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 185 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 and responsiveness — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Referral Reporting.
STAAH shines , with exclusive features like Price comparison widget and Pooled inventory.
Side-by-side ratings based on 185 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 172 | 13 |
After analyzing 185 verified reviews, Exely users most value its support and responsiveness, booking engine effectiveness, direct booking enhancement, while STAAH users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Support and Responsiveness
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Booking Engine Effectiveness
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Direct Booking Enhancement
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Channel Manager Synchronization
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Customization and Flexibility
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Integration and Advanced Features
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Guest Experience Concerns
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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 | #35 4 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #11 64 reviews | #36 5 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #22 5 reviews | #37 1 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #8 6 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #15 35 reviews | #36 8 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #15 28 reviews | #33 9 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #16 17 reviews | #34 4 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #16 9 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America | #24 2 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #25 11 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #4 79 reviews | #14 11 reviews |
| Middle East ▾ | #2 17 reviews | — |
Choosing the right booking engine can significantly impact your hotel's revenue and guest experience. Both Exely Booking Engine and STAAH Booking Engine address core challenges like direct booking growth and OTA dependence but diverge in reviews, features, and regional presence. Your decision hinges on which product aligns best with your operational needs and strategic goals.
Exely offers a robust platform with a strong review base and recent user feedback, while STAAH provides a highly rated, feature-rich alternative with a broader partner network. Which solution will truly elevate your hotel's booking performance?
Both Exely and STAAH aim to maximize direct bookings and reduce reliance on OTAs. Exely's platform emphasizes marketing tools that reconnect with guests after abandonment, boosting conversions, while STAAH focuses on ease of inventory management with a suite of ancillary add-ons. Exely's recent reviews show a consistent high rating, with 63 reviews in the last six months, indicating strong current user satisfaction. Conversely, STAAH's zero recent reviews suggest less recent customer feedback, making Exely the more data-backed choice today.
Exely's 92.67 score versus STAAH’s 0 reflects its proactive customer support and ease of use, but STAAH’s 4.81 out of 5 rating on overall satisfaction remains a compelling factor. If your hotel prioritizes recent user insights and demonstrated support, Exely holds the advantage. Are you ready to commit to a platform with more recent, robust feedback?
If your hotel needs a booking engine with a proven track record of recent reviews, robust support, and marketing tools to boost direct bookings, go with Exely. Its specialization in catering to independent hotels and chains alike, combined with a strong regional presence across multiple continents, makes it versatile and reliable.
If, however, your hotel requires a broad selection of integrations, extensive partner ecosystem, and a flexible, feature-rich solution that supports advanced rate management and add-ons, STAAH is a solid choice. Its focus on international markets and comprehensive partner list make it suitable for properties seeking seamless operational management.
For hotels prioritizing recent satisfaction and a higher review count, Exely is the clear winner. If your hotel values integrations and a wide partner network more, then STAAH could serve you better.
Exely's UI has garnered a 4.91/5 rating, with users highlighting its straightforward, user-friendly dashboard and quick onboarding process. Reviewers praise its simplicity in managing rates, availability, and reservations, which reduces staff training time. The platform’s recent reviews affirm that your team can adopt Exely quickly, with minimal friction.
STAAH’s interface is also rated favorably at 4.69/5, with support teams praised for their helpfulness and responsiveness. Users appreciate its intuitive navigation but suggest room for interface improvements. Overall, Exely’s higher ease-of-use score and recent positive feedback give it a slight edge in UX.
Edge: Exely.
Exely offers 21 shared features with STAAH and has 8 features exclusive to it, including booking abandonment recapture, GDPR compliance, Tripadvisor bookings, and referral reporting—features not found in STAAH. These unique tools enable more targeted marketing and better guest engagement.
STAAH boasts 4 exclusive features, such as a price comparison widget, pooled inventory, gift vouchers, and availability blocks, catering to dynamic pricing and promotional needs. While STAAH's features are extensive, Exely’s broader set of unique marketing and compliance tools give it the edge for hotels seeking advanced direct booking strategies.
Edge: Exely.
Exely’s customer support scores 4.96/5, with reviewers appreciating prompt responses and friendly, solution-oriented assistance. Their recent reviews highlight the team’s dedication to resolving issues quickly, which enhances your team’s confidence and reduces operational downtime.
STAAH’s support scores slightly lower at 4.88/5, with multiple reviewers citing their helpful and professional service, though some mention UI improvements. Given the more recent, higher ratings and positive feedback, Exely’s support stands out as the more reliable option.
