Mail Relay vs. Smart Host CRM:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

Choosing the right hotel CRM and email marketing platform is critical to elevating your guest communication and increasing direct bookings. While Mail Relay by Inxmail has historically been used for email, it lacks recent reviews, a user-friendly interface, and a strong presence in the hotel industry. In contrast, Smart Host CRM has amassed over 217 recent reviews, with a high NPS score of 9.26/10, and is highly rated for ease of use and customer support.

Your decision hinges on whether you prioritize a platform with proven, recent hotel-specific success or a generic email marketing tool with limited hotel-focused feedback. Does your team need a CRM built explicitly for hotels, or is a basic email relay sufficient?

Is Mail Relay by Inxmail or Smart Host CRM Better for Hotels?

Mail Relay by Inxmail is a general email marketing platform designed for broad business use, focusing on bulk email distribution and audience engagement. It does not offer hotel-specific features such as guest profiles, automation, or segmentation, making it less suitable for personalized hotel marketing.

Smart Host CRM, on the other hand, is tailored specifically for hotels, offering tools like guest profiles, automation, segmentation, and integrated surveys, all designed to improve guest engagement and revenue. It provides a unified view of guest data, enabling targeted campaigns that can significantly impact booking rates.

Given the lack of recent hotel-specific reviews for Mail Relay and the extensive, recent feedback for Smart Host CRM, which actively helps hoteliers connect with guests and boost direct bookings, the choice is clear: do you want a marketing tool or a dedicated hotel CRM?

Smart Host CRM vs Mail Relay: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs a full-featured CRM that manages guest data, automates campaigns, and provides detailed analytics, Smart Host CRM is the better option. Its 217 recent reviews and a high NPS score of 9.26 reflect strong hotel industry validation, especially among small to medium properties.

If your team only requires basic email broadcasting without personalization or automation, Mail Relay might suffice. However, its lack of recent hotel reviews and clear hotel-specific features make it a less compelling choice for hotels aiming to deepen guest relationships and increase loyalty.

In essence, for most hotels seeking growth through targeted marketing and automation, Smart Host CRM offers a more strategic and proven solution than Mail Relay.

Is Mail Relay by Inxmail or Smart Host CRM Easier to Use?

Mail Relay by Inxmail scores poorly at 0/5 in ease of use, with reviews indicating it is a complex, generic email tool not tailored for hotel workflows. Its interface and onboarding process are not designed for hotel staff, which could slow adoption and reduce effectiveness.

Smart Host CRM, rated 4.7/5 in ease of use, receives praise for its intuitive, hotel-centric interface and smooth onboarding process. Numerous reviews highlight how quickly hotel teams can implement and start benefiting from its features, with one praising the platform for being "extremely user-friendly" and "easy to handle."

Edge: Smart Host CRM.

Which Has Better Features: Mail Relay or Smart Host CRM?

Mail Relay offers no hotel-specific features, focusing solely on mass email distribution, lacking segmentation, automation, or guest profiling tools. It provides basic email marketing functions without tailored campaigns or lifecycle management.

Smart Host CRM boasts 29 exclusive features such as guest profiles, segmentation, automation, dynamic surveys, and an integrated offer manager. These tools enable personalized, timely communication and strategic marketing that directly improves guest experience and revenue.

Given the extensive feature set tailored for hotels, Smart Host CRM clearly outshines Mail Relay, making it the superior choice for guest-centric marketing.

Edge: Smart Host CRM.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Mail Relay or Smart Host CRM?

Mail Relay offers no recent reviews or visible customer support ratings specific to hotels, raising questions about its responsiveness and industry focus.

Smart Host CRM’s support team scores nearly perfect at 4.87/5, with reviews emphasizing their "professional," "friendly," and "competent" assistance. Many customers praise the quick response times and proactive help, which are vital for smooth campaign management and onboarding.

Edge: Smart Host CRM.

Which Has More Integrations: Mail Relay or Smart Host CRM?

Mail Relay has no verified integrations, limiting its ability to connect with hotel PMS, booking engines, or other hotel management systems, which can hinder automation and data sharing.

Smart Host CRM integrates with 25 verified partners, including major PMS and channel management systems like Protel, Mews, Oracle Hospitality, and SuitePad. This extensive connectivity allows your team to streamline guest data collection and automate campaigns based on real-time information.

Edge: Smart Host CRM.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Mail Relay or Smart Host CRM?

Mail Relay’s lack of recent reviews and hotel-specific feedback makes it impossible to gauge hotelier satisfaction.

Smart Host CRM, with over 217 reviews in the past six months, boasts an impressive 93% likelihood to recommend. Hoteliers across segments—from boutique hotels to resorts—frequently praise its ease of use, support, and impact on bookings.

Given the volume and recency of reviews, hoteliers favor Smart Host CRM significantly.

Edge: Smart Host CRM.

How Much Do Mail Relay and Smart Host CRM Cost?

Mail Relay does not list pricing publicly, which suggests it might be tailored or require direct contact for quotes, often a barrier for small hotels.

Smart Host CRM’s base price is $900, with no trial or freemium options listed. While this represents an upfront investment, the platform’s features deliver measurable ROI through automation and guest engagement, as reflected in high customer satisfaction.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Mail Relay?

• Hotels that only need basic email outreach without personalization or automation.
• Small properties with very limited marketing budgets.
• Teams that prefer a simple, straightforward email tool for occasional campaigns.
• Not ideal if your hotel wants targeted messaging, automation, or guest profiles.

Mail Relay may serve simple email needs but lacks the sophistication needed for modern hotel marketing.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Smart Host CRM?

• Hotels aiming for personalized communication and guest segmentation.
• Properties seeking to automate pre-stay and post-stay campaigns.
• Hotels that want detailed analytics and performance tracking.
• Teams that prioritize seamless PMS integration for real-time data.
• Not ideal if your hotel has minimal digital marketing needs or prefers a free, basic email service.

Smart Host CRM is designed for hotels committed to data-driven, guest-centric marketing.

The Bottom Line for Hotels

Smart Host CRM is a dedicated hotel-focused platform, offering a wide array of features that support personalized, automated communication and revenue growth. Its extensive recent reviews, high ratings, and proven hotel industry success clearly position it as the superior choice.

Mail Relay by Inxmail is a broad email marketing tool with no recent hotel-specific feedback, making it less suitable for hotels looking to deepen guest relationships or streamline operations. It may work for basic email broadcasting but falls short in features required for competitive hospitality marketing.

In conclusion, if your hotel wants a reliable, feature-rich CRM with proven results and high user satisfaction, Smart Host CRM is the clear winner. It’s an investment in guest engagement that has demonstrated tangible benefits across multiple properties.