How much does a hospitality LMS cost?

At Access Hospitality, we prioritise assisting our customers in choosing a learning management system that aligns with their business agenda, budget and long-term goals. With the abundance of features and functionality available, we understand the importance of developing a learning system that meets their specific needs.

Typical pricing models / considerations of an LMS for hospitality businesses 

So, what are some of the ways that an LMS system is priced for a hospitality business? The size of your operation, the number of outlets in your estate and the number of employees you need to train are all factors that drive pricing models for LMS software.  

In this section, we’ll look at some of the most common LMS pricing models and their benefits: 

• Rolling contracts: A common approach for many LMS providers in the UK is a subscription-based pricing model that usually involves paying a recurring fee every month to access and use the LMS. The cost of the subscription is usually dependent on the number of users, features and functionality provided and has the advantage of not having to commit to a long contract although this can drive up the price, especially for larger businesses. 
• User-based pricing: With hospitality businesses varying greatly in size, one way to fit pricing to budget is by determining cost based on the number of users who will be accessing the LMS. The more users you have, the higher the cost. Small and independent businesses might benefit from managing user-licences for a fixed number of employees with low employee-turnover.   
• Package pricing: Package pricing plans usually offer different levels of features and functionality in ‘packages’. Each package has a different price point, with lower priced packages offering fewer features than more expensive ones. This approach enables the business to choose a package that best suits their needs and budget but can be restrictive in terms of scalability if your package excludes some features or functionality.  
• Custom pricing: For larger hospitality businesses or organisations with specific requirements, LMS providers may offer customised enterprise pricing. This typically involves negotiating a pricing arrangement tailored to your organisation's needs, which may include factors such as the number of users, outlets, features, integrations and length of contract. 
• Freemium platform: Some LMS platforms offer free or open-source versions that provide basic functionality at no cost. However, these options may come with limitations, such as restricted features or limited support. 

Additional costs to consider when looking to onboard a hospitality LMS 

When considering the cost of a hospitality LMS system for your business, there are a few key considerations you should keep in mind that will have an influence on the price point. LMS software is a constantly evolving area of technology, so you should feel confident that your chosen provider will keep up with the latest trends and functionality in learning software. 

Below, we explore the main areas that influence the cost of a hospitality LMS: 

LMS features 

When choosing between different providers for a hospitality LMS system, you should consider the different features that are on offer. And this includes features that you may not be using at the beginning, as this might impact the scalability of the platform further down the line. Typically, the more features, the higher the cost – but often the platform will come with a basic number of features and additional ones come at an additional cost.  

Some of the most important features of a hospitality LMS include: 

• Courses and learning content – This ranges from e-learning courses available to course creation tools and the ability to create branded training content that offers multi-language support to ensure learning materials are accessible to all employees in an industry that reflects a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.  
• Learning management tools – Learning management tools include all off the functionality that enables companies and managers to directly assign learning content and monitor its completion as well as demonstrate business compliance with specific compliance obligations.  
• Reporting and analytics – Being able to access a wealth of reporting data and business insights is essential for tracking and monitoring the effectiveness of training programmes, understanding staff retention and identify knowledge gaps in the business.  
• Mobile accessibility – In an environment of predominantly deskless workers, mobile compatibility is an important factor in enabling employees to access and complete training modules using smartphones or tablets.  
• System integrations – An effective hospitality LMS should support integrations with other systems and tools used throughout the business, such as HR and scheduling software, performance management platforms and staff communication systems for a unified and user-friendly experience for your employees.  
• Gamification – Gamification elements, such as badges, leader boards and rewards enhance learning for users by creating a more engaging and motivating experience.  
• Discoverable content – More and more businesses are creating dynamic learning experiences for their employees with a Netflix-style offering of curated content that relates to user interests. 

Costs of implementation 

Some of the cost considerations of implementing a new LMS might be one-off costs associated with the onboarding of a new system. These costs won’t apply to all LMS software or all providers, so it’s really important you understand the different potential costs so you can ask your chosen provider about them before you sign up.  

Here we’ll look at some of the key cost considerations when implementing a new LMS system:  

• Software licensing – The cost of the system itself is obviously the main one – and this will depend on your chosen provider but may be in the form of an annual or monthly cost to use the system.  
• Customisation – Depending on the needs of your business you may incur additional costs if you want to tailor the user interface, the design of the platform or create custom features and content.  
• Training – Successful adoption of new software is dependent on training during onboarding to ensure your employees know how to use the system. Depending on the complexity of the system you may need to budget for training or workshops for your teams.  
• Integration costs – Sometimes additional costs can come from the development work, API access or consulting needed to ensure smooth data exchange and functionality between different systems.  
• Support and maintenance – Many providers offer different levels of customer support at different price points, so it’s essential you understand the level of support you can expect from your chosen supplier.    

