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 1,327 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:
Antfor shines .
Cloudbeds shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for independent properties (4.6/5) , with exclusive features like Revenue management module and Payment processing.
Side-by-side ratings based on 1,327 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
| HTScore |
|
|
| Likelihood to Recommend |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Customer Support |
|
|
| Value for Money |
|
|
| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $600/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 1,327 |
After analyzing 1,327 verified reviews, Antfor users most value its , while Cloudbeds users highlight training, ease of use, and onboarding, support responsiveness and human assistance, calendar and reservation visibility. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Pros | |
|
+
Training, ease of use, and onboarding
▾
|
|
|
+
Support responsiveness and human assistance
▾
|
|
|
+
Calendar and reservation visibility
▾
|
|
|
+
Reporting and analytics
▾
|
|
| Cons | |
|
−
Billing, invoicing, and folio handling
▾
|
|
|
−
Mobile app limitations
▾
|
|
How each product ranks among Property Management Systems 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) ▾ | — | #1 592 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #4 212 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #5 42 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | — | #13 4 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Boutique ▾ | — | #2 473 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #4 228 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #6 116 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #2 93 reviews |
By Region
| Segment |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| North America ▾ | — | #2 435 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #7 163 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | — | #3 226 reviews |
| Middle East ▾ | — | #7 11 reviews |
Choosing between Avalon by Antfor and Cloudbeds PMS hinges on your hotel’s specific needs, operational complexity, and growth ambitions. Both aim to improve your management processes, but they differ vastly in scope, maturity, and user feedback. Avalon’s AI-driven approach promises tailored insights, while Cloudbeds offers an extensive, proven platform trusted worldwide. Which solution aligns better with your hotel’s current capabilities and future plans?
Avalon’s core focus on review analysis and recommendations is promising but untested by recent reviews. Cloudbeds, conversely, boasts over 1,000 recent reviews, predominantly positive, showcasing its market presence and reliability. Do you prioritize innovative review insights or a comprehensive, battle-tested system?
Avalon is marketed as an AI-driven review and recommendation tool, designed to enhance customer experience and operational decisions through advanced data analysis. It aims to automate review insights and suggest improvements, but lacks evident integrations or extensive feature sets. Cloudbeds, on the other hand, provides a complete property management ecosystem with reservation, distribution, and revenue tools integrated into one platform.
Avalon appears suited for hotels focusing on guest experience optimization through review management, especially if manual review analysis hampers your team. Cloudbeds is tailored for properties seeking operational efficiency, multi-channel distribution, and revenue growth, proven by its many awards and a large user base.
Given the absence of recent reviews for Avalon, its effectiveness remains uncertain. Cloudbeds’s recent, extensive positive feedback—over 80 recent reviews and a 4.63/5 rating—makes it a more reliable choice for most hotels.
If your hotel needs a review-focused tool to analyze guest feedback and generate actionable insights, Avalon might seem appealing. However, without recent user reviews or visible market deployment, its impact is unproven, making it risky for hotels that require proven solutions.
For hotels that want a comprehensive, established property management system capable of handling reservations, distribution, revenue, and guest engagement at scale, Cloudbeds is the clear choice. Its vast feature set (64 features unique to Cloudbeds), extensive integrations, and large, recent review base demonstrate its suitability for hotels of all sizes.
In summary, choose Avalon only if your focus is solely on review analysis and your hotel can accept a less established, AI-centric approach. For operational control, scalability, and proven performance, Cloudbeds is the safer, more effective pick.
Avalon’s user experience is not well-documented, and there are no recent reviews to assess its UI or onboarding process. Cloudbeds, however, scores 4.61/5 for ease of use, with many users praising its intuitive design and straightforward onboarding. Over 80 recent reviews highlight how quickly staff can adapt to Cloudbeds’ interface.
Based on available data, Cloudbeds offers a more polished, user-friendly experience that minimizes training time and eases staff adoption. Edge: Cloudbeds.
