M3 (Accounting) vs. Safely: Which Is Right for You?

Updated May 15, 2026  ·  563 verified reviews analyzed

TLDR

We analyzed 563 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:

M3 shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (4.1/5) , with exclusive features like Daily Reporting and Financial Reporting.

SafelyStay, Inc. shines .

See the full breakdown below ↓

How Does M3 (Accounting) Compare to Safely?

Side-by-side ratings based on 563 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.

HTScore
97
0
Likelihood to Recommend
89%
0%
Ease of Use
4.4/5
0.0/5
Customer Support
4.5/5
0.0/5
Value for Money
4.3/5
0.0/5
Starting Price From $400/mo Contact sales
Verified Reviews 563 0

What Are the Pros and Cons of M3 (Accounting) vs Safely?

After analyzing 563 verified reviews, M3 users most value its ease of use, payroll and labor management, integration with pms, while SafelyStay, Inc. users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.

M3 M3 SafelyStay, Inc.
Pros
+ Ease of Use
+ Payroll and Labor Management
+ Integration with PMS
+ Financial Reporting and Checking
Cons
GL Account Search Function
Export and Import Capabilities
Glitches in Accounting System

M3 vs SafelyStay, Inc.: Rankings by Hotel Segment

How each product ranks among Hotel Accounting Software vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.

By Hotel Size

Segment M3 M3 SafelyStay, Inc.
Small (10-24 rooms) #1 34 reviews
Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) #1 328 reviews
Large (75-199 rooms) #1 114 reviews
X-Large (200+ rooms) #2 51 reviews

By Property Type

Segment M3 M3 SafelyStay, Inc.
Boutique #1 203 reviews
Luxury #1 138 reviews
Branded / Chain #1 393 reviews
Extended Stay #1 66 reviews

By Region

Segment M3 M3 SafelyStay, Inc.
North America #1 522 reviews
Europe #4 6 reviews
Asia Pacific #2 3 reviews
Middle East #2 1 reviews

The Decision

Choosing between M3 and SafelyStay hinges on your hotel's core operational needs. M3 is a comprehensive accounting platform tailored for hospitality, while SafelyStay offers specialized guest screening and insurance for vacation rentals. Both address risk management, but only one is backed by a large, recent review base. How do these differences impact your decision?

Quick Verdict

M3, with over 477 reviews and a 97.3 score, is the clear choice for hoteliers seeking a proven, feature-rich accounting system. SafelyStay, lacking reviews and market presence, cannot currently match M3’s depth or credibility. If your hotel prioritizes financial management, M3 is the better pick.

Is M3 or SafelyStay Better for Hotels?

M3 and SafelyStay serve fundamentally different hotel needs—financial operations versus guest risk management. M3 offers a broad set of accounting features including general ledger, accounts payable, daily reporting, and multicurrency support, and it’s heavily used across North America by hoteliers of all sizes. SafelyStay focuses on guest screening and insurance, primarily for vacation rentals, with no comparable financial features.

The core divergence is in their purpose: M3 manages your hotel’s money flow, while SafelyStay minimizes guest-related risks. Both can be useful if you need both financial and guest screening solutions, but if you're choosing one, your hotel’s operational focus should guide you.

M3 vs SafelyStay: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs a proven, feature-rich accounting system that has been refined over decades, go with M3. Its 477 recent reviews and 4.19/5 overall rating demonstrate broad satisfaction, especially in core accounting functions like payroll, general ledger, and financial reporting.

If you operate vacation rentals or short-term properties and want to mitigate guest risks with automated screening and insurance, SafelyStay might seem appealing. However, its lack of reviews and market presence suggests it’s untested at scale, making it a less reliable choice for hotels concerned with financial management.

Is M3 or SafelyStay Easier to Use?

M3 scores a 4.44/5 for ease of use, with users praising its intuitive interface and straightforward navigation. Its onboarding process averages 4.24/5, indicating most users find it accessible, and customer support ratings of 4.51/5 reflect high satisfaction.

SafelyStay, with no review data or ratings, cannot be confidently compared in usability. Given its niche focus and lack of customer feedback, it’s unlikely to match M3’s user-friendly reputation.

Edge: M3.

Which Has Better Features: M3 or SafelyStay?

M3 offers 23 unique features, including daily reporting, general ledger, accounts payable, multicurrency accounting, document imaging, and tailored financial reports—features critical for hotel financial operations. SafelyStay provides guest screening and insurance solutions, but with no listed features beyond those core to guest verification, it lacks the depth of M3.

M3’s extensive features support complex financial workflows, while SafelyStay’s singular focus limits its capabilities outside risk mitigation. For comprehensive hotel accounting, M3’s feature set outperforms SafelyStay.

Edge: M3.

