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 44 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:
Altitude shines .
ChargeAutomation shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like GlobalPayments (Credit Card Processing).
Side-by-side ratings based on 44 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Value for Money |
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| Starting Price | From $500/mo | From $200/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 44 |
After analyzing 44 verified reviews, Altitude users most value its , while ChargeAutomation users highlight payment processing, contactless check-in, customer support. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Payment Processing
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Contactless Check-in
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Customer Support
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Upselling Features
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Customization Limitations
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PMS Integration
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Customer Reviews
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How each product ranks among Contactless Check-in vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #6 13 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #5 16 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #6 5 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | — | #13 1 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #6 9 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #10 6 reviews |
| Branded / Chain | — | #9 4 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #3 18 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | — | #4 19 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #6 20 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #5 2 reviews |
Choosing between Altitude by Altitude and ChargeAutomation Online Check-in hinges on your hotel’s specific needs for contactless onboarding and operational efficiency. Both products aim to streamline guest check-in, but they address different aspects of the process: Altitude offers a broad property management platform with multiple modules, while ChargeAutomation focuses solely on contactless check-in, payments, and upselling. Your decision depends on whether you need a full PMS or a specialized check-in solution.
Altitude’s zero reviews and the absence of recent user feedback mean it lacks recent validation, whereas ChargeAutomation boasts 42 reviews with recent feedback, making it the more trustworthy choice for now. So, which one aligns better with your hotel’s goals?
Altitude is designed as a comprehensive property management system aimed at elevating your entire guest experience through a collection of modular features. It offers tools like guest apps, self-service kiosks, and in-room control, but its overall rating is 0/5 with no reviews, which indicates a lack of recent user validation.
ChargeAutomation, by contrast, focuses entirely on contactless check-in, payments, security deposits, and upselling. With 42 reviews and a near-perfect NPS score of 9.81/10, it demonstrates a robust, well-received solution. The platform is praised for its ease of use, customer support, and ability to automate essential check-in workflows. Its recent reviews highlight how it reduces manual workload and increases revenue opportunities.
While Altitude promises an all-in-one experience, its lack of current reviews makes its effectiveness uncertain. Conversely, ChargeAutomation’s recent positive feedback underscores its reliability and market trust. Are you looking for a full property management suite or a specialized contactless check-in tool?
If your hotel needs a broad platform to manage multiple aspects of guest services — from in-room controls to maintenance and billing — Altitude should be your choice. Its modular system allows for extensive customization, supporting large or multi-property operations that seek to elevate guest satisfaction across multiple touchpoints.
However, if your priority is streamlining contactless check-in, automating payments, collecting IDs, and offering upsells pre-arrival — and you want a proven, well-reviewed solution — ChargeAutomation is the better fit. Its focus on automation reduces front desk workload, supports revenue growth via upselling, and has a track record validated by recent, high-rated reviews.
In essence, choose Altitude if you want an all-in-one property management platform. Opt for ChargeAutomation if your primary goal is efficient, contactless guest onboarding and revenue-enhancing features.
Altitude scores a 0/5 in ease of use, reflecting no recent user reviews or ratings, which suggests it may lack user validation or current usability insights. Its onboarding process and staff adoption remain unverified, so you cannot confidently assess its intuitiveness.
ChargeAutomation, on the other hand, boasts a 4.71/5 ease of use rating based on 42 recent reviews. Users consistently describe it as “powerful & extremely easy to use,” with straightforward workflows for contactless check-in, document collection, and upselling. Support responsiveness and a well-designed interface make onboarding smoother.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
Altitude claims over 100 modular features, including guest apps, live chat, maintenance, housekeeping, and more, but its lack of recent reviews leaves its actual feature performance unverified. The platform’s promise of comprehensive guest experience management remains theoretical without recent validation.
ChargeAutomation offers 19 shared features plus 11 features unique to its platform, such as PCI compliance, multiple credit card processors, and automatic translations. Its core functionalities include ID collection, secure payments, upselling, guest portal, and digital guidebooks, which are highly rated and proven effective.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
Altitude has no recent reviews or ratings, making it impossible to evaluate support quality. Its lack of feedback raises questions about responsiveness and post-sale assistance, which are crucial for new implementations.
ChargeAutomation, with a 4.9/5 customer support rating from 42 recent reviews, is highly praised for quick, friendly, and effective assistance. Hoteliers say support “listens and makes changes at no cost,” and the team is consistently responsive, helping to resolve issues efficiently.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
Altitude connects with 17 verified partners, including Market leaders like SiteMinder, Oracle Hospitality, and Stripe. It also integrates with several property management systems and key industry vendors, supporting a diverse ecosystem.
