Directful - Direct Booking Tool vs. The Hotels Network (Personalization):
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

Choosing the right direct booking platform can significantly impact your hotel’s revenue and guest engagement. Both Directful and The Hotels Network aim to boost your direct bookings, but they approach this goal differently, with distinct strengths. Your decision hinges on your specific needs, hotel type, and operational priorities.

Directful focuses on AI-driven guest retention through personalized SMS campaigns, while The Hotels Network emphasizes website personalization, multi-property content, and conversion tools. Which aligns better with your hotel’s strategy?

Is Directful or The Hotels Network Better for Hotels?

Both products serve to increase direct bookings and reduce reliance on OTAs, but they do so with different tactics. Directful leverages AI to identify when past guests are likely to travel again, triggering targeted SMS campaigns that can generate up to 19% conversion rates. Its core strength is in customer retention, especially for resorts and properties with a high repeat guest base.

The Hotels Network, on the other hand, enhances your website with tools like rate parity monitoring, personalized messaging, pop-ups, and retargeting. It has a broader feature set aimed at conversion and traffic growth across multiple properties, with a proven track record in increasing direct bookings by up to 40%. Its focus is on website experience and audience engagement.

Both products are highly rated, but The Hotels Network boasts significantly more recent reviews (35 in the last 6 months) and a higher overall score, indicating more current customer satisfaction. Are you prioritizing guest retention or website engagement?

Directful vs The Hotels Network: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs to boost guest retention, especially for resorts or properties with loyal repeat guests, go with Directful. Its AI-driven approach and targeted SMS campaigns are ideal for increasing customer lifetime value and revenue from existing guests.

If your hotel requires a comprehensive website conversion toolset that personalizes user experiences, reduces OTA dependence, and drives new direct bookings, choose The Hotels Network. Its customizable widgets, retargeting, and analytics support a holistic growth strategy. For hotels with multiple properties or a focus on website optimization, THN provides a more versatile solution.

Hotels that want to maximize guest retention and leverage AI-driven personalization should pick Directful. Teams focused on website conversion, traffic, and multi-property campaigns should opt for The Hotels Network.

Is Directful or The Hotels Network Easier to Use?

Directful receives a perfect ease of use rating (5/5) and onboarding score (5/5). Customers highlight its intuitive interface and straightforward setup, with praise for their responsive customer support that makes adoption smooth. This platform is designed for rapid deployment and minimal staff training.

The Hotels Network scores slightly lower at 4.76/5 for ease of use, with reviewers noting that its tools are generally intuitive but can sometimes be complex due to the depth of features. Its onboarding process is well-rated but may require more time to fully integrate and customize.

Edge: Directful.

Which Has Better Features: Directful or The Hotels Network?

Directful offers three unique features: SMS reminders, instant redeemable rewards, and form autofill—focused on guest retention and personal communication. Its core features are AI-driven guest targeting and automated campaigns.

The Hotels Network provides eight unique features, including price comparison widgets, review compilation, analytics dashboards, metasearch surveillance, parity reports, surge alerts, smart notes, and saved searches. These tools enable dynamic personalization, traffic growth, and detailed performance insights.

While THN’s feature set is more extensive, Directful’s focus on targeted guest engagement delivers a different kind of value. For overall feature richness, edge goes to The Hotels Network.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Directful or The Hotels Network?

Both platforms are highly praised for support quality. Directful’s support team is rated 5/5, with customers describing their service as "amazing," responsive, and helpful in resolving issues quickly.

The Hotels Network is rated 4.91/5, with reviewers emphasizing their "helpful and dedicated" support team. Some users note that while support is excellent, the complexity of setup may require ongoing assistance.

Edge: Directful.

Which Has More Integrations: Directful or The Hotels Network?

The Hotels Network boasts 67 verified integrations, including key partners like Omnibees, RoomRaccoon, and Profitroom, facilitating seamless connection to your existing systems. Its extensive partner network supports broad customization and data collection.

Directful has only 4 verified partners, including Visual Matrix PMS and Stayntouch, offering limited integration options. While sufficient for some use cases, it may require manual workflows for others.

Edge: The Hotels Network.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Directful or The Hotels Network?

The Hotels Network has over 347 reviews, with recent feedback in the last six months providing current insights. It maintains a high overall rating of 4.47/5 and a likelihood to recommend of 95%, with many users praising its conversion impact, ease of use, and support.

Directful’s review count is just one, with a perfect score of 5/5 but limited data makes it hard to gauge real-world performance. Its recent reviews are absent, reducing confidence in current satisfaction.

Edge: The Hotels Network.

How Much Do Directful and The Hotels Network Cost?

Both products are priced at a base rate of $300 per month, with no freemium, implementation fees, or tiered pricing models disclosed. This straightforward flat fee simplifies budgeting but lacks detail on scalability or additional costs.

Since no discounts or custom packages are mentioned, your decision should focus on feature fit rather than price differences.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Directful?

• Hotels that rely heavily on repeat guests, like resorts or boutique properties.
• Teams focused on guest retention, loyalty, and personalized communication.
• Properties with a large database of past guests to target for rebooking.
• Hotels aiming for a measurable ROI from targeted SMS campaigns.
• Hotels with a marketing team comfortable with AI and automation.

Not ideal if:

• Your hotel is a small or independent property without a large guest database.
• You prefer website-focused strategies over guest retention.
• Your team lacks resources for integrating or managing an AI-driven platform.

What Type of Hotel Should Use The Hotels Network?

• Hotels seeking to grow their direct booking traffic and website conversions.
• Multi-property operators needing a centralized platform for content and personalization.
• Hotels interested in detailed analytics to refine marketing efforts.
• Properties aiming to reduce OTA commissions through website optimization.
• Hotels looking for tools like rate parity monitoring, pop-ups, and retargeting.

Not ideal if:

• Your focus is primarily on guest retention rather than website engagement.
• You have limited internal resources for setup and customization.
• Your properties do not have a robust online presence or booking engine.

The Bottom Line for Hotels

Directful and The Hotels Network target different aspects of direct booking growth. Directful’s unique strength lies in AI-driven guest retention through SMS campaigns, making it ideal for resorts and properties with loyal repeat guests. Its focus on automation and personalized communication can unlock significant revenue from existing guests.

The Hotels Network offers a broader suite of website tools that enhance visitor engagement, conversion, and traffic. Its comprehensive features, extensive integrations, and recent positive reviews make it suitable for hotels looking to maximize website performance and attract new guests. For properties seeking to leverage personalized digital experiences, THN is the clear choice.

If your goal is to nurture your existing customer base and increase repeat bookings, direct growth through AI, choose Directful. For expanding your reach, improving online engagement, and optimizing your website experience, The Hotels Network is the better fit.

In conclusion, your decision should align with your property’s strategic priorities—whether guest retention or website conversion—and your team's capacity to implement and manage these tools effectively.