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 215 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:
ALTA shines .
STAY shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile App and Guest Messaging.
Side-by-side ratings based on 215 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $300/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 215 |
After analyzing 215 verified reviews, ALTA users most value its , while STAY users highlight guest experience optimization, mobile and user experience, operational efficiency. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
ALTA
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Guest Experience Optimization
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Mobile and User Experience
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Operational Efficiency
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Support and Service
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CMS and Customization
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Integration Capabilities
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Analytics and Reporting
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How each product ranks among Hotel Guest Apps vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment |
ALTA
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #9 10 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #4 83 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #2 89 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | — | #2 24 reviews |
By Property Type
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ALTA
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #2 77 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #2 88 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #3 91 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #6 7 reviews |
By Region
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ALTA
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| North America ▾ | — | #5 27 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #3 112 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #6 3 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #7 2 reviews |
Choosing a guest app platform for your hotel involves understanding different solutions' strengths and weaknesses. Both ALTA by ALTA and STAY Guest App aim to enhance guest experience and operational efficiency but diverge significantly in their approach, features, and market presence. Your decision hinges on what your hotel needs most—whether a more integrated, AI-driven management system or a feature-rich, easy-to-implement guest experience platform.
Are you prioritizing a well-established platform with extensive features, or are you looking for a solution with proven market presence and recent positive reviews?
ALTA and STAY both address guest engagement and operational efficiency, but they do so in very different ways. ALTA positions itself as a comprehensive property management system with a focus on AI and automation, primarily targeting larger properties or chains seeking deep integration into their management processes. STAY, meanwhile, emphasizes a user-friendly, feature-packed guest experience OS that is easy to deploy, especially for independent hotels and chains wanting quick results.
While ALTA boasts a strong AI profile and is designed to optimize property management with insights and automation, it lacks recent user reviews and has no verified market presence. Conversely, STAY's recent surge in reviews—206 in the past six months—indicates growing confidence and proven reliability, especially among prominent hotel brands.
Both products aim to improve guest satisfaction and streamline service delivery, but the choice depends on whether you need a management-centric solution or a robust guest-facing platform.
Are you ready to commit to a product with a proven track record and recent positive feedback or to explore a more AI-driven management tool with a broader scope?
If your hotel needs a management system that uses AI to analyze guest feedback, optimize operations, and provide insights, ALTA is the logical choice. It offers a broad AI profile and a holistic approach to property management, making it suitable for larger hotels or chains with complex operational needs.
If your hotel prioritizes improving the guest experience through features like messaging, room service ordering, and digital services, STAY is the clear winner. Its 20 verified integrations and 206 recent reviews with a high NPS score of 9.59 suggest that it resonates well with a diverse range of hotel types, especially those seeking an intuitive, feature-rich guest app.
In summary, pick ALTA if your focus is on AI-powered property management. Opt for STAY if your goal is to enhance guest engagement and streamline hotel services directly.
Based on current ratings, STAY outperforms ALTA markedly in ease of use; STAY has a 4.78/5 rating versus ALTA's 0/5. The 206 recent reviews for STAY highlight its intuitive interface, simple onboarding, and user-friendly CMS, with many hotel staff noting how straightforward it is to update content and manage requests.
ALTA, on the other hand, has no recent reviews and a 0/5 rating, indicating a lack of recent user feedback or possibly limited usability data. Without recent feedback confirming its ease of use, ALTA’s UI/UX remains questionable.
Edge: STAY.
STAY offers 14 unique features, including guest messaging, mobile app, chatbots, request management, mobile checkout, and automatic translations, all aimed at enriching guest interactions. ALTA’s feature set is not explicitly listed but appears to focus more on AI-driven insights and property management rather than direct guest engagement.
The significant feature gap favors STAY, especially since its features directly impact guest satisfaction and operational efficiency. Its extensive integrations with platforms like SiteMinder, Mews, and Oracle Hospitality further enhance its functionality.
Edge: STAY.
Customer support ratings reveal a clear advantage for STAY, with a 4.83/5 rating based on recent reviews, compared to ALTA’s support score of 0/5. Multiple reviews praise STAY’s responsive, helpful, and proactive support team, emphasizing quick response times and effective onboarding.
ALTA’s support data is unavailable or outdated, making it difficult to judge. Given the recent positive feedback for STAY, the support experience appears more reliable and responsive.
Edge: STAY.
