Switching HS3 Hotel Software: The Complete Guide

Mews announced its acquisition of HS/3 Hotelsoftware in May 2024. The current HS/3 customer FAQ states that existing products were expected to remain supported during a transition period anticipated to cover the three years following May 2024. It also says HS/3 customers would be offered a transition to Mews. However, the FAQ does not define one precise shutdown date for every product, service, interface, or customer agreement. Hotels should therefore confirm the timeline that applies to their own HS/3 installation and contract.

This guide explains how to prepare for switching HS3 hotel software, which capabilities a successor should provide, and how HotelFriend supports the transition. For DACH hotels looking beyond a legacy PMS, HotelFriend combines cloud property management, connected hotel operations, DACH-oriented accounting functions, and structured migration support within one configurable platform.

Why HS/3 Hotels Should Plan Their Next PMS Now

A transition period may sound generous, but replacing a core hotel system involves much more than selecting new software. Hotels need time to understand their current HS/3 environment, define the required future setup, prepare data, rebuild integrations, train staff, and test critical workflows before go-live.

Starting early also creates room to identify issues that may have accumulated over years of operation, such as duplicate guest or company records, inconsistent rate codes, outdated workflows, or interfaces that are no longer fully documented. Resolving these points before migration makes it easier to build the new environment around the way the hotel actually operates today.

Before selecting a successor, ask HS/3 to confirm the following for your installation:

• ● the support and maintenance timeline for the installed version;
• ● the status of the booking engine, interfaces, and separately contracted services;
• ● available export formats and the process for obtaining data extracts;
• ● access to archived documents and fiscal records after the transition;
• ● any contractual notice periods, hardware dependencies, or third-party obligations.

Product support, interfaces, local infrastructure, hardware, and contractual access can follow different timelines, so the migration plan should be based on the hotel’s actual setup rather than on a general end-of-life assumption.

What an HS/3 Successor Needs to Handle

The right replacement PMS should reflect the hotel’s complete operating model. Instead of beginning with a generic list of features, map the workflows that matter from the moment a reservation enters the system until the stay is closed and the financial data reaches accounting.

Reservations, Inventory, and Distribution

Start by documenting all reservation sources and the rules attached to them. This may include direct bookings, online travel agencies, corporate accounts, groups, allotments, and manually entered reservations. Room types, rate plans, restrictions, packages, deposits, and taxes should also be included.

The successor needs to reproduce the required inventory and pricing logic before distribution connections go live. It is also important to establish whether the selected package includes a Booking Engine and Channel Manager or relies on separate systems. Both models can work, but the hotel should understand how data moves between systems, who is responsible for support, which additional fees apply, and what happens if synchronisation fails.

Guest, Company, and Reservation History

Guest profiles, company records, preferences, previous stays, and future reservations often represent years of valuable operational history. However, migration does not necessarily mean copying every field from the legacy database into the new PMS.

Future reservations normally require the greatest attention because they directly affect upcoming stays, balances, room allocation, rates, and guest communication. Historical information can then be assessed according to operational value, retention requirements, available export formats, and the structure of the target system.

Billing, Accounting, and Payments

Before migration, document invoice types, payment methods, tax codes, revenue accounts, deposits, corrections, and accounting exports. For German hotels, DATEV-related processes deserve particular attention and should be reviewed together with the hotel’s accountant or tax adviser.

A DATEV connection is more than the presence of an export button. Hotels should confirm how account structures, tax keys, debtor data, export periods, corrections, and reconciliation work in the target environment.

Payments should be reviewed separately. Terminals, payment service providers, pre-authorisations, refunds, settlement reports, and stored payment tokens may all be affected by the change of system. The future payment workflow should therefore be defined before cutover.

Operations, Reporting, and Connected Systems

The PMS usually sits at the centre of a much larger hotel technology environment. Housekeeping, point of sale, locks, maintenance, telephone systems, event tools, revenue management, accounting, payments, and management reporting may all depend on it.