ChargeAutomation boasts 18 verified integrations, including shared partners like Stripe, Mews, and Little Hotelier. It also connects with several industry-specific software, such as RoomRaccoon, Guesty, and Beds24, providing wide compatibility.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
Altitude’s review count is zero, and with no recent feedback, it’s impossible to gauge user satisfaction. Its lack of validation makes it an unreliable choice for now.
ChargeAutomation’s 42 recent reviews lead to a high NPS score of 9.81/10, with an overall rating of 4.71/5. Hoteliers across vacation rentals, boutique hotels, and city center hotels praise its ease of use, support, and automation features. It’s clearly the more positively rated platform.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
Altitude charges a $500 monthly fee with no freemium or trial options, which may be costly for smaller properties. Its pricing suggests a premium, full-featured property management suite.
ChargeAutomation costs $200 per month with no trial or freemium, making it more affordable. Its pricing aligns with its focused feature set, emphasizing automation and contactless check-in.
In summary, ChargeAutomation offers a lower-cost, high-value solution, while Altitude’s pricing indicates a broader but more expensive platform.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
The core difference is scope: Altitude offers a full property management system that covers many operational areas, while ChargeAutomation specializes in contactless check-in, payments, and upselling. If your hotel needs a comprehensive platform, Altitude might be appealing but remains unverified since no recent reviews are available.
For hotels prioritizing proven, easy-to-use contactless check-in and revenue enhancement, ChargeAutomation’s recent reviews and high NPS make it the clear choice. It provides a focused, reliable solution that can significantly improve guest onboarding and operational efficiency.
Choose Altitude if you want a broad, integrated property management system capable of handling multiple guest touchpoints, and your budget can accommodate its premium price. Opt for ChargeAutomation if you seek a cost-effective, highly-rated tool that automates pre-arrival processes and boosts revenue with minimal setup fuss.
Contactless Check-in pricing is rarely straightforward. Here is what we know from each vendor's public pricing data. Always request a custom quote for your property size.
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| Starting Price | From $500/mo | From $200/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Altitude and ChargeAutomation Online Check-in share 19 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Chase (Credit Card Processing) | ||
| First Data (Credit Card Processing) | ||
| Heartland (Credit Card Processing) | ||
| Multi-Processor Gateway | ||
| PCI Compliance | ||
| Vantiv (Credit Card Processing) |
What hoteliers love
The software's automated payment processing feature is praised for handling payments, security deposits, and chargebacks. Users appreciate how it mini... The software's automated payment processing feature is praised for handling payments, security deposits, and chargebacks. Users appreciate how it minimizes fraud and error, saving time and reducing labor costs. Payment automation facilitates smoother operations and enhances financial security for both hotels and guests.
ChargeAutomation simplifies the check-in process with its robust contactless solution. Reviews frequently highlight how the system allows guests to co... ChargeAutomation simplifies the check-in process with its robust contactless solution. Reviews frequently highlight how the system allows guests to complete check-in remotely, reducing front desk traffic and wait times. This feature is especially beneficial in minimizing manual work, improving operational efficiency, and creating a better guest experience.
While support is generally praised for being responsive and helpful, a few reviews noted the need for improvements in response time and additional sup... While support is generally praised for being responsive and helpful, a few reviews noted the need for improvements in response time and additional support personnel. Good support is crucial for resolving issues quickly, thereby affecting the overall experience.
Where hoteliers push back
A critical point raised by some users is the need for more customization options. Reviews mention limitations in the ability to customize the guest po... A critical point raised by some users is the need for more customization options. Reviews mention limitations in the ability to customize the guest portal, email formats, and other interfaces. This lack of flexibility can impact how well the software meets specific needs of different properties.
Although several reviews highlight how ChargeAutomation seamlessly integrates with Property Management Systems (PMS), there are also some criticisms a... Although several reviews highlight how ChargeAutomation seamlessly integrates with Property Management Systems (PMS), there are also some criticisms about its PMS connectivity. Users report issues like synchrony problems and the need for more flexible information transfer capabilities.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Altitude and ChargeAutomation Online Check-in share many core Contactless Check-in features, but each has unique capabilities. Altitude offers 17 verified integration partners, while ChargeAutomation Online Check-in offers 18. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. ChargeAutomation Online Check-in leads in ease of use at 4.7/5 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.
Altitude: No. ChargeAutomation Online Check-in: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Contactless Check-in 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. Altitude has an HT Score of 0 and ChargeAutomation has 24. 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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