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 60 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 user interface , with exclusive features like Payment Requests and Native Email Marketing.
HotelBee shines , with exclusive features like Guest CRM and Housekeeping Mobile App.
Side-by-side ratings based on 60 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $400/mo | From $400/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 56 | 4 |
After analyzing 60 verified reviews, Exely users most value its user interface, customer support, hotel operation efficiency, while HotelBee users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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User Interface
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Customer Support
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Hotel Operation Efficiency
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Channel Management
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Customization and Reporting Features
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System Performance and Speed
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Mobile Application
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How each product ranks among Hotel Management Software 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) ▾ | #23 16 reviews | #38 3 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #17 15 reviews | #37 1 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | #16 3 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #11 1 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #22 13 reviews | — |
| Luxury ▾ | #20 11 reviews | #37 1 reviews |
| Branded / Chain | #25 2 reviews | #32 2 reviews |
| Extended Stay | #21 3 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America | #22 2 reviews | — |
| Europe | #24 2 reviews | #20 4 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #6 28 reviews | — |
| Middle East ▾ | #7 5 reviews | — |
Choosing between Exely HMS by Exely and HotelBee by HotelBee hinges on your hotel's specific needs, operational scale, and desired features. Both products aim to streamline hotel management, but Exely offers a broader suite of features and has more recent reviews, indicating a more active user base. HotelBee, meanwhile, boasts a simpler, more user-friendly interface with high ease-of-use ratings but fewer features and reviews. How do these differences align with your hotel’s priorities?
Both Exely HMS and HotelBee are designed to improve operational efficiency and guest management, but they approach this differently. Exely provides a comprehensive platform with 23 shared features plus an additional 15 exclusive ones, making it suitable for hotels seeking extensive control over their processes. HotelBee offers a more streamlined solution with 7 unique features, focusing on ease of use and core functionalities. Given Exely's larger feature set and more recent reviews, it appears to be more suited for hotels aiming for advanced management capabilities.
However, HotelBee’s high user satisfaction with its intuitive interface makes it appealing for smaller teams or hotels prioritizing quick adoption over extensive customization. Do you need a feature-rich platform that covers every aspect of hotel management, or a straightforward system that your team can master quickly? The answer depends on your operational complexity.
If your hotel requires a robust, all-in-one solution that integrates PMS, booking, reputation management, and channel synchronization, Exely is your best fit. Its extensive feature list supports large and mid-sized properties looking to automate and optimize their workflows. For hotels with a focus on increasing direct bookings and managing online reputation, Exely’s specialized tools are a clear advantage.
Conversely, if your team values simplicity, quick onboarding, and high ease-of-use ratings—especially for smaller properties or boutique hotels—HotelBee is a strong contender. Its core features facilitate daily operations without overwhelming your staff, and its high customer support ratings suggest a smooth onboarding experience. For hotels that want to avoid complexity and focus on essential management tasks, HotelBee is ideal.
In summary, choose Exely if your hotel needs advanced customization, automation, and integration capabilities. Opt for HotelBee if your priority is a straightforward, easy-to-learn system that efficiently handles fundamental management functions.
Exely scores 4.88 out of 5 for ease of use, thanks to its intuitive interface and positive onboarding feedback, with users highlighting its seamless integration into daily operations. Its reviews mention that staff find the system straightforward, though some note the need for additional tutorials for new features. Exely's onboarding process is rated 4.82 out of 5, reflecting a generally smooth experience.
HotelBee surpasses this with a perfect 5 out of 5 ease-of-use rating and a perfect onboarding score of 5 out of 5, emphasizing its user-friendly design. Hoteliers appreciate how quickly their staff adapts to HotelBee, citing a simple interface and minimal training needed.
Edge: HotelBee.
Exely offers 38 features in total, combining shared functionalities with 15 exclusive tools such as payment requests, native email marketing, guest communication via SMS, online check-in/out, rate shopping, and GDPR compliance. These features support complex operations, revenue management, and guest engagement, making it a versatile platform.
HotelBee provides 7 unique features including direct billing, a guest CRM, real-time reporting, and a drag-and-drop tape chart. While its feature count is smaller, these are core capabilities suited for day-to-day hotel management.
