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 52 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 when it comes to user interface and experience — especially for brand properties (4.9/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile Friendly and Guest History.
Reguest shines in onboarding , with exclusive features like Email to Chatbot Automation and Email to Chatbot Automation.
Side-by-side ratings based on 52 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 32 | 20 |
After analyzing 52 verified reviews, Akia users most value its user interface and experience, real-time messaging, staff collaboration, while Reguest users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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User Interface and Experience
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Real-time Messaging
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Staff Collaboration
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Guest Satisfaction Tracking
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Credit Card Processing
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How each product ranks among Hotel Chatbots vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment |
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #5 9 reviews | #7 9 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #9 17 reviews | #11 8 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | #9 1 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #7 2 reviews | — |
By Property Type
| Segment |
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| Boutique ▾ | #9 8 reviews | #10 9 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #9 10 reviews | #12 7 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #8 10 reviews | #13 2 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #6 7 reviews | #9 4 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #4 31 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | — | #6 18 reviews |
As a hotelier evaluating chatbot solutions, your goal is to find a platform that enhances guest communication, boosts direct bookings, and integrates smoothly with your existing systems. Akia Web Chat by Akia and Reguest CRIS AI Chatbot both aim to automate and improve guest interactions, but they approach these goals differently. Akia is a more established platform with a focus on real-time messaging and website engagement, while Reguest emphasizes a virtual hotel employee with extensive automation capabilities. Which product aligns best with your hotel’s operational needs and guest service goals?
Both Akia and Reguest aim to facilitate guest communication, but they serve different hotel types and operational styles. Akia’s strength lies in its ability to increase direct bookings through live chat on your website, with features like automated responses, broadcast messaging, and integrations with popular PMS and booking systems. Reguest, by contrast, offers a cognitive AI chatbot designed to act as a virtual employee, capable of handling inquiries 24/7 across multiple channels, including WhatsApp and email, with a focus on automating guest interactions.
Akia’s recent reviews highlight its ease of use, with a 4.71/5 ease rating based on 28 reviews, and high overall satisfaction (4.92/5). Its main strength is improving guest engagement and operational efficiency, especially with contactless check-ins and instant messaging. Reguest, with 19 reviews and a 4.95/5 customer support rating, is praised for its continuous development, intuitive backend, and multi-channel support, but it lacks recent reviews, which weakens its current credibility.
Do you prioritize a platform with a recent, active user base and high guest engagement through live chat? Or do you need a more autonomous AI that can serve as a virtual employee across multiple channels? The answer depends on your hotel’s size, guest profile, and operational focus.
If your hotel needs to engage prospective guests directly on your website, increase bookings, and streamline front desk operations, go with Akia. Its robust live chat, broadcasting, and integration features are tailored to enhance guest communication and operational flow, especially in boutique and branded properties.
If your hotel prioritizes 24/7 guest support with an AI-driven virtual assistant that handles inquiries, booking requests, and multi-channel messaging without human intervention, Reguest is the better choice. Its focus on automation and continuous AI training makes it suitable for larger properties or management companies seeking to reduce staffing burdens.
For hotels with a smaller, tech-savvy team focused on direct-to-guest communication, Akia offers a more tangible impact on booking conversions. Conversely, if your hotel operates across multiple locations and requires a centralized, AI-powered guest assistant, Reguest’s multi-property management and continuous AI evolution make it appealing.
Akia’s user interface is rated 4.71/5 based on 28 reviews, with users citing its ease of understanding and straightforward onboarding process. Customers appreciate its mobile-friendly design, clear dashboards, and simple message routing, which make staff adoption smooth.
Reguest’s interface scores similarly at 4.68/5 from 19 reviews, with users describing it as intuitive and easy to manage. Its onboarding process is praised for being quick and effective, especially with the platform’s ability to adapt to your hotel’s communication style thanks to ongoing AI training.
Both platforms are user-friendly, but Akia’s recent reviews emphasize its straightforward integration with existing hotel systems and guest-facing features. Reguest’s continuous development and flexible customization also make it accessible, especially for larger teams managing multiple properties.
Edge: Akia
Akia offers 20 unique features not found in Reguest, including mobile-friendly messaging, photo sharing, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger integrations, automated replies, guest history, SMS messaging, analytics dashboards, and real-time translation. These features improve guest engagement and operational tracking, making Akia a comprehensive communication tool.
Reguest provides 18 exclusive features, such as a smooth handover to human agents, customizable interfaces, multi-property management, retention campaigns, and a unified omni-channel inbox. These capabilities emphasize automation, personalization, and multi-channel support, ideal for hotels seeking a high degree of AI-driven guest interaction.
Both platforms excel in chatbot functionalities, but Akia’s broader suite of guest engagement features and integrations give it an edge for properties prioritizing direct, web-based interactions.
