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 57 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:
Counter shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Payment processing and Housekeeping module.
Xenion shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 57 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
| HTScore |
|
|
| Likelihood to Recommend |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Customer Support |
|
|
| Value for Money |
|
|
| Starting Price | Contact sales | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 57 | 0 |
After analyzing 57 verified reviews, Counter users most value its user interface and usability, customer support, automated features, while Xenion users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
|
|
Xenion |
|---|---|
| Pros | |
|
+
User interface and usability
▾
|
|
|
+
Customer support
▾
|
|
|
+
Automated features
▾
|
|
|
+
Platform integration
▾
|
|
| Cons | |
|
−
Bug issues
▾
|
|
|
−
Reporting and revenue management
▾
|
|
|
−
Pricing
▾
|
|
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 |
|
Xenion |
|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #26 28 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) | #46 4 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | #32 2 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #31 1 reviews | — |
By Property Type
| Segment |
|
Xenion |
|---|---|---|
| Boutique ▾ | #31 16 reviews | — |
| Luxury | #44 4 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain | #43 4 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #32 5 reviews | — |
By Region
| Segment |
|
Xenion |
|---|---|---|
| North America ▾ | #25 8 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #20 25 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #16 4 reviews | — |
| Middle East | #11 2 reviews | — |
Choosing the right property management system (PMS) depends on your property's size, operational needs, and growth plans. Both Counter and Xenion aim to streamline hotel operations, but they serve different hotel types and offer varied features. Counter, with its extensive review count and recent updates, is clearly more proven in the market, especially for hostels. Xenion remains less established with no recent reviews or notable features. Do you prioritize proven performance or emerging AI-driven insights?
Counter by Counter is the clear choice for your hostel or budget hotel looking for a reliable, feature-rich PMS with strong customer support and extensive integrations. Xenion, without recent reviews or a proven track record, is not currently a competitive option for hoteliers needing dependable management tools.
Counter and Xenion address different core needs. Counter consolidates multiple management functions—channel management, booking engine, payment processing, and more—into one interface, designed specifically for small to medium hostels. Xenion, by contrast, focuses on review aggregation and reputation management through AI analysis, offering insights rather than operational tools.
Counter’s strengths lie in its year-over-year proven features, ease of use, and support, making it ideal for hoteliers seeking a comprehensive PMS. Xenion, being unreviewed recently and lacking operational features, is better suited for brands with a mature digital presence looking to optimize reviews rather than daily management.
Do you need a proven PMS or an AI-powered reputation platform?
If your hotel needs a full-featured PMS to manage reservations, channels, and daily operations, Counter is the logical choice. With over 54 reviews and a 4.73/5 rating, it’s trusted by hostels and small hotels globally, especially in Europe and North America. Its intuitive interface and customer support rating of 4.96/5 ensure your team will adopt it quickly.
If your primary focus is on reputation management—analyzing reviews, sentiment, and customer feedback—Xenion might appeal. However, with no recent reviews or notable features, Xenion currently lacks the operational depth most hoteliers require.
For now, Counter’s proven track record makes it the more practical and reliable solution for your property’s management needs.
Counter has a user-friendly interface rated 4.6/5, praised for its simplicity and ease of onboarding. Hoteliers consistently mention the straightforward setup, intuitive calendar, and mobile-friendly design that allows staff to operate from anywhere.
Xenion, on the other hand, offers no publicly available user ratings or recent review data, making it impossible to assess its ease of use. Given Counter’s high scores and proven customer feedback, it clearly has an advantage.
Edge: Counter.
Counter boasts 19 unique features, including a channel manager, booking engine, payment processing, automated night audit, guest CRM, multi-currency, and ancillary revenue tracking. These capabilities directly impact daily operations and revenue optimization.
Xenion, lacking publicly available feature details and recent reviews, does not demonstrate operational tools. It specializes in review aggregation and AI-driven insights but does not replace a PMS.
Counter’s comprehensive feature set gives your team the tools needed for efficient management and growth. Xenion’s focus on review analysis may complement your existing PMS but isn’t a standalone operational solution.
Edge: Counter.
Counter’s support team scores an impressive 4.96/5, with reviewers highlighting quick, helpful responses from team members like Evelyn and Max. The positive feedback emphasizes their responsiveness and proactive assistance.
