The Best Telephone Systems for Hotels in 2026

GoTo Connect Phone System is the best all-round VoIP phone system for UK hotels because it covers the day-to-day reality of hotel calling: high volumes to reception and reservations, quick transfers to housekeeping, and maintenance and reliable call routing across departments, while also supporting a wide range of existing desk phone hardware.

This matters more in 2026 because the UK’s analogue phone network is being retired by 31 January 2027. If your hotel is still running a traditional PBX or legacy landlines, switching now reduces the risk of downtime (or rushed engineer work) during busy periods.

In this guide, we’ve picked six hotel-suited phone system plans and explained which one fits best depending on your property size, staffing model and setup:

Find out more about our Expert author

1. GoTo Connect Phone System: Best for Hotels That Need Reliable Department Routing and DECT Roaming

GoTo Connect Phone System suits UK hotels that juggle high call volumes across multiple departments (reception, reservations, housekeeping, maintenance) because it combines unlimited auto attendants, call queues, ring groups and customisable dial plans in its core Phone System tier.

It’s also a strong fit for properties that want staff mobility without relying on guest Wi-Fi calling. Alongside mobile and desktop apps, GoTo supports DECT cordless options (including Yealink DECT systems), so staff can keep an internal extension while moving between floors and back-of-house areas.

The above pricing is taken from the latest public pricing shown in mid-2025. Currently, pricing is not stated publicly on GoTo’s website.

What does GoTo Connect Phone System do well for hotels?

• GoTo Connect routes guests to the right team fast: GoTo’s Phone System tier includes unlimited auto attendants, call queues, ring groups and customisable dial plans.
  • For hotels, that means you can build clear pathways like “Press 1 for reservations, 2 for the restaurant, 3 for events,” then overflow calls to the right ring group when reception is busy.

• GoTo supports DECT: GoTo sells and supports DECT-compatible hardware such as Yealink’s W60P (supports multiple DECT handsets from one base) and higher-capacity options like the Yealink W76P (designed for more handsets and concurrent calls).
  • In practice, this is the cleaner set-and-forget route for roaming coverage across corridors and service areas than expecting staff to answer reliably over guest Wi-Fi.
• GoTo Phone System works well for shift-based teams: Hot desking support makes it easier to run rotating front desk shifts without creating chaos around who is signed into which phone.
  • The GoTo softphone lets staff answer calls from the app when they’re away from the desk.

• GoTo scales into an invisible concierge setup if you upgrade: If your hotel wants messaging-led guest comms, GoTo’s CX tier adds WhatsApp and other social channels, web chat, a shared/team inbox, and enhanced reporting with AI call summaries, plus integrations such as Zendesk and ServiceNow for logging guest issues and handovers.

• GoTo has a clear continuity option for 24/7 operations: GoTo offers a Business Continuity add-on designed to keep essential calling working during outages through automatic failover/fallback, which is useful for hotels that can’t afford a dead front desk line overnight.

Are there any downsides to GoTo Connect Phone System for hotels?

• The toll-free allowance is a real constraint for busy hotels: GoTo has unlimited calling, but only includes 1,000 shared toll-free minutes across the account.
  • If you market a toll-free reservations line and you’re handling frequent booking and pre-arrival calls, that pooled cap can become an operational bottleneck.
• Pricing is quote-based: In practice, our historical experience of GoTo’s pricing means that the Phone System tier is often priced around the £18 per user, per month mark.
  • However, hotels should expect final costs to vary depending on user count, hardware and any add-ons (like business continuity or advanced reporting).
• Live coaching tools sit higher up the stack: If you need listen/whisper/barge for a dedicated reservations or central guest services team, those features are positioned as contact-centre functionality rather than a core Phone System inclusion.

2. Vonage Max: Best for Large Hotels That Need Staff Training, Call Monitoring, and Multi-Department Control

Vonage Max suits larger UK hotels and hotel groups because the Max plan combines advanced supervisor tools (monitor, whisper, barge) with strong call handling, so managers can keep guest calls consistent, even with shift rotations, seasonal hiring and multiple departments running at once.

Vonage also supports roaming staff workflows through cordless/DECT-style setups and mobile calling options, which help hotel housekeeping and maintenance teams stay reachable without relying on guest Wi-Fi calling.

What does Vonage Max do well for hotels?

