotel phone system
- Start with your PMS. Confirm the vendor integrates with the property management system you run, and how (3CX: Fidelio or Mitel compatible interface; Mitel: open APIs).
- List the guest features you use: wake-up calls, do not disturb, call billing to rooms, housekeeping room status.
- Check 911 end to end: direct dialing from every room, the alert to the front desk, and room and floor in the location.
- Decide where it runs: cloud, your own server, or a hybrid; keep your handsets if the vendor supports them.
- Price the whole property: per room and front desk line (Ooma), or per system plus SIP trunks (3CX).
Questions to ask a hotel phone vendor
- Which PMS do you integrate with, and how? 3CX uses a Fidelio or Mitel compatible interface; Ooma names more than 30 systems; Mitel uses open APIs.
- Does every room dial 911 directly, and who gets the alert? The front desk, a manager's phone, or an off-site point.
- Does the 911 call carry the room and floor? That is the dispatchable location RAY BAUM'S Act rules require.
- Can we keep our handsets? Ooma says no new phones are needed.
- Does our brand require an approved vendor? Ask your brand; Phonesuite says it is on the approved list for all major brands.
- What is the contract term? Ooma mentions volume and contract discounts but does not state a term.
Mitel also lists Mitel Revolution for emergency mass notification, and Phonesuite says its hotel phone systems keep you compliant with RAY BAUM'S Act and Kari's Law (its own claim).
Cloud, on-premises or hybrid
Ooma says hotels do not need to buy new phones to switch. Mitel deploys on-premises or in public, private or hybrid cloud. 3CX can be hosted by 3CX or self-hosted. Many hotels keep a PBX and connect it to a SIP trunk. Hosted options and prices are on hosted PBX; desk phone and line counts on multi-line phone systems.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best hotel phone systems?
Choose on property management integration first, then guest room features and 911 compliance. 3CX's hotel module comes in every paid edition; Ooma integrates with 30+ PMS systems and publishes per-room pricing.
Are PBX systems still used?
Yes. 3CX is a PBX that can run in the cloud or on your own server, and Ooma sells SIP trunking for hotels keeping their PBX. See hosted PBX.
Do hotel phones have to dial 911 without a 9?
Yes, for systems installed on or after February 16, 2020. Kari's Law requires direct 911 dialing and a notification to a central location.
Does it cost money to use hotel phones?
It is up to the hotel. Hotel systems can charge calls to the room: 3CX bills calls to rooms through Fidelio PMS, and Ooma lists call accounting.
How much does a hotel phone system cost?
Ooma lists $19.99 a month for a front desk line and $5.00 a month per guest room. 3CX's hotel features come with its Basic edition from $300 a year for 8 simultaneous calls.