STAY integrates with 20 verified partners, including hotelkit, SiteMinder, Oracle Hospitality, and Mews, making it highly versatile for hotel operations. ALTA, however, has no verified integration partners listed, limiting its ability to connect seamlessly with other systems.
For hotels relying on multiple systems and seeking a connected ecosystem, STAY’s extensive integrations provide a significant advantage. This flexibility can streamline data flow and enhance operational efficiency.
Edge: STAY.
Since ALTA has no recent reviews or ratings, it cannot be reliably rated by hoteliers. In contrast, STAY’s recent reviews and a 9.59/5 NPS score reflect high user satisfaction, especially among large hotel chains like NH Hotels and AMR Collection.
Review recency and volume strongly favor STAY, indicating that hoteliers find it more valuable, intuitive, and supportive of their needs.
Edge: STAY.
ALTA does not disclose pricing details, which suggests it may involve custom quotes or enterprise contracts. STAY’s straightforward pricing is $300 per month, with no implementation fees or trial options, making it transparent and predictable for budgeting.
The known, fixed price of STAY helps hotels evaluate ROI effectively, while ALTA’s opaque pricing may pose a barrier to decision-making.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
ALTA offers a robust AI-driven property management approach suited for large hotels and chains with complex operations. Its focus on automation and insights makes it ideal for management teams seeking data-driven decision support.
STAY excels in guest engagement, service digitization, and operational flexibility, with a proven track record and strong recent reviews. Its extensive features, integrations, and high user satisfaction make it the preferable choice for hotels prioritizing guest experience and ease of use.
Choose ALTA if your hotel needs a management-focused, AI-enhanced system. Opt for STAY if your priority is delivering a seamless, feature-rich guest experience with quick deployment and excellent support.
This detailed comparison should guide your decision based on what aligns best with your hotel’s operational goals and guest service strategies.
According to HTR's product database, ALTA and STAY Guest App share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature |
ALTA
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| Automated Replies | ||
| Chatbot | ||
| Guest Messaging | ||
| Message Routing | ||
| Mobile App | ||
| Web-app |
Showing top differences. 2 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 8 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
ALTA
No published case study for this goal yet.
"Thanks to STAY, we offer our guests an interaction tool with our staff. We can make real-time decisions with it. This simplifies our staff's duties at the same time. The guest expe..."
ALTA
No published case study for this goal yet.
"Implementing STAY contributed to a significant increase in our revenue and customer satisfaction. The app pays for itself. We have seen significant increases in consumption for all..."
What hoteliers love
Multiple reviews highlight how STAY dramatically enhances guest experience by providing digital and sustainable ways for guests to access information... Multiple reviews highlight how STAY dramatically enhances guest experience by providing digital and sustainable ways for guests to access information and services. Features like real-time updates, mobile service ordering, and the ability to make restaurant reservations reduce wait times and provide convenience.
The app's user interface and mobile experience are lauded for being intuitive and easy to navigate. Users find it simple to update information and man... The app's user interface and mobile experience are lauded for being intuitive and easy to navigate. Users find it simple to update information and manage content, whether they are hotel staff or guests.
STAY aids in improving hotel operational efficiency by allowing quicker handling of guest requests, optimized internal processes, and reduced front de... STAY aids in improving hotel operational efficiency by allowing quicker handling of guest requests, optimized internal processes, and reduced front desk lines. The tool facilitates sustainable practices by digitizing traditional paper-based services, aiding hotels in their sustainability goals.
Where hoteliers push back
The CMS is highlighted for its ease of use and customization capabilities, though users have indicated some areas for improvement, particularly more f... The CMS is highlighted for its ease of use and customization capabilities, though users have indicated some areas for improvement, particularly more flexibility in design and functionality.
Users appreciate STAY's robust integration capabilities with various internal applications and systems, including PMS and CRM systems. These integrati... Users appreciate STAY's robust integration capabilities with various internal applications and systems, including PMS and CRM systems. These integrations streamline data management and help provide a seamless experience for both staff and guests.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. ALTA and STAY Guest App share many core Hotel Guest Apps features, but each has unique capabilities. ALTA offers 0 verified integration partners, while STAY Guest App offers 20. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. STAY Guest App leads in ease of use at 4.8/5 vs 0.0/5. 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.
ALTA: No. STAY Guest App: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Hotel Guest Apps 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. ALTA has an HT Score of 0 and STAY has 47. 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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