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 142 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:
Planet shines when it comes to functionality and features — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like On premise and Revenue management module.
Shiji Group shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Guest profiles and Tablet/Kiosk Check-in.
Side-by-side ratings based on 142 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $500/mo | From $1,200/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 108 | 34 |
After analyzing 142 verified reviews, Planet users most value its functionality and features, multi-property management, while Shiji Group users highlight support team, implementation, training materials. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Functionality and Features
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Support Team
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Multi-property Management
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Implementation
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Training Materials
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Support Issues
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Reporting and Analytics
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Customization and Flexibility
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System Speed
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System Performance and Reliability
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Integration Capabilities
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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 | #53 2 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #15 50 reviews | #31 17 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #15 10 reviews | #11 13 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #17 3 reviews | #22 2 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #21 42 reviews | #33 17 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #21 34 reviews | #24 25 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #17 33 reviews | #22 19 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #20 9 reviews | #45 2 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #29 6 reviews | #33 4 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | #10 79 reviews | #30 8 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | — | #14 5 reviews |
| Middle East ▾ | #15 2 reviews | #5 14 reviews |
Choosing between protel PMS by Planet and Shiji Daylight PMS hinges on your hotel's size, complexity, and strategic priorities. Both aim to streamline operations, but they approach this goal differently, with distinct strengths and weaknesses. Your decision should consider your current needs, future plans, and the specific features that matter most to your team.
Protel PMS has a longer history, extensive integrations, and a reputation for reliability, especially for single-property and mid-sized hotels. Meanwhile, Shiji Daylight PMS, with its modern interface and scalability, is often favored by larger hotel groups seeking robust automation and centralized guest data. But which product truly fits your hotel’s unique profile?
Protel PMS and Shiji Daylight both solve core hotel management problems: guest reservations, check-in/out, billing, and reporting. However, they diverge significantly in their approach and maturity.
Protel is a seasoned platform with over three decades of development, known for its deep integration ecosystem and customizable features—great for hotels needing tailored operations. Shiji, on the other hand, emphasizes ease of use and automation, with a sleek cloud-native design that supports fast deployment and property expansion.
The key question is whether your hotel needs a flexible, established platform that can handle complex environments or a modern, scalable system designed for growth and efficiency. Does your hotel prioritize extensive back-end customization or streamlined, user-friendly interfaces?
If your hotel operates a single property or a small chain that values proven reliability and vast integrations, go with protel PMS. Its rich feature set—including booking engine, guest CRM, and a large partner network—supports complex operations and provides high customization.
Conversely, if your hotel group requires a scalable solution with quick onboarding, automated workflows, and centralized guest profiles, Shiji Daylight PMS is the better pick. It excels in multi-property environments, offering real-time data and a modern interface that reduces training time and increases operational consistency.
Your choice should align with your hotel’s size and growth ambitions: for established, multi-location hotels seeking flexibility, protel is ideal, while for expanding groups focused on automation and guest personalization, Shiji fits better.
Protel PMS boasts a user satisfaction score of 4.12/5, with many users praising its intuitive layout and fast access to functions. However, some reviews mention that complex configurations and integrations can slow down staff onboarding, especially for larger, multi-property setups.
Shiji Daylight PMS scores slightly higher at 4.63/5, with reviewers highlighting its modern, clean interface and straightforward navigation. Its consistent positive feedback about ease of training—supported by comprehensive materials—makes onboarding smoother for new staff.
Edge: Shiji Daylight PMS.
Protel offers 46 core features, including booking engine, guest profiles, and mobile notes, with seven unique modules such as revenue management and on-premise options. Its focus on flexible integration and detailed reporting appeals to hotels needing tailored operational tools.
Shiji provides 59 features, from integrated CRS and automation tools to digital registration, guest messaging, and advanced housekeeping modules. Its extensive feature library emphasizes automation, guest personalization, and multi-channel communication.
While Shiji has more features and unique modules, protel's strength lies in its deep integration ecosystem and customizable environment. For a hotel needing rich automation and guest engagement, shiji has the edge.
Edge: Shiji Daylight PMS.
Protel’s support scores a 3.95/5, with many reviews citing slow response times and occasional unavailability during critical moments. Users appreciate the helpfulness when support is available but note that support delays can disrupt daily operations.
Shiji outperforms with a 4.53/5 rating, with reviews praising its 24/7 support, quick responses, and proactive onboarding. Hotels like Ruby Hotels emphasize the support team’s professionalism and technical expertise.
Edge: Shiji Daylight PMS.
Protel boasts over 195 verified partners, including integrations with Innspire, Right Revenue, and RevControl, supporting extensive customization and tailored workflows. Its large ecosystem facilitates connecting with various revenue, CRM, and channel management tools.
Shiji has 64 verified partners, sharing 38 with protel, including Bookboost, Lighthouse, and FLYR Hospitality. Its focus on automation and centralized systems is supported by integrations with CRS, payment terminals, and guest apps.
