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 106 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:
Explara shines .
SalesAndCatering.com shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Pace, Sales Activity, and GRC Reporting and Workflow Automations.
Side-by-side ratings based on 106 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $300/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 106 |
After analyzing 106 verified reviews, Explara users most value its , while SalesAndCatering.com users highlight ease of use, training and support, efficient reporting. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Ease of Use
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Training and Support
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Efficient Reporting
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Event Management
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Room for Improvement
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Email Integration
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How each product ranks among Hotel Sales 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) | — | #8 2 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #3 71 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #2 24 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | — | #4 8 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #3 44 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #4 19 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #2 79 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #3 14 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | — | #3 103 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #3 1 reviews |
Choosing between Explara by Explara and STS Cloud by SalesandCatering.com hinges on your hotel’s specific needs for sales and event management. Both platforms aim to streamline sales processes, but they diverge significantly in scope, depth, and user feedback. Explara excels as an event and membership platform with a broad focus, while STS Cloud specializes in sales and catering workflows. Which solution aligns better with your hotel’s operational priorities?
Explara offers a unified event and membership system tailored for large-scale, multi-purpose events and community engagement, but it lacks recent user reviews and a clear track record in the hotel industry. Conversely, STS Cloud boasts nearly 100 recent reviews, high ratings, and a proven track record supporting properties of all sizes. Is your team looking for a trusted, well-reviewed sales tool?
Explara provides comprehensive event management features, including ticketing, registration, merchandise sales, and post-event surveys, making it suitable for hotels that host conferences, exhibitions, or large gatherings. However, its lack of recent reviews and limited hotel-focused features means it’s less validated specifically for hotel sales teams.
STS Cloud, with over 96 recent reviews and a high overall rating of 4.68/5, proves its value in hotel sales environments. It simplifies lead management, booking, proposal generation, and contract handling, making it ideal for properties seeking an all-in-one sales solution. Do you prioritize a well-supported, highly-rated platform with a focus on hospitality?
Edge: STS Cloud
If your hotel needs a straightforward, cost-effective sales and catering platform that integrates smoothly with your existing systems, go with STS Cloud. Its affordability, extensive feature set, and proven success in various property types make it a smart investment, especially if your team values ease of use and detailed reporting.
If your hotel requires a broad event management platform that handles memberships, ticketing, and event engagement at a community or conference level, Explara might appeal. However, its limited recent hotel-specific reviews and unclear integration options make it a less reliable choice for property sales teams.
For most hotels aiming to boost sales efficiency and client management, STS Cloud’s strong review presence, modern features, and dedicated support tip the scales.
Edge: STS Cloud
User reviews reveal that STS Cloud’s interface is highly rated, with an ease of use score of 4.74/5 based on recent feedback. Its intuitive design, quick onboarding, and minimal training requirements make it accessible for teams adapting to new workflows.
Explara, by contrast, has no recent review data or user ratings, leaving its usability unclear. Given STS Cloud’s high scores and positive comments on onboarding, it offers a clearer, more consistent user experience.
Edge: STS Cloud
Explara offers no exclusive hotel sales features, focusing instead on event and membership management. Its solutions are geared towards organizers managing conferences, exhibitions, and large-scale events.
STS Cloud, with 11 distinct features specific to hotel sales, includes contact management, lead scoring, workflow automations, BEO management, e-signatures, and integrations with PMS systems. These features directly support hotel sales workflows, making it a more tailored solution.
Given the number of hotel-centric features and recent positive reviews emphasizing sales automation, STS Cloud has a clear advantage here.
Edge: STS Cloud
While both platforms claim strong customer support, only STS Cloud has recent reviews praising its responsiveness and personalized service, with an average support rating of 4.72/5. Users highlight quick, friendly responses and detailed onboarding.
Explara, lacking recent reviews, provides no current data on support quality. The absence of recent feedback diminishes confidence, whereas STS Cloud’s consistent praise affirms its customer service strength.
Edge: STS Cloud
STS Cloud integrates with seven verified partners, including Stayntouch, SkyTouch Technology, and Oracle Hospitality, supporting direct data flow with popular PMS and hotel systems. Its integrations enhance operational efficiency and data consistency.
