GuestCentric (Booking Engine) vs. openROOM:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

Choosing the right booking engine for your hotel hinges on your specific needs—whether that’s maximizing conversions, integrating with your existing systems, or providing a seamless guest experience. GuestCentric and openROOM both aim to serve hoteliers but diverge significantly in their focus, features, and market presence. GuestCentric offers a well-established platform with a broad feature set and numerous integrations, while openROOM emphasizes high conversion rates and tailored booking experiences. Which one aligns better with your hotel’s priorities?

Is GuestCentric or openROOM Better for Hotels?

Both GuestCentric and openROOM address the challenge of increasing direct bookings and simplifying the booking process, but their approaches differ. GuestCentric offers a feature-rich platform that emphasizes digital marketing tools, flexible promotions, and extensive integration options, making it ideal for hotels seeking a comprehensive online presence. openROOM, on the other hand, concentrates on boosting conversion rates through a streamlined, intuitive booking process, particularly appealing to properties prioritizing high booking efficiency. Do you value a broad feature set over conversion focus?

GuestCentric is more mature, with over 62 recent reviews and a higher overall rating of 4.78/5, reflecting broader market confidence. openROOM, with only 9 reviews and a lower overall rating, is less tested but praised for its ease of use and focus on conversion. If your hotel needs a proven, feature-packed system, GuestCentric is the safer choice. If high conversion rates and simplicity are your goals, openROOM could be worth exploring.

Are you looking for a well-established platform with extensive features or a newer solution that emphasizes conversion? Your decision should reflect your hotel’s strategic priorities.

GuestCentric vs openROOM: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs a booking engine with advanced marketing capabilities, integrations, and a broad feature set, go with GuestCentric. It’s better suited for properties that want to control their digital marketing, run promotions, and benefit from a large ecosystem of verified partners.

If your team prioritizes high conversion rates, ease of use, and an intuitive booking flow, openROOM is the better choice. It has a proven high booking success rate and is ideal for independent hotels, chains, or youth hostels seeking a simple yet effective booking interface.

For hotels with a focus on digital marketing and extensive integrations, GuestCentric is the clear winner. For those seeking a straightforward, high-conversion engine with fewer integrations, openROOM fits the bill.

Is GuestCentric or openROOM Easier to Use?

GuestCentric’s user interface scores 4.55/5, with many reviews praising its flexibility and user-friendly design, although some mention room for improvement in mobile. Staff onboarding is rated 4.53/5, indicating a smooth initial setup, but some users note occasional difficulty managing inventory and rate updates.

Conversely, openROOM achieves a slightly higher ease of use rating at 4.78/5, with reviews emphasizing its straightforward, intuitive interface and simple booking process. The onboarding experience is rated 4.88/5, with users appreciating how quickly they can start seeing results.

Edge: openROOM, given its higher ease of use rating and recent positive reviews that highlight its straightforward interface and quick onboarding.

Which Has Better Features: GuestCentric or openROOM?

GuestCentric offers 10 features exclusive to its platform, including pooled inventory, special offers & discounts, booking abandonment recapture, gift vouchers, A/B testing, urgency messaging, and ADA compliance. These features cater to advanced marketing, customer engagement, and regulatory needs, making it a robust platform for comprehensive hotel marketing strategies.

openROOM provides 12 exclusive features such as multi-room bookings, conversion rate reports, Google Hotel Ads integration, flexible dates, rate plan comparisons, and GDPR compliance. These emphasize conversion optimization, detailed analytics, and adaptability for different hotel types.

Both platforms share 13 features, but GuestCentric’s added marketing tools might appeal more to ambitious digital strategists. openROOM’s focus on high conversion and detailed analytics could be more attractive to hotels aiming for straightforward efficiency.

Edge: openROOM, due to its higher feature count focused on conversions and analytics, which are critical for rapidly increasing occupancy.

Which Has Better Customer Support: GuestCentric or openROOM?

