openROOM vs. Safara:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

Choosing between openROOM by openROOM and Safara by Safara hinges on your hotel’s specific needs and priorities. Both products aim to streamline your booking process, but they differ significantly in features, market presence, and user feedback. openROOM is designed to maximize conversions with a focus on independent hotels and chains, while Safara emphasizes seamless guest experiences and demand generation. Which product aligns best with your hotel's goals?

The critical factor is recent user reviews and overall market presence. Safara boasts 24 reviews—more than openROOM’s 10—and all reviews in the last six months are recent, providing more current insights. openROOM’s reviews are older, indicating less recent user experience data. Given this, Safara’s user feedback offers a clearer picture of its current performance. Are you ready to dig into which solution fits your hotel best?

Is openROOM or Safara Better for Hotels?

Both openROOM and Safara serve as booking engines designed to increase direct bookings and reduce reliance on third-party channels. openROOM emphasizes conversion optimization through a simple, intuitive interface, tailored for independent hotels, chains, and youth hostels. Safara focuses on providing a seamless experience with real-time inventory, non-room booking capabilities, and flexible integrations. Where openROOM’s strength lies in its specialized features like Tripadvisor bookings and post-stay emails, Safara excels in offering a modern, flexible platform supporting multiple payment options and non-room services.

While openROOM has fewer recent reviews and a limited feature set—only five features unique to it—Safara offers more extensive features (16 unique ones) and a broader integration network. Which of these differences will impact your hotel’s operational efficiency and guest satisfaction?

Safara vs openROOM: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs to boost conversion rates with a highly customizable, feature-rich platform, Safara is the better choice. Its recent reviews highlight its intuitive design and ability to support non-room bookings, making it ideal for hotels seeking a modern, flexible booking solution. Conversely, if your hotel prioritizes a straightforward integration with a focus on channels like Tripadvisor or post-stay engagement, openROOM may suit your needs—though it has fewer recent reviews to back current performance.

For hotels that value extensive integrations, especially with PMS, CRS, and marketing tools, Safara’s verified partners give it an edge. If simplicity and a focus on high conversion are your primary goals, openROOM’s tailored approach might suffice. But given the latest review data, Safara’s platform appears more aligned with current hospitality demands.

Is openROOM or Safara Easier to Use?

Both products score exceptionally high on ease of use, with openROOM at 4.8/5 and Safara at 4.92/5. openROOM’s onboarding is rated 4.89/5, with reviews praising its simple, intuitive interface that makes setting up and managing bookings straightforward. Safara slightly edges out with a 4.92/5 rating, with users emphasizing its responsiveness and seamless guest experience.

Recent reviews for Safara highlight its user-friendly design, particularly on mobile devices, and praise the responsiveness of its support team. openROOM’s reviews also mention its straightforward setup and ongoing improvements. However, Safara’s more recent and numerous reviews provide a more current perspective. Edge: Safara.

Which Has Better Features: openROOM or Safara?

Safara offers a broader feature set, with 16 unique features compared to openROOM’s five. Safara includes advanced options like A/B testing & optimization, Google Pay, Apple Pay, customizable add-ons, referral reporting, and social media bookings—features absent from openROOM. openROOM’s unique features focus on multi-room bookings, Tripadvisor integration, and email campaigns, but the overall number remains limited.

Safara’s features support a more comprehensive and adaptable booking experience, especially for modern, tech-savvy hotels. openROOM’s streamlined features may suffice for hotels with simpler needs but lack the depth Safara provides. Edge: Safara.

Which Has Better Customer Support: openROOM or Safara?

openROOM’s support is rated 4.9/5, with reviews emphasizing their commitment and approachable team. However, recent reviews are scarce, limiting insights into their current support responsiveness. Safara outperforms slightly with a perfect 5/5 support rating, praised for responsiveness and ongoing improvements, with recent reviews confirming their attentiveness.

Guests and hotel staff alike appreciate Safara’s proactive approach, making troubleshooting and onboarding easier. Given the recent reviews and higher support score, Safara has a slight edge. Edge: Safara.

Which Has More Integrations: openROOM or Safara?

Safara offers six verified integrations, including Oracle Hospitality, Stayntouch, Revinate, and Triptease. These partnerships enable smoother operations across PMS, marketing, and revenue management tools. openROOM, however, has no verified integrations listed, which could limit its ability to connect with other systems your hotel uses.

For hotels seeking a platform that can easily connect with current systems and enhance operational workflows, Safara’s integration network is a significant advantage. openROOM’s lack of verified partners may pose challenges for seamless tech stack management. Edge: Safara.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: openROOM or Safara?

Safara’s reviews are more recent and plentiful, reflecting current user sentiment. It maintains a 9.96/10 NPS score, with all recent reviews praising its ease of use, responsiveness, and ability to improve guest experience. openROOM’s older reviews, all in the last 12 months, are highly positive but less recent, making their relevance less certain today.

Given the volume and recency of Safara’s reviews, it is clear that hoteliers rate Safara higher overall. openROOM’s limited and outdated feedback makes it harder to gauge current satisfaction levels. Edge: Safara.

How Much Do openROOM and Safara Cost?

openROOM charges a base price of $400 per month without a freemium option or additional fees. Safara’s base price is $800 per month, also without freemium or extra charges. Both products are priced on a monthly flat fee, with Safara costing twice as much as openROOM.

While openROOM offers a more affordable entry point, Safara’s higher price reflects its broader feature set and integration capabilities. Your choice may depend on your budget and feature needs.

What Type of Hotel Should Use openROOM?

• Hotels that prioritize high conversion rates and a straightforward booking process.
• Independent hotels or youth hostels seeking tailored booking options.
• Hotels with a focus on channel integration like Tripadvisor.
• Hotels that want to keep setup simple and cost-effective.
• Hotels with basic needs that do not require extensive customization or integrations.

Not ideal if your hotel needs advanced analytics, numerous integrations, or non-room booking capabilities.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Safara?

• Hotels seeking a flexible, modern booking engine with a wide range of features.
• Boutique, resort, or city center hotels needing extensive integrations.
• Hotels that want to support multiple payment options like Google Pay and Apple Pay.
• Hotels aiming for a seamless, responsive booking experience across devices.
• Hotels looking to increase direct bookings and boost non-room revenue.

Not ideal if your hotel prefers a minimal feature set or has a limited budget for technology investments.

Safara vs openROOM: The Bottom Line for Hotels

Safara offers a more feature-rich, adaptable, and well-supported booking engine, backed by recent, high-volume reviews. Its broad integrations and modern design make it suitable for hotels that want to grow their direct bookings and enhance guest experience.

openROOM is more affordable and simple, ideal for hotels with basic needs focused on high conversion and channel integration. However, its limited features and lack of recent feedback make it less suitable for hotels seeking advanced capabilities.

If you need a cutting-edge platform with ongoing support and extensive integrations, Safara is the clear choice. Conversely, if budget and simplicity are your priorities, openROOM can serve smaller or less complex hotel operations effectively.