Best Payroll Software for Hotels 2025: Top Picks and Key Features
Whether youâre running a cozy boutique inn or managing a group of full-service hotels, this guide will help you choose the best payroll software for your team.
Hospitality teams are dynamic. Youâve got tipped workers, seasonal hires, overtime rules, and sometimes multiple properties across different states, which make running payroll a little more complicated than the average business.
Perhaps youâre just starting to look for your first payroll system, or your current setup is struggling to keep up with the pace of your operation. Either way, choosing the right payroll software is beyond just automating paychecks or direct deposits. Itâs about making life easier for your team and freeing up time to focus on guests, not spreadsheets.
This guide will help you compare some of the top payroll platforms for hotels and determine which one is the best fit for your needs.
What should the right hotel payroll software do?
Functionality
Why it matters
Support for different employee classifications, hourly and salaried staff
Manages diverse employees and roles - e.g., salaried managers and hourly staff such as housekeeping and front desk teams
Labor law and overtime compliance
Automates specific rules around breaks, overtime, and predictive scheduling laws
Tip Management and Compliance
Tracks tip pooling, declarations, and IRS compliance - Form 8027, tip credits
Multi-state tax filing
Ensures accurate payroll tax calculations for chains or franchises operating across multiple US states
Integration with hotel systems
Syncs seamlessly with time clocks, POS systems, and accounting platforms
Mobile access and self-service for staff
Empowers staff to clock in and out, view payslips, requesting leaves, etc.
Scalability
Supports centralized payroll for multi-location operations or corporate hotel groups
Top Hotel Payroll Software Solutions Compared
Our Top Five Picks: Quick Summary
Platform
Best for
Why it stands out
Workforce.com
Hotel operations of different sizes and locations
Combines scheduling, time tracking, labor forecasting, and payroll in a single platform
Ceridian Dayforce
Hotel chains
Payroll engine with ACA and FLSA tools
Paychex Flex
Midsize hotels
Payroll and HR tools
Quickbooks Payroll
Small hotels and boutique inns
Affordable for owner-operators already using QuickBooks
ADP Workforce Now
Midsize to large hotels
Handles tax jurisdictions and reporting
#1 Workforce.com
Workforce.com is a top choice for hospitality businesses. Itâs a cloud-based platform offering payroll, HR, and scheduling tools built specifically for the demands of hourly teams. Itâs designed to simplify the complexities of hospitality payroll, where staff often work varying hours, hold multiple roles, and operate under different pay rates. In a hotel setting, these variables, combined with seasonality and labor law compliance, can overwhelm traditional payroll systems. Workforce.com solves for that with tools tailored to hotel operations.
Here are some of the key features of Workforce.com that are crucial for the hotel industry:
Payroll that runs off real-time timesheets: Workforce.com automatically syncs payroll with time and attendance, eliminating the need for manual data entry or exports. This ensures accurate pay, especially for hourly hotel employees, even when shifts change or hours vary from week to week.
Automated calculations and compliance: Apply custom pay rules based on your hotelâs location, including overtime, break laws, and penalty rates, which are crucial for businesses with 24/7 operations.
Role-based payroll tracking: Automatically apply pay rates for hotel workers performing multiple roles, such as front desk agents who also cover concierge shifts.
Labor forecasting and smart scheduling: Managers can anticipate demand and build more efficient schedules by analyzing data, such as bookings, sales data, weather, local events, staff availability, and other indicators that can impact demand and labor costs. This helps prevent over- or understaffing, ensuring each shift is profitable regardless of the season.
Seamless shift management: In case of no-shows, managers can offer vacant shifts to qualified staff or employees can swap shifts directly on the app.
Fast onboarding and employee self-service: New hires can onboard in minutes, submit digital tax forms, and manage their details and documents, thereby reducing administrative time and effort. This is especially helpful for seasonal hiring, as it enables new employees to get up and running quickly to meet peak season demand.
Tip and gratuity support: Manage tip pools through automatic allocations and ensure staff get exactly what theyâre owed.
Employee self-service: Employees view schedules, update details, check time-off balances, and access pay stubs in one place, accessible from any device, through the mobile app or web browser.
Live customer support and hospitality expertise: Get guidance from a team that understands the hospitality industry and offers support tailored to your needs.
Centralized dashboard: View labor costs, attendance, scheduling, and payroll metrics in one place for faster decision-making.
âEverybody here uses the software. We literally use Workforce.com for everything. I donât know why more people donât dive into this program, especially in the hotel business.â
â John Chevere, General Manager, Sleep Inn & Suites
Simplify payroll and HR for your hotel. Discover how Workforce.com helps hotel businesses.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Workforce.com is an ideal choice for hotels with hourly teams that need accurate payroll, demand-based scheduling, and minimal admin. Best suited for operations that deal with variable shifts, multiple roles or locations, and seasonal demand fluctuations.
Pricing: Workforce.com provides quote-based pricing tailored to each business. Speak with our team to learn more.
#2 Ceridian Dayforce
Ceridian Dayforce is an HCM platform often used by large hotels and enterprises. It features payroll and compliance tools, offering broad functionality for HR, benefits, and workforce planning. However, it can be complex for smaller hospitality teams and may be limited in features specifically tailored for hotel operations.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Large hotel chains or enterprises with global operations and internal resources to manage a powerful but complex system.