For every critical integration, document what information is exchanged, how frequently it moves, who supports the connection, and what fallback process is available if it stops working. This gives the hotel a realistic picture of what needs to be rebuilt or replaced during migration.

Why HotelFriend Is a Strong HS/3 Successor for DACH Hotels

For hotels moving away from HS/3, HotelFriend provides a practical path from a legacy property management environment to a configurable cloud-based hotel platform. Its current product portfolio combines property management with connected tools for distribution, direct bookings, guest-facing processes, payments, hotel operations, reporting, and integrations.

This is particularly relevant for HS/3 users that want to modernise more than the core PMS. Instead of treating the migration as a one-to-one software replacement, hotels can use the transition to review how reservations, distribution, accounting, guest communication, payments, and daily operations work together.

Depending on the selected HotelFriend package and project scope, the platform can support:

• ● cloud-based property management and front-office workflows;
• ● direct bookings through a Booking Engine;
• ● distribution through Channel Manager functionality;
• ● payments and connected billing workflows;
• ● guest communication and guest-facing tools;
• ● housekeeping and other operational processes;
• ● reporting and accounting-related workflows;
• ● DATEV-oriented processes for the German market;
• ● integrations with connected hotel systems;
• ● configurations for more complex and multi-property requirements.

HotelFriend currently offers CORE, the modular FLEX option, and Signature for tailored requirements. This allows hotels to build the target environment around their operating model instead of comparing every property against the same fixed package.

The platform scope is also important when comparing commercial proposals. A base PMS licence is not directly comparable with a package that additionally includes distribution, payments, guest communication, operational tools, or other modules. The more meaningful comparison is the complete technology stack the hotel needs to run its operation, including interfaces and third-party subscriptions.

HotelFriend also provides a dedicated HS/3 migration offer. Its current first-party information describes the migration of areas such as reservations, guest profiles, rate plans, and historical information. The exact scope is defined during the project based on the hotel’s HS/3 setup, available exports, data quality, and target configuration.

The project team should also identify operational peak periods, critical dependencies, and the people responsible for decisions in front office, finance, operations, management, and IT.

2. Define the Target HotelFriend Setup

Current workflows are mapped against the selected HotelFriend package and modules. At this stage, the hotel can decide which processes should remain largely unchanged and which should be simplified or redesigned.

Every required integration should also be documented, including whether it is provided directly within the HotelFriend environment, connected through an API, or delivered by another provider.

3. Build a Data Inventory

Next, classify the data that may be needed after migration. Typical categories include:

• ● future reservations;
• ● guest and company profiles;
• ● room and rate-plan data;
• ● balances and payment information;
• ● invoices and accounting-related records;
• ● documents and notes;
• ● historical operational and management data.

Each category should have a clear destination: transfer to the new system, retain in an archive, transform into another format, or remove when legal and operational retention requirements allow it.

4. Extract, Clean, and Map the Data

Available HS/3 exports are prepared for the migration and mapped to the corresponding HotelFriend fields. Duplicate, outdated, or inconsistent information can be reviewed during this stage rather than automatically reproducing every legacy record in the new environment.

Fields that cannot be mapped directly should be documented so the hotel knows whether the information will be archived, transformed, or handled separately.

5. Configure HotelFriend

The new environment is then configured for the property. This can include rooms, rate plans, taxes, users, permissions, invoice rules, distribution, payments, accounting workflows, and other required modules.

The goal is not simply to rebuild every legacy workaround. Migration provides an opportunity to configure the system around approved processes and remove unnecessary complexity that accumulated over time.

6. Import and Validate

A test import should take place before the final cutover. The hotel and migration team can compare record counts and review high-risk records such as upcoming arrivals, room assignments, balances, deposits, company invoices, taxes, and contact information.

Any discrepancies should be documented, corrected, and tested again before production data is accepted.

7. Train Staff by Role

Training works best when it follows real hotel tasks instead of generic system navigation.

