The project dashboard is a free tool that is only available to verified hoteliers to make adopting new technology easier by streamlining their research and simplifying their communication workflow.
TLDR
We analyzed 157 verified hotelier reviews, compared feature sets, pricing, and real-world case studies to break down where each platform delivers. The right choice depends on your property type and priorities:
Akia shines in guest communication centralization and faster response handling — especially for vacation rental properties (5.0/5), with exclusive features like Broadcast Messaging and Team Messaging.
Sojern shines in ease of use — especially for bed & breakfast properties (5.0/5).
Side-by-side ratings based on 157 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
| HTScore |
|
|
| Likelihood to Recommend |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Customer Support |
|
|
| Value for Money |
|
|
| Starting Price | From $500/mo | From $400/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 138 | 19 |
After analyzing 157 verified reviews, Akia users most value its guest communication centralization and faster response handling, automated messaging and canned responses, pre-arrival forms, registration, and mini-app workflows, while Sojern users highlight ease of use, front desk control, invoicing and checkout. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Pros | |
|
+
Guest communication centralization and faster response handling
▾
|
+
Ease of use
▾
|
|
+
Automated messaging and canned responses
▾
|
+
Front desk control
▾
|
|
+
Pre-arrival forms, registration, and mini-app workflows
▾
|
+
Invoicing and checkout
▾
|
|
+
Mobile access for staff and convenience in daily operations
▾
|
|
| Cons | |
|
−
AI-assisted replies, prompts, and knowledge base control
▾
|
|
|
−
Integrations, syncing, and system reliability issues
▾
|
|
|
−
Task, notes, and operational workflow management
▾
|
|
How each product ranks among Guest Messaging Software vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #6 51 reviews | #15 5 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #9 56 reviews | #21 9 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #11 13 reviews | #21 3 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #10 6 reviews | #19 1 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Boutique ▾ | #8 60 reviews | #19 9 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #11 25 reviews | #24 5 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #8 42 reviews | #17 7 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #6 18 reviews | #19 2 reviews |
By Region
| Segment |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| North America ▾ | #3 137 reviews | #14 17 reviews |
| Europe | — | #28 1 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #20 0 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #11 1 reviews |
Akia and Sojern AI Smart Concierge both serve as AI-driven guest messaging platforms designed to automate communication across the guest journey, from pre-arrival to post-checkout. Akia stands out for its deep operational functionality, including pre-arrival check-in, upsell campaigns, and multi-channel messaging integrated tightly with property management systems. Sojern emphasizes 24/7 automated guest engagement focused on ancillary revenue and reputation management.
Akia fits hotels seeking a comprehensive automation solution that manages the entire guest communication workflow with advanced features like task management and upsell fulfillment tracking. Sojern suits properties looking for straightforward AI concierge messaging primarily to reduce staff load while maintaining personalized guest contact. Both solve the core problem of automating guest messaging to improve responsiveness and operational efficiency but diverge sharply on feature depth and operational scope.
If you run a mid-size or larger hotel that requires robust guest communication tools integrated with your PMS—including pre-arrival check-in, upselling, and task management—Akia is the better choice. This conclusion rests on Akia’s 138 reviews averaging 4.8/5 overall, with multiple features dedicated to operational workflows and guest engagement. Its user base includes a broad range of segments with strong ratings in boutique (4.8/5, 60 reviews) and branded hotels (4.9/5, 42 reviews).
If your hotel is smaller, prioritizes simple AI-driven guest messaging, and values seamless 24/7 concierge chat without extensive workflow automation, Sojern fits. Its 19 reviews also average 4.8/5, but it lacks the operational features Akia provides. Sojern’s user base is more weighted toward boutique (5/5, 9 reviews) and branded hotels (4.9/5, 7 reviews), yet review volume and recent data are limited, with no reviews in the last six months. For hotels with limited tech adoption resources or simpler guest communication needs, Sojern is sufficient but less comprehensive.
Both products receive high ease of use ratings—Akia scores 4.8/5 ease of use and 4.7/5 onboarding across 138 reviews, while Sojern has 4.6/5 ease of use and 4.8/5 onboarding from 19 reviews. Akia reviewers frequently highlight its user-friendly interface that supports both guests and staff, enabling rapid, personalized responses and intuitive collaboration across teams. Sojern users appreciate its straightforward system but note ongoing challenges, such as missing alerts for guest messages and task assignment functionality that does not work reliably.
Sojern’s lack of recent reviews limits confidence in its current usability, while Akia’s volume and consistency support its user-friendliness claim. Both products require initial learning curves around automation template setup and some workflow nuances. Edge: Even.
