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 108 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:
Ciaobooking shines .
Planet shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like On premise and Revenue management module.
Side-by-side ratings based on 108 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $500/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 108 |
After analyzing 108 verified reviews, Ciaobooking users most value its , while Planet users highlight functionality and features, ease of use, multi-property management. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Functionality and Features
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Ease of Use
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Multi-property Management
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Support Issues
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Customization and Flexibility
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System Performance and Reliability
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How each product ranks among Property Management Systems vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment | Ciaobooking |
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|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #27 32 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #15 50 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #15 10 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | — | #17 3 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment | Ciaobooking |
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #21 42 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #21 34 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #17 33 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #20 9 reviews |
By Region
| Segment | Ciaobooking |
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| North America ▾ | — | #29 6 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #10 79 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #15 2 reviews |
Choosing the right property management system (PMS) is critical for your hotel’s efficiency and guest satisfaction. While Ciaobooking offers no recent reviews and a score of zero, Planet PMS by Planet boasts over 105 reviews with a strong 4.11/5 rating and recent positive feedback. How do these differences influence your decision?
Ciaobooking’s extremely limited data signals a lack of market presence and user trust, whereas Planet’s active review base and high recent ratings suggest a more reliable, well-supported platform. Are you prepared to rely on a system with no recent feedback or one with a proven track record?
Both products aim to streamline hotel operations, but they diverge significantly in market maturity and functionality. Ciaobooking appears to be an under-the-radar platform with no user reviews or recent activity, raising questions about its stability, support, and feature set. Conversely, Protel PMS by Planet is a globally recognized, cloud-native solution with a large ecosystem of integrations, extensive features, and recent reviews, including glowing comments about its reliability and scalability.
If your hotel needs a proven, integrated PMS that can handle complex operations and offers extensive third-party connections, Planet is the obvious choice. But if your priority is a new, untested platform with limited backing, Ciaobooking might be worth a closer look—though the lack of recent data makes this risky.
User experience is crucial in daily hotel operations. Ciaobooking’s score of zero in ease of use and no reviews indicates no available data on its interface or onboarding process, making it impossible to assess. On the other hand, Planet PMS scores an impressive 4.12/5 in ease of use, supported by numerous reviews praising its intuitive interface and straightforward onboarding.
Multiple hotel reviews highlight how easily staff can adapt to Planet, with many mentioning efficient training and minimal learning curves. Given the recent reviews and high ratings, Edge: Protel PMS.
Ciaobooking’s website and available data reveal no unique features or modules, suggesting a limited or undeveloped feature set. In contrast, Planet PMS offers over 46 unique features, including revenue management, multi-currency support, booking engine, guest CRM, digital registration, and integrated payments.
These capabilities are critical for modern hotels seeking operational flexibility and guest engagement. The sheer volume and diversity of features give Planet a clear advantage, with its ability to support everything from group bookings to detailed reporting. Edge: Protel PMS.
Support quality influences your hotel’s operational stability. Ciaobooking provides no recent support ratings or reviews, leaving its service reputation unverified. Planet, however, scores nearly 4 out of 5, with recent reviews emphasizing responsive, 24/7 support and positive experiences.
One reviewer specifically noted, “Their support team is always available and helpful,” which aligns with the overall high satisfaction ratings. The consistency and recent positive reviews make Planet’s customer support more trustworthy. Edge: Protel PMS.
Integration capability is vital for connecting your PMS with other essential systems. Ciaobooking’s integration count is zero, suggesting it lacks or does not emphasize third-party connections. Conversely, Planet boasts over 195 verified partners, including major brands like Innspire, RevControl, and Omnibees.
This extensive ecosystem allows for customization and adaptability, accommodating your existing tech stack and future growth. The large integration network makes Planet significantly more versatile. Edge: Protel PMS.
Given the review data, Planet’s recent reviews and overall rating of 4.11/5 clearly indicate higher user satisfaction. Hotels in various segments, particularly independent and boutique properties, praise its reliability, ease of use, and support.