GuestCentric’s support is rated 4.76/5, with reviews praising their quick responses and dedicated staff, noting that support is consistently helpful and attentive. The platform’s training resources are appreciated, though some users suggest more comprehensive initial training.

openROOM’s support is rated 4.89/5 and is frequently described as highly responsive and collaborative. Many reviews mention their approach as a true partnership, with staff acting as an extension of the hotel team. Customers report consistent, personalized assistance.

Edge: openROOM, thanks to its higher support rating and reviews emphasizing its partner-like approach, particularly valuable for smaller or less tech-savvy hoteliers.

Which Has More Integrations: GuestCentric or openROOM?

GuestCentric boasts 44 verified integration partners, including major PMS, channel managers, and digital marketing tools like Omnibees, HiJiffy, and Cendyn. These integrations allow for smoother operations and wider reach across booking channels and management systems.

openROOM currently offers no verified integrations, which limits its ability to connect with PMS, channel managers, or marketing tools. This could be a significant drawback if your hotel relies on extensive third-party systems.

Edge: GuestCentric, given its extensive verified integrations, which facilitate streamlined operations and better data flow.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: GuestCentric or openROOM?

GuestCentric’s reviews are predominantly recent, with many praising its effectiveness in increasing direct bookings and its user-friendly platform. The overall rating of 4.78/5 and 62 reviews reflect broad satisfaction across hotel segments, especially independent and boutique hotels.

openROOM, with only 9 reviews and no recent feedback, has mixed ratings, but the reviews praise its simplicity and high conversion rate. However, the limited review count makes it less reliable as a gauge of overall satisfaction.

Edge: GuestCentric, supported by its larger, recent review base and higher rating, indicating broader trust and proven performance.

How Much Do GuestCentric and openROOM Cost?

GuestCentric’s pricing starts at $600 per month, with no free tier or trial, reflecting its enterprise-level features and extensive integrations. Its premium pricing aligns with its broad feature set and market presence.

openROOM charges $400 per month, also without a free trial or tiered plans, positioning itself as a more affordable option focused on high conversion without extensive integrations.

Your choice may depend on your budget and desired feature complexity; GuestCentric’s higher price supports its more comprehensive offering.

What Type of Hotel Should Use GuestCentric?

• Hotels that want a scalable, feature-rich booking engine with advanced marketing tools.
• Properties aiming to control digital marketing, run promotions, and benefit from extensive third-party integrations.
• Hotels with larger budgets looking for a proven platform with broad regional reach.
• Teams that value detailed analytics, marketing automation, and customer engagement.

Not ideal if your hotel is small with a limited budget or needs a simple, high-conversion engine without extensive integrations.

What Type of Hotel Should Use openROOM?

• Independent hotels and boutique properties seeking a straightforward booking engine focused on maximizing conversions.
• Hotels aiming for a highly intuitive, easy-to-manage booking process.
• Youth hostels or properties offering individual bed bookings during the reservation process.
• Hotels that prioritize high booking rates and a streamlined guest experience.

Not ideal if your hotel relies heavily on third-party integrations, complex marketing features, or needs a broad ecosystem of partners.

openROOM vs GuestCentric: The Bottom Line for Hotels

GuestCentric is a comprehensive, established booking engine with a broad feature set, extensive integrations, and a proven track record of increasing direct bookings. It’s suited for larger properties, chains, or hotels focused on digital marketing and automation.

openROOM excels in delivering a high-conversion, easy-to-use booking process with a strong emphasis on simplicity and effectiveness. It’s ideal for independent hotels, boutique properties, or youth hostels prioritizing rapid results and minimal complexity.

If your hotel needs a robust platform with advanced features and integrations, GuestCentric is your choice. If your goal is a straightforward, high-conversion engine that’s quick to adopt, openROOM offers an attractive alternative.

In conclusion, the decision hinges on your hotel’s strategic priorities: choose GuestCentric for a full-featured, established system, or openROOM for a simple, conversion-focused booking experience that emphasizes ease of use and efficiency.