• Vonage Max is the strongest plan on this list for staff training and call quality.
  • It includes: Call recording, call monitoring, call whisper and call barge, which lets supervisors support front desk and reservations staff in real time (without a guest hearing coaching) and review calls later to improve consistency.

• Vonage Max supports the busy receptionist realities: Hotels rarely have someone dedicated to phones all day. Vonage Max’s supervisor tools and reporting make it easier to standardise how calls are handled across different shift workers, so the guest experience doesn’t depend on who happens to answer.
• Vonage Max covers core hotel call handling: Vonage Max includes IVR/auto attendant, call queues, routing and call flip, which are the essentials for moving calls cleanly between reception, the restaurant, events and on-call maintenance, without endless transfers.

• Vonage Max works well for large properties where staff need to move: Like GoTo, Vonage Max supports cordless/DECT-style handset setups and roaming-friendly workflows, which are typically more reliable for back-of-house teams than expecting staff to take calls over guest Wi-Fi.
• We found Vonage’s call dashboard intuitive: The admin and call controls appear straightforward to access, which matters when managers need to change routing, check activity, or troubleshoot quickly during a busy service window.

Are there any downsides to Vonage Max for hotels?

• Vonage Max is the most expensive plan on this list at £25 per user, per month: That price can be hard to justify for smaller properties that mainly need a reliable front desk line, basic routing and unlimited minutes.
• Vonage is less flexible for hotels that want broader integration depth: The plan is positioned as strong for core CRM/helpdesk links, but Vonage Max does not cover everything hotels might want.
  • That includes: Third-party video conferencing and customer service live chat integrations. Hotels that need a wider integration ecosystem should typically look at higher-tier plans from providers like RingCentral.
• Vonage can become add-on driven for some setups: Larger hotels with complex requirements (multi-site standardisation, more reporting or specific hardware rollouts) should expect the total cost to depend on add-ons and hardware choices, not just the £25 per user, per month licence.

3. bOnline Unlimited Calling: Best Value for Busy Boutique Hotels That Need Unlimited UK Calling and Simple Call Flows

bOnline Unlimited Calling is a strong fit for small UK hotels that handle lots of front-desk and reservations calls because bOnline Unlimited Calling keeps costs low while still giving you the essentials: call menus, queues, routing, voicemail-to-email, and unlimited UK landline and mobile calling.

We’d also argue that bOnline is a practical option for roaming hotel staff if you standardise on Yealink cordless/DECT handsets (or softphones via the mobile app). That keeps housekeeping and maintenance reachable without leaning on guest Wi-Fi for voice.

What does bOnline Unlimited Calling do well for hotels?

• bOnline Unlimited Calling keeps guest calls moving with simple, effective routing: The Unlimited Calling plan includes call flows/menus, queues and hold music so reception can route calls by department and keep callers informed during busy check-in windows.

• bOnline Unlimited Calling supports DECT for roaming staff: bOnline sells and supports Yealink cordless handsets that work with DECT base stations.
  • This is often the most reliable way to keep housekeeping and maintenance reachable across corridors, back-of-house areas and multiple floors.
• bOnline Unlimited Calling is quick to get running for small teams: In our hands-on testing of bOnline’s platform, the call flow editor and core phone settings, including creating custom dial messages, were easy to find and configure, which matters for hotels where the person setting up the system is often also running the front desk.

• bOnline Unlimited Calling can connect to wider workflows if you need it: bOnline advertises more than 200 CRM integrations, which can be useful if you want basic customer context attached to calls (for example, reservation follow-ups or corporate accounts).

Are there any downsides to bOnline Unlimited Calling for hotels?

• bOnline Unlimited Calling does not solve guest messaging by itself: Many hotels now treat SMS/WhatsApp updates as a baseline expectation (late check-in info, directions, spa bookings, “your room is ready”).
  • However, bOnline Unlimited Calling is primarily voice-led, aside from being able to have 1:1 video calls and have internal chat messages between bOnline users. Hotels that want built-in guest messaging should usually look at GoTo Connect or Dialpad Pro instead.
• bOnline Unlimited Calling charges for add-ons: bOnline lists CRM integrations as a paid add-on (previously £5 per month, now £8 per month in 2026), which can raise the real monthly cost once you start connecting systems.
  • It also charges for call recording (£5 per month) or AI call recording with transcriptions, summaries and scores (£8 per month).
• bOnline Unlimited Calling is restrictive on hardware choice: bOnline’s supported device list focuses on Yealink desk phones and Yealink cordless options, so hotels migrating from other hardware brands should expect replacement costs if they want a clean, supported setup.

