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 112 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:
Luopan shines , with exclusive features like Mobile App and Guest App.
Planet shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Guest profiles and Guest CRM.
Side-by-side ratings based on 112 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $500/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 112 |
After analyzing 112 verified reviews, Luopan users most value its , while Planet users highlight functionality and features, ease of use, multi-property management. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Functionality and Features
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Ease of Use
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Multi-property Management
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Support Issues
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Customization and Flexibility
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System Performance and Reliability
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How each product ranks among Property Management Systems 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) ▾ | — | #27 32 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #15 50 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #15 10 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | — | #17 3 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #21 42 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #21 34 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #17 33 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #20 9 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | — | #29 6 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #10 79 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #15 2 reviews |
Choosing between Luopan Arcas PMS and protel PMS hinges on your hotel's operational needs, budget, and growth plans. Both products aim to streamline hotel management but diverge significantly in features, user experience, and integration capacity. While Luopan is a cloud-based, multi-functional platform tailored for larger hotel groups, protel offers a highly flexible, extensively integrated PMS suited for varied hotel types. Which solution aligns better with your current infrastructure and future ambitions?
Both products tackle the core problem of hotel operations management—reserving rooms, handling guest data, and managing back-office processes. However, Luopan emphasizes a unified, mobile-first ecosystem that combines guest engagement with operational control, whereas protel centers on extensive integrations, customization, and scalability. Do you prioritize a centralized platform or a highly adaptable, modular system?
Luopan’s focus is on centralizing multi-property management with a comprehensive property ecosystem, which may be advantageous for larger, multi-location hotels seeking operational cohesion. ProtEl, however, offers a broad suite of over 1,200 integrations, making it more flexible for hotels with existing tech stacks or complex automation needs. The key question: do you need a unified, all-in-one platform or a highly customizable, tech-rich environment?
If your hotel needs a cloud-based, central management system that simplifies multi-property operations, Luopan is the logical choice. Its unified platform integrates reservations, guest management, and back-office functions, ideal for medium to large hotels or hotel groups aiming for operational efficiency.
Alternatively, if your hotel values extensive third-party integrations, advanced automation, and customization—especially if you have a diverse tech ecosystem—protel is the better fit. Its robust integration ecosystem and flexible architecture support a variety of hotel types, from independents to resorts, with a focus on scalability and revenue optimization.
Luopan's user interface and onboarding experience are not rated, but the platform is designed with a mobile-first approach, aiming for intuitive workflows across departments. However, with no recent reviews, user-friendliness remains unverified.
Protel scores highly in ease of use, with a 4.12/5 rating based on 105 reviews. Users praise its intuitive layout, fast onboarding, and straightforward navigation, especially for staff familiar with PMS operations. Many reviews note that new users adapt quickly.
Edge: protel.
Luopan offers core PMS features like reservations, front desk, guest profiles, and reporting, but with limited details on advanced functionalities. Its emphasis is on a unified ecosystem that includes mobile tools and guest engagement; however, specific features are not extensively listed.
Protel provides a rich feature set with 46 unique functionalities, including revenue management, multi-currency, online booking, integrated payments, guest CRM, digital registration, and shift planning. It also supports extensive automation and third-party integrations.
Edge: protel.
Luopan’s support ratings are unavailable, and with zero reviews, support quality cannot be assessed. Its lack of recent review activity suggests limited or unverified support feedback.
Protel holds a 3.95/5 customer support rating from 105 reviews, with many users citing slow response times and occasional unresolved issues. Some reviews mention support delays after Planet’s acquisition, impacting daily operations.
Edge: protel.
Luopan currently has no verified integrations, which limits its connectivity with third-party systems.
Protel boasts over 1,200 verified hospitality integrations, including booking engines, revenue management, channel managers, and POS systems. Shared integrations with Luopan are not listed, emphasizing protel’s extensive ecosystem.
Edge: protel.
Luopan’s review count is zero, so there’s no data on user ratings or satisfaction.
Protel’s 105 recent reviews average 4.11/5, with many independent and boutique hotels praising its reliability, feature richness, and ease of use. Hotels consistently rate high for flexibility and automation, especially in smaller to mid-sized properties.
Edge: protel.
Luopan does not list pricing or trial options, indicating a possibly custom quote or less transparent pricing model.
Protel costs $500 monthly, with no mention of implementation fees or trial periods, making it a straightforward investment for hotels seeking comprehensive features.
Luopan provides a unified, cloud-centric platform tailored for large hotels and groups that want operational cohesion across properties. Its core strength lies in its all-in-one approach, combining property management with guest engagement and mobile tools—if these are your priorities, Luopan might be suitable.
Protel excels in flexibility, extensive integrations, and a feature-rich environment. If your hotel needs a customizable, scalable PMS with a large ecosystem of third-party tools, protel is the wiser choice, especially given its current higher user ratings and recent reviews.
