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 172 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:
Booking Expert shines .
Exely shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile optimized/responsive and Post-stay emails.
Side-by-side ratings based on 172 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $200/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 172 |
After analyzing 172 verified reviews, Booking Expert users most value its , while Exely users highlight support and responsiveness, booking engine effectiveness, direct booking enhancement. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Support and Responsiveness
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Booking Engine Effectiveness
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Direct Booking Enhancement
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Channel Manager Synchronization
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Customization and Flexibility
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Integration and Advanced Features
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Guest Experience Concerns
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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) ▾ | — | #15 34 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #11 64 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #22 5 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | — | #8 6 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #15 35 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #15 28 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #16 17 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #16 9 reviews |
By Region
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| North America | — | #24 2 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #25 11 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | — | #4 79 reviews |
| Middle East ▾ | — | #2 17 reviews |
Choosing the right booking engine is critical for your hotel's revenue and guest experience. BeGain by Booking Expert and Exely Booking Engine both aim to streamline reservations and increase direct bookings, but they diverge significantly in user feedback, features, and market presence. Your decision hinges on which product aligns best with your hotel’s size, location, and operational priorities.
BeGain, developed by Booking Expert, is an older platform with a focus on revenue management and availability control, but it suffers from zero recent reviews and a lack of user feedback. Exely, on the other hand, boasts a strong recent review base and high brand confidence, making it the more tangible choice for hoteliers seeking proven results.
BeGain and Exely serve the core purpose of managing bookings and increasing direct reservations, yet their market validation differs sharply. BeGain’s ratings are nonexistent, with a 0/5 overall score and no recent reviews, raising questions about ongoing support and feature updates. Exely’s platform, rated 92.67/100 with 144 reviews, features a high NPS score of 9.73/5, indicating robust customer satisfaction.
The contrast in review volume and recency underscores which product has current credibility. BeGain’s lack of recent feedback makes it difficult to assess whether it can meet modern hotel needs, whereas Exely’s recent positive reviews and high support ratings suggest it’s actively maintained and trusted by hoteliers today.
Are you comfortable choosing a platform with no recent validation, or do you prefer a solution that hoteliers actively recommend?
If your hotel relies heavily on direct online bookings, especially in competitive markets, Exely’s extensive feature set and recent positive reviews make it the clear choice. Its multi-lingual, multi-currency, and mobile-optimized capabilities cater well to international and tech-savvy guests, making it ideal for boutique hotels, city center properties, or resorts.
BeGain might appeal if your hotel prioritizes revenue management and has existing infrastructure for integration, but with no recent reviews or proven engagement, it’s a risky choice. For independent hotels or chains seeking a reliable, tested platform with demonstrable support, Exely offers a safer, more scalable path.
If you need a flexible, feature-rich booking engine with proven hotel support, go with Exely. If your focus is on legacy systems and niche revenue management, consider BeGain—but proceed cautiously.
Ease of use is a critical factor, especially if your team needs to onboard quickly and adopt new tools without disruption. BeGain shows no available ratings or review comments, suggesting a lack of recent user feedback on usability. Its absence indicates it may not be actively supported or designed with current hotel workflows in mind.
Exely, however, scores an impressive 4.91 out of 5 in ease of use, with recent reviews praising its intuitive dashboard and management features. Customers highlight its straightforward navigation, quick onboarding, and proactive support, making it accessible even for teams with limited technical experience.
Edge: Exely.
BeGain’s feature set appears minimal or unspecified, with no unique features listed in the available data. It’s primarily marketed as a revenue management tool rather than a full booking engine, which limits its scope for direct booking functionalities.
Exely, meanwhile, offers 29 distinct features, including mobile responsiveness, multi-lingual support, multi-currency handling, booking abandonment recapture, and automated email campaigns. These capabilities directly contribute to higher conversion rates and guest engagement, giving you more control over your online presence and revenue streams.
Edge: Exely.
Support quality and responsiveness are essential for smooth operations. BeGain provides no recent reviews or support metrics, making it impossible to gauge its current customer service level. The absence of feedback suggests it may have limited or outdated support channels.
Exely’s reviews, however, consistently praise its customer support, with a 4.96/5 rating and a recent NPS of 9.73/5. Recent comments highlight fast responses and attentive service, which are vital for resolving issues swiftly and minimizing downtime.
Edge: Exely.