Protel’s broader ecosystem gives it a slight lead, especially for hotels requiring complex, multi-system setups.
Edge: protel PMS.
Protel’s overall ratings stand at 4.11/5 based on 105 reviews, with independent hotels rating it slightly higher (4.5/5). Many smaller properties appreciate its reliability and customizable features, despite some support frustrations.
Shiji scores 74.99/100, with fewer reviews but higher recent favorability, especially among larger hotels and chains. Hotels emphasize its ease of use, automation, and support.
Given the more extensive and recent reviews, protel's rating is more representative of ongoing performance. Still, Shiji’s recent momentum indicates strong approval among larger hotel groups.
Edge: Shiji Daylight PMS.
Protel’s pricing starts at $500/month, with no free tier or trial, reflecting its premium, feature-rich environment. Shiji’s base price is $1,200/month, also without a trial, aligning with its enterprise focus.
Both are subscription-based, with no implementation fees listed. Your selection may hinge on your budget and the value you perceive from their feature sets and support.
Not ideal if your hotel is a large, multi-property group with complex automation needs, as support and performance issues can arise in larger setups.
Not ideal if your hotel is small or prefers highly customizable back-end systems without a focus on rapid automation or if you have strict local compliance needs that require extensive regional adaptations.
Protel PMS by Planet and Shiji Daylight PMS are both capable solutions, but their target audiences differ markedly. Protel’s extensive integrations, customization capabilities, and reliability make it a solid choice for established, mid-sized hotels seeking a flexible platform with proven stability.
Shiji’s modern interface, automation features, and high user ratings make it ideal for larger hotel groups aiming for operational efficiency and guest personalization. It also supports rapid onboarding and scalability, which are critical for growing portfolios.
For hotels prioritizing reliability, extensive integrations, and proven stability, protel is the safer fallback. But if your hotel needs a scalable, intuitive system with automation and excellent support, Shiji offers compelling advantages. Given the recent reviews and higher overall rating, Shiji Daylight PMS is the stronger pick for most hotels today.
Property Management Systems 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 $500/mo | From $1,200/mo |
According to HTR's product database, protel PMS (by Planet) and Shiji Daylight PMS share 39 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Booking Engine | ||
| Centralized user & role management | ||
| Guest CRM | ||
| Guest CRM | ||
| Guest profiles | ||
| Guest profiles | ||
| On premise | ||
| Online Check-in | ||
| Online Checkout | ||
| Revenue management module | ||
| Tablet/Kiosk Check-in | ||
| Task Management |
Showing top differences. 54 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 8 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"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."
"All the big players don't offer the level of API connectivity we need, but Shiji does. From the early stages of our design process, we were confident that Shiji could provide us wi..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"We reduced check-in time by over 80%, from up to eight minutes to just about one minute with the new system."
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.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
What hoteliers love
Users frequently praise Shiji PMS for its user-friendly interface, which simplifies daily operations and reduces the learning curve for new users. Thi... Users frequently praise Shiji PMS for its user-friendly interface, which simplifies daily operations and reduces the learning curve for new users. This ease of use is highlighted in reviews citing accessible training materials, intuitive design, and efficient task performance.
The supportive and responsive nature of the Shiji PMS support team is consistently mentioned positively. Users appreciate the professionalism and help... The supportive and responsive nature of the Shiji PMS support team is consistently mentioned positively. Users appreciate the professionalism and helpfulness of the support personnel, which greatly aids in smoother operations.
The implementation process of Shiji PMS is noted as smooth and efficient by several reviewers, who appreciate the knowledgeable and proactive implemen... The implementation process of Shiji PMS is noted as smooth and efficient by several reviewers, who appreciate the knowledgeable and proactive implementation team. However, a few users suggest that reducing the implementation timeline could further improve the experience.
Where hoteliers push back
While the detailed reporting features of Shiji PMS are largely appreciated, several users demand more advanced and faster reporting tools. Specific re... While the detailed reporting features of Shiji PMS are largely appreciated, several users demand more advanced and faster reporting tools. Specific requests include enhanced summary reports, detailed billing, and faster report generation processes.
Performance issues related to system speed and consistency are common concerns among users, with several noting slow response times during peak operat... Performance issues related to system speed and consistency are common concerns among users, with several noting slow response times during peak operations. Users urge improvements in system speed to enhance overall efficiency.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. protel PMS (by Planet) and Shiji Daylight PMS share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. protel PMS (by Planet) offers 194 verified integration partners, while Shiji Daylight PMS offers 64. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Shiji Daylight PMS leads in ease of use at 4.6/5 vs 4.1/5. 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.
protel PMS (by Planet): No. Shiji Daylight PMS: 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. Planet has an HT Score of 33 and Shiji Group has 75. 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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