Assessing and addressing potential implementation costs at the beginning of the process is sensible as unforeseen costs can add up for businesses and also delay the implementation processes if not planned for. A standardised implementation process may reduce unforeseen costs and work well for businesses that don’t have a huge range of other software to consider or are not implementing in a vast number of sites. However, for larger chain operations a complex implementation may cost more but will ultimately be a more customised solution that aligns closely with your business's specific needs. 

How much does a hospitality LMS system cost?

In the UK, it is common to find pricing for hospitality learning management systems in a tiered approach with basic, standard or advanced functionality and based on the number of users.  

While many providers do not advertise their pricing online, software users and reviewers give us an idea of the general range of cost for a hospitality learning platform in the UK, with prices: 

• starting from around £199 per month for more basic packages
• up to around £950 per month for the most advanced packages.  

Learning Pool's pricing plans include a Basic plan, a Standard plan and an Advanced plan. Each plan builds upon the previous one by adding more features and capabilities, catering to different user needs.  

Similarly, Harri offers Starter, Essential and Advanced plans, with each plan expanding on the features of the previous one. The pricing structure is designed to accommodate different user requirements and budgets, allowing businesses to choose the plan that best suits their needs. 

Flow Hospitality's pricing plans mirror those of Learning Pool and Harri, with Starter, Essential and Advanced options. These plans offer a progression of features, allowing users to select the plan that aligns with their specific requirements. 

While the pricing structures of these competitors* are similar, the pros and cons of each provider's pricing style will depend on specific factors. Some potential advantages of these pricing models include the ability to choose a plan based on the number of users and desired features, ensuring scalability and flexibility for businesses. Additionally, the tiered pricing approach enables businesses to start with a more basic plan and upgrade as their needs grow. 

On the flip side, one potential disadvantage of this pricing structure is that the pricing details for higher-tier plans may not be readily available, requiring potential customers to contact the providers directly for specific pricing information. Additionally, the cost of the plans may vary depending on the additional features and customisations required, potentially resulting in higher expenses for businesses seeking more advanced functionalities. 

How does pricing of Access CPL Learning work 

At Access Hospitality, we like to be transparent in our structure and costs. Our hospitality learning management system (LMS) offers an extensive range of e-learning courses and supporting modules, ensuring your team members have access to valuable knowledge at their fingertips. 

Standard package

With our standard package, you'll receive a fully branded learning management platform equipped with a comprehensive suite of e-learning courses. These courses cover essential areas such as compliance, hospitality, and wellbeing.

Additionally, our platform provides a library to host documents and videos, internal messaging, and company news, fostering seamless communication and engagement.

Pricing for the standard package is based on the number of users, making it flexible to suit your specific needs. For instance, a business with 100 users can enjoy the standard package for an attractive price starting at just £283.00 per month. 

But why settle for the standard when you can supercharge your team's learning journey?

Enhance the learner experience and create individual career pathways by adding modules that align with your goals. Our popular checklists and survey modules empower you to track competency-based learning and gather valuable employee feedback. By including these two modules in the standard package for 100 users, you can elevate your team's performance for as little as £434.00 per month. 

We go beyond the essentials with additional supporting modules such as appraisals, coffee chats, and event management, allowing you to tailor the learning experience to your unique requirements. Plus, take advantage of our course creator tool, enabling you to develop your own captivating learning content. To enrich the learning experience even further, our Discover channel can be configured to push diverse content types, such as TED Talks, podcasts, and videos, ensuring a truly engaging and personalized journey for every learner. 

At CPL Learning, we prioritise your success. That's why we offer personalised consultations to understand your specific learning needs and provide pricing options based on the number of users and your current training program. Talk to us today to revolutionise your team's learning experience like never before. 

* Please note that the pricing information provided is accurate at the time of publication, but it is important to keep in mind that prices for hospitality Learning Management Systems are subject to change. The pricing details mentioned for Learning Pool, Harri and Flow Hospitality are based on general information and may vary depending on factors such as the number of users, specific features, and any customisations required. 

To obtain the most up-to-date and accurate pricing information, it is recommended to directly contact the respective LMS providers. They will be able to provide you with specific pricing details based on your unique requirements and any current promotions or offers they may have available.