4. Dialpad Pro: Best for Hotels With Lean Front Desk Teams That Need AI Call Summaries and SMS Guest Updates

Dialpad Pro suits UK hotels that run high call volumes with a small team because Dialpad Pro uses built-in AI to capture what the guest actually asked for (transcripts, summaries and action items), so staff can follow up faster and hand over cleanly between shifts.

Dialpad Pro also fits hotels that want guest messaging alongside calls, with SMS available in the UK from inside the same desktop/mobile app used for calling.

What does Dialpad Pro do well for hotels?

• Dialpad Pro turns calls into usable shift handovers: Dialpad’s call summaries pull together a searchable transcript, notes and action items, which is ideal when the night shift needs to pass clear commitments to the morning team.

• Dialpad Pro reduces admin time after every guest call: Dialpad AI provides real-time transcription and automated summaries inside the interface, which keeps important notes inside your standard workflows, rather than being written elsewhere on paper notes, for instance.

• Dialpad Pro supports guest messaging in the UK: Dialpad supports SMS in the United Kingdom, so hotels can message guests from the same platform they use for calls. (MMS is limited to US and Canada numbers.)
• Dialpad Pro supports DECT-style roaming for staff: Dialpad supports wireless/DECT devices and provides setup guidance for Yealink DECT base stations such as the W70B, which helps keep housekeeping and maintenance reachable without relying on guest Wi-Fi for voice.
• We found Dialpad’s interface easy to navigate in our hands-on testing: The dashboard is clean and the AI tools sit directly inside the calling UI, which helps when managers need staff to learn the system quickly.

Are there any downsides to Dialpad Pro for hotels?

• Dialpad Pro is not the best plan for hands-on coaching: Dialpad’s UK plans are strong on AI transcription and summaries, but Dialpad does not include whisper/barge in this package (you instead need its contact centre-ready Enterprise plan), so hotels focused on live coaching usually fit better with Vonage Max.

5. RingCentral Standard: Best for Hotels That Need 24/7 Migration Support, Multi-Level IVR and Flexible DECT Hardware

RingCentral Standard suits UK hotels that want a safer transition to VoIP from the outgoing UK landlines because RingCentral Standard includes 24/7 support, multi-level IVR and quality-of-service reporting. These are all useful when your front desk line can’t go down at 11pm on a Saturday.

It also works well for hotels that want flexible handset options, including DECT cordless phones for roaming teams and desk phones for reception and back office.

What does RingCentral Standard do well for hotels?

• RingCentral Standard keeps hotel call routing clean and consistent: RingCentral Standard includes multi-level IVR, so hotels can route callers by department and time of day (for example, daytime reservations versus out-of-hours duty manager), then push overflow to ring groups when reception is busy.

• RingCentral Standard supports roaming staff without leaning on guest Wi-Fi calling: RingCentral sells and supports DECT hardware, including Poly Rove DECT handsets and Yealink DECT cordless options, which is typically the most reliable way to keep housekeeping and maintenance reachable across the building.
• We found RingCentral’s software easy to use in our hands-on testing: Call transfer via the directory was straightforward, and the interface was simple to navigate for day-to-day front desk use.

Are there any downsides to RingCentral Standard for hotels?

• RingCentral Standard does not include unlimited minutes: RingCentral Standard includes 750 outbound minutes per user, per month, and only 250 free inbound minutes pooled across the account. Hotels with heavy reservations traffic should plan for overage charges or move up a tier.
• RingCentral Standard is not the strongest option here for guest workflows: RingCentral Standard covers core calling and internal comms, but hotels that want deeper guest automation (for example, broader software integrations for logging guest issues) often end up needing a higher RingCentral tier.

6. NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise: Best for Hotels That Want Simple, Secure Calling With Handset Leasing

NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise is a practical choice for UK hotels that want predictable calling without paying enterprise-tier prices. NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise costs £17.99 per user, per month and includes unlimited UK landline and mobile calls, a free desktop app and more than 40 calling features, to cover front desk and reservations workflows.

NBC also makes hardware budgeting easier for hotels replacing PBX. NBC offers pre-configured handsets from £5 per month (rather than forcing a large upfront handset purchase), which suits properties that need multiple extensions across reception, back office and duty managers.

