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 29 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:
LIKE MAGIC shines in b2b and corporate booking functionality — especially for extended-stay properties (5.0/5), with exclusive features like Hotel Website Check-in Portal.
Samsotech International stands out with exclusive features like PCI Compliant and Easy Room Selection.
Side-by-side ratings based on 29 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
| HTScore |
|
|
| Likelihood to Recommend |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Customer Support |
|
|
| Value for Money |
|
|
| Starting Price | From $700/mo | From $400/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 29 | 0 |
After analyzing 29 verified reviews, LIKE MAGIC users most value its b2b and corporate booking functionality, all-in-one guest journey platform, integration savings and reduced complexity, while Samsotech International users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Pros | |
|
+
B2B and corporate booking functionality
▾
|
|
|
+
All-in-one guest journey platform
▾
|
|
|
+
Integration savings and reduced complexity
▾
|
|
|
+
Operational overviews and staff efficiency
▾
|
|
| Cons | |
|
−
Customization gaps and branding limitations
▾
|
|
|
−
Self-service upgrades and room selection
▾
|
|
How each product ranks among Contactless Check-in vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #7 12 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #7 11 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | #11 3 reviews | — |
By Property Type
| Segment |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Boutique ▾ | #9 8 reviews | — |
| Luxury | #15 2 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain | #16 2 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #5 12 reviews | — |
By Region
| Segment |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| North America | #18 1 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #5 27 reviews | — |
LIKE MAGIC and Samotech eREG both aim to digitize and simplify hotel check-in processes, but they serve different operational priorities. LIKE MAGIC excels at fully contactless, mobile-first check-in and digital key management, enabling guests to bypass the front desk and unlock rooms instantly. Samotech eREG focuses on digitizing registration paperwork and financial authorizations, such as RegCards and folio signing, primarily facilitating compliance and document management at the front desk.
Both systems reduce physical interactions and paperwork, improving guest convenience and operational efficiency. However, LIKE MAGIC targets hotels prioritizing a seamless guest self-service experience and operational automation, while Samotech eREG suits properties emphasizing regulatory compliance and centralized document handling.
If you operate a small to mid-size hotel or serviced apartment seeking to automate arrivals and empower guests with mobile check-in and digital key access, LIKE MAGIC’s 5/5 rating across 29 reviews, especially high scores from Extended Stay & Serviced Apartments (5/5 on 12 reviews) and Boutique Hotels (4.8/5 on 8 reviews), makes it the superior choice. Its integrations with 11 verified partners including apaleo and Oracle Hospitality support diverse PMS environments.
Conversely, Samotech eREG has no verified reviews or concrete market presence data, limiting evidence for its effectiveness. It fits hotels prioritizing paperless regulatory compliance with features like digital RegCard in guest languages and fiscalized folio signing on iPads, which LIKE MAGIC lacks. Since Samotech offers fewer integrations (5 verified partners) and no recent review data, its fit is narrower and less proven.
For vacation rentals, boutique, city center, or branded hotels relying on guest self-service, LIKE MAGIC’s feature set and user feedback strongly recommend it. Samotech eREG’s niche focus on front desk digitization may suit hotels needing streamlined document archiving but lacks broad user validation.
LIKE MAGIC has an Ease of Use rating of 4.9/5 based on 29 reviews, with users praising its intuitive, browser-based platform that requires no guest app downloads. Staff and guests find the interface straightforward, enabling rapid adoption and minimal training; for example, one hotel reported training staff in 1.5 days. While some reviews mention backend complexity for staff, overall ease of use is high.
Samotech eREG lacks published ease of use or onboarding ratings and has no verified user reviews. Without data on user experience or staff adoption, it is impossible to compare directly, but the absence of evidence prevents claims of superior usability.
Edge: Even.
Both products share 15 features common to contactless check-in systems. LIKE MAGIC uniquely offers a hotel website check-in portal and device-agnostic access, allowing guests to complete check-in and unlock rooms via any mobile device without app installation. This supports frictionless guest journeys and reduces front desk interaction.
Samotech eREG includes PCI compliance and easy room selection features absent from LIKE MAGIC. PCI compliance supports secure payment handling, important for properties prioritizing transaction security at check-in. Easy room selection streamlines front desk operations when assigning rooms but does not extend to guest self-service.
The operational impact of LIKE MAGIC’s unique features is significant: guests avoid queues and key card distribution, freeing staff to focus on personalized service. Samotech’s features enhance document security and front desk workflows but do not enable contactless digital key access.
Edge: LIKE MAGIC.
LIKE MAGIC holds a Customer Support rating of 4.8/5 and Onboarding rating of 4.8/5 from 29 reviews, with users describing prompt, knowledgeable assistance and efficient implementation. While some note variability in support staff familiarity, the overall consensus favors LIKE MAGIC’s support quality.
Samotech eREG has no published customer support or onboarding ratings and no user reviews to assess service quality.
Edge: Even.
LIKE MAGIC has 11 verified integrations, including major PMS partners like apaleo GmbH and Oracle Hospitality, as well as access control systems like SALTO Systems and payment processors such as Adyen. These connections allow hotels to automate check-in, key management, payment processing, and guest communications in one platform.
Samotech eREG lists 5 verified partners, including HOTELTIME, Shiji Group, and Maestro PMS. Its integration portfolio is narrower and lacks key access system or payment integrations.
The broader integration ecosystem of LIKE MAGIC supports diverse operational workflows, especially for hotels seeking seamless automation across check-in, access, and guest messaging.
