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 172 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 and customer support — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile optimized/responsive and Post-stay emails.
thebuking shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 172 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 172 | 0 |
After analyzing 172 verified reviews, Exely users most value its support and responsiveness, booking engine effectiveness, direct booking enhancement, while thebuking 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
| Segment |
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thebuking |
|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #15 34 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #11 64 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #22 5 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #8 6 reviews | — |
By Property Type
| Segment |
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thebuking |
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| Boutique ▾ | #15 35 reviews | — |
| Luxury ▾ | #15 28 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #16 17 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #16 9 reviews | — |
By Region
| Segment |
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thebuking |
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| North America | #24 2 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #25 11 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #4 79 reviews | — |
| Middle East ▾ | #2 17 reviews | — |
Choosing the right booking engine for your hotel hinges on a clear understanding of how each product addresses your operational needs and guest experience goals. With Exely Booking Engine by Exely leading in recent reviews, it stands out as the more proven, feature-rich option. Thebuking, by contrast, has no reviews or market presence to support its claims, making it difficult to assess its real-world performance.
Your hotel’s success depends on reliable, flexible, and well-supported technology. Given the data, Exely offers more recent, detailed validation of its effectiveness. Are you ready to see how these two compare across key areas?
Both products aim to streamline online bookings and boost direct reservations, but Exely’s extensive feature set and established reputation set it apart. Exely includes 29 unique features—like multi-lingual support, flexible rates, and automated email campaigns—that thebuking does not list at all.
While thebuking might promise AI-driven insights, it lacks any market presence or recent reviews to back those claims. Exely’s 144 reviews, 63 within the last six months, and 98% recommendation rate confirm its ongoing relevance. Do you want a solution with proven performance or one still untested in your market?
If your hotel needs a booking engine with a track record of high user satisfaction, go with Exely. Its ratings—4.91/5 for ease of use, 4.96/5 for support, and 92.67 HTR Score—are backed by recent, positive reviews. For independent hoteliers or boutique hotels seeking a flexible, customizable platform, Exely is well-suited.
If your hotel prioritizes innovative AI review management and has the resources to test unproven solutions, thebuking may appeal, but it has no reviews or real-world validation yet. For now, Exely is the more dependable choice.
Exely’s interface is rated 4.91/5 for ease of use, supported by ongoing positive reviews praising its simplicity and management dashboard. The onboarding score of 4.84/5 further indicates a smooth setup process, with many users citing quick training and minimal disruption.
thebuking, lacking any review data or user feedback, cannot be evaluated on usability. Based on available information and recent reviews, Edge: Exely.
Exely offers 29 unique features, including mobile responsiveness, multi-room bookings, multi-currency support, automated reporting, and integrations with major OTAs like Booking.com and TripAdvisor. Its feature set caters directly to hotel operations and revenue growth.
thebuking does not list any features, making it impossible to compare or assess. Given the range and depth of Exely’s features, the edge clearly goes to Exely.
Exely’s support team scores an impressive 4.96/5, with reviews emphasizing rapid, helpful responses and proactive assistance. Customers describe their support as “friendly,” “responsive,” and “solution-oriented,” contributing to a positive user experience.
thebuking has no reviews or support ratings available. With no validation of its support quality, the clear choice is Exely.
Exely integrates with eight verified partners, including Hotellab, Oracle Hospitality, IDeaS, and Mews, enabling smooth data flow across systems. It also supports major payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and PayU, facilitating seamless booking transactions.
thebuking offers no verified integrations or partner data, limiting its immediate appeal. Exely’s extensive integration options give it a significant edge.
Exely’s recent reviews reveal an average rating of 4.91/5 for ease of use and 4.96/5 for support, with a 98% likelihood to recommend. Hotels of various sizes, especially boutique hotels and city center properties, praise its intuitive platform and customer service.
thebuking lacks any reviews or ratings, rendering comparison impossible. Based on current data, Exely is clearly favored by hoteliers.
Exely’s pricing starts at $200 per month with no implementation or trial fees. It operates on a straightforward subscription model, making budgeting predictable.
thebuking’s pricing details are unavailable, which hampers assessment of value. Given Exely’s proven track record, its transparent pricing offers better certainty.
Not ideal if your hotel prefers untested AI review platforms with no market presence.
Not ideal if your hotel requires a validated, comprehensive booking engine with proven support.
In essence, Exely Booking Engine offers a comprehensive, well-supported solution with a proven track record and recent positive reviews. Its 29 features, extensive integrations, and high customer satisfaction make it the safer, more reliable pick for most hotels.
If your hotel needs a dependable platform that enhances operational efficiency and increases direct bookings, Exely is the clear choice. Its proven presence across multiple regions and positive user feedback reaffirm its market leadership.
On the other hand, thebuking, with no reviews or verified features, remains an unvalidated option. Unless you’re willing to participate in a trial of an untested product, it’s best to focus on solutions like Exely that are already delivering results.
In conclusion, for hotels seeking a booking engine that’s supported by recent reviews, extensive features, and proven support, Exely is the definitive recommendation. Its high ratings, active user base, and market presence make it the most dependable choice for your hotel’s future growth.
According to HTR's product database, Exely Booking Engine and thebuking share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature |
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thebuking |
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| Conversion rate reports | ||
| Flexible dates | ||
| Mobile optimized/responsive | ||
| Multi-lingual | ||
| Multi-room bookings | ||
| Room substitutions |
Showing top differences. 17 more features differ between these products.
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.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Exely Booking Engine and thebuking share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. Exely Booking Engine offers 8 verified integration partners, while thebuking offers 0. 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 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.
Exely Booking Engine: No. thebuking: 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 thebuking 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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