Ciaobooking’s review count is zero, with no recent feedback, implying minimal or no active user base. Without recent reviews, we cannot consider it a trusted solution. Therefore, hoteliers rate Planet higher by default. Edge: Protel PMS.
Ciaobooking’s pricing details are unavailable, with no indication of fees or trial options. Planet’s pricing starts at $500 per month, with no implementation fee, which aligns with typical industry standards for full-featured PMS solutions.
Considering the extensive feature set and support, the cost is justified, especially when compared to the absence of pricing data for Ciaobooking. For transparency and value, Planet’s pricing model is clear. Edge: Protel PMS.
Protel PMS by Planet offers a feature-rich, well-reviewed platform with a broad ecosystem of integrations, making it suitable for hotels of all sizes seeking reliable, scalable management. Its recent reviews highlight ease of use, strong support, and detailed reporting, critical for daily operations.
Ciaobooking, lacking recent reviews and verified features, appears to be an untested option with no proven track record. It may appeal to hotels willing to take risks with unknown solutions, but for most, Protel provides the stability, support, and functionality needed to grow.
If your hotel demands a trusted, scalable PMS, go with Protel. Its extensive feature set, high user ratings, and active support make it the safer choice. But if you are exploring unproven platforms with limited market presence, Ciaobooking might be worth a cautious trial—though the risks are significant.
Property Management Systems 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.
| Ciaobooking |
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| Starting Price | — | From $500/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Ciaobooking and protel PMS (by Planet) share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature | Ciaobooking |
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| Booking Engine | ||
| Cloud based | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| Multi-lingual | ||
| On premise | ||
| Revenue management module |
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.
No published case study for this goal yet.
"It feels like a partnership, not a product. Our feedback is always heard and acted on. We’re working together for the shared goal of great guest service."
What hoteliers love
Users appreciate Protel's extensive features for managing single properties, with comprehensive tools for reporting, room plans, and rate management.... Users appreciate Protel's extensive features for managing single properties, with comprehensive tools for reporting, room plans, and rate management. However, many reviews expressed disappointment that a lot of these functionalities are incomplete, buggy, or missing entirely when dealing with more complex setups or multi-property environments. Custom reports and seamless integration with other tools are also highlighted as beneficial.
The user interface is generally praised for being intuitive and easy to navigate. Many users found Protel Air particularly user-friendly and noted the... The user interface is generally praised for being intuitive and easy to navigate. Many users found Protel Air particularly user-friendly and noted the efficiency in managing daily operations. However, certain updates have made certain functions more complex and less intuitive than before.
Protel's performance in catering to multi-property environments received mixed feedback. While some users praised its organizational tools and interfa... Protel's performance in catering to multi-property environments received mixed feedback. While some users praised its organizational tools and interfaces, many found the system frustratingly limited for multi-location setups, highlighting significant bugs and reduced functionalities.
Where hoteliers push back
Customer support is a consistent area of concern. Reviews mentioned long waiting times for support requests, lack of phone availability, and poor resp... Customer support is a consistent area of concern. Reviews mentioned long waiting times for support requests, lack of phone availability, and poor response times after the acquisition by Planet. Users recommend improving the speed and reliability of customer service.
Users are generally happy with the level of customization available in Protel, allowing them to adapt the system to better fit their specific needs. H... Users are generally happy with the level of customization available in Protel, allowing them to adapt the system to better fit their specific needs. However, this flexibility often comes at a high cost, and some required features are only available through paid custom development.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Ciaobooking and protel PMS (by Planet) share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. Ciaobooking offers 0 verified integration partners, while protel PMS (by Planet) offers 194. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. protel PMS (by Planet) leads in ease of use at 4.1/5 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.
Ciaobooking: No. protel PMS (by Planet): No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Property Management Systems 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. Ciaobooking has an HT Score of 0 and Planet has 33. 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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