Edge: LIKE MAGIC.
LIKE MAGIC earns an overall rating of 5/5 from 29 reviews, including 12 from Extended Stay & Serviced Apartments (5/5), 8 from Boutique Hotels (4.8/5), and 12 from City Center Hotels (4.8/5). Ratings across hotel segments consistently fall between 4.8 and 5.0, reflecting strong satisfaction. However, no reviews exist for Samotech eREG.
No recent reviews for LIKE MAGIC exist in the last six months, which may affect currency, but its overall rating and volume far exceed Samotech’s zero reviews.
Edge: Even.
LIKE MAGIC’s base price is $700 with no free trial, monthly fees, or implementation charges reported. Samotech eREG has a base price of $400, also with no free trial or subscription fees disclosed.
Without published pricing models beyond base prices, it is unclear how total cost of ownership compares, especially regarding per-room or usage fees, which neither product lists.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
LIKE MAGIC and Samotech eREG solve different operational needs within hotel front desk digitization. LIKE MAGIC focuses on guest self-service with mobile check-in, digital keys, and broad automation, while Samotech eREG digitizes registration forms and financial authorizations to streamline compliance and document management.
Choose LIKE MAGIC if your hotel wants to reduce front desk workload through seamless guest check-in and room access automation, supported by 29 verified reviews with a perfect 5/5 rating and integrations with 11 key partners. Its scalability and positive impact on staff efficiency are documented in case studies showing up to 80% staff reduction.
Choose Samotech eREG if your priority is to modernize regulatory paperwork, ensure PCI compliance, and manage guest documents centrally at the reception, and you value features like easy room selection and fiscalized folio signing. However, the lack of user reviews and limited integration partners make it a less proven choice.
Where extensive guest self-service and operational automation matter, LIKE MAGIC leads. Where centralized, secure document handling and regulatory compliance are paramount, Samotech eREG may be suitable but requires further validation.
Contactless Check-in 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.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $700/mo | From $400/mo |
These are the features each vendor has configured, organized by feature group — the same data shown in the vendor dashboard. Expand a group to compare features side by side.
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
▾
Pre-Arrival & Check-in
|
|
|
| Hotel Website Check-in Portal | ||
| Lobby Kiosk | ||
| Self Service Checkout | ||
| Self Service Checkin | ||
| Device Agnostic | ||
| Easy Room Selection | ||
|
▾
Information Collection
|
|
|
| Custom Questions | ||
| Terms & Conditions Signing | ||
| Marketing Communications Opt-in | ||
| Pre-regisration info collection | ||
| Document & Passport Scanning | ||
| ID Verification | ||
|
▾
Translations
|
|
|
| Automatic Translations | ||
| Multi-lingual | ||
|
▾
Payments & Authorization
|
|
|
| Registration Card E-signature | ||
| Collect Deposits | ||
| Payment & Authorizations | ||
| ID Verification | ||
| PCI Compliant | ||
|
▾
Mobile Key
|
|
|
| Door Lock Integration | ||
|
▾
Upgrades & Upselling
|
|
|
| Pre-arrival Upselling & Upgrades | ||
| Easy Room Selection |
We analyzed 4 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"Like Magic allowed us to operate with just six staff members, without compromising guest experience. The platform is easy to use, fun to work with, and has revolutionized how we ru..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"LIKE MAGIC isn't just a tool for us, it's the backbone of our overall guest experience. If I ever worked somewhere else, I'd bring it with me."
No published case study for this goal yet.
What hoteliers love
One review notes that LikeMagic is tailored toward B2B use cases such as corporate clients, TMCs, and partners. This suggests the product is especiall... One review notes that LikeMagic is tailored toward B2B use cases such as corporate clients, TMCs, and partners. This suggests the product is especially useful for hotels that need structured booking workflows beyond standard leisure guest needs.
Reviewers consistently describe LikeMagic as a single platform that combines online check-in, guest portal, and IBE into one flow. This reduces the ne... Reviewers consistently describe LikeMagic as a single platform that combines online check-in, guest portal, and IBE into one flow. This reduces the need for multiple tools and creates a smoother, more unified pre-arrival and in-stay guest experience.
The reviews highlight that LikeMagic reduces the need for third-party interfaces and saves significant time through integrations. Hotels value the low... The reviews highlight that LikeMagic reduces the need for third-party interfaces and saves significant time through integrations. Hotels value the lower operational complexity, fewer moving parts, and the ability to focus staff time on higher-value guest service.
Where hoteliers push back
A key negative theme is the lack of flexibility in branding and guest-facing customization. One reviewer says custom branding for the back office was... A key negative theme is the lack of flexibility in branding and guest-facing customization. One reviewer says custom branding for the back office was removed after being promised, and also wants more UX customization for the guest portal.
Reviewers want LikeMagic to support self-service room upgrades so guests can buy higher room categories during the digital journey. This is seen as an... Reviewers want LikeMagic to support self-service room upgrades so guests can buy higher room categories during the digital journey. This is seen as an opportunity to improve personalization and add incremental revenue, but it is currently missing.
Unique capabilities
Unique capabilities
It depends on your requirements. LIKE MAGIC (Check-in) and Samotech eREG share many core Contactless Check-in features, but each has unique capabilities. LIKE MAGIC (Check-in) offers 11 verified integration partners, while Samotech eREG offers 5. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
LIKE MAGIC (Check-in): No. Samotech eREG: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Contactless Check-in 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. LIKE MAGIC has an HT Score of 71 and Samsotech International 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 →
Custom recommendations tailored to your property