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 332 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:
RoomStay shines .
Simplotel shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Urgency messaging and Automated reporting.
Side-by-side ratings based on 332 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $500/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 332 |
After analyzing 332 verified reviews, RoomStay users most value its , while Simplotel users highlight service and support, user-friendly interface and design, customer experience enhancement. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Service and Support
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User-friendly interface and design
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Customer experience enhancement
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Integration and Optimization
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Customization and Flexibility
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Analytics and Reporting
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How each product ranks among Booking Engine 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) ▾ | — | #5 127 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #6 163 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #9 20 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | — | #14 3 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #6 139 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #4 187 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #4 101 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #9 15 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | — | #13 11 reviews |
| Europe | — | #35 2 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | — | #2 307 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #15 3 reviews |
Choosing the right booking engine for your hotel is critical to increasing direct bookings, providing a seamless guest experience, and reducing reliance on OTAs. Both RoomStay by RoomStay and Simplotel Booking Engine aim to serve this purpose, but they diverge significantly in depth of features, user feedback, and global presence. Your decision hinges on your hotel’s size, technical needs, and budget priorities.
RoomStay offers a simple, streamlined booking engine with minimal features and a limited global footprint, while Simplotel provides a feature-rich platform with extensive integrations and a robust support network. Which one aligns better with your operational goals?
RoomStay presents a straightforward booking engine designed primarily to boost direct bookings. Its limited feature set and mostly global absence mean it’s better suited for small hotels or properties seeking a basic, no-frills solution. In contrast, Simplotel boasts 35 features, advanced marketing tools, and an active user base across 26 countries, making it more adaptable for mid-sized and larger hotels.
While RoomStay’s simplicity might appeal if ease of setup and minimal integration are your priorities, Simplotel’s extensive capabilities and recent positive reviews make it a more versatile choice for hotels needing comprehensive online sales tools. Are you ready to deploy a solution that can grow with your hotel’s ambitions?
If your hotel needs a simple, cost-effective booking engine that prioritizes basic direct booking capabilities, RoomStay could suffice—especially if your focus is on minimizing complexity and upfront costs. Its lack of a freemium option and minimal features suggest it’s best for small properties with limited technical resources.
On the other hand, if your hotel requires a highly customizable platform with built-in marketing tools, multi-currency support, and a track record of high user satisfaction, Simplotel is the clear winner. Its 297 recent reviews and a 4.75/5 overall rating indicate strong ongoing user engagement and satisfaction, especially among larger hotels or those seeking growth.
RoomStay’s user interface and onboarding process are not rated, indicating a lack of recent feedback or widespread adoption. It’s likely a basic platform, but without detailed reviews, ease of use remains uncertain. Conversely, Simplotel has a high ease-of-use rating of 4.65/5, with recent reviews praising its intuitive design, friendly support, and straightforward setup.
Hotels report that Simplotel’s onboarding is smooth, with users finding the platform easy to navigate and manage. Given the high recent support and ease-of-use scores, edge: Simplotel.
RoomStay offers only 2 shared features, with no unique capabilities listed. In contrast, Simplotel provides 35 features, including tariffs, urgency messaging, automated reporting, pre- and post-stay emails, multi-lingual support, loyalty integrations, and more. It also offers advanced marketing tools like rate plan comparisons, conversion reports, and Facebook tracking.
Simplotel’s feature set is significantly broader and tailored toward driving conversions and guest engagement. Edge: Simplotel.
RoomStay’s support and onboarding ratings are not available, suggesting limited recent feedback. Simplotel, however, enjoys a support score of 4.69/5, with recent reviews describing their support as “very good,” “prompt,” and “friendly.” Many users highlight the responsiveness and helpfulness of the team.
Hotels report that Simplotel’s customer service is proactive and reliable, which is critical for smooth operation. Edge: Simplotel.