Akia leads decisively with 41 unique hotel-specific features beyond the 18 shared with Sojern. These include critical operational tools such as TripAdvisor review integration, broadcast messaging, upsell fulfillment tracking, team messaging, KPIs dashboard, ticketing system, task and checklist management, digital check-in, credit card authorization, and seamless handoff to human agents. For example, Akia’s unified omnichannel inbox ties text, email, and OTA messages to guest profiles, streamlining front desk workflows and improving response times.
Sojern lacks any unique features beyond the shared core messaging capabilities, focusing primarily on AI chat and guest engagement. This limits Sojern’s operational impact for hotels requiring complex workflows or revenue management features embedded in guest messaging.
Akia’s additional features change front desk operations substantially by enabling automated pre-arrival check-in, real-time task assignment to housekeeping, and integrated upsell campaigns that can be charged to the guest folio directly. Sojern’s narrower feature set limits automation mostly to guest inquiries and standard messaging.
Edge: Akia by Akia.
Akia holds a 4.8/5 customer support rating across 138 reviews, while Sojern scores 4.9/5 from 19 reviews. Akia reviewers praise the responsiveness and helpfulness of the back-end team, noting quick resolution of issues and a smooth onboarding experience. A minority of Akia reviews cite challenges with contract terms and WhatsApp setup complexity. Sojern users commend its support team’s attentiveness and solution development, such as a custom Do Not Disturb feature, although some mention slow or missing responses to support requests.
Both platforms have high support ratings and positive customer feedback on onboarding and issue resolution. However, Akia’s larger review volume provides a more representative sample of consistent support quality.
Edge: Even.
Sojern slightly leads with 35 verified integrations compared to Akia’s 32. Both share nine common partners, including major PMS platforms like Oracle Hospitality, Mews, Maestro PMS, and Cloudbeds, covering most hotel operational environments. Akia’s unique integrations focus on key hotel operational systems such as FLEXIPASS Keyless Mobile Access and innRoad PMS. Sojern offers unique connections to distribution and booking channel partners like Profitroom, ROIBACK, Bookassist, and Vertical Booking, which may benefit hotels emphasizing direct booking and channel management.
Hotels focused on operational workflow automation and guest services may prefer Akia’s PMS-centric integrations. Those prioritizing direct booking and distribution channel connectivity might find Sojern’s unique partners more relevant.
Edge: Even.
Both Akia and Sojern share an identical overall rating of 4.8/5, reflecting strong satisfaction. Akia’s rating is based on a substantially larger sample of 138 reviews, including 16 in the last six months averaging 4.8/5, indicating the rating reflects the current product experience. Sojern’s 19 reviews include no recent feedback in the last six months, limiting confidence that the rating reflects current performance.
Segment-specific ratings favor Akia for boutique hotels (4.8/5, 60 reviews) and branded hotels (4.9/5, 42 reviews), while Sojern also scores well in boutique (5/5, 9 reviews) and branded hotels (4.9/5, 7 reviews) but with fewer reviews. Akia’s review depth across diverse segments such as resorts (4.9/5, 68 reviews) and limited-service hotels (4.9/5, 51 reviews) further reinforce its broad appeal.
Edge: Even.
Akia’s base price is $500 per month, while Sojern starts at $400 per month. Neither offers a freemium model, monthly flat fees, or per-room pricing. Both do not publish implementation fees or trial options. Pricing transparency is equivalent but Sojern has a lower base price.
Hotels should weigh Akia’s broader feature set and operational benefits against the $100 monthly premium over Sojern.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
Akia by Akia and Sojern AI Smart Concierge both automate guest messaging using AI but diverge in operational depth and feature breadth. Akia offers a full guest journey automation platform with 41 unique hotel-centric features, including pre-arrival check-in, upselling, task management, and review campaigns. Sojern provides core AI concierge messaging with an emphasis on 24/7 guest engagement and reputation management but lacks additional workflow tools.
Choose Akia if your hotel needs comprehensive guest communication integrated with PMS data, operational tasking, and revenue-enhancing automation. Its 138 reviews averaging 4.8/5 with recent activity demonstrate strong current satisfaction, and its feature set supports complex workflows across hotel types.
Choose Sojern if you want simpler AI-driven guest messaging focused on direct booking and ancillary revenue support, especially if you prefer a lower base price and prioritize reputation management features. Sojern’s smaller review base and lack of recent ratings suggest more limited market validation but still solid user satisfaction.