Edge: Akia
Akia’s support team is highly praised, with a 4.79/5 rating and reviews highlighting their patience, professionalism, and promptness. Hoteliers appreciate Ryan’s assistance and the platform’s reliable onboarding, which minimizes downtime and eases staff adoption.
Reguest’s support rating is slightly higher at 4.95/5, with reviewers emphasizing its consistent responsiveness and ongoing development. Users describe Reguest’s team as accommodating and proactive, especially in customizing the platform to their needs.
While Reguest’s recent reviews reflect ongoing strong support, Akia’s long-standing positive feedback and dedicated customer service make it a slightly more dependable choice for hotels that value quick, knowledgeable assistance.
Edge: Reguest
Akia’s overall rating of 4.92/5 from 28 reviews is supported by recent feedback, indicating a current and satisfied user base. Boutique hotels, branded properties, and small chains rate Akia highly, praising its ease of use, guest engagement, and operational impact.
Reguest, with a 4.95/5 rating from 19 reviews, has a slightly smaller but equally satisfied customer base. However, the lack of recent reviews limits confidence in its current performance, especially compared to Akia’s active review activity.
Given the recent, more numerous reviews, Akia’s higher rating and active feedback make it the more trusted platform among hoteliers now.
Edge: Akia
Pricing information for both Akia and Reguest is not publicly available, suggesting a custom or quote-based model. Neither platform offers a freemium plan or transparent subscription pricing, so your hotel will need to contact sales representatives for exact costs.
This lack of upfront pricing means you should consider the total value, features, and support quality when evaluating ROI rather than just sticker price.
Not ideal if your hotel relies heavily on traditional call-in support or manual reservation management without digital engagement strategies.
Not ideal if your hotel prefers a more straightforward, web-based chat interface without extensive multi-channel automation.
Akia offers a robust guest communication platform with a proven track record, especially effective for boutique, branded, and North American properties seeking to boost direct bookings and guest satisfaction. Its extensive feature set and recent reviews support a high level of confidence in its current performance.
Reguest’s AI chatbot excels at automating guest interactions across multiple channels, making it suitable for larger or multi-property hotels focused on reducing staffing overhead and providing 24/7 service. However, its limited recent feedback makes it less certain as a current solution.
If your priority is a user-friendly, feature-rich platform with active support and recent positive reviews, Akia is the clearer choice. Conversely, if automation, multi-channel messaging, and AI-driven guest support are paramount, Reguest may meet your needs better—though you should verify its current performance with a trial or demo.
According to HTR's product database, Akia Web Chat and Reguest CRIS AI Chatbot share 4 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Automated Replies | ||
| Booking Engine Integration | ||
| Chatbot Booking Agent | ||
| Desktop App (non-web based) | ||
| Direct Booking AI agent | ||
| Email to Chatbot Automation | ||
| Email to Chatbot Automation | ||
| Mobile Friendly | ||
| Photo Sharing | ||
| Smooth handover to human agents | ||
| Smooth handover to human agents | ||
| Whatsapp Integration |
Showing top differences. 26 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
Some reviews mentioned improvements needed for the user interface, such as making text composition easier and simplifying the process of sending prede... Some reviews mentioned improvements needed for the user interface, such as making text composition easier and simplifying the process of sending predetermined templates. A more intuitive UI would enhance staff efficiency.
Users consistently praise Akia's real-time messaging capabilities which facilitate quick and convenient communication between guests and hotel staff,... Users consistently praise Akia's real-time messaging capabilities which facilitate quick and convenient communication between guests and hotel staff, thus improving service delivery and guest experience. This feature allows rapid response to requests and complaints, making operations more efficient.
Akia facilitates better staff collaboration through easy communication of guest preferences and tasks, enhancing operational efficiency and service qu... Akia facilitates better staff collaboration through easy communication of guest preferences and tasks, enhancing operational efficiency and service quality. This feature is especially appreciated by users who coordinate multiple departments.
Where hoteliers push back
There is a critical need for a more secure credit card capture and processing option within Akia, as highlighted by users having to rely on third-part... There is a critical need for a more secure credit card capture and processing option within Akia, as highlighted by users having to rely on third-party solutions. An inbuilt secure payment processing feature would enhance its utility.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Akia Web Chat and Reguest CRIS AI Chatbot share many core Hotel Chatbots features, but each has unique capabilities. Akia Web Chat offers 32 verified integration partners, while Reguest CRIS AI Chatbot offers 20. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Akia Web Chat leads in ease of use at 4.8/5 vs 4.7/5. 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 Web Chat: No. Reguest CRIS AI Chatbot: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Hotel Chatbots 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 27 and Reguest has 0. Here is how the score is calculated.
| Criteria Group | Weight | What It Measures |
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| Customer Ratings & Reviews |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 →
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