• ● Front Office: reservations, check-in and check-out, room changes, payments, cancellations, and exceptions.
• ● Housekeeping: room status, cleaning workflows, and maintenance communication.
• ● Finance: invoices, corrections, accounting exports, and reconciliation.
• ● Management: reporting, permissions, controls, and escalation procedures.

8. Go Live with a Fallback Plan

The cutover plan should define the final data export, migration window, validation process, and handling of reservations or changes received during the transition.

Teams should also know whom to contact if a problem affects the PMS, an integration, payment processing, accounting, or another critical workflow.

9. Review and Optimise After Launch

Migration does not end when the new system becomes available to staff. Reservations, interfaces, financial data, permissions, reporting, and operational workflows should be reviewed again after go-live.

Questions and optimisation opportunities identified during the first weeks can then be incorporated into the final operating setup.

What Happens to Your HS/3 Data?

The exact data migration scope depends on the installed HS/3 environment, available exports, data quality, field mappings, and the agreed HotelFriend configuration. For this reason, the migration plan should define exactly what is transferred before the production import begins.

For each data category, document:

• ● which records and date ranges will be transferred;
• ● which fields are included or excluded;
• ● how duplicate or invalid values are handled;
• ● how notes, attachments, and consent-related information are treated;
• ● how migrated data will be checked and accepted;
• ● where non-migrated historical information will remain available;
• ● when information can be deleted after operational and legal requirements are met.

Future reservations should receive particular attention. It is not enough for a reservation simply to appear in the new database. Rates, taxes, services, balances, room assignments, guest details, and relevant channel references also need to be correct.

Finance teams should carry out their own validation of invoices, balances, tax treatment, and accounting exports before the old environment is retired.

DATEV Workflows

HotelFriend’s current accounting information describes DATEV-compatible exports and account-mapping functionality. Before go-live, the hotel should test the actual workflow together with its accountant or tax adviser.

Important points include:

• ● export format;
• ● chart of accounts;
• ● tax keys;
• ● debtor treatment;
• ● correction processes;
• ● export periods;
• ● reconciliation between PMS and accounting records.

Testing these workflows before cutover helps ensure that operational and accounting processes continue without avoidable disruption.

GoBD

The current GoBD are based on the German Federal Ministry of Finance letter of 28 November 2019 and subsequent amendments, including updates in March 2024 and July 2025. They address areas such as traceability, retention, protection against undocumented changes, electronic records, and tax-authority access.

HotelFriend states that its accounting functions support areas such as audit trails, document retention, and export requirements. Hotels should verify the exact functions included in their contracted setup and incorporate them into their own documented accounting procedures.

A hotel’s GoBD-related responsibilities also depend on correct permissions, controlled correction processes, documentation, and consistent daily use of the system.

GDPR and Security

Guest and employee data should have defined purposes, access rules, and retention periods throughout migration and ongoing operation.

HotelFriend’s current terms include data-processing provisions, while its security information describes German hosting and ISO 27001 certification. Hotels evaluating the platform can review the current certificate scope, contracted hosting arrangements, subprocessors, backup procedures, and deletion processes as part of their supplier assessment.

Connected systems and external migration providers should be included in the same data-protection review.

Fiscalisation and POS

If the project includes cash-register or POS functionality, German hotels should also determine which KassenSichV, TSE, and DSFinV-K requirements apply to their operation.

HotelFriend publishes information about fiscalisation and DSFinV-K-related functionality. The exact setup should be confirmed according to the property’s jurisdiction, POS configuration, TSE solution, and accounting requirements.

Prepare Your Team for the Switch

A new PMS changes everyday routines, so staff preparation should focus on practical work rather than long system demonstrations. A small group of super users from front office, finance, and operations can participate in testing and help colleagues during the first phase after launch.

Extra operational capacity around go-live can also help teams adapt without putting unnecessary pressure on normal guest service.

Test the New System Before Go-Live

The hotel should test the workflows that would cause the greatest operational or financial disruption if they failed after launch.

