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 58 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 ROI , with exclusive features like Centralized Messaging and Guest Messaging.
Priority Software shines , with exclusive features like Tablet/Kiosk Check-in and Guest App.
Side-by-side ratings based on 58 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $400/mo | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 56 | 2 |
After analyzing 58 verified reviews, Exely users most value its user interface, customer support, hotel operation efficiency, while Priority Software 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 | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #17 15 reviews | #35 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 | #48 0 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #20 11 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain | #25 2 reviews | #37 1 reviews |
| Extended Stay | #21 3 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America | #22 2 reviews | — |
| Europe | #24 2 reviews | #35 1 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #6 28 reviews | — |
| Middle East ▾ | #7 5 reviews | #14 0 reviews |
Choosing between Exely HMS by Exely and Optima HMS by Priority Software depends on your hotel’s specific needs and operational priorities. Both aim to streamline hotel management, but they approach this goal differently. Exely is built as a comprehensive, user-friendly platform favored for direct bookings and boutique hotel management, while Priority offers a broader, global connectivity solution ideal for chain hotels and resorts. Which platform aligns better with your strategic goals?
Both Exely and Priority Software serve to centralize hotel management tasks, but their core strengths diverge. Exely emphasizes boosting direct bookings through its integrated booking engine, reputation management, and intuitive interface, making it suitable for boutique hotels and properties focused on brand loyalty. Priority, on the other hand, excels in global distribution, channel integration, and automation for larger hotel groups, offering extensive connectivity with over 40 global booking sites. Do your hotel’s priorities lean more toward direct revenue or broad distribution?
Exely’s recent reviews highlight its ease of use, rapid support, and ongoing improvements, with 18 reviews in the last six months, giving it more current data. Priority boasts higher overall ratings in support and onboarding but has only 2 reviews, with none recent. Is your team looking for a platform with proven recent performance or a well-established system with extensive distribution channels?
If your hotel needs a straightforward, cost-effective platform focused on increasing direct bookings, then Exely is the better fit. Its features—such as guest messaging, pricing intelligence, and simple integration—are ideal for boutique, city-center, or independent hotels aiming to enhance their online presence. Conversely, if your hotel is part of a larger chain or resort group seeking extensive global distribution, automation, and multi-channel management, Priority’s platform is better suited, especially given its integrations with over 40 booking sites and advanced revenue tools.
For properties prioritizing user-friendly interfaces, quick onboarding, and recent positive reviews, Exely’s strengths are clear. If your hotel relies on broad distribution networks and automation in a complex environment, Priority’s extensive partner ecosystem makes it a more strategic choice.
Exely’s UI is highly rated at 4.88/5, praised for its intuitive design and smooth daily operation integration. Support and onboarding are also rated at 4.82/5, with recent reviews emphasizing its quick, helpful assistance and straightforward setup. Feedback indicates that staff find Exely easy to adopt, especially given its simple workflows and responsive support team.
Priority Software excels with a perfect 5/5 rating on ease of use, supported by an onboarding process rated equally high. Its interface is described as comprehensive and adaptable, though some users note that it may require a slightly steeper learning curve due to its extensive features and global connectivity options.
Edge: Priority Software
Exely offers three unique features not found in Priority: Centralized Messaging, Guest Messaging, and Pricing Intelligence. These features enhance guest communication and dynamic pricing strategies, directly impacting revenue and guest satisfaction.
Priority Software’s platform boasts 18 features exclusive to it, including Direct Billing, Tablet/Kiosk Check-in, Automated Space Optimization, Guest CRM, Real-Time Reporting, and an integrated payment terminal. Its automation and global connectivity tools are extensive, supporting over 40 booking site integrations and advanced revenue management.
While Exely provides essential guest engagement tools, Priority’s feature set caters to larger operations with complex distribution and revenue strategies.
Edge: Priority Software
Exely’s customer support is highly rated at 4.9/5, with reviews praising the quick, helpful responses and continuous improvements by their team. Reviewers frequently mention the responsiveness and sociability of support staff, emphasizing that issues are addressed promptly and effectively.
Priority Software also garners a perfect 5/5 rating for support, with users appreciating the dedicated help available at all hours. However, due to fewer recent reviews, it’s harder to gauge ongoing support quality.
Given the more recent review activity, Exely’s support reputation is stronger currently.
Edge: Exely HMS
Exely’s recent reviews rate it at 81.89 on the HTTR Score, with a 98% likelihood of recommendation, reflecting strong satisfaction among hotelier users. Its reviews, especially from boutique and city-center hotels, focus on ease of use, continuous improvements, and effective support.
Priority, with a 5/5 overall rating, has limited recent reviews and a smaller user base, making it harder to gauge current satisfaction. Its ratings are excellent but lack the recent data that affirms ongoing performance.
Based on current review activity and recent feedback, Exely’s hotel ratings are more reliable.
Edge: Exely HMS
Exely’s pricing model is straightforward: a base fee of $400 per month, with no additional implementation, monthly per-room charges, or trial option. Its transparent pricing makes it easier for hoteliers to budget and plan.
Priority Software does not publicly list detailed pricing; instead, it offers customized quotes based on hotel size, distribution needs, and desired features. This approach is typical for larger enterprise solutions but may require more negotiation and planning.
If clear, predictable pricing is important, Exely provides a definite figure. If your hotel requires tailored solutions and is prepared for custom quotes, Priority may suit you better.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
Exely and Priority Software target different hotel segments. Exely specializes in boutique, city-center, and independent hotels seeking simplicity, direct booking growth, and excellent support. Priority, meanwhile, caters to larger chains or resorts that need broad distribution, automation, and extensive connectivity.
If your hotel is smaller, wants easy onboarding, and values recent reviews, Exely’s more current data and user-friendly approach make it the better choice. For larger hotels with complex needs and an emphasis on automation and distribution, Priority’s extensive features and global integrations are a compelling fit.
In summary, choose Exely if you prioritize ease, recent positive support experiences, and direct bookings. Opt for Priority if your operation demands broad distribution, automation, and a highly customizable platform. Both can serve well, but the current data tilts in favor of Exely’s recent performance and user satisfaction.
Hotel Management Software 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 $400/mo | — |
According to HTR's product database, Exely HMS and Optima HMS share 35 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Automated Space Optimization | ||
| Centralized Messaging | ||
| Digital Registration | ||
| Direct billing | ||
| Guest App | ||
| Guest CRM | ||
| Guest Messaging | ||
| Pricing Intelligence | ||
| Tablet/Kiosk Check-in |
Showing top differences. 9 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
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Exely HMS and Optima HMS share many core Hotel Management Software features, but each has unique capabilities. Exely HMS offers 8 verified integration partners, while Optima HMS offers 40. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Optima HMS 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. Optima HMS: 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 Priority Software 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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