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 534 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 when it comes to proactive client management — especially for brand properties (4.8/5) .
Simplotel shines when it comes to website design and experience — especially for brand properties (4.9/5) , with exclusive features like Whitelabel Capability and Conversion Widgets.
Side-by-side ratings based on 534 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Value for Money |
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| Starting Price | From $900/mo | From $600/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 262 | 272 |
After analyzing 534 verified reviews, SHR Group users most value its proactive client management, website design, reporting and analytics, while Simplotel users highlight website design and experience, technical support, user-friendly booking engine. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Proactive Client Management
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Website Design and Experience
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Website Design
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Technical Support
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Reporting and Analytics
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User-Friendly Booking Engine
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Digital Marketing
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Proactive Feature Updates
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| Cons | |
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Voucher System
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Customization Options
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Template Limitations
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SEO and Online Visibility
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Mobile Responsiveness
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How each product ranks among Website Design vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment |
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #9 30 reviews | #2 110 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #1 208 reviews | #4 130 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #6 13 reviews | #5 19 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #14 1 reviews | #8 1 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #4 115 reviews | #2 123 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #2 163 reviews | #1 154 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #2 84 reviews | #1 86 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #4 16 reviews | #7 8 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #11 8 reviews | #6 13 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | #2 244 reviews | #21 1 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #6 5 reviews | #1 247 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #6 2 reviews |
Choosing between SHR Website Design by SHR Group and Simplotel Hotel Branded Websites hinges on your hotel’s specific needs for online presence, functionality, support, and budget. Both products aim to enhance your website’s appeal and conversion potential, but they diverge significantly in terms of reviews, features, and regional reach. With more recent reviews and a higher review count, Simplotel’s platform offers a more current snapshot of performance and user satisfaction. Which platform aligns best with your hotel’s priorities?
Both SHR Group and Simplotel focus on creating attractive, user-friendly hotel websites that boost conversions, but they approach this with different strengths. SHR Group emphasizes tailored, customer-centric designs rooted in data analysis, creating websites designed to reflect your brand identity and optimize user experience. Simplotel, meanwhile, offers responsive, search-engine-optimized websites with a focus on boosting visibility and supporting direct bookings. Do you prioritize customization and data-driven design, or scalability and SEO?
Simplotel’s higher HTR Score (95.25 vs SHR’s 42.94) and recent reviews suggest it is the more reliable choice for hoteliers seeking current, active user feedback. SHR’s reviews are less recent, and its lower review count indicates less recent data. Are you comfortable with a platform that has less recent feedback, or do you want current insights into hotel website performance?
If your hotel needs a deeply customized website tailored to your brand’s unique identity, SHR Group is the better option. Its design approach is data-driven, focusing on guest behavior analysis and creating user experiences that reflect your specific goals. For hotels that require a scalable, SEO-optimized website with a focus on increasing online visibility and direct bookings, Simplotel is the way to go, especially given its higher review volume and recent feedback.
Large or luxury hotels that value bespoke, brand-aligned website experiences should lean toward SHR. If your hotel operates across multiple regions and relies heavily on search engine traffic, Simplotel’s SEO prowess makes it the stronger candidate. Do your priorities lean toward custom design or search engine optimization?
Both platforms boast high ease-of-use ratings—SHR at 4.69/5 and Simplotel at 4.69/5—indicating comparable simplicity for users. SHR’s onboarding process scores a 4.66/5, with clients citing its overall smooth transition, but some report difficulties with certain CMS features like image uploads. Simplotel’s setup is similarly rated, with clients noting straightforward navigation and quick website launches, though some mention a desire for more customization options.
Given the similar overall ease-of-use ratings, your choice may depend on the support experience. SHR’s reviews highlight proactive client management and responsive support teams, while Simplotel’s feedback emphasizes quick technical assistance. Edge: SHR.
Both platforms offer 14 shared features, including SEO tools, mobile responsiveness, and booking functionalities. However, Simplotel provides six additional features that SHR does not, including Whitelabel Capability, Conversion Widgets, Review Widgets, Google AMP Markup, Storefront/Voucher Functionality, and Blog Post Composer. These extras can enhance your website’s engagement, speed, and marketing capabilities.
If your hotel values integrated review displays, promotional vouchers, or content marketing through a blog, Simplotel offers the edge. Conversely, SHR’s focus on custom data-driven design may better serve properties seeking a highly personalized website experience. Overall, Simplotel has more features, giving it a slight advantage. Edge: Simplotel.
SHR Group’s customer support is highly rated at 4.85/5, with reviews praising their proactive, knowledgeable, and responsive team, often going beyond to assist clients. Clients describe their support as “excellent,” noting that account managers are invested in hotel success and quick to resolve issues.
Simplotel’s support scores slightly lower at 4.7/5, with reviews highlighting fast response times and friendly service, though some mention occasional delays. While both platforms offer strong support, SHR’s more recent reviews and higher ratings suggest a marginal edge. Edge: SHR.
SHR’s overall rating is 4.87/5 based on 169 reviews, but recent reviews have been scarce with no new feedback in the last six months. Simplotel’s rating is 4.78/5, based on 245 reviews, with 12 reviews in the last six months, indicating more recent user sentiment.