Avalon’s core feature is review analysis and tailored recommendations, with no additional functionalities listed. Cloudbeds offers 64 features, including a channel manager, booking engine, revenue management, guest CRM, online check-in, automated night audit, and more—covering every aspect of property management.
With the sheer breadth and depth of features, Cloudbeds clearly outperforms Avalon. If your hotel needs a robust, all-in-one system, the advantage goes to Cloudbeds. Edge: Cloudbeds.
Avalon’s support ratings are unavailable, and no recent reviews mention its support quality. Cloudbeds has a 4.41/5 customer support rating, with many reviews praising its responsiveness and helpfulness. One reviewer said, “Cloudbeds’ support team is awesome and responsive,” indicating high satisfaction.
Given the large volume of recent reviews and positive feedback, Cloudbeds demonstrates strong support. Edge: Cloudbeds.
Avalon has no recent reviews or ratings, leaving its user satisfaction unverified. Cloudbeds, with over 1,000 reviews and a 4.63/5 rating, is highly rated across various hotel segments, including boutique hotels and hostels. Recent feedback shows a 91% likelihood to recommend, indicating broad satisfaction.
For hotelier confidence, Cloudbeds’s high and recent ratings make it the superior choice. Edge: Cloudbeds.
Avalon’s pricing is not publicly available, which suggests it may be tailored or in early development stages. Cloudbeds charges a $600 monthly base fee, with no free tier or trial.
Given the transparent pricing and large-scale deployment, Cloudbeds offers predictable costs aligned with its market presence. Avalon’s unknown pricing makes budgeting uncertain; thus, Cloudbeds provides clearer value.
Avalon by Antfor presents an innovative, AI-driven review analysis concept that might benefit hotels heavily reliant on reputation management. Its lack of recent reviews or proven deployment makes it too uncertain for most hotels needing dependable systems.
Cloudbeds, with its extensive features, broad integrations, and overwhelmingly positive recent reviews, remains the reliable choice for hotels aiming to streamline operations, increase revenue, and deliver excellent guest experiences. Its longstanding market presence and high satisfaction ratings make it the safer, more strategic investment.
Choose Cloudbeds if operational efficiency and proven results are your priorities. Otherwise, Avalon might suit niche needs but carries more risk without recent validation.
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 |
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
▾
Accounting & Finance
|
|
|
| Direct billing | ||
| RevPaR & ADR Reports | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
| Automated night audit | ||
|
▾
Marketing & Ecommerce
|
|
|
| Guest Communication (SMS Messaging) | ||
| Native Email Marketing | ||
| Guest profiles | ||
| Guest CRM | ||
| Gift Vouchers | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Booking Engine | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
|
▾
Administration & Configuration
|
|
|
| Centralized user & role management | ||
| Multi-lingual | ||
| Cloud based | ||
| On premise | ||
|
▾
Customer Management
|
|
|
| Guest Communication (SMS Messaging) | ||
| Guest profiles | ||
| Centralized Messaging | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
|
▾
Front Office
|
|
|
| Mobile Device Notes & Tasks (Voice-to-Text) | ||
| Mobile App | ||
| Automated night audit | ||
| Calendar view | ||
| Multi-lingual | ||
| Task Management | ||
| Automated reminders | ||
| Guest profiles | ||
| Tablet/Kiosk Check-in | ||
| Payment Requests | ||
| Centralized Messaging | ||
| Automated Space Optimization | ||
|
▾
Groups Management
|
|
|
| Group functionality | ||
| Automated Space Optimization | ||
|
▾
Guest Experience
|
|
|
| Integrated ID & Passport Scanner | ||
| Digital Registration | ||
| Guest App | ||
| Online Check-in | ||
| Online Checkout | ||
| Guest Messaging | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
| ID Scanning & Registration Pre-fill | ||
| Lobby Kiosk | ||
|
▾
Housekeeping
|
|
|
| Housekeeping module | ||
| Housekeeping Mobile App | ||
| Real-Time Status Updates | ||
| Automated Assignments | ||
| Real Time Reporting | ||
| Shift Planning | ||
| Employee Messaging | ||
| Online Checkout | ||
|
▾
Payments
|
|
|
| Integrated Payment Terminal & Card Reader | ||
