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 261 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:
Exely shines in ease of use — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile optimized/responsive and Post-stay emails.
GauVendi shines when it comes to customization and flexibility , with exclusive features like Reporting Dashboard and Guest profiles.
Side-by-side ratings based on 261 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | From $400/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 235 | 26 |
After analyzing 261 verified reviews, Exely users most value its support responsiveness and account management, booking engine usability and guest conversion, direct booking growth, while GauVendi users highlight customization and flexibility, upselling opportunities, room category simplification. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Support responsiveness and account management
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Customization and Flexibility
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Booking engine usability and guest conversion
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Upselling Opportunities
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Direct booking growth
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Room Category Simplification
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Pricing, promotions, and upselling tools
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Onboarding and Training
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Website and booking design customization
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System Performance
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Integrations and connectivity
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Reporting and analytics limitations
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How each product ranks among Booking Engine vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #15 34 reviews | #21 14 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #11 64 reviews | #31 7 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #22 5 reviews | #26 2 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #8 6 reviews | #21 2 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #15 35 reviews | #27 13 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #15 28 reviews | #35 5 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #16 17 reviews | #25 7 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #16 9 reviews | #23 4 reviews |
By Region
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| North America | #24 2 reviews | #17 4 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | #25 11 reviews | #14 21 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #4 79 reviews | — |
| Middle East ▾ | #2 17 reviews | #20 1 reviews |
Choosing between Exely Booking Engine and GauVendi hinges on your hotel’s specific needs and priorities. Both platforms aim to increase direct bookings and streamline reservation management but differ significantly in features, user experience, and overall maturity. Exely, with its extensive review base and recent updates, offers a more proven and robust solution, while GauVendi stands out with its AI-driven approach and innovative sales tools.
Your decision should be based on whether you need a highly customizable, feature-rich platform with broad regional presence or an AI-powered, dynamic sales system that emphasizes personalization and automation. Which solution aligns best with your hotel’s growth objectives?
Exely and GauVendi aim to improve direct booking rates and operational efficiency. Exely’s strength lies in its comprehensive features, multi-lingual support, and integrations, designed to serve hotels with complex needs and larger portfolios. GauVendi, on the other hand, emphasizes AI-driven automation, attribute-based selling, and hyper-personalization, making it appealing for hotels seeking innovative, data-driven sales strategies.
Both solutions aim to reduce reliance on OTAs and increase revenue, but Exely’s wider feature set and broader regional presence make it more suitable for hotels looking for a reliable, multi-purpose booking engine. GauVendi’s focus on automation and customization caters well to hotels eager to innovate their sales approach.
Are you prioritizing regional coverage and feature depth or innovation and automation?
If your hotel needs a highly customizable booking platform with multi-language support, extensive integrations, and proven reliability across regions, go with Exely. Its 144 reviews, mostly recent, and high rating (92.67 HTR Score) underscore its maturity and broad acceptance.
If your goal is to implement a cutting-edge, AI-driven sales system that automates reservations, offers attribute-based upselling, and boosts revenue with intelligent inventory management, GauVendi is the choice. Despite fewer reviews (24), its recent recognition and unique feature suite make it ideal for forward-thinking hotels.
For a hotel seeking a mature, proven solution, Exely is the safer pick. For hotels keen to innovate sales and dynamic pricing, GauVendi offers a compelling alternative.
Exely scores a 4.91/5 for ease of use, praised for its user-friendly dashboard and straightforward management of rates and availability. Users highlight its quick onboarding process (4.84/5) and smooth daily operations, though some note room for improvements in backend navigation and analytics.
GauVendi’s ease of use is also high at 4.54/5, with reviews emphasizing its intuitive interface and rapid implementation process (4.93/5 onboarding rating). However, users do mention that its advanced features require some learning, especially for attribute-based selling and dynamic inventory management.
Edge: Exely.
Exely leads significantly with 29 exclusive features, including multi-lingual support, multi-currency handling, conversion rate reports, booking abandonment recapture, and website integration. Its capabilities extend to special offers, flexible rates, and GDPR compliance—features that directly impact booking conversion and operational flexibility.
GauVendi offers 12 unique features, notably AI-driven inventory management, dynamic pricing, metasearch connectivity, PMS integration, and channel management. While powerful, its feature set is less extensive than Exely’s, especially in multi-language and multi-currency support.
