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 39 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:
Akia shines — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile Friendly and Guest History.
LIKE MAGIC shines in ROI and onboarding .
Side-by-side ratings based on 39 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Ease of Use |
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| Value for Money |
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $1,100/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 23 | 16 |
How each product ranks among Staff Collaboration Tools 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) ▾ | #4 9 reviews | #7 7 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #8 10 reviews | #16 5 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | #21 1 reviews | #19 2 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #20 1 reviews | — |
By Property Type
| Segment |
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| Boutique ▾ | #10 8 reviews | #17 5 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #16 6 reviews | #24 2 reviews |
| Branded / Chain | #11 3 reviews | #25 1 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #9 4 reviews | #8 8 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #6 23 reviews | #33 0 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #6 15 reviews |
Choosing between Akia Team Chat by Akia and LIKE MAGIC (Staff App) by LIKE MAGIC hinges on your hotel’s specific needs for staff communication and operational automation. Both products aim to streamline internal communication and enhance guest experiences, but they serve different core functions and target different hotel segments. Akia emphasizes staff collaboration and communication, while LIKE MAGIC centers on automating entire guest journeys and operations.
While Akia’s focus on internal chat and task management has garnered positive reviews, LIKE MAGIC’s broader automation capabilities and extensive integrations position it as a more comprehensive solution. With recent reviews and a higher review count, LIKE MAGIC’s data offers stronger confidence in its effectiveness. Are you ready to simplify your staff workflows or overhaul your guest service automation?
Both Akia and LIKE MAGIC tackle operational efficiency, but their approaches differ. Akia excels at internal team communication and task routing, helping staff coordinate faster with features like photo sharing and automated replies. LIKE MAGIC, by contrast, automates the entire guest journey—from bookings to check-out—reducing manual work and improving guest control.
Akia appeals to hotels prioritizing staff collaboration, especially in boutique, branded, or resort properties seeking quick communication tools. LIKE MAGIC is better suited for hotels aiming to overhaul guest experiences, such as extended stay and city-center hotels looking for full automation. Which problem do you want to solve first: internal collaboration or guest journey automation?
If your hotel needs a staff communication platform to improve internal coordination, Akia is the clear pick. It’s especially valuable if your team relies heavily on real-time messaging and photo sharing, with over 22 recent reviews praising its responsiveness and ease of use.
If you require a comprehensive automation system that connects PMS, messaging, and access systems for a smoother guest experience, LIKE MAGIC is the better choice. With 16 recent reviews and a higher overall rating, it’s favored by hotels seeking to reduce staffing needs and automate routine tasks with minimal manual intervention.
In summary, choose Akia if improving internal communication is your priority; go with LIKE MAGIC if automating guest interactions and operations is more important.
Akia boasts a high ease-of-use rating of 4.89/5, with reviews highlighting its responsiveness and intuitive mobile app for quick team communication. New users find its onboarding process smooth, with a recent rating of 4.6/5, and staff adoption is often praised for being straightforward.
LIKE MAGIC scores a perfect 5/5 on ease of use, with reviews emphasizing its seamless setup and intuitive interface that allows staff to manage operations without extensive training. Its onboarding process is rated 4.93/5, making it highly accessible for hotels seeking rapid deployment.
Edge: LIKE MAGIC.
Akia offers 23 unique features, including mobile-friendly messaging, photo sharing, chatbot booking agents, WhatsApp integration, and advanced analytics dashboards. It also provides guest history, secured data protection, in-app translation, and automated replies—features that are absent from LIKE MAGIC.
LIKE MAGIC, while lacking in the number of features (0 exclusive features), excels in automation and integrations, connecting PMS, payment, access systems, and more. Its features include digital check-in, keyless access, automated messaging, and upsell options, all designed to streamline operations.
Edge: Akia.
Akia’s customer support is rated 4.82/5, with reviews praising its responsiveness and proactive communication. Clients mention that support staff Evan & Rochelle are professional and quick to resolve issues, making onboarding and troubleshooting smooth.