Edge: Exely.
STAAH offers 54 verified integrations across a broad partner network, including popular systems like Cendyn, GuestTraction, and HotelTime. Its extensive ecosystem supports complex operational needs and seamless third-party system connections.
Exely has 8 verified partners, including Oracle Hospitality and Booking.com, and shares some common integrations with STAAH. However, the limited number of partners means fewer options for extensive system compatibility, giving STAAH a clear edge for hotels needing a wide array of integrations.
Edge: STAAH.
Exely’s 144 reviews with a 92.67 overall score reflect strong satisfaction, especially among boutique, city center, and resort hotels. Recent reviews emphasize its ease of use, support, and effectiveness in boosting direct bookings, making it a trusted choice for hotels seeking reliability and tangible results.
STAAH, with only 13 reviews and a 4.81/5 rating, is favored by resorts and boutique hotels in regions like North America and Asia Pacific. Its high ratings, despite fewer reviews, indicate strong customer approval, particularly for larger properties needing advanced features.
Overall, Exely’s larger, more recent review base and higher scores make it the preferred rating leader.
Exely charges a straightforward $200 monthly fee with no freemium or trial options available. Its transparent pricing makes budgeting predictable for your team but may limit flexibility for smaller properties.
STAAH does not publicly list pricing, which is common among larger, more customizable platforms. Its cost structure likely varies based on features and integrations, requiring direct inquiry for precise quotes.
Hotels that should consider Exely are:
Not ideal if your hotel needs extensive integrations or a highly customizable interface, as Exely's features are more marketing and user experience-oriented.
STAAH is best suited for:
Not ideal if your hotel is small, requires simple setup, or prefers a platform with a shorter feature list and less emphasis on integrations.
Exely stands out as a booking engine with a solid recent review base, strong support, and a focus on direct booking marketing. Its suite of unique features and high ease-of-use make it ideal for independent and boutique hotels prioritizing simplicity and customer engagement.
STAAH offers a broad network of integrations, extensive partner options, and a feature-rich platform suitable for larger properties or those with complex operational needs. Its high ratings and diverse add-ons make it a compelling choice when flexibility and system compatibility are top priorities.
If your hotel values recent, positive feedback, ease of use, and marketing tools, Exely is the better choice today. For hotels needing extensive integrations and advanced management features, STAAH is the more suitable option.
According to HTR's product database, Exely Booking Engine and STAAH Booking Engine share 21 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Availability block | ||
| Booking abandonment recapture | ||
| Flat, floating and discounted rates | ||
| Form autofill | ||
| GDPR compliant | ||
| Gift Vouchers | ||
| Pooled inventory | ||
| Price comparison widget | ||
| Tariffs | ||
| Tripadvisor Bookings |
We analyzed 2 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
Exely's support is lauded for its rapid response times and solution-oriented approach, contributing to an improved user experience. This is seen as a... Exely's support is lauded for its rapid response times and solution-oriented approach, contributing to an improved user experience. This is seen as a considerable strength of the product.
Exely's booking engine is frequently praised for its user-friendliness, fast operation, and ability to enhance direct bookings significantly, thus con... Exely's booking engine is frequently praised for its user-friendliness, fast operation, and ability to enhance direct bookings significantly, thus contributing to revenue growth. It is deemed to have a powerful positive impact on the guest experience and conversion rates.
The software is commended for increasing direct bookings and lowering reliance on OTAs. This positively impacts hotel revenue by lowering third-party... The software is commended for increasing direct bookings and lowering reliance on OTAs. This positively impacts hotel revenue by lowering third-party fees and providing a return on investment through efficient booking management.
Where hoteliers push back
A recurring critical point among users is the limited customization options available, particularly in reporting and website design. Users seek more f... A recurring critical point among users is the limited customization options available, particularly in reporting and website design. Users seek more flexibility to adapt templates and reports to their needs.
Users would like to see improvements in integration capabilities with other hotel management systems. Current integration limitations are seen as a do... Users would like to see improvements in integration capabilities with other hotel management systems. Current integration limitations are seen as a downside restricting the platform's full potential.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Exely Booking Engine and STAAH Booking Engine share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. Exely Booking Engine offers 8 verified integration partners, while STAAH Booking Engine offers 54. 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 4.7/5. 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. STAAH Booking Engine: 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 93 and STAAH has 0. 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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