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 512 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:
SHR Group shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for Boutique Hotels properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile optimized/responsive and Urgency messaging.
Barboon shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 512 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 512 | 0 |
After analyzing 512 verified reviews, SHR Group users most value its proactive customer support, integration capabilities, intuitive interface, while Barboon users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Proactive customer support
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Integration capabilities
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Intuitive interface
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Rate and inventory management
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Backend navigation improvements
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Visual and aesthetic design
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Support documentation and training
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How each product ranks among Booking Engine 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) ▾ | #8 76 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #2 369 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #4 39 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #5 16 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #3 232 reviews | — |
| Luxury ▾ | #2 320 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #2 166 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #4 32 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #8 39 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #2 440 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #15 11 reviews | — |
| Middle East | #16 3 reviews | — |
Choosing between SHR Booking Engine (BE) by SHR Group and Barboon Internet Booking Engine hinges on your hotel's specific needs. Both platforms aim to bolster your direct booking capabilities, but SHR BE offers a more established, comprehensive solution with a proven track record. Barboon, while newer and less reviewed, provides a straightforward, easy-to-implement option, particularly suited for smaller hotels. So, how do you determine which aligns best with your property’s goals?
SHR BE stands out with a high overall rating of 4.86/5 from 339 reviews, reflecting strong hotelier confidence and recent positive feedback. Barboon, with no reviews yet, offers no current rating or user feedback, making SHR BE the clearly more reliable choice based on recent, real-world hotel experiences. Both aim to reduce reliance on third-party channels, but SHR BE’s extensive features and global presence set it apart.
While SHR BE focuses on maximizing revenue through advanced features, reporting, and integrations, Barboon emphasizes simplicity and ease of use. SHR’s platform is suited for hotels seeking robust tools and customization, whereas Barboon may appeal to smaller properties prioritizing straightforward implementation. Are you prepared to invest in a mature, feature-rich platform, or do you prefer a minimal setup?
If your hotel needs a feature-rich, highly customizable booking engine with extensive integrations, choose SHR BE. It caters well to mid-size and larger properties, especially those aiming for detailed data insights, rate management, and multi-channel marketing.
On the other hand, if your hotel is small, with limited IT resources, and seeking a simple, low-maintenance booking solution, Barboon could be suitable. Its basic functionality is designed for quick deployment, but without the depth of features or regional presence SHR offers.
For hotels prioritizing advanced revenue management, detailed reporting, and proven support, SHR BE is the clear winner. Conversely, if your focus is on affordability and simplicity, Barboon may serve your needs temporarily or as a starting point.
SHR BE boasts an ease of use score of 4.67/5, backed by reviews praising its intuitive interface, straightforward onboarding, and helpful customer support. Users highlight that the platform’s onboarding process is smooth, and the system feels familiar and manageable for hotel staff.
Barboon, lacking detailed review data, presents itself as a simple, user-friendly interface designed for hotels needing quick setup with minimal training. However, without recent reviews, it’s difficult to verify its actual ease of adoption.
Given SHR's high ratings and positive feedback from 339 users, edge goes to SHR BE for user-friendliness, especially for properties aiming for a seamless, supported transition.
SHR BE offers 46 unique features, including mobile responsiveness, A/B testing, urgency messaging, special offers, multi-lingual support, loyalty integrations, and detailed reporting tools. These extensive features enable hotels to tailor the guest experience and optimize revenue effectively.
Barboon provides no listed features beyond basic booking functionality. While this simplicity may appeal to small hotels, it limits your ability to execute advanced marketing, personalization, or revenue strategies.
With such a comprehensive feature set, SHR BE clearly has the edge for hotels seeking a versatile, scalable booking engine capable of supporting growth and complex operations.
SHR BE maintains a customer support rating of 4.86/5, with reviews praising its responsive, proactive service and dedicated account management. Hoteliers appreciate the support team’s ability to resolve issues swiftly and guide them through complex integrations or feature use.
Barboon, with no available reviews or support ratings, provides no current insight into its service quality. As a newer, smaller company, its support capabilities remain unverified.
Considering the extensive positive feedback for SHR BE’s support, edge goes to SHR for reliability and peace of mind, especially for hotels requiring ongoing assistance.
SHR BE integrates with 81 verified partners, including major PMS systems, channel managers, and marketing tools, enabling a connected, efficient ecosystem. These integrations facilitate real-time updates, accurate inventory management, and seamless operations across platforms.
Barboon, with zero verified integrations, offers a more siloed approach. This limits functionality and might require manual updates, increasing the risk of errors or oversights.