In sum, Akia fits hotels seeking robust, end-to-end guest communication automation. Sojern suits hotels requiring straightforward AI concierge messaging with a focus on guest engagement and revenue management.
These are the features each vendor has configured, organized by feature group — the same data shown in the vendor dashboard. Expand a group to compare features side by side.
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
▾
Unified Inbox
|
|
|
| Team Messaging | ||
| Broadcast Messaging | ||
| Desktop App (non-web based) | ||
| Photo Sharing | ||
| Mobile App | ||
| Mobile Friendly | ||
| Live Translations | ||
| Website Livechat | ||
|
▾
Multi-Channel
|
|
|
| Whatsapp Integration | ||
| Facebook Messenger Integration | ||
| SMS text messaging | ||
| Website Livechat | ||
|
▾
Automation
|
|
|
| Message Routing | ||
| Automated Replies | ||
| Chatbot Booking Agent | ||
| Broadcast Messaging | ||
| Upsell Fulfillment Tracking | ||
| Open API | ||
| Automated Workflows | ||
|
▾
Upselling & Ancillaries
|
|
|
| Upsell Marketplace | ||
| Offer Campaigns | ||
| Upsell Fulfillment Tracking | ||
| Purchase Links | ||
| Charge to Folio | ||
| Room Upgrades Campaigns | ||
| Upselling Campaigns | ||
|
▾
Task & Request Management
|
|
|
| Ticketing System | ||
| Tasks & Checklists | ||
| Inspections | ||
| Recurring Tasks | ||
| Upsell Fulfillment Tracking | ||
|
▾
Surveys & Feedback
|
|
|
| Messaging Guest Surveys | ||
| TripAdvisor Review Partner | ||
| Guest Reviews Campaigns | ||
|
▾
Reporting & Analytics
|
|
|
| Analytics dashboard | ||
| Guest History | ||
| Upsell Fulfillment Tracking | ||
| Team KPIs Dashboard | ||
| Custom Goal Setting | ||
|
▾
Compliance & Privacy
|
|
|
| Automated Opt-In/Consent Collection | ||
| Secured Data Protection | ||
| Open API | ||
|
▾
Digital Registration & Check-in
|
|
|
| Document & Passport Scanning | ||
| Credit Card Authorization | ||
| Mobile Keys | ||
| Custom Fields | ||
|
▾
Pre-Stay
|
|
|
| Chatbot Booking Agent | ||
| Booking Recovery Campaigns | ||
| Behavioral Marketing Campaigns | ||
| Email to Chatbot Automation | ||
| Smooth Handover to Human Agents | ||
| Click to Call | ||
| Lead Qualification | ||
| OTA Price Comparison | ||
| Interface Personalization | ||
|
▾
In-Stay & Post Stay
|
|
|
| Digital Check-in | ||
| Room Upgrades Campaigns | ||
| Upselling Campaigns | ||
| Automated Workflows | ||
| Custom Routing and Escalations | ||
| Pre-programmed Guest Notifications | ||
| Guest Reviews Campaigns | ||
| Retention Campaigns | ||
|
▾
Back-Office
|
|
|
| Unified Omnichannel Inbox | ||
| Status Tabs in Inbox Navigation | ||
| Assigning Agents | ||
| Canned Responses | ||
| User Profile Customizations | ||
| Multi Property Management | ||
| Customizable Working Hours | ||
| Unlimited Users | ||
|
▾
Artificial Intelligence
|
|
|
| Chatbot Booking Agent | ||
| Sentiment Analysis | ||
| Self-Learning NLP | ||
| Syntax & Semantic Analysis | ||
| Behavioral Analysis | ||
| Customer Profiling | ||
| Prediction & Forecasting |
We analyzed 1 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"Automation emphasizes the guests experience at their fingertips. Akia closes the gap of missed opportunities by acting as a liaison to our guest satisfaction efforts. We have been..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
What hoteliers love
Reviewers consistently say Akia brings guest conversations into one place, making it easier to track needs, requests, and concerns across a stay. Hote... Reviewers consistently say Akia brings guest conversations into one place, making it easier to track needs, requests, and concerns across a stay. Hotels use it to respond more quickly and keep service from slipping through the cracks, which supports better guest satisfaction and more efficient front-desk operations.
Users frequently mention automated replies for common questions, thank-you messages, and pre-arrival information as a big time saver. However, multipl... Users frequently mention automated replies for common questions, thank-you messages, and pre-arrival information as a big time saver. However, multiple reviews warn that automation can be too aggressive or inaccurate, sometimes repeating messages, confusing guests, or sending responses that do not fit the situation.
