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 43 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:
Akia shines when it comes to guest messaging — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile Friendly and Guest History.
Sezam24 shines in onboarding , with exclusive features like Hotel Website Check-in Portal.
Side-by-side ratings based on 43 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $300/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 42 | 1 |
After analyzing 43 verified reviews, Akia users most value its guest messaging, team communication and task management, contactless check-in, while Sezam24 users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Guest messaging
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Team communication and task management
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Contactless check-in
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Customer feedback and reputation management
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Automated responses
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Integration and data synchronization
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Guidebooks and digital tools
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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
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #4 17 reviews | #16 1 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #4 18 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | #19 0 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #16 0 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #4 17 reviews | — |
| Luxury ▾ | #6 7 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #4 10 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #7 6 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #2 41 reviews | — |
| Europe | — | #16 1 reviews |
Choosing a contactless check-in platform involves understanding what your hotel needs most—whether it's seamless communication, automation, or straightforward self-service check-in. Akia Contactless Check-In and Sezam24 aim to fulfill these roles but differ significantly in their features, user feedback, and market focus. Your decision hinges on which solution aligns best with your operational goals and guest experience priorities.
Akia offers a broad set of features with a strong emphasis on guest communication and automation, supported by more recent reviews and a higher review count. Conversely, Sezam24 provides a simple, self-service check-in experience praised for its ease of use but has fewer recent reviews and features. So, which platform suits your hotel best?
Both Akia and Sezam24 address the need for contactless check-in, but they approach it differently. Akia emphasizes guest communication, automation, and integration, enabling hotels to manage guest interactions before, during, and after their stay, which helps improve reputation and operational efficiency. Sezam24 focuses primarily on self-service check-in kiosks, allowing guests to check in independently with minimal staff involvement.
While Akia's platform is richer in features and integrations, Sezam24 offers a straightforward, no-fuss check-in process that caters to budget-friendly, small hotels. Akia’s versatility suits hotels seeking a comprehensive communication platform, whereas Sezam24 is ideal for properties prioritizing quick, self-serve check-in. Do you need a full communication suite or just a self-service kiosk?
If your hotel requires a comprehensive guest communication system with automation, integrations, and guest history, Akia is the clear choice. Its 38 reviews—more recent than Sezam24’s—highlight its strengths in automating responses, managing team communication, and integrating with PMS systems, making it suitable for hotels that value operational efficiency and guest engagement.
If your hotel’s main focus is providing a simple, self-service check-in experience with minimal staff involvement and straightforward technology, Sezam24 fits better. Its single review praises its accuracy and ease of use, making it an attractive option for small, budget-conscious hotels. For a hotel seeking broad guest communication features, Akia is the better fit; for straightforward self-check-in, Sezam24 is sufficient.
Akia has a solid user rating of 4.82/5 for ease of use, with reviews praising its simplicity once set up and its helpful onboarding process. However, some users mention occasional app glitches and the need for a better interface for filtering guest threads. Its onboarding is rated at 4.67/5, indicating a smooth initial experience but room for improvement.
Sezam24 is rated a perfect 5/5 for ease of use, with reviewers describing its self-check-in kiosks as straightforward and reliable, requiring little training. Its focus on simplicity at the guest touchpoint makes it ideal for properties wanting quick adoption.
Edge: Sezam24.
Akia boasts 19 unique features not available in Sezam24, including mobile-friendly design, chatbot booking, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger integrations, automated replies, guest history, PMS integration, and pre-arrival upselling. These extra tools support more personalized, automated guest communication and operational management.
Sezam24 offers just one unique feature: a hotel website check-in portal, focusing solely on self-service check-in without additional communication tools. This makes Akia significantly more feature-rich and versatile for hotels looking for a comprehensive contactless solution.
Edge: Akia.
Akia’s customer support is rated 4.86/5, with reviews praising its knowledgeable staff and quick responses. One user mentions, “Getting ahold of a representative has been, by far, the easiest and best customer service we have ever experienced,” indicating strong post-sale support.
Sezam24’s support is rated a perfect 5/5, with feedback emphasizing reliability and professionalism, although fewer recent reviews make it harder to gauge ongoing support quality.
Edge: Sezam24.
Akia has 32 verified integrations, including popular PMS systems like Mews, Cloudbeds, and WebRezPro, as well as keyless entry via FLEXIPASS and RoomRaccoon. This extensive partner network allows Akia to connect seamlessly with most hotel tech stacks.
