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 325 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 when it comes to support responsiveness and account guidance — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) .
Simple Booking shines when it comes to user-friendly interface , with exclusive features like Urgency messaging.
Side-by-side ratings based on 325 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | From $200/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 294 | 31 |
After analyzing 325 verified reviews, Exely users most value its support responsiveness and account guidance, booking engine usability and guest conversion flow, direct bookings and revenue growth, while Simple Booking users highlight user-friendly interface, customer support, increased booking conversions. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Support responsiveness and account guidance
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User-friendly Interface
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Booking Engine usability and guest conversion flow
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Customer Support
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Direct bookings and revenue growth
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Increased Booking Conversions
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Channel management and OTA synchronization
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Flexibility and Customization
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Reporting and analytics depth
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Advanced Functionalities
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Design, branding, and customization limits
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Cost-related Issues
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Integrations and connectivity with PMS, payment gateways, and third parties
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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 | #31 6 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #11 64 reviews | #21 19 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #22 5 reviews | #24 4 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #8 6 reviews | #27 1 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #15 35 reviews | #28 13 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #15 28 reviews | #26 12 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #16 17 reviews | #26 7 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #16 9 reviews | #27 3 reviews |
By Region
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| North America | #24 2 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #25 11 reviews | #11 25 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #4 79 reviews | #22 2 reviews |
| Middle East ▾ | #2 17 reviews | #12 4 reviews |
Choosing the right booking engine for your hotel depends on your specific needs, preferences, and operational goals. Both Exely Booking Engine and Simple Booking aim to increase direct bookings and streamline reservations but approach these objectives differently. Exely, with its higher review count and recent positive feedback, offers a more established and well-rated solution. Do you prioritize extensive support and proven performance, or do you need a more flexible platform with advanced marketing features?
Based on the review data, Exely Booking Engine is the stronger choice—its significantly higher review count, more recent feedback, and higher HT Score make it the more reliable option. While Simple Booking provides valuable marketing tools and integrations, its lower ratings and fewer recent reviews suggest less confidence in its current performance. For hotel operators prioritizing stability and proven support, Exely is the clear winner.
Both platforms address core booking needs: showcasing accommodations, managing reservations, and increasing direct bookings. Exely excels at offering a user-friendly interface with a focus on customer support and operational efficiency, while Simple Booking emphasizes marketing tools, metasearch integration, and flexible management.
Exely’s strength lies in its ability to streamline operations while boosting revenue through upselling and re-engagement features. Conversely, Simple Booking provides a broader array of integrations and marketing modules, aiming to maximize visibility and conversion. Do you want a platform optimized for ease of use and support, or one packed with advanced marketing features?
If your hotel primarily needs a reliable, easy-to-navigate booking engine with excellent support, go with Exely. Its high ratings (92.7 HT Score, 144 reviews, 63 in the last 6 months) and top customer support scores make it suitable for hotels prioritizing stability and dedicated assistance.
If your hotel requires extensive marketing tools, metasearch integrations, and customizable modules to drive bookings and revenue, opt for Simple Booking. Its feature-rich platform (15 exclusive features, 56 verified integrations, and a broader global reach) suits hotels looking for a more dynamic, marketing-oriented system.
Exely scores a 4.91/5 for ease of use, with users praising its intuitive dashboard and smooth reservation management. Its onboarding process earns a 4.84/5, with many reviews highlighting rapid setup and responsive support.
Simple Booking also boasts a high usability score of 4.79/5, with users appreciating its straightforward interface and effective back-office management. However, some recent reviews mention difficulties in support accessibility, slightly tarnishing its user experience.
Edge: Exely.
Exely offers a core set of 29 shared features, focusing on reservation management, channel synchronization, and guest engagement. Its unique features include automatic reconnects with potential guests and marketing tools that promote direct bookings.
Simple Booking, with 15 exclusive features like urgency messaging, gift vouchers, social media integration, and advanced analytics, provides more marketing and promotional options. Its additional modules, such as loyalty programs and ADA compliance, extend functionality beyond basic booking.
Edge: Simple Booking.
Exely’s customer support is highly rated at 4.96/5, with reviews emphasizing prompt, friendly, and effective assistance. Many users note that support staff resolve issues swiftly, contributing to overall satisfaction.
Simple Booking’s support scores 4.76/5, with some recent feedback indicating challenges in reaching support and longer resolution times. While generally helpful, the more recent reviews suggest room for improvement.
Edge: Exely.
Simple Booking provides 56 verified integrations, including major PMS systems, metasearch engines, and payment gateways, making it highly versatile. Shared integrations with Exely include Oracle Hospitality and Mews, but Simple Booking adds many more options like AdsHotel, Lybra Tech, and Sojern.
Exely’s 8 verified partners significantly lag behind, limiting its ability to connect with various third-party systems. For hotels needing extensive integration options, Simple Booking clearly leads.
Edge: Simple Booking.