Simplotel’s higher review count and recency provide a more current reflection of user satisfaction. Hotel segments such as resorts and boutique hotels rate Simplotel slightly higher, which may influence your decision if your property falls into these categories.
Edge: Simplotel.
SHR’s pricing starts at $900 per month, with no freemium options or implementation fees, making it more expensive upfront. Simplotel’s base price is $600 per month, also without additional implementation fees, offering a more affordable entry point.
While costs are clear, the decision depends on whether your hotel values the additional features and customization options of SHR or prefers the more budget-friendly, feature-rich Simplotel plan. Are you willing to invest more for tailored design, or prefer a more economical, SEO-focused platform?
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
If your hotel needs a highly tailored, data-rich website that reflects your brand’s unique identity and caters to a sophisticated guest experience, SHR Website Design is the right fit. Its strengths lie in customization and in-depth analytics, backed by a dedicated support team, making it ideal for large or luxury properties with complex digital needs.
However, if your priority is a responsive, SEO-optimized website that drives traffic and bookings with a lower upfront cost, Simplotel offers more recent reviews, a broader feature set, and a higher overall rating. Its ability to help properties improve visibility and conversion makes it suitable for hotels of all sizes, especially those seeking quick deployment and scalable solutions.
In conclusion, for hotels valuing tailored design, detailed analytics, and a proactive support team, SHR is the better choice. For properties prioritizing visibility, ease of use, and a feature-rich platform at a lower cost, Simplotel is the stronger contender.
According to HTR's product database, SHR Website Design and Simplotel Hotel Branded Websites share 14 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Blog Post Composer | ||
| Conversion Widgets | ||
| Google AMP Markup | ||
| Review Widgets | ||
| Storefront/Voucher Functionality | ||
| Whitelabel Capability |
We analyzed 3 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
Clients commend the dedicated client management team for their proactive and responsive support. Account managers are often described as knowledgeable... Clients commend the dedicated client management team for their proactive and responsive support. Account managers are often described as knowledgeable, invested in client success, and ready with insights and recommendations to drive business growth.
SRH Group is highly regarded for its modern, visually striking, and user-friendly website designs that enhance the guest booking experience. Clients n... SRH Group is highly regarded for its modern, visually striking, and user-friendly website designs that enhance the guest booking experience. Clients noted that these designs have significantly contributed to increased visibility and higher conversion rates. However, some clients expressed a need for more flexibility in customization and quicker turnaround times.
The extensive and in-depth reporting features provided by SRH Group are consistently praised, offering clear insights into performance trends and acti... The extensive and in-depth reporting features provided by SRH Group are consistently praised, offering clear insights into performance trends and actionable data that help hoteliers make informed decisions. Users find these reports crucial for strategy adjustments and performance tracking.
Where hoteliers push back
The voucher system implemented by SRH Group received mixed reviews. While appreciated for driving additional revenue, several users highlighted areas... The voucher system implemented by SRH Group received mixed reviews. While appreciated for driving additional revenue, several users highlighted areas for potential enhancements, including easier voucher management and partial redemptions.
While SRH Group's templates are generally praised for being visually appealing, some users find them restrictive and desire more options for customiza... While SRH Group's templates are generally praised for being visually appealing, some users find them restrictive and desire more options for customization to better reflect their unique brand identities.
Ranks higher for
What hoteliers love
Simplotel is recognized for its ability to create modern, visually appealing websites that align well with hotel brand identities, improve guest engag... Simplotel is recognized for its ability to create modern, visually appealing websites that align well with hotel brand identities, improve guest engagement, and offer smooth navigation, though some reviews mention a desire for more customization features and aesthetic options.
Hotels commend Simplotel's responsive and committed technical support, essential for smooth operations, although some suggestions for improvement incl... Hotels commend Simplotel's responsive and committed technical support, essential for smooth operations, although some suggestions for improvement include faster response times and more proactive communication regarding updates.
The reviews universally praise Simplotel for its seamless booking engine that significantly improves the guest booking experience, enhancing both spee... The reviews universally praise Simplotel for its seamless booking engine that significantly improves the guest booking experience, enhancing both speed and ease of use and directly contributing to increased conversion rates and revenue.
Where hoteliers push back
There is a noted interest in Simplotel offering additional customization for templates and features to better match individual hotel branding and spec... There is a noted interest in Simplotel offering additional customization for templates and features to better match individual hotel branding and specific business needs, with some reviews hoping for more versatile and dynamic design choices.
Users appreciate improvements in online visibility and SEO functionality provided by Simplotel, contributing to higher website traffic and brand expos... Users appreciate improvements in online visibility and SEO functionality provided by Simplotel, contributing to higher website traffic and brand exposure. However, several reviews express the desire for more proactive and detailed SEO analytics and periodic updates.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
It depends on your requirements. SHR Website Design and Simplotel Hotel Branded Websites share many core Website Design features, but each has unique capabilities. SHR Website Design offers 81 verified integration partners, while Simplotel Hotel Branded Websites offers 22. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. SHR Website Design leads in ease of use at 4.7/5 vs 4.7/5. 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 Website Design: No. Simplotel Hotel Branded Websites: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Website Design 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 43 and Simplotel has 95. 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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