At minimum, test:

• ● direct, OTA, corporate, and group reservations;
• ● availability and rate updates across connected channels;
• ● check-in, room moves, no-shows, cancellations, and check-out;
• ● deposits, refunds, split payments, and failed payments;
• ● invoices, corrections, tax treatment, and DATEV exports;
• ● housekeeping status and maintenance communication;
• ● user permissions and access removal;
• ● reports used for daily control and month-end work;
• ● outage, fallback, and escalation procedures.

Document the expected and actual results. Material issues should be corrected and retested before the system is approved for production use.

How Different PMS Approaches Compare

Hotels replacing HS/3 may encounter several technology approaches, including integrated platforms, API-first architectures, and enterprise suites. The right model depends on the hotel’s operating structure, internal resources, integrations, and plans for future development.

Integrated Hotel Platforms

An integrated platform brings more hotel functions into one environment. This can reduce the number of separate interfaces, logins, and data handoffs that teams need to manage.

HotelFriend follows this approach by combining its PMS with configurable hotel modules and connected operational tools.

API-First Platforms

An API-first approach allows hotels to build a broader application stack around a central platform. It can be appropriate for groups with strong technical resources and a deliberate strategy of combining specialised third-party applications.

Enterprise Suites

Enterprise platforms may support extensive standardisation across large organisations but can also involve broader implementation, integration, and change-management requirements.

For HS/3 users evaluating HotelFriend, the practical question is whether the selected configuration covers the property’s required PMS, distribution, payments, guest, accounting, and operational workflows without introducing unnecessary complexity.

Understand Pricing Beyond the Base PMS Fee

Price comparisons become misleading when systems with different scopes are compared only by their headline monthly licence.

A hotel evaluating its next PMS should compare the total technology stack over the same contract period, including:

• ● PMS licences, rooms, users, and properties;
• ● Booking Engine and Channel Manager;
• ● payments, POS, and transaction fees;
• ● guest communication and operational modules;
• ● interfaces and third-party subscriptions;
• ● data extraction, migration, and configuration;
• ● training, go-live assistance, and support;
• ● hardware, connectivity, and security requirements;
• ● renewal terms, data export, and exit assistance.

This approach is especially important when evaluating HotelFriend because different packages can include different parts of the hotel technology stack. Comparing only the core PMS fee can therefore hide the cost and complexity of additional systems required elsewhere.

HotelFriend currently publishes CORE, FLEX, and Signature options. The current HotelFriend pricing page can be used to review the available structure, while the final quotation should specify the selected modules, implementation scope, integrations, and any third-party costs.

Why an Integrated Platform Matters After HS/3

Moving away from HS/3 is an opportunity to decide whether the hotel still wants to operate a collection of disconnected systems or move toward a more integrated environment.

When reservations, distribution, payments, accounting-related workflows, guest communication, and hotel operations exchange information reliably, teams spend less time moving data manually between tools and resolving discrepancies between separate systems.

HotelFriend’s platform approach is designed around this connected model. Hotels can select the modules required for their operation while keeping the PMS at the centre of the workflow. For larger or more complex organisations, tailored and multi-property configurations can be assessed as part of the implementation project.

Final HS/3 Migration Checklist

• ● Obtain the support and contract timeline for your HS/3 installation.
• ● Inventory modules, integrations, hardware, and local dependencies.
• ● Document reservation, guest, payment, accounting, and operational workflows.
• ● Define mandatory successor capabilities before comparing solutions.
• ● Agree the migration dataset and field mapping in writing.
• ● Decide what moves to the new PMS and what remains securely archived.
• ● Validate DATEV, GoBD-related, GDPR, and fiscal processes with the relevant specialists.
• ● Configure and test every critical integration.
• ● Train staff by role and nominate super users.
• ● Run a test migration and document the results.
• ● Prepare the cutover, fallback, and escalation plan.
• ● Reconcile operational and financial data after launch.

Plan Your Move from HS/3 with HotelFriend

Hotels considering HotelFriend as their HS/3 successor can review the HS/3 migration offer, explore the current HotelFriend platform, and request a migration and implementation assessment for their property.

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