Pricing (as of 2025): Ceridian Dayforce operates on a quote-based pricing model, with costs varying based on factors like company size, selected modules, and organizational complexity.
Note: Pricing details are based on information available as of 2025. For the most current pricing and features, please refer to Ceridian Dayforceâs official website.
#3 Paychex Flex
Paychex Flex is an option that small to mid-sized hotels can consider for their payroll and HR management needs. Depending on the plan or add-on, it can also support time tracking, scheduling, and tip management.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small to mid-sized hotels that need a straightforward payroll that has built-in tax support, but are willing to invest in add-ons or third-party tools for scheduling, time tracking, or tip management.
Pricing (as of 2025): Paychex Flex offers Select, Pro, and Enterprise plans, all of which are quote-based. Pricing depends on business size, feature requirements, and add-ons.
Note: Pricing details are based on information available as of 2025. For the most current pricing and features, please refer to Paychexâs official website.
#4 QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll is a popular choice among small businesses that already use QuickBooks for their accounting needs. It offers payroll runs, tax filing, and employee self-service, which can be suitable for those already familiar with the QuickBooksâ accounting software. Itâs efficient and straightforward for basic payroll, but may have deeper features needed for hotel operations.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small hotels or inns already on QuickBooks for accounting who are looking for a simple payroll solution, provided they donât need built-in tools for scheduling and time tracking.
Pricing (as of 2025):
Note: Pricing details are based on information available as of 2025. For the most current pricing and features, please refer to QuickBooksâ official website.
#5 ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now is a payroll and HR solution suitable for mid-sized to large businesses, with tools for payroll, benefits, attendance tracking, and time management. Itâs widely trusted across different industries, including hospitality. However, itâs more of a general-purpose system and may require additional configuration for more specific needs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Mid-sized to large hotel operations that need enterprise-grade payroll and are willing to invest in add-ons for time and attendance. This is also more suitable for hospitality teams that have the internal bandwidth to train staff and configure hospitality-specific workflows.
Pricing (as of 2025): ADP Workforce Now is fully quote-based, with pricing depending on your organizationâs size, number of pay runs, and selected modules (payroll, HR, benefits, time tracking, and more).
Note: Pricing details are based on information available as of 2025. For the most current pricing and features, please refer to ADPâs official website.
Other Notable Options
These platforms didnât make the top shortlist, but theyâre still worth considering depending on your business needs.
Gusto
Best for: Small hotels that need a simple payroll system
Why consider it: Gusto is a payroll and HR platform popular among small businesses due to its straightforward payroll tools, automated tax filings, benefits administration, and basic time tracking features
Pros: User-friendly, especially for teams with limited admin staff
Cons: Limited support, may not scale well for growing hotel operations
Homebase Payroll
Best for: Small hotels needing basic payroll and scheduling
Why consider it: Homebase offers free scheduling on its Basic plan plus an optional payroll add-on, which can be ideal for hotels operating in a single location
Pros: Basic all-in-one platform, team messaging
Cons: Payroll is an add-on, may be difficult to scale with complex operations
What are the common payroll pain points in the hotel industry?
Managing payroll in the hotel industry is not as straightforward as in other industries. It involves numerous factors that can make payroll processing complicated. Hotel operators typically face the following challenges when it comes to calculating pay for their staff:
Variable schedules and shift work: Hotel operations run 24/7, and staff work non-traditional hours, such as overnight security and weekend housekeeping duties. Such a structure can make it difficult to track hours, calculate overtime, and apply specific pay rules, especially when these tasks are handled manually.
Multiple roles and pay rates: Itâs common for hotel staff to hold various positions, such as concierges who also assist with banquets. Without the right system in place, itâs easy to misclassify hours and roles.
Managing tips: Hospitality businesses, such as hotels, must have a system in place to manage tipped wages, tipped pooling, and federal and state tip credit rules.
Overtime and break laws: Hotels are at a higher risk of violating federal and state labor laws because shifts often overlap, and accurately tracking breaks can be challenging without the right system.
Multi-location labor rules: Hotels operating in different locations must comply with varying tax rules and wage regulations, which can complicate compliance.
Seasonal hiring: Hotels often rely on seasonal staff during peak periods. This adds complexity to onboarding, tracking hours, managing benefits, and distinguishing between contractors and employees.
Final Thoughts: Choosing the right payroll system for your hotel
Ultimately, the best payroll system for a hotel is one that can effectively handle the various aspects and nuances of operating a hospitality business and managing a hotel workforce. Focus on your priorities when it comes to payroll. Do you need something more automated? Do you want something that can integrate with your current workflows? Or are you open to switching to a completely different platform that can streamline everything?
Among the options discussed, Workforce.com stands out for hotels with hourly teams because itâs built specifically for industries like hospitality with tools for full-service payroll management, real-time wage calculations, multiple pay rates, labor forecasting, and scheduling. But depending on your size and current needs, it might also be worth exploring the other options presented here.
As a next step, you can shortlist your options and then book demos with each payroll provider. Seeing the software in action can reveal whether it fits your day-to-day operations or helps address your current pain points. Itâs best to have your payroll administrator or operations manager participate in those conversations as well.
Whether youâre running a boutique inn or overseeing multiple properties, the right payroll solution ultimately gives you back time to focus on guest experience.
Ready to streamline your hotel's payroll?