The clear edge: Exely, with its broader feature set aimed at comprehensive hotel operations.
Both platforms boast excellent support ratings of 4.96/5, with reviews highlighting prompt, personalized assistance. Exely’s support team is praised for quick responses and friendly negotiations, contributing to smoother onboarding and ongoing use.
GauVendi’s support is similarly lauded for its responsiveness, with users appreciating the frequent updates and immediate processing of improvement suggestions. Since both excel, the choice here is a tie, but Exely’s longer market presence offers a slight edge in reliability.
Edge: Exely.
GauVendi supports 11 verified partners, including prominent integrations like SiteMinder, Little Hotelier, Duetto, and Shiji Group, with 2 shared partners with Exely. Its broader partner network allows for more extensive PMS, channel management, and distribution integrations.
Exely supports 8 verified partners, including Hotellab, IDeaS, and Booking.com, with a focus on essential integrations for direct booking optimization. While slightly fewer, Exely’s integrations are well-regarded, and its focus on core partners ensures smooth operations.
Edge: GauVendi.
Exely’s 144 reviews, predominantly recent, and a 92.67 HTR Score demonstrate strong market validation, especially among hotels in North America, South America, and Europe. Hotel segments like boutique and city center hotels rate Exely highly for its reliability and feature depth.
GauVendi, with only 24 reviews, garners a high overall rating of 4.83/5, particularly among boutique and city hotels in Europe and North America. Its innovative approach appeals to hotels seeking automation and personalization.
Overall, Exely’s larger, more recent review base makes it the more trusted option.
Edge: Exely.
Exely is priced at a flat $200 per month, with no freemium or implementation fees, making it predictable and accessible for hotels of various sizes.
GauVendi costs $400 per month, also without additional fees, reflecting its more advanced AI capabilities and broader feature suite. Both platforms do not offer trial periods, so evaluating value depends on your hotel’s specific needs.
Not ideal if your hotel prioritizes AI-driven dynamic pricing or attribute-based sales.
Not ideal if your hotel needs extensive multi-lingual support, broad regional presence, or prefers a platform with a longer track record.
Exely offers a comprehensive, proven booking engine with a broad feature set, extensive integrations, and a strong regional presence. Its high review count and recent positive feedback underscore its reliability for hotels seeking a stable, versatile platform.
GauVendi, by contrast, excels in AI-driven automation, attribute-based selling, and dynamic inventory management. Its innovative tools may boost revenue and guest personalization but come with a smaller user base and less regional coverage.
If your hotel values proven stability, extensive features, and broad regional support, choose Exely. If your hotel aims to revolutionize its sales approach with automation and AI, GauVendi is the better fit.
This analysis is based on current reviews, ratings, and feature comparisons. Your hotel’s specific needs should guide your final decision.
These are the features each vendor has configured, organized by feature group — the same data shown in the vendor dashboard. Expand a group to compare features side by side.