| Direct billing | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| Payment processing | ||
| Payment Requests | ||
|
▾
Reservations Management
|
|
|
| RevPaR & ADR Reports | ||
| Gift Vouchers | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Integrated CRS | ||
| Drag-n-Drop Tapechart | ||
| Rate Management | ||
| Automated Space Optimization | ||
| Rules Based Room Assignments | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
|
▾
Revenue Management
|
|
|
| RevPaR & ADR Reports | ||
| Custom rates | ||
| Ancillary revenue tracking | ||
| Revenue management module | ||
| Base Pricing | ||
|
▾
Taxes & Compliance
|
|
|
| PCI Compliant | ||
| GDPR Compliant | ||
| SOC2 Complaint | ||
| Tax Configuration | ||
|
▾
Support & Training
|
|
|
| Online 24/7 support | ||
|
▾
Food & Beverage
|
|
|
| EPoS | ||
|
▾
Spa
|
|
|
| Spa & Wellness Module |
We analyzed 8 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
No published case study for this goal yet.
"I have not worked with a company that has such good customer service as Cloudbeds has. It's miles ahead."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"The biggest benefit of Cloudbeds' platform is its flexibility. I can access reporting online from anywhere. Everything is smoother with Cloudbeds."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"Cloudbeds is like if Apple made a property management system. The ease of use is super simple and straightforward for guests and our staff. It’s very intuitive and just makes sense..."
What hoteliers love
Cloudbeds is frequently described as intuitive and quick to learn, which reduces training time for new staff and helps properties adopt the system qui... Cloudbeds is frequently described as intuitive and quick to learn, which reduces training time for new staff and helps properties adopt the system quickly. Reviewers also value tutorials, university resources, and onboarding help, though some ask for retraining or deeper guidance on advanced features.
Support is a major theme, with many users praising fast help and knowledgeable agents when they can reach a person. The most common complaint is relia... Support is a major theme, with many users praising fast help and knowledgeable agents when they can reach a person. The most common complaint is reliance on chatbot/email workflows and slow escalation, which is problematic for urgent front-desk issues that can affect guest experience and revenue.
Users repeatedly say Cloudbeds' calendar is the clearest part of the product, giving front-desk teams a fast view of occupancy, room types, booking st... Users repeatedly say Cloudbeds' calendar is the clearest part of the product, giving front-desk teams a fast view of occupancy, room types, booking status, and daily reservations. It helps hotels manage check-ins, check-outs, split stays, and room changes more efficiently, reducing errors during busy operations.
Where hoteliers push back
Reviewers often mention invoice templates, receipts, statement review, and centralized guest billing as helpful for daily operations and guest checkou... Reviewers often mention invoice templates, receipts, statement review, and centralized guest billing as helpful for daily operations and guest checkout. At the same time, the Folio flow for adding extras can be click-heavy, and some users want stronger tax, currency, and accounting handling inside Cloudbeds instead of using separate systems.
A frequent criticism is that the mobile app lacks enough operational depth for staff on the move. Reviewers want booking creation, availability manage... A frequent criticism is that the mobile app lacks enough operational depth for staff on the move. Reviewers want booking creation, availability management, notifications, calendar access, and more stable performance directly in the app instead of having to switch to email or desktop.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Avalon and Cloudbeds PMS share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. Avalon offers 14 verified integration partners, while Cloudbeds PMS offers 200. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Cloudbeds PMS leads in ease of use at 4.6/5 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.
Avalon: No. Cloudbeds PMS: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Property Management Systems 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. Antfor has an HT Score of 0 and Cloudbeds has 100. 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