innRoad Booking Engine vs. Safara:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

Your team is evaluating two booking engine solutions: innRoad by innRoad and Safara by Safara. Both aim to boost your hotel's visibility and revenue through online reservations, but they approach the problem differently. innRoad offers a full property management system with extensive features, while Safara focuses on seamless direct bookings and guest experience. Which solution aligns better with your hotel's current needs and growth plans?

Is innRoad or Safara Better for Hotels?

innRoad is a comprehensive platform with a strong reputation for increasing direct bookings, often reported to rise by 20%, and improving operational efficiency. Safara, launched in 2022, boasts a sleek interface that excels in reducing booking abandonment and optimizing conversion, especially for boutique and luxury hotels.

innRoad offers a broad feature set, including multi-currency, channel management, and PMS integration, making it suitable for properties that need an all-in-one system. Safara emphasizes simplicity and guest engagement, with a focus on enhancing the online booking experience and driving demand through direct channels.

While innRoad has a larger user base, with over 200 reviews and a 4.68-star rating, Safara has fewer reviews but a perfect 100% likelihood to recommend score, reflecting high customer satisfaction. With recent reviews favoring Safara's ease of use and support, it’s clear that Safara's recent data offers stronger confidence for hoteliers considering current performance.

innRoad vs Safara: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs an integrated management system that combines PMS, channel management, and booking engine capabilities, innRoad is the clear choice. It supports a diverse range of property types—from inns and boutique hotels to resorts—with more extensive features and regional presence.

On the other hand, if your primary goal is to enhance your direct booking conversion rate and simplify online reservations, Safara is ideal. It caters well to boutique and luxury hotels looking for a sleek, mobile-optimized booking experience and better guest engagement tools.

Your decision should depend on whether you prioritize a full operational platform (innRoad) or a streamlined, guest-focused booking engine (Safara). Since Safara’s more recent reviews are more numerous and positive, it currently provides more reliable feedback.

Is innRoad or Safara Easier to Use?

innRoad's user interface has been rated 4.44/5 by users, with some reviewers citing glitches and slow loading times that can disrupt daily operations. Onboarding is rated 4.2/5, and some staff mention a steep learning curve, especially for managing complex rate changes and group bookings.

Safara scores higher in ease of use at 4.92/5, with users praising its intuitive design, fast load times, and seamless mobile experience. The onboarding process is also rated 4.83/5, indicating quicker adoption and less frustration for staff.

Edge: Safara.

Which Has Better Features: innRoad or Safara?

innRoad offers 27 features, including multi-currency, channel management, PMS, group booking, native email marketing, and integrated payment processing—making it a versatile choice for hotels needing a full management suite. It also includes unique functionalities like housekeeper modules and booking engine customization, all of which provide a comprehensive operational toolset.

Safara covers 9 features, focusing on optimizing the booking flow with A/B testing, abandonment recapture, social media integrations, and loyalty program support. While its feature count is smaller, these features are tailored toward boosting online conversions and enhancing guest engagement.

Overall, innRoad's extensive feature set makes it better suited for hotels with complex operational needs, whereas Safara’s targeted features excel in maximizing direct bookings. Edge: innRoad.

Which Has Better Customer Support: innRoad or Safara?

innRoad’s support is rated 4.44/5, with reviews citing helpful, responsive service but also occasional delays when resolving issues. Some users find their technical support can be slow and not always fully fluent in English.

Safara earns a perfect 5/5 rating, with reviews emphasizing the responsiveness and proactive attitude of their support team. Guests report quick resolutions and high satisfaction with onboarding and ongoing assistance.

Edge: Safara.

Which Has More Integrations: innRoad or Safara?

innRoad provides integrations with 34 verified partners, including major PMS, CRM, and channel management tools like Revinate, QuickBooks, and Onity. This extensive network allows for deeper operational connectivity and automation.

Safara has 6 verified integrations, including major booking channels and guest experience platforms such as Stayntouch and The Hotels Network. While fewer in number, these are focused on enhancing booking efficiency and guest loyalty.

innRoad’s broader integration ecosystem gives it an advantage for hotels seeking a unified operational system. Edge: innRoad.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: innRoad or Safara?

innRoad’s reviews, with 200 total and recent feedback, generally highlight its ease of reservation management, automation, and increased revenue. Hotels in the independent, boutique, and resort segments rate it highly at 4.67/5, with some praising revenue boosts and operational simplicity.

Safara, with fewer reviews but more recent, earns a perfect 5/5 rating, especially among boutique and luxury hotels. Users love its simplicity, responsiveness, and guest experience improvements.

Given the volume and recency, innRoad’s higher review count and ratings make it the stronger overall performer. Edge: innRoad.

How Much Do innRoad and Safara Cost?

innRoad does not publicly list pricing, but it operates on a custom quote basis, generally tailored to property size and needs, with no hidden fees or contracts.

Safara charges a flat fee of $800 per month, with no mention of setup or hidden charges. Both solutions lack trial options, but innRoad’s pricing flexibility makes it suitable for larger or more complex operations, while Safara's straightforward fee appeals to boutique hotels.

What Type of Hotel Should Use innRoad?

• Hotels that require a full property management system, including PMS, channel management, and booking engine.
• Teams managing multiple properties or complex rate structures.
• Hotels seeking detailed operational insights through automated reports.
• Properties wanting extensive integrations with other systems.
• Hotels in regions where innRoad has a strong regional presence.

Not ideal if your hotel primarily needs a simple, standalone booking engine without extensive management features.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Safara?

• Boutique and luxury hotels focused on maximizing direct bookings.
• Hotels that prioritize guest engagement and seamless online reservation flow.
• Properties seeking a mobile-first booking platform for on-the-go management.
• Hotels interested in social media and promotional integrations.
• Hotels aiming to boost non-room revenue through integrated upselling.

Not ideal if you need a comprehensive management system or are looking for a large array of integrations and features beyond booking.

innRoad vs Safara: The Bottom Line for Hotels

The core difference is that innRoad offers a full-property management system designed for operational control, while Safara provides a streamlined booking platform with a focus on conversion and guest experience. innRoad’s extensive features and integrations make it suitable for hotels with complex needs, often in larger or multi-property environments.

Choose innRoad if your hotel needs an all-in-one management tool that can handle reservations, operations, and distribution channels with a proven track record. Its larger review base and regional coverage support its reliability and versatility.

Opt for Safara if your priority is a simple, effective booking engine that reduces abandonment, enhances mobile usability, and improves direct booking rates. Its high satisfaction ratings and recent reviews confirm its value for boutique and luxury properties seeking a modern, guest-centric platform.

In conclusion, innRoad remains the more mature, feature-rich choice for hotels with complex operational demands and broader integration needs. Safara, with its recent surge in positive feedback, is a compelling pick for those focused on optimizing online reservations and guest engagement.