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 595 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:
Emerging Travel shines .
RateGain shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for independent properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Guest Feedback Management and Performance Reporting.
Side-by-side ratings based on 595 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
| HTScore |
|
|
| Likelihood to Recommend |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Customer Support |
|
|
| Value for Money |
|
|
| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $900/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 595 |
After analyzing 595 verified reviews, Emerging Travel users most value its , while RateGain users highlight customer support, channel management, real-time updates. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
| Emerging Travel |
|
|---|---|
| Pros | |
|
+
Customer Support
▾
|
|
|
+
Channel Management
▾
|
|
|
+
Real-Time Updates
▾
|
|
|
+
Reporting and Analytics
▾
|
|
| Cons | |
|
−
User Interface
▾
|
|
|
−
Connectivity Issues
▾
|
|
How each product ranks among Channel Managers vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment | Emerging Travel |
|
|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #5 96 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #2 279 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #2 142 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | — | #2 43 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment | Emerging Travel |
|
|---|---|---|
| Boutique ▾ | — | #4 225 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #3 254 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #2 216 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #3 63 reviews |
By Region
| Segment | Emerging Travel |
|
|---|---|---|
| North America ▾ | — | #11 12 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #12 27 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | — | #3 379 reviews |
| Middle East ▾ | — | #1 90 reviews |
Choosing the right channel manager can significantly impact your hotel's revenue, operational efficiency, and guest experience. Both Emerging Travel’s solution and RateGain’s Channel Manager aim to streamline distribution, but they approach this goal very differently.
Emerging Travel’s offering is virtually unreviewed and lacks recent feedback, which raises questions about its current relevance and support. RateGain, on the other hand, boasts over 500 recent reviews, a high customer satisfaction score, and proven success stories. Are you willing to rely on an untested platform or prefer a well-established solution with a track record?
Emerging Travel’s platform appears to be in an early stage, with no reviews or recent performance data, making it difficult to gauge its real-world effectiveness. RateGain’s channel manager, with over 500 recent reviews, shows a clear leader in customer satisfaction, ease of use, and feature richness.
While Emerging Travel claims to serve the travel group market, its lack of market presence and customer feedback makes it risky for hotels prioritizing proven solutions. RateGain, by contrast, offers extensive integrations, a broad global reach, and a dedicated support team, making it a more reliable choice. Given the current data, RateGain’s solution is clearly more trustworthy.
If your hotel needs a comprehensive, proven channel management system with extensive integrations and a global presence, go with RateGain. Its wide feature set, proven ROI, and high user ratings make it suitable for mid-sized to large hotels, chains, and resorts.
If your hotel is exploring a new, potentially more affordable or niche solution, or if you operate in a very specific regional market not covered by RateGain, Emerging Travel might be worth a trial. However, its lack of reviews and market presence makes RateGain the safer, more scalable choice for most hotels seeking reliable distribution management.
RateGain’s user interface is highly rated at 4.72/5, with reviews highlighting its intuitive design and straightforward setup. Customers praise its ease of onboarding and minimal learning curve, which helps staff adopt the platform quickly.
Emerging Travel’s platform, with a 0/5 ease of use rating and no recent reviews, suggests that it might lack the polish or support needed for smooth implementation. Without user feedback or proven onboarding success, it’s safer to assume RateGain offers a more user-friendly experience.
Edge: RateGain.
RateGain offers an impressive 38 unique features, including PMS connectivity, social review tracking, rate intelligence, multi-property management, and in-app support—features critical for sophisticated distribution management.
Emerging Travel’s solution appears to have no distinguishing features listed or reviewed, raising questions about its capabilities. The breadth and depth of RateGain’s features provide a clear advantage, especially for hotels looking for advanced tools to optimize revenue and streamline operations.
Edge: RateGain.
RateGain’s customer support is rated at 4.71/5, with reviews emphasizing responsiveness, knowledgeable assistance, and proactive engagement. Hoteliers report that support staff help resolve issues quickly, even during high-demand periods.
Emerging Travel has no recent reviews or ratings for support, leaving uncertainty about its responsiveness or availability. Given the importance of reliable support in mission-critical systems, RateGain’s proven track record makes it the better choice for dependable service.
Edge: RateGain.
RateGain integrates with over 95 verified partners, including major OTAs, GDS, PMS, and social platforms, offering extensive connectivity options. Its open API, in-app support, and multi-channel management make it highly adaptable to various hotel tech stacks.