Xenion offers no recent reviews or ratings regarding support, leaving its customer service reputation unverified. For critical hotel operations, reliable support is essential.
Edge: Counter.
Counter integrates with seven verified partners, including channel managers like SiteMinder and Cloudbeds, payment providers like Stripe, and systems like Goki. These integrations help streamline operations and expand distribution channels.
Xenion has no publicly listed integrations or verified partners, limiting its current utility as a standalone PMS.
Counter’s extensive, verified integrations make it more adaptable to your existing tech stack, reducing friction and improving efficiency. Xenion’s lack of integrations diminishes its immediate operational value.
Edge: Counter.
With over 54 recent reviews, Counter’s 4.73/5 rating reflects broad hotelier satisfaction, particularly among hostels. Hoteliers laud its ease of use, support, and features, with specific praise for its intuitive interface and automation.
Xenion has no recent reviews or ratings, making it impossible to determine property satisfaction or suitability.
Given current review data, Counter is the preferred choice for properties seeking proven, high-rated management tools.
Edge: Counter.
Counter does not publicly disclose pricing but offers a free, no-trial PMS with no implementation fees or monthly charges, making it accessible for small hostels and independent hotels.
Xenion’s pricing is also not publicly available. Its focus appears to be on reputation management rather than full PMS offerings, which may involve different pricing models.
Counter’s transparent, free model and no hidden fees make it a cost-effective choice. Xenion’s unclear pricing limits budget planning at this stage.
Not ideal if you require advanced revenue management, dynamic pricing, or are seeking a sophisticated enterprise solution.
Not ideal if you need an operational management system or real-time reservation tools.
Counter is a proven, full-featured PMS designed for small to medium hotels and hostels, with a strong track record, positive reviews, and a broad set of operational tools. Its extensive integrations and excellent support make it dependable for daily management.
Xenion, despite its AI focus, currently lacks recent reviews, operational features, and verified integrations, making it unsuitable as a standalone PMS at this stage. Its strength lies in review analysis rather than property management.
Choose Counter if you need a reliable, feature-rich PMS that your team can adopt easily. Opt for Xenion only if your primary goal is reputation monitoring and review insights, and you have existing management systems in place.
According to HTR's product database, Counter and Xenion share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature |
|
Xenion |
|---|---|---|
| Booking Engine | ||
| Calendar view | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Custom rates | ||
| Payment processing | ||
| RevPaR & ADR Reports |
Showing top differences. 7 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
Hoteliers find Counter's interface clean, intuitive, and user-friendly, making it easy to train new staff quickly. The mobile and desktop interfaces w... Hoteliers find Counter's interface clean, intuitive, and user-friendly, making it easy to train new staff quickly. The mobile and desktop interfaces work well, allowing managers to handle tasks remotely. It is particularly noted for its simplicity in calendar and calendar management.
The support team at Counter is frequently praised for its responsiveness and helpfulness. Staff like Evelyn and Max receive specific mentions for thei... The support team at Counter is frequently praised for its responsiveness and helpfulness. Staff like Evelyn and Max receive specific mentions for their professionalism. However, there are concerns about slower support in certain time zones.
Users appreciate Counter's automated features that include tasks like contactless check-in, automating credit card charges, and managing bookings acro... Users appreciate Counter's automated features that include tasks like contactless check-in, automating credit card charges, and managing bookings across platforms. This automation reduces staff workload and improves operational efficiency.
Where hoteliers push back
Several hoteliers mention persistent bugs in the system, particularly issues with overbookings, bed availability display, and system errors during boo... Several hoteliers mention persistent bugs in the system, particularly issues with overbookings, bed availability display, and system errors during booking cancellations. These bugs have a negative impact on daily operations and guest experience.
Hoteliers appreciate Counter's reporting capabilities but note that the reports can be improved for better insights. Revenue management features are s... Hoteliers appreciate Counter's reporting capabilities but note that the reports can be improved for better insights. Revenue management features are seen as lacking, particularly for businesses operating on multiple rate plans or using dynamic pricing.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Counter and Xenion share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. Counter offers 7 verified integration partners, while Xenion offers 0. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Counter leads in ease of use at 4.6/5 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.
Counter: No. Xenion: 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. Counter has an HT Score of 17 and Xenion has 0. Here is how the score is calculated.
| Criteria Group | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Ratings & Reviews |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 →
Product recommendations advisor