A major theme is using Akia’s forms and mini-apps to collect registration details, waivers, policy acknowledgements, and other pre-arrival information... A major theme is using Akia’s forms and mini-apps to collect registration details, waivers, policy acknowledgements, and other pre-arrival information before guests arrive. Reviewers say this reduces manual work, speeds onboarding, and helps properties prepare for arrivals more smoothly, though some want better branding and easier templates.
Where hoteliers push back
Many users highlight Akia’s AI for drafting responses, suggesting answers from hotel policies, and speeding up routine communication. At the same time... Many users highlight Akia’s AI for drafting responses, suggesting answers from hotel policies, and speeding up routine communication. At the same time, several reviews say the AI can be confused, over-automate, or say the wrong thing, so hotels want more control over when AI responds and how it is configured.
Some reviews call out integration and reliability problems, especially with PMS or lock-system connections and the speed of data matching or code gene... Some reviews call out integration and reliability problems, especially with PMS or lock-system connections and the speed of data matching or code generation. These issues can slow workflows and reduce trust in automation, so buyers should evaluate how well Akia fits their existing tech stack.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
What hoteliers love
The review highlights that Opera is very comfortable and easy to use. This suggests the system is straightforward for staff to adopt in day-to-day hot... The review highlights that Opera is very comfortable and easy to use. This suggests the system is straightforward for staff to adopt in day-to-day hotel operations, reducing friction during routine tasks.
The review says control with Opera is very easy, pointing to strong usability for operational control at the front desk. For hotels, this can help sta... The review says control with Opera is very easy, pointing to strong usability for operational control at the front desk. For hotels, this can help staff handle guest-facing workflows more efficiently and with less manual effort.
The invoices area is described as very understandable for check-out, indicating that Opera supports smoother billing workflows. This can help hotels s... The invoices area is described as very understandable for check-out, indicating that Opera supports smoother billing workflows. This can help hotels speed up departures, reduce billing errors, and improve the guest experience at departure.
Ranks higher for
It depends on your requirements. Akia and Sojern AI Smart Concierge share many core Guest Messaging Software features, but each has unique capabilities. Akia offers 32 verified integration partners, while Sojern AI Smart Concierge offers 35. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Akia leads in ease of use at 4.8/5 vs 4.6/5. Look for transparent pricing and a trial or demo option. Filter reviews on each product page by property size to hear from hotels like yours.
Akia: No. Sojern AI Smart Concierge: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Guest Messaging Software vendors offer demos or trials — request one from each to evaluate before committing.
The HT Score is a composite ranking that considers 4 criteria groups and over a dozen variables to help hoteliers objectively compare hotel technology products. Akia has an HT Score of 75 and Sojern has 0. Here is how the score is calculated.
| Criteria Group | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Ratings & Reviews |
|
How highly do users recommend this product? Ratings Score, Review Volume, Share of Voice, Review Depth, Review Recency, Success Stories ▾ The most heavily weighted factor. Analyzes average satisfaction ratings (likelihood to recommend, ease of use, support, ROI), total review count relative to category peers, review recency (at least 20 reviews in the trailing 6 months), and share of voice across unique hotel clients to detect selection bias. |
| Partner Ecosystem |
|
How highly do tech partners recommend this company? Partner Recommendations, Integration Quantity, Integration Quality ▾ Evaluates partner recommendations as expert votes of confidence, the number of verified integrations, and ecosystem quality — the average HT Scores of integration partners. Products with higher-quality integration ecosystems are more likely to deliver a connected tech stack. |
| Customer Centricity |
|
How customer-centric is this organization? Certified Support, Review Consistency, Profile Completeness ▾ Assesses whether the company has earned HTR Customer Support Certification, maintains consistent review collection over time (an indicator of feedback-driven culture), and keeps product profiles complete with capabilities, screenshots, pricing, and features. |
| Reach, Staying Power & Resources |
|
How extensive is this company's reach and resourcing? Geographic Reach, Staying Power, Company Resources, Trending Score ▾ Measures global presence (countries and regions served), years in business as a stability proxy, team headcount as a resource proxy, and a trending score based on trailing-twelve-month buyer inquiries, reviews, partner recommendations, and press activity. |
Customer ratings and reviews are by far the most important factor in the HT Score algorithm. HTR does not accept payment for higher rankings. All reviews are verified — only hotel industry practitioners with confirmed affiliations can submit ratings. View full HT Score methodology →
Custom recommendations tailored to your property