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Merchandising & Packages
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| Room substitutions | ||
| Multi-room bookings | ||
| Flat, floating and discounted rates | ||
| Pooled inventory | ||
| Special offers & discounts | ||
| Customizable add-ons | ||
| Meal plans | ||
| Website Integration | ||
| Social Media Integration/Bookings | ||
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Upselling & Cross Selling
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| Multi-room bookings | ||
| Room substitutions | ||
| Gift Vouchers | ||
| Booking abandonment recapture | ||
| Customizable add-ons | ||
| Special offers & discounts | ||
| Meal plans | ||
| Alternative accommodation recommendations (when no availability) | ||
| Loyalty program integration | ||
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Conversion
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| Mobile optimized/responsive | ||
| Special offers & discounts | ||
| Urgency messaging | ||
| Booking abandonment recapture | ||
| Multi-room bookings | ||
| Room substitutions | ||
| A/B testing & optimization | ||
| Price comparison widget | ||
| Multi-lingual | ||
| Conversion rate reports | ||
| Facebook conversion tracking | ||
| Customizable exit intent modals | ||
| Form autofill | ||
| Flexible dates | ||
| Rate plan comparisons | ||
| Google Hotel Ads Bookings | ||
| Tripadvisor Bookings | ||
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Payments
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| Multi-currency | ||
| Apple Pay | ||
| Google Pay | ||
| Paypal | ||
| PCI Compliance | ||
| PayU | ||
| Stripe | ||
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Transactional Emails
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| Booking abandonment recapture | ||
| Post-stay emails | ||
| Pre-stay emails | ||
| Confirmation emails | ||
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Group Bookings
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| Wedding & corporate booking modules | ||
| Availability block | ||
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Reporting & Analytics
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| Automated reporting | ||
| Conversion rate reports | ||
| Referral Reporting | ||
| Google Analytics tracking | ||
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Tax & Compliance
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| PCI Compliance | ||
| ADA Compliant | ||
| Tariffs | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| GDPR compliant |
We analyzed 3 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"We took a proactive approach and collaborated with Exely, implementing various strategies, such as a loyalty program. The outcome has been outstanding — not only have we been able..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"Once we switched to Exely, we immediately noticed a significant increase in reservations from online travel agencies. We discovered that our previous system had blocked some availa..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
What hoteliers love
A very common theme is the speed and professionalism of Exely’s support team and named account contacts. Reviewers say issues are resolved quickly, se... A very common theme is the speed and professionalism of Exely’s support team and named account contacts. Reviewers say issues are resolved quickly, setup is well guided, and the vendor feels proactive and easy to work with during both onboarding and daily operations.
Reviewers consistently describe the booking engine as easy for guests to use, fast, and well structured. They say this simplicity improves completion... Reviewers consistently describe the booking engine as easy for guests to use, fast, and well structured. They say this simplicity improves completion rates, supports mobile booking, and makes it easier to turn website traffic into paid reservations.
Many reviewers say Exely increases direct reservations and helps hotels keep more revenue by reducing reliance on OTAs. Users link this to a smoother... Many reviewers say Exely increases direct reservations and helps hotels keep more revenue by reducing reliance on OTAs. Users link this to a smoother website booking flow, stronger conversion, and tools that support revenue growth and better control over guest relationships.
Where hoteliers push back
Many reviewers want more flexibility to match the booking engine and website to their brand. They ask for better color control, more modern templates,... Many reviewers want more flexibility to match the booking engine and website to their brand. They ask for better color control, more modern templates, richer widget customization, and less restrictive design options so their sites feel unique rather than templated.
A recurring request is broader and simpler integration with PMS, CRM, payment gateways, and regional distribution partners. Users generally see integr... A recurring request is broader and simpler integration with PMS, CRM, payment gateways, and regional distribution partners. Users generally see integrations as valuable when they work, but several reviews call for more channels, fewer setup hurdles, and better native connectivity.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
What hoteliers love
Gauvendi allows hotels to customize their offerings, ensuring guests book exactly what they desire. This feature, frequently praised across reviews, m... Gauvendi allows hotels to customize their offerings, ensuring guests book exactly what they desire. This feature, frequently praised across reviews, minimizes false expectations and dissatisfaction. The ability to display and sell unique room options enhances guest satisfaction.
Gauvendi provides extensive upselling opportunities, such as promoting unique room choices, which is seen as a method to increase revenue while offeri... Gauvendi provides extensive upselling opportunities, such as promoting unique room choices, which is seen as a method to increase revenue while offering guests a more personalized experience. This tool is noted for its ability to boost direct bookings.
Some reviews indicate a desire for simpler room category displays, especially for hotels with fewer or less varied offerings. This feedback suggests a... Some reviews indicate a desire for simpler room category displays, especially for hotels with fewer or less varied offerings. This feedback suggests a potential area for Gauvendi to refine its presentation features.
Where hoteliers push back
While generally performing well, some users pointed out occasional system lags and unclear error messages, indicating areas for improvement to ensure... While generally performing well, some users pointed out occasional system lags and unclear error messages, indicating areas for improvement to ensure uninterrupted user experience.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Exely Booking Engine and GauVendi share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. Exely Booking Engine offers 8 verified integration partners, while GauVendi offers 11. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Exely Booking Engine leads in ease of use at 4.9/5 vs 4.5/5. 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.
Exely Booking Engine: No. GauVendi: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Booking Engine 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. Exely has an HT Score of 96 and GauVendi has 19. 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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