What does NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise do well for hotels?

• NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise keeps guest calls moving during peak periods: NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise supports core hotel call handling like ring groups and call queuing, so busy reception desks can route overflow calls cleanly and avoid missed enquiries.
• NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise supports DECT roaming for staff who don’t sit at a desk: NBC sells cordless DECT hardware, such as the Yealink W73P DECT, and NBC’s cordless handset bundles are positioned around multi-handset bases and long battery life, which will make for a better fit for housekeeping/maintenance coverage than betting everything on guest Wi-Fi voice.

• NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise reduces setup friction for PBX replacements: NBC includes no installation or activation fees, supports number retention and offers optional add-ons, like call recording and auto-attendant upgrades, which helps hotels build a usable call flow quickly without a huge bill.

Are there any downsides to NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise for hotels?

• NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise is not built around integrations: Hotels that want the phone system to surface guest context automatically (for example, linking calls to bookings, tickets or guest profiles) usually need a provider with a broader integration ecosystem.
• NBC Cloud Voice Enterprise is not the best plan for structured staff coaching: Hotels that run a dedicated reservations or central guest services team often benefit more from plans with supervisor tools like whisper, barge and monitor.

What Is the Difference Between a Hotel PBX and VoIP System?

PBX stands for short for Private Branch Exchange and it’s the landline-based technology responsible for diverting calls to the correct hotel extension number, ensuring that all guests are connected to the correct service.

As landlines are increasingly abandoned, hotels more commonly use IP-PBX phone systems, also called VoIP phone systems.

All modern VoIP phone systems are equipped with PBX capabilities, except VoIP systems are supercharged by internet connectivity and users can channel interactions from all communication networks, from instant messaging to email or phones.

Hotels that opt for a PBX cloud-based phone system usually bank on the benefits of long-distance calling, seamless mobile integration and the mobility that comes with basing communications on the cloud.

How Much Internet Speed Does My Hotel Need for VoIP?

VoIP doesn’t need huge internet speeds. Instead, it needs stable bandwidth and prioritisation. Guest Wi-Fi is built for browsing and streaming, which can tolerate brief delays, but voice calls can’t. Hotels usually run into call quality issues because of congestion, jitter or packet loss, not because the headline Mbps number is too low.

Rule of thumb for bandwidth: Budget 0.1Mbps (100Kbps) upload + 0.1Mbps download per concurrent call (with overhead). Then add 30% headroom so the system stays clear during peak check-in and check out times and housekeeping shift changes.

• Five simultaneous calls → ~0.5Mbps up / 0.5Mbps down (reserve ~0.7Mbps with headroom)
• 10 simultaneous calls → ~1Mbps up / 1Mbps down (reserve ~1.3Mbps)
• 25 simultaneous calls → ~2.5Mbps up / 2.5Mbps down (reserve ~3.3Mbps)

What matters most for call quality:

• Low latency: Ideally under ~150ms
• Low jitter: Ideally under ~30ms
• Low packet loss: Ideally under ~1%

Hotel-specific setup tips for clear calling:

• Separate voice from guest Wi-Fi (different network/VLAN) and enable quality of service (QoS) options so calls take priority over streaming.
• Use wired connections for reception/back office phones where possible. For roaming staff, use DECT or business Wi-Fi with proper roaming and QoS.
• Plan for peak usage, not average. Your internet might be fine at 11am and unusable at 6pm when guests arrive and start streaming.
• Add resilience: A secondary line (dual-WAN) or 4G/5G failover router, plus automatic call forwarding to mobiles, protects the front desk line during outages.

Bottom line: Most hotels can run VoIP comfortably on a standard business-grade connection, as long as you reserve bandwidth for the number of simultaneous calls you expect and prioritise voice traffic over guest internet use.

How Do I Choose The Best Phone System For My Hotel?

Most hotel VoIP phone systems come with a range of advanced features, such as IVR auto attendants, which enhance the guest experience and make managing and decoding the success of your operations a lot easier. It also helps guests feel their experience is more personalised, as calls are attended more efficiently, boosting your guest satisfaction.