RoomStay integrates with 7 verified partners, including Oracle Hospitality, Adyen, and RMS. Meanwhile, Simplotel boasts 22 verified integrations, including popular systems like Cloudbeds, RezNext, and Hotelogix. Both platforms share partners like Stripe and SiteMinder, but Simplotel’s broader ecosystem provides more flexibility.
For hotels with existing property management or payment systems, Simplotel’s extensive integration options make it easier to connect and automate workflows. Edge: Simplotel.
RoomStay’s ratings are unavailable, indicating a lack of recent reviews. Simplotel has a 4.75/5 overall rating from 297 reviews, with recent feedback emphasizing its ease of use, support, and features. Hotels across segments—resorts, boutique hotels, branded properties—rate Simplotel highly, especially for driving direct bookings.
Given the volume and recency of reviews, Simplotel’s user satisfaction is clearly superior. Edge: Simplotel.
RoomStay’s pricing details are unavailable, implying a possible custom quote or that it operates on a different model. Simplotel’s base price is $500/month, with no free tier or trial, reflecting its position as a premium platform.
While RoomStay’s cost isn’t transparent, Simplotel’s straightforward monthly fee helps you evaluate return on investment more precisely.
Not ideal if your hotel requires advanced marketing, customization, or multi-channel integrations.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if your hotel only needs a basic booking engine or has minimal digital marketing plans.
Not ideal if:
RoomStay offers a basic, no-frills booking engine designed for hotels that prioritize simplicity and affordability. Its limited features and small global footprint make it suitable for small properties with straightforward needs.
Simplotel, however, provides a comprehensive, scalable platform with 35 features, high user satisfaction, and extensive integrations. It’s clearly the better choice for hotels aiming for growth, better guest engagement, and a significant online presence.
If your hotel needs a feature-rich, well-supported platform with proven results, go with Simplotel. Its recent reviews and high ratings demonstrate its value.
Choose RoomStay if you require a simple, budget-friendly solution and your main goal is basic direct booking functionality. But for most hotels seeking to grow their direct channel and modernize their online booking experience, Simplotel is the clear winner.
According to HTR's product database, Roomstay and Simplotel Booking Engine share 2 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Automated reporting | ||
| Pooled inventory | ||
| Post-stay emails | ||
| Pre-stay emails | ||
| Tariffs | ||
| Urgency messaging |
Showing top differences. 23 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
Although customer support is generally rated as responsive and helpful, there are calls for more proactive communication. Monthly check-ins and traini... Although customer support is generally rated as responsive and helpful, there are calls for more proactive communication. Monthly check-ins and training materials are suggested for enhanced service.
Simplotel's booking engine stands out for its intuitive and user-friendly design, simplifying navigation for guests and hoteliers. Reviews consistentl... Simplotel's booking engine stands out for its intuitive and user-friendly design, simplifying navigation for guests and hoteliers. Reviews consistently mention improved booking experience and engagement, translating to increased bookings and customer satisfaction.
The platform enhances guest experiences by streamlining booking processes and supporting upselling and cross-selling services. This feature is cited f... The platform enhances guest experiences by streamlining booking processes and supporting upselling and cross-selling services. This feature is cited for adding value and contributing to increased revenue.
Where hoteliers push back
Many users appreciate the potential for customizing brand-specific templates and designs but express a demand for more flexibility. There is feedback... Many users appreciate the potential for customizing brand-specific templates and designs but express a demand for more flexibility. There is feedback on limited options for personalizing website layouts and dynamic content.
Simplotel provides robust analytics and reporting features aiding in data-driven decision-making and marketing strategies. Users find these insights b... Simplotel provides robust analytics and reporting features aiding in data-driven decision-making and marketing strategies. Users find these insights beneficial for optimizing bookings, although some suggest further advancements in analytics tools.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Roomstay and Simplotel Booking Engine share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. Roomstay offers 7 verified integration partners, while Simplotel Booking Engine offers 22. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Simplotel Booking Engine leads in ease of use at 4.7/5 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.
Roomstay: No. Simplotel Booking Engine: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Booking Engine 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. RoomStay has an HT Score of 0 and Simplotel has 90. 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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