Edge: Exely.
Exely’s support team earns a 4.9 out of 5 rating, with reviews praising their quick responses, friendly attitude, and continuous improvement. Guests mention that support inquiries are addressed swiftly, which is critical during busy periods.
HotelBee also scores a perfect 5 out of 5 in support and onboarding, with reviewers emphasizing their satisfaction with the timely and attentive assistance. Customers appreciate the ongoing support and the company's openness to suggestions for future improvements.
Edge: HotelBee.
Exely integrates with 8 verified partners, including Hotellab, Oracle Hospitality, IDeaS, Mews, and Booking.com, providing a broad ecosystem for hotel operations. Its integrations cover multiple booking channels, revenue management, and property management tools.
HotelBee has no verified integrations listed, suggesting limited connectivity with third-party systems. This can be a drawback if your hotel relies heavily on external platforms or specific software integrations.
Edge: Exely.
Exely’s reviews, though limited with 48 total, are mostly positive, especially from boutique and city center hotels. Its recent reviews highlight satisfaction with channel management and reservation automation, though some mention system speed issues during peak times.
HotelBee, with only 4 reviews, shows a perfect 5 out of 5 rating for ease of use and support, but the small sample size makes it difficult to draw broad conclusions. Larger hotels or those seeking detailed reviews will find Exely’s higher review count and recency more reliable.
Edge: Exely.
Both products are priced at a flat $400 per month, with no mention of implementation fees or trial options. This parity simplifies the decision based on features and support rather than price.
Exely offers a broad, feature-rich management system that suits hotels aiming for growth, automation, and control. Its recent reviews and higher feature count indicate a mature, actively improved platform capable of supporting complex operations.
HotelBee, in contrast, appeals to hotels prioritizing simplicity, ease of use, and responsive customer support. Its limited feature set and smaller user base suggest it’s best for smaller properties or teams that want quick, hassle-free management.
If your hotel needs advanced functionality and integration, Exely is the clear choice. If you prefer a user-friendly system with high support ratings and fewer features, HotelBee may better fit your needs.
According to HTR's product database, Exely HMS and HotelBee share 23 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature |
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| Automated Space Optimization | ||
| Centralized Messaging | ||
| Direct billing | ||
| Drag-n-Drop Tapechart | ||
| Guest CRM | ||
| Guest Communication (SMS Messaging) | ||
| Guest Feedback Management | ||
| Housekeeping Mobile App | ||
| Native Email Marketing | ||
| Native Email Marketing | ||
| Payment Requests | ||
| Real Time Reporting |
Showing top differences. 10 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
The intuitive and straightforward interface of Exely significantly enhances user experience, making it easier for staff to navigate during busy period... The intuitive and straightforward interface of Exely significantly enhances user experience, making it easier for staff to navigate during busy periods and integrating seamlessly into daily operations.
The customer support team receives praise for their quick responses and helpfulness, ensuring any issues are swiftly addressed, though this is a more... The customer support team receives praise for their quick responses and helpfulness, ensuring any issues are swiftly addressed, though this is a more general feature and not unique to Exely.
Exely is praised for streamlining hotel operations, reducing errors and enhancing overall workflow efficiency by automating various processes and task... Exely is praised for streamlining hotel operations, reducing errors and enhancing overall workflow efficiency by automating various processes and tasks.
Where hoteliers push back
Users express a need for more advanced reporting options and customization capabilities to enable deeper performance analysis and personalized user ex... Users express a need for more advanced reporting options and customization capabilities to enable deeper performance analysis and personalized user experience, which are lacking in the current system.
There is critique regarding the system's performance during peak workload periods, with reports of long loading times, occasional errors, and unexpect... There is critique regarding the system's performance during peak workload periods, with reports of long loading times, occasional errors, and unexpected logouts hindering operational flow.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
It depends on your requirements. Exely HMS and HotelBee share many core Hotel Management Software features, but each has unique capabilities. Exely HMS offers 8 verified integration partners, while HotelBee offers 0. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. HotelBee leads in ease of use at 5.0/5 vs 4.9/5. 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 HMS: No. HotelBee: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Hotel Management Software 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 82 and HotelBee 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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