Integration capacity determines how well your booking engine fits into your existing tech stack. BeGain connects with 13 verified partners, including prominent names like Oracle Hospitality, Mews, and Bookassist. Its integrations appear comprehensive, especially with channel managers and PMS systems.
Exely offers 8 verified partners, including well-known systems like Booking.com and IDeaS. However, it supports a broader suite of hotel-specific functions through its 29 features, compensating for fewer integrations with richer on-platform capabilities.
Edge: BeGain (based on total verified partners).
Since BeGain has no recent reviews, it cannot be rated by current users. Exely, with 144 reviews and recent feedback, maintains a high rating and a net promoter score of 9.73/5, indicating strong user satisfaction.
Exely’s customers, across various hotel segments, commend its ease of use, support, and feature depth. In contrast, BeGain’s lack of recent reviews suggests it isn’t actively favored or used by hoteliers today.
Edge: Exely.
Pricing transparency indicates Exely charges a fixed $200 monthly fee, with no mention of setup or hidden costs. BeGain’s pricing structure is not disclosed, and its website offers no trial or clear fee details, implying it may be a bespoke or outdated system.
The transparent, straightforward pricing of Exely helps you budget and compare ROI more easily, whereas uncertainty around BeGain’s costs complicates your decision.
Edge: Exely.
Not ideal if:
Given its limited recent validation, BeGain is best suited for hotels with existing systems and niche revenue management needs rather than those seeking a modern booking experience.
Not ideal if:
Exely’s features and recent positive reviews make it suitable for modern, digitally oriented hotels focused on growth.
The core difference between BeGain and Exely lies in validation and feature maturity. BeGain, lacking recent reviews and user feedback, seems outdated and less supported, despite its focus on revenue management.
Exely, with high recent ratings, broad feature support, and proven customer satisfaction, stands out as the more dependable choice for today’s hoteliers. If you need a feature-rich, easy-to-use booking engine with strong support, Exely is the clear winner.
Choose Exely if your hotel values recent validation, extensive features, and a high level of customer support. Consider BeGain only if you have existing systems, niche revenue needs, and are prepared for a less tested platform.
In summary: For most hotels seeking a modern, well-supported booking engine, Exely outperforms BeGain across nearly every metric.
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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| Starting Price | — | From $200/mo |
According to HTR's product database, BeGain (by Booking Expert) and Exely Booking Engine share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Conversion rate reports | ||
| Flexible dates | ||
| Mobile optimized/responsive | ||
| Multi-lingual | ||
| Multi-room bookings | ||
| Room substitutions |
Showing top differences. 17 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 2 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.
"We took a proactive approach and collaborated with Exely, implementing various strategies, such as a loyalty program. The outcome has been outstanding — not only have we been able..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"Once we switched to Exely, we immediately noticed a significant increase in reservations from online travel agencies. We discovered that our previous system had blocked some availa..."
What hoteliers love
Exely's support is lauded for its rapid response times and solution-oriented approach, contributing to an improved user experience. This is seen as a... Exely's support is lauded for its rapid response times and solution-oriented approach, contributing to an improved user experience. This is seen as a considerable strength of the product.
Exely's booking engine is frequently praised for its user-friendliness, fast operation, and ability to enhance direct bookings significantly, thus con... Exely's booking engine is frequently praised for its user-friendliness, fast operation, and ability to enhance direct bookings significantly, thus contributing to revenue growth. It is deemed to have a powerful positive impact on the guest experience and conversion rates.
The software is commended for increasing direct bookings and lowering reliance on OTAs. This positively impacts hotel revenue by lowering third-party... The software is commended for increasing direct bookings and lowering reliance on OTAs. This positively impacts hotel revenue by lowering third-party fees and providing a return on investment through efficient booking management.
Where hoteliers push back
A recurring critical point among users is the limited customization options available, particularly in reporting and website design. Users seek more f... A recurring critical point among users is the limited customization options available, particularly in reporting and website design. Users seek more flexibility to adapt templates and reports to their needs.
Users would like to see improvements in integration capabilities with other hotel management systems. Current integration limitations are seen as a do... Users would like to see improvements in integration capabilities with other hotel management systems. Current integration limitations are seen as a downside restricting the platform's full potential.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. BeGain (by Booking Expert) and Exely Booking Engine share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. BeGain (by Booking Expert) offers 13 verified integration partners, while Exely Booking Engine offers 8. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Exely Booking Engine leads in ease of use at 4.9/5 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.
BeGain (by Booking Expert): No. Exely 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. Booking Expert has an HT Score of 0 and Exely has 93. 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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