Which Has Better Customer Support: M3 or SafelyStay?

M3’s 4.51/5 customer support rating, based on user reviews, highlights prompt, helpful service and effective onboarding. Review comments praise the responsiveness and professionalism of M3’s support team, which is vital for busy hotel operations.

SafelyStay has no publicly available reviews or support ratings. Without customer feedback, it’s impossible to assess service quality. Given M3’s established support reputation, it holds the clear advantage.

Edge: M3.

Which Has More Integrations: M3 or SafelyStay?

M3 integrates with 39 verified partners, including major PMS, revenue management, and procurement systems like HOTELTIME, Birchstreet, STR, and yieldPlanet. These integrations streamline workflows and data consistency across hotel operations.

SafelyStay has zero verified integrations, limiting its ability to fit into existing hotel tech stacks. M3’s extensive integration network makes it more adaptable and efficient for your team.

Edge: M3.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: M3 or SafelyStay?

M3’s recent reviews indicate a 4.19/5 rating from 477 reviewers, predominantly hoteliers managing multiple properties across North America. Hotels emphasize its ease of use, robust features, and excellent support, with comments like “It is no doubt that M3 is more streamlined, more efficient, and positively driving our bottom line.”

SafelyStay has no reviews or ratings, making it impossible to gauge user satisfaction. The extensive recent feedback on M3 confirms its strong reputation among hotels.

Edge: M3.

How Much Do M3 and SafelyStay Cost?

M3 is priced at a $400 monthly flat fee with no implementation, trial, or hidden charges. It offers a predictable monthly expense aligned with its comprehensive feature set.

SafelyStay’s pricing is not publicly available, and with no customer reviews, its cost structure remains unclear. Based on transparency and value, M3’s straightforward pricing is preferable.

What Type of Hotel Should Use M3?

Hotels that should consider M3 include:

  • Large or growing properties needing scalable financial systems
  • Hotels managing multiple revenue streams and complex accounting
  • Hotels prioritizing detailed financial reporting and forecasting
  • Properties seeking seamless PMS integration
  • Operations aiming to reduce manual data entry and errors

Not ideal if:

  • You operate a very small property with minimal accounting needs
  • Your focus is solely guest screening or non-financial risk management

What Type of Hotel Should Use SafelyStay?

SafelyStay is suitable for:

  • Vacation rental managers with high guest turnover
  • Short-term rental hosts seeking automated verification
  • Property owners wanting integrated insurance solutions
  • Teams prioritizing risk mitigation over complex accounting

Not ideal if:

  • Your hotel requires advanced financial management features
  • You need detailed revenue tracking or multi-property accounting
  • You prefer a mature, review-backed platform with extensive integrations

SafelyStay vs M3: The Bottom Line for Hotels

M3 is a comprehensive, well-established hotel accounting platform with strong recent reviews, a broad feature set, and extensive integrations. Its proven track record and high user satisfaction make it the go-to solution for most hotels needing financial management.

SafelyStay specializes in guest verification and insurance tailored for vacation rentals but lacks reviews or market presence for hotels. Unless your primary concern is guest risk mitigation within vacation properties, M3 remains the clear choice.

If your hotel needs robust financial tools, choose M3. If your focus is guest screening in short-term rentals and risk management, SafelyStay could be considered, but its lack of data makes it less reliable at this stage.

How Much Do M3 (Accounting) and Safely Cost?

Hotel Accounting Software 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.

M3 M3 SafelyStay, Inc.
Starting Price From $400/mo

Which Features Does M3 (Accounting) Have That Safely Doesn't (and Vice Versa)?

According to HTR's product database, M3 (Accounting) and Safely share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.

Feature M3 M3 SafelyStay, Inc.
Accounts Payable
Cash Management
Daily Reporting
Financial Reporting
General Ledger
PMS Mapping

Showing top differences. 11 more features differ between these products.

Real-World Results: M3 vs SafelyStay, Inc. by Business Goal

We analyzed 5 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.

Increase Revenue & Reduce Costs
M3 North Star Lodging Management Inc Small
+ NSL was quickly able to build a business to efficiently and effectively carry out its mission while M3 Professional Services assisted with developing and executing its primary accounting functions.
+ M3PS assists NSL with financial statement mapping, chart of accounts maintenance, monthly tax filing and payments, weekly check runs and bank reconciliations, owner and lender requests, and more.
+ The ability to entrust financials to experts to stay in compliance, have taxes filed correctly and timely, avoid potential fines or legal issues, and ensure owners and more have accurate information

"With recent global events and the current labor environment, a general manager’s job description has greatly changed, and their time is valuable. With the help of M3, we have been..."

Jack Macioce
Jack Macioce
Chief Financial Officer
SafelyStay, Inc.

No published case study for this goal yet.

