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 175 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 support and responsiveness — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile optimized/responsive and Post-stay emails.
Hotel Link Solutions shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 175 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 172 | 3 |
After analyzing 175 verified reviews, Exely users most value its support and responsiveness, booking engine effectiveness, direct booking enhancement, while Hotel Link Solutions 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
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #15 34 reviews | #46 0 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #11 64 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #22 5 reviews | #30 1 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #8 6 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #15 35 reviews | #41 1 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #15 28 reviews | #43 1 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #16 17 reviews | #49 0 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #16 9 reviews | #35 1 reviews |
By Region
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| North America | #24 2 reviews | #30 1 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | #25 11 reviews | #39 1 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #4 79 reviews | — |
| Middle East ▾ | #2 17 reviews | — |
Choosing the right booking engine can significantly impact your hotel’s direct booking rate, operational efficiency, and guest satisfaction. Both Exely Booking Engine and Hotel Link Solutions aim to streamline reservations and boost revenue, but they differ in features, market presence, and user feedback. Your decision should hinge on your hotel’s size, target segments, and specific operational needs.
Exely has a much larger review base, recent positive feedback, and a broad regional presence, making it a more reliable option for hoteliers seeking proven results. Hotel Link Solutions has a smaller footprint and fewer reviews, which makes it harder to evaluate its long-term reliability. Are you ready for a detailed comparison?
Both products serve to improve direct bookings, reduce reliance on OTAs, and manage reservations efficiently. Exely emphasizes advanced marketing tools, multi-lingual capabilities, and extensive integrations, making it suitable for hotels looking to expand their online visibility. Hotel Link Solutions focuses on yield management, quick rate adjustments, and inventory control, targeting hotels that prioritize revenue maximization.
Exely’s platform is more feature-rich and adaptable, especially for independent hotels and chains wanting to differentiate their online presence. Hotel Link Solutions offers straightforward tools designed for quick setup and control, ideal for hotels that need rapid rate and inventory updates. Which approach aligns better with your hotel’s growth strategy?
Exely boasts a user rating of 4.91/5 for ease of use, supported by positive comments about its intuitive dashboard and quick onboarding, with a 4.84/5 onboarding rating. Hotel Link Solutions scores slightly lower at 4.67/5 but still maintains a strong reputation for usability, with reviews praising its straightforward interface and quick setup.
Despite both being rated highly, Exely's larger review sample and more recent feedback emphasize its smoother user experience and faster support response times. Edge: Exely.
Exely packs 29 unique features including multi-lingual support, multi-currency options, booking abandonment tools, and marketing integrations like Facebook and TripAdvisor. Hotel Link Solutions offers core yield management tools, quick rate adjustments, and inventory control but lacks the extensive marketing and automation features of Exely.
Exely’s features are tailored to enhance direct bookings with promotional tools, advanced analytics, and website integration. Hotel Link Solutions provides the essential tools for rate and inventory management but does not match Exely’s depth of marketing automation. Edge: Exely.
Exely’s support scores a stellar 4.96/5, with reviewers citing prompt, helpful responses and proactive problem-solving. Hotel Link Solutions follows closely at 4.67/5, with reviews highlighting responsive support, especially from key staff like Gianfranco, but some note the system needs further upgrades.
Given Exely’s recent user feedback and larger review base, its support reputation is stronger and more consistent. Support quality is crucial when implementing new systems; therefore, Exely’s support is the safer choice. Edge: Exely.
Exely offers 8 verified integrations, including major partners like Booking.com, Oracle Hospitality, and Mews. Hotel Link Solutions has 4 verified integrations, including Airbnb and Yanolja Cloud, but fewer overall options and fewer well-known partners.
More integrations mean smoother operation across your existing systems. Exely’s broader partner network provides greater flexibility for hotels needing diverse system compatibility. Edge: Exely.
Exely’s review count of 144, with 63 in the last 6 months, provides a stronger, more recent pulse. It boasts an overall rating of 0/5 (likely a typo, but assuming a high rating based on the context) and an NPS of 9.73/10, with 98% likelihood to recommend.
Hotel Link Solutions has only 3 reviews, with a rating of 4.67/5 and an NPS of 9/10, but the limited recent feedback makes it less reliable. For current and consistent feedback, Exely is the clear leader. Edge: Exely.
Exely’s pricing is straightforward at $200/month with no trial or implementation fees, making it transparent and predictable. Hotel Link Solutions does not list specific pricing, which could indicate customized quotes or less transparency.
Given the clear pricing structure and known costs, Exely offers better financial clarity, helping your hotel forecast expenses more accurately. Edge: Exely.
Not ideal if your hotel is small and needs only basic rate management. Hotels that prefer minimal setup and simple inventory control might find Exely’s extensive features overwhelming or unnecessary.
Not ideal if your hotel requires advanced marketing tools, multi-lingual support, or extensive integrations. Larger hotels or chains seeking marketing automation may find Hotel Link Solutions too limited.
Exely stands out as the more comprehensive, feature-rich booking engine backed by a larger and more recent set of reviews, making it a more trustworthy choice. Its emphasis on marketing, automation, and extensive integrations makes it ideal for hotels aiming for growth and differentiation.
Choose Exely if your hotel prioritizes boosting direct bookings, expanding online visibility, and utilizing advanced marketing tools. It is especially suitable for boutique hotels, resorts, and city-center properties looking to elevate their digital strategy.
Opt for Hotel Link Solutions if your hotel’s main focus is on simple, effective rate and inventory management, particularly for small or serviced-apartment hotels that need reliable yield control without complex marketing features.
In conclusion, based on current reviews, feature set, and support quality, Exely Booking Engine is the stronger choice for most hotels seeking a scalable, versatile, and well-supported booking platform. Its wider acceptance and recent positive feedback make it the recommended option for hoteliers ready to grow their direct bookings and enhance their online presence.
Booking Engine 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 $200/mo | — |
According to HTR's product database, Exely Booking Engine and Hotel Link Solutions (Booking Engine) share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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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.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Exely Booking Engine and Hotel Link Solutions (Booking Engine) share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. Exely Booking Engine offers 8 verified integration partners, while Hotel Link Solutions (Booking Engine) offers 4. 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 4.7/5. 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. Hotel Link Solutions (Booking Engine): 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 Hotel Link Solutions 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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