When in doubt, choose Luopan if operational unification and mobile-first tools are your top priorities. Opt for protel if you seek a versatile, highly integrated platform with broad customization options.
These are the features each vendor has configured, organized by feature group — the same data shown in the vendor dashboard. Expand a group to compare features side by side.
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Accounting & Finance
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| Direct billing | ||
| RevPaR & ADR Reports | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
| Automated night audit | ||
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Marketing & Ecommerce
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| Guest Communication (SMS Messaging) | ||
| Native Email Marketing | ||
| Guest profiles | ||
| Guest CRM | ||
| Gift Vouchers | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Booking Engine | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
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Administration & Configuration
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| Centralized user & role management | ||
| Multi-lingual | ||
| Cloud based | ||
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Customer Management
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| Guest Communication (SMS Messaging) | ||
| Guest profiles | ||
| Centralized Messaging | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
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Front Office
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| Mobile Device Notes & Tasks (Voice-to-Text) | ||
| Mobile App | ||
| Automated night audit | ||
| Calendar view | ||
| Multi-lingual | ||
| Task Management | ||
| Automated reminders | ||
| Guest profiles | ||
| Tablet/Kiosk Check-in | ||
| Payment Requests | ||
| Centralized Messaging | ||
| Automated Space Optimization | ||
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Groups Management
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| Group functionality | ||
| Automated Space Optimization | ||
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Guest Experience
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| Integrated ID & Passport Scanner | ||
| Digital Registration | ||
| Guest App | ||
| Online Check-in | ||
| Online Checkout | ||
| Guest Messaging | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
| ID Scanning & Registration Pre-fill | ||
| Lobby Kiosk | ||
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Housekeeping
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| Housekeeping module | ||
| Housekeeping Mobile App | ||
| Real-Time Status Updates | ||
| Automated Assignments | ||
| Real Time Reporting | ||
| Shift Planning | ||
| Employee Messaging | ||
| Online Checkout | ||
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Payments
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| Integrated Payment Terminal & Card Reader | ||
| Direct billing | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| Payment processing | ||
| Payment Requests | ||
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Reservations Management
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| RevPaR & ADR Reports | ||
| Gift Vouchers | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Integrated CRS | ||
| Drag-n-Drop Tapechart | ||
| Rate Management | ||
| Automated Space Optimization | ||
| Rules Based Room Assignments | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) | ||
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Revenue Management
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| RevPaR & ADR Reports | ||
| Custom rates | ||
| Ancillary revenue tracking | ||
| Revenue management module | ||
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Taxes & Compliance
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| PCI Compliant | ||
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| Tax Configuration | ||
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Support & Training
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Food & Beverage
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Spa
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We analyzed 4 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.
"It feels like a partnership, not a product. Our feedback is always heard and acted on. We’re working together for the shared goal of great guest service."
Unique capabilities
What hoteliers love
Users appreciate Protel's extensive features for managing single properties, with comprehensive tools for reporting, room plans, and rate management.... Users appreciate Protel's extensive features for managing single properties, with comprehensive tools for reporting, room plans, and rate management. However, many reviews expressed disappointment that a lot of these functionalities are incomplete, buggy, or missing entirely when dealing with more complex setups or multi-property environments. Custom reports and seamless integration with other tools are also highlighted as beneficial.
The user interface is generally praised for being intuitive and easy to navigate. Many users found Protel Air particularly user-friendly and noted the... The user interface is generally praised for being intuitive and easy to navigate. Many users found Protel Air particularly user-friendly and noted the efficiency in managing daily operations. However, certain updates have made certain functions more complex and less intuitive than before.
Protel's performance in catering to multi-property environments received mixed feedback. While some users praised its organizational tools and interfa... Protel's performance in catering to multi-property environments received mixed feedback. While some users praised its organizational tools and interfaces, many found the system frustratingly limited for multi-location setups, highlighting significant bugs and reduced functionalities.
Where hoteliers push back
Customer support is a consistent area of concern. Reviews mentioned long waiting times for support requests, lack of phone availability, and poor resp... Customer support is a consistent area of concern. Reviews mentioned long waiting times for support requests, lack of phone availability, and poor response times after the acquisition by Planet. Users recommend improving the speed and reliability of customer service.
Users are generally happy with the level of customization available in Protel, allowing them to adapt the system to better fit their specific needs. H... Users are generally happy with the level of customization available in Protel, allowing them to adapt the system to better fit their specific needs. However, this flexibility often comes at a high cost, and some required features are only available through paid custom development.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Luopan Arcas PMS and protel PMS (by Planet) share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. Luopan Arcas PMS offers 0 verified integration partners, while protel PMS (by Planet) offers 194. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. protel PMS (by Planet) leads in ease of use at 4.1/5 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.
Luopan Arcas PMS: No. protel PMS (by Planet): No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Property Management Systems 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. Luopan has an HT Score of 0 and Planet has 60. 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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