Akia Contactless Check-In vs. Chicostay:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

Choosing the right contactless check-in solution can significantly impact your hotel's guest experience, operational efficiency, and staff workload. Akia Contactless Check-In and Chico both aim to modernize arrivals, but they differ sharply in features, reviews, and market presence. Akia, with its recent and numerous reviews, clearly demonstrates its effectiveness, while Chico remains largely unreviewed and untested in the field. How do these differences influence your decision?

Is Akia or Chico Better for Hotels?

Akia offers a comprehensive contactless check-in platform with over 38 recent reviews, a high overall rating of 4.95/5, and a strong user satisfaction score of 97%. It integrates with 32 property management and booking partners, providing a robust ecosystem for hoteliers. Chico, on the other hand, has no reviews, no ratings, and no publicly available integrations, making it difficult to assess its real-world performance or reliability. Are you comfortable choosing a solution without recent evidence of user success?

Akia’s strengths lie in its ease of use, customer support, and feature set, backed by detailed user feedback. Chico’s lack of reviews and market data raises questions about its adoption, support quality, and feature completeness. Without recent user reviews, how can you confidently trust Chico to meet your operational needs?

Akia vs Chico: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs a proven, feature-rich contactless check-in platform with extensive integration capabilities, go with Akia. Its 38 reviews over the past six months confirm high satisfaction levels, especially in guest communication, automation, and support. For hotels seeking a well-established solution with demonstrated success, Akia is the clear choice.

If your hotel is open to testing a new, unreviewed platform and prioritizes cost or novelty over proven results, Chico might be considered—but with significant risk. Since Chico offers no reviews or market presence, it’s not advisable if you require reliability, proven features, or vendor support.

For most hoteliers, especially those who value data-backed performance, Akia is the safer and more effective choice.

Is Akia or Chico Easier to Use?

Akia’s user interface and onboarding process score 4.82/5 based on recent reviews, with users praising its intuitive setup, mobile friendliness, and straightforward guest communication. Customers highlight its easy integration and clear workflows, which facilitate staff adoption and minimize training time. Meanwhile, Chico offers no publicly available ratings or reviews, leaving its usability unverified.

Given the detailed positive feedback and high ease-of-use score, Akia clearly provides a smoother experience. How confident are you in adopting a solution without peer feedback?

Edge: Akia

Which Has Better Features: Akia or Chico?

Akia boasts an impressive 35 features exclusive to its platform, including mobile-friendly design, photo sharing, chatbot booking, WhatsApp integration, desktop app, automated replies, guest history, document scanning, secure data protection, and PMS integration. These features enable full-scale contactless check-in, guest engagement, and operational automation, setting a high bar for hotel contactless solutions.

Chico offers no detailed features list, making it impossible to evaluate its capabilities or compare it meaningfully. Without specific features or differentiation, Chico cannot compete with Akia’s extensive functionality.

Edge: Akia

Which Has Better Customer Support: Akia or Chico?

Akia’s support team scores 4.86/5, with reviewers praising their responsiveness, knowledge, and proactive assistance. Many highlight the ease of communication and quick problem resolution, fostering confidence in ongoing support.

Chico provides no support ratings or reviews, leaving hotel teams uncertain about post-sale assistance, onboarding help, or issue resolution. This lack of feedback makes it impossible to gauge support quality or reliability.

Edge: Akia

Which Has More Integrations: Akia or Chico?

Akia integrates with 32 verified partners, including major PMS and booking platforms like RoomRaccoon, WebRezPro, Stayntouch, and others. This extensive integration network allows your hotel to connect seamlessly with existing systems, reducing manual data entry and enhancing operational flow.

Chico has no publicly listed integrations or verified partners, suggesting limited compatibility and flexibility. In a contactless check-in environment, integration is critical; Akia’s ecosystem offers a clear advantage.

Edge: Akia

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Akia or Chico?

Akia’s recent reviews indicate a 4.95/5 overall rating from 38 hotel reviews, with a 97% likelihood to recommend. Hotels across segments like boutique, independent, and branded properties report high satisfaction, praising its automation, customer service, and guest communication.

Chico has no reviews or ratings, making it impossible to determine hotel satisfaction or performance. Without user feedback, it’s risky to assume Chico will meet your expectations.

Edge: Akia

How Much Do Akia and Chico Cost?

Akia’s pricing details are not publicly disclosed, but it does not offer a free tier and typically involves a monthly fee without implementation charges. Chico’s pricing remains unavailable, leaving uncertainty about costs or value for money.

Given the lack of transparent pricing, your decision should consider the proven value Akia offers based on reviews and features, rather than cost alone.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Akia?

• Hotels that prioritize contactless check-in, especially during health-conscious times.
• Properties seeking automation for guest communications and operations.
• Hotels with existing PMS systems needing quick, reliable integration.
• Boutique, independent, or branded hotels aiming to improve guest experience.
• Teams that want a scalable solution with extensive support and features.

Not ideal if your hotel is small, only needs basic check-in, or prefers a free or highly customizable option without support.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Chico?

• Hotels open to trial and testing new platforms without proven track records.
• Properties with minimal current automation needs.
• Hotels with in-house tech teams able to evaluate and implement solutions independently.
• Small boutique hotels or rentals willing to explore unreviewed software.

Not ideal if your hotel requires proven reliability, strong support, extensive features, or integration with existing systems.

The Bottom Line for Hotels

Akia provides a well-rounded, extensively reviewed contactless check-in platform that streamlines operations and enhances guest experience. Its high score, numerous features, and proven support make it suitable for most hotels ready to modernize their arrivals.

Chico, lacking reviews, features, and integration data, remains an untested option. Without evidence of performance or support, it’s difficult to recommend Chico for any property seeking reliable, efficient contactless check-in.

For hoteliers looking for confidence and proven results, Akia emerges as the clear choice. Chico might appeal to those willing to experiment but carries significant risk. Ultimately, your hotel’s specific needs, support expectations, and appetite for risk should guide your decision.