Increase Operational Efficiency
M3 Crescent Hotels & Resorts Large
+ Improved Efficiency: M3
+ �s updates, such as simplified cash management imports and W-9 attachments, helped Crescent streamline accounting processes, saving time and increasing operational efficiency.
+ Enhanced Responsiveness: M3's quick implementation of Crescent's feedback led to timely software updates, allowing Crescent to improve their closing processes and overall operations.

"We were drawn to the system's tailored design for hospitality, prioritizing user-friendliness and seamless deployment in the field. It's crucial that our General Managers and Direc..."

Scott Blair
Scott Blair
Vice President of Centralized Accounting
SafelyStay, Inc.

No published case study for this goal yet.

Improve Guest Experience
M3 GF Hotels & Resorts Large
+ Having used M3's Accounting Core for its accounting and financial reporting since 2007, GF has been able to manage its portfolio growth easily and seamlessly.
+ In 2019, GF opted to utilize M3's business intelligence platform and dashboard tool, Insight. The tool allows KPIs to be shared with owners and asset managers instantaneously and automatically.
+ The standardization of charts-of-accounts and financial reports have made growth almost effortless and straightforward.

"Insight's ability to integrate with third-party data, such as Smith Travel and brand Guest Satisfaction Scores (GSS), is important because owners want to see more than just the rev..."

Keith Schreiner
Keith Schreiner
Senior VP of Corporate Accounting
SafelyStay, Inc.

No published case study for this goal yet.

M3 vs SafelyStay, Inc.: The Bottom Line

M3
M3
4.5/5 from 563 reviews

What hoteliers love

Ease of Use 100% positive

Users frequently commend M3 for its user-friendly interface, highlighting how easy it is to operate even after a long period of inactivity with the to... Users frequently commend M3 for its user-friendly interface, highlighting how easy it is to operate even after a long period of inactivity with the tool. This ease of use significantly reduces training time for staff, which is crucial in a fast-paced hotel environment.

Payroll and Labor Management 100% positive

M3 stands out for its efficient payroll and labor management capabilities. Users appreciate the platform's ability to handle employee time tracking an... M3 stands out for its efficient payroll and labor management capabilities. Users appreciate the platform's ability to handle employee time tracking and payroll operations smoothly, which helps streamline workforce management in hotels.

Integration with PMS 100% positive

The ability to directly import revenue figures from the Property Management System into M3 is greatly valued by users. This integration reduces manual... The ability to directly import revenue figures from the Property Management System into M3 is greatly valued by users. This integration reduces manual data entry, ensuring accuracy and saving time.

Where hoteliers push back

GL Account Search Function 100% negative

A notable criticism is the lack of a search function within the GL accounts, which users feel would improve efficiency in financial operations. Being... A notable criticism is the lack of a search function within the GL accounts, which users feel would improve efficiency in financial operations. Being able to quickly search for specific accounts would save time in complex financial workflows.

Export and Import Capabilities 100% negative

Some users express a desire for better export and import capabilities, such as saving and importing Excel files, to enhance flexibility and integratio... Some users express a desire for better export and import capabilities, such as saving and importing Excel files, to enhance flexibility and integration with external systems.

Unique capabilities

Daily Reporting PMS Mapping General Ledger Accounts Payable Financial Reporting
4.4/5 ease of use 4.5/5 support 39 integrations
Visit Profile
SafelyStay, Inc.
0.0/5 from 0 reviews
0.0/5 ease of use 0.0/5 support 0 integrations
Visit Profile

Where the ratings diverge most

Overall Rating M3 4.2 vs 0.0 (+4.2)
Ease of Use M3 4.4 vs 0.0 (+4.4)
Customer Support M3 4.5 vs 0.0 (+4.5)
Value for Money M3 4.3 vs 0.0 (+4.3)
Onboarding M3 4.2 vs 0.0 (+4.2)

Frequently Asked Questions About M3 (Accounting) vs Safely

Can M3 (Accounting) replace Safely?

It depends on your requirements. M3 (Accounting) and Safely share many core Hotel Accounting Software features, but each has unique capabilities. M3 (Accounting) offers 39 verified integration partners, while Safely offers 0. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.

Which is better for small or independent hotels?

Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. M3 (Accounting) leads in ease of use at 4.4/5 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.

Do M3 (Accounting) or Safely offer a free plan?

M3 (Accounting): No. Safely: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Hotel Accounting Software vendors offer demos or trials — request one from each to evaluate before committing.

How Does HTR Evaluate and Rank M3 (Accounting) and Safely?

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. M3 has an HT Score of 97 and SafelyStay, Inc. has 0. Here is how the score is calculated.

Criteria Group Weight What It Measures
Customer Ratings & Reviews

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

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

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

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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