Sezam24 has 9 verified integrations, including Hotek, WuBook, and Onity, but fewer options overall. Shared integrations with Akia include major PMS providers, but Akia’s broader ecosystem provides more flexibility.
Edge: Akia.
Akia’s overall rating of 4.95/5 is supported by 38 reviews, mostly recent, with hoteliers praising its ease of communication, automation, and positive impact on reputation. The average property segment ratings are high, especially for boutique hotels and independent properties.
Sezam24 holds a perfect 5/5 rating from one review, praising its reliability for small, budget hotels. However, with only one review, its rating isn’t as representative of broader hotel experiences.
Edge: Akia.
Akia does not disclose a specific pricing structure; its model appears to be customized, possibly based on hotel size or needs. It does not offer a freemium option, and no trial info is available, which suggests a tailored quote process.
Sezam24 charges a flat rate of $300 for its platform, with no mention of ongoing subscription fees or trial options. This straightforward pricing makes it easy to budget but may lack flexibility for larger hotels.
Akia is a comprehensive guest communication platform that significantly enhances operational efficiency and guest experience, especially for hotels seeking automation and integrations. Its broad feature set, high review count, and recent positive feedback make it the stronger choice for medium to large hotels or those with complex operational needs.
Sezam24 offers a straightforward, self-service check-in solution that’s ideal for small, budget-friendly hotels focusing on basic automation. Its ease of use and lower price point suit properties with minimal need for communication or integrations.
If your hotel seeks a versatile, feature-rich platform that can grow with your needs, Akia is the clear winner. For simple, cost-effective self-service check-in, Sezam24 will meet your needs.
In conclusion: choose Akia if automation, integrations, and guest engagement are priorities. Pick Sezam24 if a straightforward, budget-friendly check-in solution suffices for your hotel.
According to HTR's product database, Akia Contactless Check-In and Sezam24 share 16 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Automated Replies | ||
| Chatbot Booking Agent | ||
| Desktop App (non-web based) | ||
| Hotel Website Check-in Portal | ||
| Mobile Friendly | ||
| Photo Sharing | ||
| Whatsapp Integration |
Showing top differences. 8 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 1 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"Automation emphasizes the guests experience at their fingertips. Akia closes the gap of missed opportunities by acting as a liaison to our guest satisfaction efforts. We have been..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
What hoteliers love
The messaging system is prized for facilitating real-time communication with guests, enhancing service quality. It helps staff manage guest requests a... The messaging system is prized for facilitating real-time communication with guests, enhancing service quality. It helps staff manage guest requests and issues promptly, which positively impacts guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Internal team communication and task management features are highlighted as significant benefits. These tools help hotel staff coordinate efficiently,... Internal team communication and task management features are highlighted as significant benefits. These tools help hotel staff coordinate efficiently, track tasks, and manage guest needs more effectively. Users believe improvements could be made in the clarity and usability of these systems.
Reviewers consistently appreciate Akia's contactless check-in feature, stating it makes the check-in process seamless and efficient. This feature redu... Reviewers consistently appreciate Akia's contactless check-in feature, stating it makes the check-in process seamless and efficient. This feature reduces physical interactions, streamlines the guest arrival experience, and ensures compliance with health guidelines, especially valued during the pandemic.
Where hoteliers push back
Many users highlight the benefit of Akia's automated responses which save time and effort. However, several reviews mention that these automated respo... Many users highlight the benefit of Akia's automated responses which save time and effort. However, several reviews mention that these automated responses can sometimes be inaccurate or mistimed, causing confusion for guests and requiring manual intervention from staff.
Users appreciate Akia's integration capabilities with PMS and other systems but desire improvements such as seamless credit card transaction integrati... Users appreciate Akia's integration capabilities with PMS and other systems but desire improvements such as seamless credit card transaction integration and better synchronization features to eliminate duplicated efforts and manual data entry.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Akia Contactless Check-In and Sezam24 share many core Contactless Check-in features, but each has unique capabilities. Akia Contactless Check-In offers 32 verified integration partners, while Sezam24 offers 9. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Sezam24 leads in ease of use at 5.0/5 vs 4.8/5. 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.
Akia Contactless Check-In: No. Sezam24: 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. Akia has an HT Score of 63 and Sezam24 has 0. 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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