Emerging Travel reports only one verified integration, significantly limiting its potential for future expansion or complex distribution needs. For hotels needing broad connectivity and seamless integrations, RateGain’s network is far more comprehensive.
Edge: RateGain.
RateGain’s users, with an overall rating of 4.81/5 from 466 reviews, are highly satisfied with its reliability, features, and support. Hotels across all segments, including resorts, branded hotels, and city center properties, consistently praise its ease of use and positive results.
Emerging Travel’s unreviewed status prevents any meaningful comparison, but the lack of recent feedback suggests it is not yet proven in the market. Based on current data, RateGain clearly leads in user satisfaction.
Edge: RateGain.
Emerging Travel’s pricing information is unavailable, suggesting it may be customized or in early development. RateGain charges a $900 monthly fee, with no free tiers or trial options listed.
The absence of transparent pricing for Emerging Travel makes it difficult to evaluate value, while RateGain’s clear pricing helps you compare cost with expected ROI. Most hoteliers find RateGain’s investment justified given its features and support.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
RateGain provides a well-established, feature-rich channel management platform, trusted by hundreds of hoteliers worldwide. Its extensive integrations, proven customer satisfaction, and comprehensive analytics make it suitable for hotels aiming to optimize distribution and revenue.
Emerging Travel, while potentially an interesting new player, lacks the market presence, reviews, and feature depth to compete at this level. If your hotel values reliability, support, and proven results, RateGain is the safer, smarter investment.
For hotels needing a highly capable, globally recognized channel manager, RateGain’s solution is the clear choice. Emerging Travel might suit smaller, regional, or experimental projects but remains unproven at scale.
Channel Managers 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.
| Emerging Travel |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | — | From $900/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Emerging Travel group and RateGain Channel Manager share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature | Emerging Travel |
|
|---|---|---|
| Guest Feedback Management | ||
| Marketing dashboard | ||
| Notifications | ||
| PMS connectivity | ||
| Service Recovery/Escalation | ||
| Social review tracking |
Showing top differences. 26 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 3 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.
"There is no comparison between RateGain and other vendors in the market. We were getting a lot of ARI discrepancies with our previous vendors, on the other hand, RateGain provide..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"RateGain enabled us to tap into markets like China, which was previously challenging. Integration with RateGain PMS and channel distribution expanded our reach"
What hoteliers love
RateGain's customer support receives positive mentions for being responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful. Users appreciate the availability of support... RateGain's customer support receives positive mentions for being responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful. Users appreciate the availability of support and the willingness of the team to assist with any issues. However, there are occasional criticisms about response times, indicating an area for potential enhancement.
RateGain's channel management system is praised for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive connectivity with numerous OTAs, allowing hoteliers... RateGain's channel management system is praised for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive connectivity with numerous OTAs, allowing hoteliers to efficiently distribute rates and manage inventory across platforms. Despite some reports of delays in bulk updates, users appreciate the seamless integration and centralized control offered by the system.
Real-time updates are a key feature of RateGain, allowing for immediate synchronization of inventory and rates across channels. This feature is valued... Real-time updates are a key feature of RateGain, allowing for immediate synchronization of inventory and rates across channels. This feature is valued for reducing manual errors and minimizing the risk of overbookings. However, certain users note occasional delays in the updates, suggesting that enhancements in this area could improve overall efficiency.
Where hoteliers push back
RateGain's user interface is generally described as intuitive and easy to navigate, contributing to the system's overall user-friendliness. Users valu... RateGain's user interface is generally described as intuitive and easy to navigate, contributing to the system's overall user-friendliness. Users value the straightforward design, though some recommend updates to modernize the interface and improve ease of use, especially for new users.
While RateGain offers comprehensive connectivity options, some users report occasional issues with maintaining stable connections, particularly during... While RateGain offers comprehensive connectivity options, some users report occasional issues with maintaining stable connections, particularly during high-traffic periods. These interruptions can impact the consistency of rates and availability across platforms, indicating a need for improvements in system stability.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Emerging Travel group and RateGain Channel Manager share many core Channel Managers features, but each has unique capabilities. Emerging Travel group offers 1 verified integration partners, while RateGain Channel Manager offers 95. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. RateGain Channel Manager leads in ease of use at 4.7/5 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.
Emerging Travel group: No. RateGain Channel Manager: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Channel Managers 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. Emerging Travel has an HT Score of 0 and RateGain has 85. 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