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 Pre-stay emails and Post-stay emails.
DIRS21 by TourOnline AG 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 DIRS21 by TourOnline AG 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 the right booking engine can significantly impact your hotel's direct revenue and guest experience. SHR Booking Engine (BE) by SHR Group and DIRS21 One by DIRS21 by TourOnline AG are both designed to optimize online reservations, but they diverge significantly in maturity, features, and market presence. Your decision should hinge on your hotel’s specific needs, scale, and the depth of features you require.
SHR Group’s product is a more established, highly-rated platform with extensive reviews and recent updates, whereas DIRS21 One currently lacks review data and industry recognition. Does your hotel prioritize proven performance and comprehensive features? Or are you seeking a flexible, modular solution with a fresh approach?
Both products aim to streamline your booking process, increase direct reservations, and improve revenue management. SHR BE offers a well-rounded, mature platform with a 4.86/5 overall rating based on 339 recent reviews, highlighting its ease of use, support, and feature set. In contrast, DIRS21 One has no reviews or ratings available, making it difficult to assess its real-world performance.
While SHR’s platform integrates with 81 partners and covers a broad geographic market, DIRS21 One claims to be fast, smart, and adaptable but lacks independent validation. For a hotel that values proven effectiveness, reliability, and extensive integration, SHR BE clearly leads. Are you comfortable adopting a less tested system, or do you prefer a product with a track record and community feedback?
If your hotel needs an all-in-one booking solution with proven reliability, extensive integrations, and a track record of customer satisfaction, SHR BE is the clear choice. Its highly-rated interface, proactive support, and advanced features like A/B testing, personalized offers, and multi-channel marketing make it suitable for mid-sized to large hotels aiming for measurable growth.
On the other hand, if your hotel is looking for a flexible, modular system that you can tailor to specific workflows and potentially expand over time, DIRS21 One might appeal. Yet, without recent reviews or market validation, it’s risky. For most hotels seeking immediate, proven results, SHR BE provides a safer, more impactful option.
SHR’s platform scores 4.67/5 for ease of use, with a straightforward onboarding process and positive user feedback praising its intuitive interface. Customers highlight its seamless management of rate plans, bookings, and integrations, with some noting room for backend navigation improvements. Support is rated 4.86/5, with users describing the team as helpful and proactive.
DIRS21 One, lacking detailed reviews, offers a description emphasizing speed and customization but provides no direct user feedback on usability. Given SHR’s extensive positive reviews and recent user comments, edge: SHR Booking Engine.
SHR BE offers 33 shared features plus 13 exclusive to its platform, including A/B testing, special offers, pre- and post-stay emails, gift vouchers, abandonment recapture, and multiple payment integrations like Stripe, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. These advanced functions support revenue growth and personalization.
DIRS21 One claims to be fast and modular but provides no detailed feature list or comparison. Without concrete data, SHR’s extensive feature set and proven integrations give it a decisive edge. For feature-rich, data-driven improvements, SHR BE outperforms.
SHR Group’s customer support scores 4.86/5, with reviews calling their team "responsive," "helpful," and "knowledgeable." Clients like Windward Management and Woodlands Hotel praise SHR’s proactive guidance and excellent onboarding, which has helped hotels grow revenue and reduce cancellations significantly.
DIRS21 One, with no available reviews or support ratings, cannot be reliably compared. Given SHR’s clear, recent praise for support, edge: SHR Booking Engine.
SHR BE connects with 81 verified partners, including major PMS, channel managers, and marketing tools such as Profitroom, SiteMinder, Mews, and Shiji Group. It also offers exclusive integrations like Criton and Umi Digital, enhancing versatility for diverse hotel setups.
DIRS21 One integrates with 31 partners, including some familiar names like RateBoard, RoomPriceGenie, and ibelsa GmbH. However, its smaller ecosystem and lack of detailed integration info put it behind SHR’s extensive connectivity. Edge: SHR Booking Engine.
SHR’s platform benefits from 339 reviews in the last six months, with an overall rating of 4.86/5 and a NPS of 9.53/10, reflecting high satisfaction across diverse hotel segments. Hotels frequently cite its ease of use, support, and features as major strengths.
DIRS21 One has no reviews, so there’s no basis for comparison. For proven, recent hotel satisfaction, SHR BE dominates. Hoteliers should lean toward the product with a substantial, current feedback base.
Both products do not publicly disclose specific pricing models. SHR BE appears to operate on a custom quote basis, with no trial or freemium options available. DIRS21 One similarly offers no clear pricing or trial information.
Given the lack of transparent prices, your decision should be based on the value and proven ROI provided by SHR BE, which has demonstrated tangible benefits in customer reviews.
Not ideal if your hotel is very small, just starting out, or not ready to invest in a mature platform.
Not ideal if you require a proven, extensively supported platform with abundant user feedback.
The core difference is that SHR BE is a proven, feature-rich platform backed by extensive recent positive reviews, whereas DIRS21 One lacks current validation and user feedback. SHR’s platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools, integrations, and dedicated support that have helped hotels generate measurable growth.
Choose SHR BE if you want reliability, a broad feature set, and proven results. Opt for DIRS21 One only if your hotel values flexibility and is willing to take a more experimental approach without immediate validation.
In summary: For most hotels aiming to quickly improve direct bookings and revenue with minimal risk, SHR Booking Engine is the clear choice. Its recent reviews and robust feature set make it a safer, smarter investment. Conversely, DIRS21 One’s modular approach may appeal to hotels with specific needs or a preference for building a tailored system, but it remains untested at scale.
Booking Engine 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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According to HTR's product database, SHR Booking Engine (BE) and DIRS21 One share 33 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| A/B testing & optimization | ||
| Booking abandonment recapture | ||
| Gift Vouchers & Prepaid Experiences | ||
| Post-stay emails | ||
| Pre-stay emails | ||
| Special offers & discounts |
Showing top differences. 1 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 DIRS21 One share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. SHR Booking Engine (BE) offers 81 verified integration partners, while DIRS21 One offers 31. 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. DIRS21 One: 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 DIRS21 by TourOnline AG 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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