For hotels seeking a flexible, interconnected system, SHR BE’s extensive integration network provides a substantial advantage, making it the clear choice.
SHR BE’s 339 reviews yield an average rating of 4.86/5, with recent reviews emphasizing its ease of use, support, and feature set. Hotels across various segments—from boutique to luxury—commend its impact on increasing direct bookings and revenue.
Barboon offers no reviews, so no current hotel ratings or feedback exists to compare. Without user input, SHR BE’s reputation remains more trustworthy and validated.
Given the volume and recency of SHR reviews, it earns the higher rating by default, reflecting wider trust and proven performance.
Pricing details for SHR BE are not publicly disclosed; it likely involves a customized quote based on the hotel’s size and needs. It’s a premium solution with significant features, suggesting a higher investment.
Barboon, similarly, provides no specific pricing information, but its positioning indicates a more affordable, smaller-scale solution. Exact costs are unavailable without direct contact.
For budget-conscious hotels, Barboon might seem appealing, but SHR’s value is evident in its extensive features and support—costs may align with these benefits.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
The core difference lies in scale and feature depth. SHR BE offers a mature, highly capable system with proven support, extensive integrations, and a comprehensive feature set. Barboon provides a simpler, more streamlined solution suitable for small properties or those starting their direct booking journey.
If your hotel needs a reliable, feature-rich platform to drive revenue and manage complex operations, SHR BE is the clear choice. It has a proven track record, more recent reviews, and a broad global presence, making it the stronger option for most hotels.
However, if your property is small, budget-limited, and prioritizes ease of use over advanced features, Barboon could fill that niche. Just be aware that its lack of reviews and integrations makes it less suitable for growth-focused or larger hotels.
In summary, SHR Booking Engine is the recommended pick for properties seeking a mature, well-supported, feature-rich solution. Barboon may serve very small hotels or those just starting with direct bookings, but it lacks the proof and depth to support complex or growing hotel operations.
According to HTR's product database, SHR Booking Engine (BE) and Barboon Internet Booking Engine share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| A/B testing & optimization | ||
| Mobile optimized/responsive | ||
| Pooled inventory | ||
| Pre-stay emails | ||
| Special offers & discounts | ||
| Urgency messaging |
Showing top differences. 34 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 4 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"Our results and KPIs from booking engine to digital reinforce the effectiveness of our partnership and SHR Group's exceptional technology."
No published case study for this goal yet.
What hoteliers love
Users frequently commend SHR's proactive and responsive customer support. Account managers and support teams are described as very helpful, knowledgea... Users frequently commend SHR's proactive and responsive customer support. Account managers and support teams are described as very helpful, knowledgeable, and quick to respond to issues. The guidance provided by customer success teams is considered invaluable for optimizing use of the software. This topic is covered in 30 reviews.
A key feature frequently highlighted is the robust integration capabilities of the platform. Windsurfer CRS efficiently communicates with various PMSs... A key feature frequently highlighted is the robust integration capabilities of the platform. Windsurfer CRS efficiently communicates with various PMSs, channel managers, and CRM tools, ensuring seamless operations and up-to-date information across systems. However, some users desire improved integration with additional systems and platforms. This topic is seen in 18 reviews.
Users commend the intuitive interface of Windsurfer CRS, which makes the booking process seamless for guests and easy for hotel staff to manage. The e... Users commend the intuitive interface of Windsurfer CRS, which makes the booking process seamless for guests and easy for hotel staff to manage. The ease of setting up and managing rate plans, the flexibility to customize booking pages, and straightforward navigation contribute to overall efficiency. This topic is identified in 20 reviews.
Where hoteliers push back
Some users have noted that while the frontend is user-friendly, the backend navigation and filtering options could be more intuitive and user-friendly... Some users have noted that while the frontend is user-friendly, the backend navigation and filtering options could be more intuitive and user-friendly. Improvements in these areas could significantly enhance efficiency and user satisfaction. This topic is identified in 12 reviews.
Some users suggest that the visual aesthetics of the booking engine could be improved. Enhancing the polished and modern design of the user interface... Some users suggest that the visual aesthetics of the booking engine could be improved. Enhancing the polished and modern design of the user interface could further elevate the overall booking experience and make it more visually appealing. This topic is discussed in 6 reviews.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. SHR Booking Engine (BE) and Barboon Internet Booking Engine share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. SHR Booking Engine (BE) offers 81 verified integration partners, while Barboon Internet Booking Engine offers 0. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. SHR Booking Engine (BE) 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.
SHR Booking Engine (BE): No. Barboon Internet Booking Engine: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Booking Engine 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. SHR Group has an HT Score of 46 and Barboon 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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