Explara has no verified partners or integrations, limiting interoperability and automation potential. For a hotel seeking seamless tech connectivity, STS Cloud’s integrations are a significant advantage.
Edge: STS Cloud
With 96 recent reviews and an average rating of 4.68/5, STS Cloud is clearly favored among hotel users, especially in the last six months. Hoteliers praise its ease of use, reporting capabilities, and support, citing improved sales processes and efficiency.
Explara has no recent reviews, making it impossible to gauge current user sentiment. The recent high ratings for STS Cloud confirm it’s the preferred choice for hoteliers.
Edge: STS Cloud
Explara offers no publicly available pricing, which can be a concern for budget-conscious hotels seeking transparency. STS Cloud is priced at $300 per month, with no implementation fees, making it straightforward and accessible for various property sizes.
Given the clear, predictable pricing of STS Cloud, it provides better value clarity for your hotel’s budgeting.
Explara is best suited for event-centric properties with a focus on external event management rather than ongoing sales processes.
Bullets:
STL Cloud’s flexibility, affordability, and recent positive reviews make it a comprehensive choice for hotels prioritizing sales efficiency.
Bullets:
The core difference between Explara and STS Cloud is their focus: Explara is a broad event and membership platform, while STS Cloud centers on hotel sales and catering workflows. Explara is better suited for large-scale external event organizers, whereas STS Cloud is tailored for hoteliers aiming to improve sales productivity.
Choose Explara if your hotel hosts frequent exhibitions or community events and needs comprehensive event registration tools. However, if your goal is to optimize sales processes, increase lead conversion, and benefit from recent, highly-rated support, STS Cloud offers a more proven and hotel-focused solution.
For properties seeking a well-supported, feature-rich, and recent-user-validated sales platform, STS Cloud remains the clear leader. Its high satisfaction scores, extensive integrations, and targeted features make it the most reliable choice.
Edge: STS Cloud
Hotel Sales 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 $300/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Explara and STS Cloud (by SalesandCatering.com) share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| BEO Management | ||
| Contact Management | ||
| Contract Management | ||
| Data Migration Services | ||
| E-Signatures | ||
| Pace, Sales Activity, and GRC Reporting |
We analyzed 1 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
No published case study for this goal yet.
"We have a lot of growth in the pipeline and are expecting to grow the portfolio by about 25% by the end of the year. We reviewed many sales systems for our properties, and STS Clou..."
What hoteliers love
Multiple users emphasize STS's straightforward, user-friendly interface. It allows for quick onboarding, minimal training, and easy adaptation by team... Multiple users emphasize STS's straightforward, user-friendly interface. It allows for quick onboarding, minimal training, and easy adaptation by team members, positively contributing to seamless daily operations.
Users laud the exceptional training and customer support provided by STS. The team is responsive, offers timely assistance, and customizes training se... Users laud the exceptional training and customer support provided by STS. The team is responsive, offers timely assistance, and customizes training sessions to fit user needs, greatly benefiting operational transitions.
Many reviews highlight STS's robust reporting features. Users appreciate the ability to generate custom reports that track group volumes, revenue, and... Many reviews highlight STS's robust reporting features. Users appreciate the ability to generate custom reports that track group volumes, revenue, and sales activities. Some suggest adding more comprehensive reports for more detailed insights.
Where hoteliers push back
While STS is highly praised, several reviews point out areas for improvement, including better email integration, enhanced reporting, and more intuiti... While STS is highly praised, several reviews point out areas for improvement, including better email integration, enhanced reporting, and more intuitive event calendar functionalities.
While STS offers several robust features, some users find limitations with email integration, specifically with Gmail. They suggest improvements in th... While STS offers several robust features, some users find limitations with email integration, specifically with Gmail. They suggest improvements in this area for better workflow between emailing and system activities.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Explara and STS Cloud (by SalesandCatering.com) share many core Hotel Sales Software features, but each has unique capabilities. Explara offers 0 verified integration partners, while STS Cloud (by SalesandCatering.com) offers 7. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. STS Cloud (by SalesandCatering.com) leads in ease of use at 4.7/5 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.
Explara: No. STS Cloud (by SalesandCatering.com): No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Hotel Sales 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. Explara has an HT Score of 0 and SalesAndCatering.com has 38. 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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