LIKE MAGIC slightly edges out with a 4.88/5 support rating, with reviewers emphasizing its fast support response times and continuous product evolution. Guests appreciate the platform’s responsiveness, especially in high-stakes automation scenarios.
Edge: LIKE MAGIC.
Akia’s integration count stands at 32 verified partners, including key players like Oracle Hospitality, Mews, and WebRezPro. It also offers numerous unique integrations, such as RoomRaccoon and Skyware, which facilitate extensive hotel system connectivity.
LIKE MAGIC has 10 verified partners, including major brands like Adyen and TrustYou. While its list is shorter, it still covers crucial systems for hotel operations, including PMS, payment, and access control.
Edge: Akia.
Akia, with 22 reviews, is highly rated at 4.95/5, particularly by boutique and branded hotels, with property segments rating it 4.93/5 or higher. Recent reviews note Akia’s ease of use and customer service as major positives, with many praising its contactless check-in features.
LIKE MAGIC, with 16 reviews, holds a perfect 5/5 rating, especially valued by extended stay and city-center hotels. Recent reviews emphasize its automation capabilities and operational efficiencies, with high praise for reducing staffing needs.
Edge: Akia.
Akia does not publicly list pricing, indicating a possible custom or enterprise pricing model, and offers no freemium or trial options. Its value is likely tailored, with long-term ROI emphasized by reviews.
LIKE MAGIC charges a flat $1,100 per month, with no free tier or trial currently available. Its transparent pricing makes it easier to compare cost against features and expected ROI.
Hotels that should consider Akia are:
Not ideal if your hotel relies heavily on full automation of guest journey or lacks internal communication challenges.
Hotels suited for LIKE MAGIC include:
Not ideal if your hotel needs detailed internal communication tools or prefers a modular approach without full automation.
The core difference lies in their focus: Akia enhances internal communication and task management, while LIKE MAGIC automates the entire guest journey and operations. Akia is a strong fit if staff coordination and internal messaging are your pain points.
Choose Akia if your hotel needs to improve staff workflows, especially with its extensive integrations and in-depth communication features. It’s ideal for boutique, branded, or resorts prioritizing internal collaboration.
LIKE MAGIC is better suited if your goal is to drastically reduce staffing requirements and automate guest-facing tasks. It’s ideal for extended stay hotels, city hotels, or properties eager to enhance operational efficiency with automation.
If your hotel’s primary challenge is internal team communication, Akia is the clear winner. If automating guest services and operations is your priority, LIKE MAGIC delivers a more comprehensive solution.
This comparison should guide your decision based on your hotel’s unique operational challenges and growth ambitions. Both products have proven their value, but your specific needs will determine the best fit.
Staff Collaboration Tools 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 $1,100/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Akia Team Chat and LIKE MAGIC (Staff App) share 12 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Automated Replies | ||
| Chatbot Booking Agent | ||
| Desktop App (non-web based) | ||
| Mobile Friendly | ||
| Photo Sharing | ||
| Whatsapp Integration |
Showing top differences. 11 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 5 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.
"Like Magic allowed us to operate with just six staff members, without compromising guest experience. The platform is easy to use, fun to work with, and has revolutionized how we ru..."
"Automation emphasizes the guests experience at their fingertips. Akia closes the gap of missed opportunities by acting as a liaison to our guest satisfaction efforts. We have been..."
"LIKE MAGIC isn't just a tool for us, it's the backbone of our overall guest experience. If I ever worked somewhere else, I'd bring it with me."
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Ranks higher for
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Akia Team Chat and LIKE MAGIC (Staff App) share many core Staff Collaboration Tools features, but each has unique capabilities. Akia Team Chat offers 32 verified integration partners, while LIKE MAGIC (Staff App) offers 10. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. LIKE MAGIC (Staff App) 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.
Akia Team Chat: No. LIKE MAGIC (Staff App): No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Staff Collaboration Tools 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. Akia has an HT Score of 0 and LIKE MAGIC 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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