Exely’s reviews are more recent, with 63 in the last 6 months, and a high NPS score of 9.73/5. Hoteliers rated Exely particularly well for support, ease of use, and overall satisfaction across various property types, especially city center hotels and resorts.
Simple Booking’s reviews, primarily older and fewer in number, reflect a generally positive impression but with some recent concerns about support accessibility. Its ratings are lower overall.
Edge: Exely.
Both products are priced at $200 per month, with no setup fees or trial options indicated. This parity makes choosing based on features, support, and reputation even more critical.
Not ideal if you require extensive marketing modules or advanced analytics.
Not ideal if your focus is on straightforward operations and reliable support without extensive customization.
Exely is a well-rated, support-centric booking engine suitable for hotels seeking reliability, ease of use, and strong operational support. Its recent reviews and high ratings make it the safer choice for most hoteliers looking for a proven platform.
Simple Booking offers a feature-rich alternative with extensive integrations and marketing modules, ideal for hotels that want to expand their online presence and maximize revenue streams. Its lower recent ratings and review count suggest it may not provide the same level of confidence or stability.
For most hotels, especially those valuing support and ease of use, Exely is the recommended platform. If your hotel’s growth strategy depends heavily on marketing and broad integrations, consider Simple Booking—but be aware of its current feedback limitations.
Booking Engine 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.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | From $200/mo |
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
Support is one of Exely’s strongest differentiators in the reviews, with many users praising fast responses, helpful problem-solving, and proactive gu... Support is one of Exely’s strongest differentiators in the reviews, with many users praising fast responses, helpful problem-solving, and proactive guidance during setup and daily operations. Several mention named specialists or success teams who help hotels optimize settings, launch offers, and resolve issues quickly.
Users frequently describe the Booking Engine as intuitive, fast, and easy for guests to complete bookings with minimal friction. They also note that c... Users frequently describe the Booking Engine as intuitive, fast, and easy for guests to complete bookings with minimal friction. They also note that clear room/rate presentation, smooth flow, and fewer steps improve conversion, especially when booking from a hotel website.
Reviewers consistently say Exely helps shift demand from OTAs to the hotel website, increasing direct reservations and revenue. Users credit the Booki... Reviewers consistently say Exely helps shift demand from OTAs to the hotel website, increasing direct reservations and revenue. Users credit the Booking Engine, upsell tools, promotions, and conversion-focused design for helping hotels sell more and reduce commission dependency.
Where hoteliers push back
A recurring request is for more detailed, flexible, and customizable reporting across bookings, revenue, channel performance, and trends. Reviewers of... A recurring request is for more detailed, flexible, and customizable reporting across bookings, revenue, channel performance, and trends. Reviewers often say the current reporting is useful for daily use, but not deep enough for strategic analysis or quick decision-making, especially in the mobile app or dashboard.
Reviewers like the clean interface but often want more control over branding, widget colors, confirmation emails, website templates, and layout. Sever... Reviewers like the clean interface but often want more control over branding, widget colors, confirmation emails, website templates, and layout. Several note that the booking engine and website can feel too standardized unless more design flexibility is added, especially for properties that want a stronger brand identity.
Ranks higher for
What hoteliers love
The software's intuitive and easy-to-use interface is frequently praised, allowing both hotel staff and guests to navigate and manage bookings effortl... The software's intuitive and easy-to-use interface is frequently praised, allowing both hotel staff and guests to navigate and manage bookings effortlessly. This ease of use promotes higher conversion rates and a better overall user experience.
While customer support is generally praised for being responsive and helpful, some users note a decline in its quality, finding it cumbersome and diff... While customer support is generally praised for being responsive and helpful, some users note a decline in its quality, finding it cumbersome and difficult to reach lately. Continuous improvement in this area is crucial for maintaining user satisfaction.
Many hoteliers report a noticeable increase in their booking conversions since implementing SimpleBooking. Features such as the rate match tool, optim... Many hoteliers report a noticeable increase in their booking conversions since implementing SimpleBooking. Features such as the rate match tool, optimized user experience, and persuasive booking options contribute significantly to this improvement.
Where hoteliers push back
Hoteliers are impressed by the system's advanced functionalities, such as automated rate and availability management, customizable templates, and mult... Hoteliers are impressed by the system's advanced functionalities, such as automated rate and availability management, customizable templates, and multi-language support. These features enhance the booking process, making it more efficient and user-centric.
Several reviews highlight cost-related concerns, particularly the high prices for specific features like custom URLs and payment provider options. Use... Several reviews highlight cost-related concerns, particularly the high prices for specific features like custom URLs and payment provider options. Users feel that these charges are not justified and suggest more reasonable pricing.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
It depends on your requirements. Exely Booking Engine and Simple Booking (Reservations System) share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. Exely Booking Engine offers 9 verified integration partners, while Simple Booking (Reservations System) offers 59. 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 4.8/5. 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. Simple Booking (Reservations System): 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 97 and Simple Booking has 62. 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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