Here are the hotel-centric features to look for in a VoIP system:

• IVR auto attendants: The bedrock of any good hotel phone system, IVR auto attendants allow you to create call menus for customers and ensure calls are always answered, even if no staff member is available.
• Call routing: Call routing can go hand in hand with auto attendants since the auto attendant can automatically route calls to the correct line based on preset parameters. This saves customers time and prevents them from being needlessly transferred from team to team.
• Customisable greetings: Setting up customisable greetings that change based on your hours of operation, caller ID or the time of year is a great way to differentiate your hotel and create a more personalised guest experience.
• Call recording and voicemail transcription: Call recording is an important feature to ensure the quality of customer service, and can help when settling disputes. Likewise, voicemail transcription can speed up response times and make fact-checking easier for staff. The most advanced VoIP systems also offer summaries of calls and voicemails, with key points highlighted.
• Reporting and analytics: Reporting and analytics are useful tools for improving customer service and optimising staff hours. For example, reports indicating when most calls are placed can help you align staff hours with busy times, while advanced data on call sentiments can help you assess guest satisfaction.
• Integrations: Many VoIP phone systems integrate with third-party software and apps, but helpdesk and CRM integrations are probably the most useful integrations for hotels.
• Team collaboration tools: Most VoIP systems include a team messaging function, which can improve internal communication between staff, making sure problems are quickly dealt with. Many also come with SMS and video calling, which can help hotels maintain collaboration with remote staff.

Do Hotel Phone Providers Include Handsets or Do I Need To Buy Them Separately?

Most UK VoIP providers do not include handsets in the per-user monthly price. In most cases, your monthly licence covers the software (calling, routing, voicemail, apps, admin), and you either buy handsets upfront or rent/lease them as an add-on. For hotels, this matters as hardware roll-outs across reception, back office and roaming staff will add to the total cost.

Hotels typically have three hardware payment models to consider:

• Buy upfront: You purchase desk phones, DECT base stations and cordless handsets outright. This is usually cheapest long-term, but has a higher upfront cost.
• Rent/lease: You pay a monthly cost per handset (useful when replacing PBX fast, or spreading costs across seasons). For example, some providers advertise handset rental from around £5 per month for pre-configured devices.
• Bring your own device (BYOD): You keep compatible desk phones and only replace what isn’t supported. This can minimise disruption, but compatibility varies by provider.

What to budget for in a hotel setup:

• Reception and back office: Desk phones (often PoE-enabled), headsets and sometimes a conference phone for meetings.
• Housekeeping/maintenance/night staff: DECT base stations and cordless handsets for reliable roaming across floors and back-of-house areas.
• Network gear: PoE switch(es), cabling where needed and (ideally) a separate voice network/VLAN and QoS settings.
• Resilience: UPS (battery backup) for router/switch and optional 4G/5G failover so the front desk number stays reachable during outages.

How To Switch Your Hotel From PBX to VoIP

Switching from PBX to VoIP is now a time-sensitive project for UK hotels because the PSTN switch-off is imminent. The safest approach is a staged migration that protects your main front desk and reservations numbers, keeps internal extensions working across departments, and avoids disruption during peak season.

1) Audit what you have

• Numbers: Reception, reservations, restaurant/events, freephone, staff-only lines
• Extensions: Map by department (front desk, housekeeping, maintenance, duty manager)
• Special lines: Lifts/emergency phones, alarm lines, door entry/intercoms, card terminal lines

2) Define your hotel call flow

• IVR menu + hours: Day/night routing and out-of-hours handling
• Queues + ring groups: Overflow when reception is busy
• Duty cover: Automatic forwarding to the on-call mobile overnight

3) Get the building ready (where call quality is won or lost)

• Separate voice from guest Wi-Fi and enable QoS so calls take priority
• Use DECT for roaming staff (housekeeping/maintenance), not guest Wi-Fi calling
• Add resilience: UPS for router/switch + 4G/5G failover if possible

4) Pick provider + hardware in one “all-in” quote

• Minutes/freephone limits: Avoid pooled caps that bottleneck reservations
• Hardware: Desk phones + DECT base stations/handsets (buy or rent/lease)
• Multi-site controls: If you run more than one property

5) Migrate in a low-risk order

• Pilot first: Move a secondary line or back-office users to test routing and quality
• Port the main number next: Schedule for a quiet period and set fallback forwarding
• Train by role: Front desk basics (transfer/hold), managers (reports/coaching), roaming staff (DECT/app)

How We Ranked the Best Phone Systems for Hotels

Meet our Expert author