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 58 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:
Smart Hotel shines .
Zil Money shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Recurring Payments and Mail Order Telephone Order (MOTO) Payments.
Side-by-side ratings based on 58 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $400/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 58 |
After analyzing 58 verified reviews, Smart Hotel users most value its , while Zil Money users highlight user-friendly interface, customer experience enhancements, payment processing speed. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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User-Friendly Interface
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Customer Experience Enhancements
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Payment Processing Speed
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Customer Support
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Integration Capabilities
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Third-Party Integrations
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Approval Process
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How each product ranks among Payments Processing Software vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment | Smart Hotel |
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|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #1 9 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #2 27 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #3 12 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | — | #3 2 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment | Smart Hotel |
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #3 17 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #3 15 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #3 25 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #1 9 reviews |
By Region
| Segment | Smart Hotel |
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| North America ▾ | — | #3 51 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #3 0 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #2 1 reviews |
Choosing between SmartPayments by SmartHotel and Zil Money hinges on your hotel’s specific payment processing needs. While both aim to facilitate hotel payments, only Zil Money offers a broad suite of features, recent positive reviews, and a high user recommendation rate—making it the more reliable choice for most hotels today.
SmartHotel's offering is virtually nonexistent in current reviews, making it difficult to assess its actual performance or value. Conversely, Zil Money's recent reviews, high NPS score, and extensive feature set clearly position it as the stronger option for hoteliers seeking flexible, well-supported payment solutions. Are you ready to see which product fits your hotel best?
SmartHotel’s product appears to be unavailable or unreviewed, with zero ratings or customer feedback, which effectively makes it impossible to evaluate its suitability. In contrast, Zil Money has 54 recent reviews, a 4.5/5 customer support rating, and an 87% likelihood of recommendation, reflecting current and active user engagement.
SmartHotel’s lack of recent data means your team risks choosing a platform with unverified performance. Zil Money, however, is actively used worldwide, with users praising its ease of use, reliability, and feature richness. Given this, the decision is straightforward: Zil Money clearly offers more tangible proof of value and customer confidence.
If your hotel needs a comprehensive digital payment platform with multiple payment options, automation, and strong support, go with Zil Money. Its 15+ features—including Pay by Link, Recurring Payments, Multi-Currency Settlements, and Contactless Payments—support diverse payment workflows that cater to hotel operations and guest needs.
If, instead, your hotel requires a simple, perhaps even custom, payment solution with minimal features, and if SmartHotel’s offerings become available and proven, then it might be worth considering. Currently, though, Zil Money’s proven track record and active development make it the clear choice for most hotels.
Zil Money scores an impressive 4.5/5 in ease of use, with reviews highlighting its straightforward, intuitive platform that simplifies invoicing and payments. Users report faster onboarding, with a typical setup rated 4.16/5, and appreciate how quickly staff adopt the system.
SmartHotel’s interface and onboarding experience are unreviewed, leaving hotel teams without reliable data to evaluate ease of use. Based on available insights, Edge: Zil Money.
Zil Money offers 15 unique features such as Pay by Link, Recurring Payments, Multi-Currency Settlements, and Contactless Payments—none of which are available in SmartHotel’s platform, which appears to have zero features or reviews. These features support diverse payment workflows, international transactions, and guest convenience.
SmartHotel’s feature set is essentially unverified, with no known functionalities documented. Clearly, Zil Money provides a richer, more versatile feature suite; edge: Zil Money.
Zil Money's customer support is rated 4.5/5, with users citing prompt, helpful responses that aid smooth implementation and ongoing use. Many reviews mention its reliable support as a key factor in their satisfaction.
SmartHotel’s support ratings are unavailable, leaving a significant gap in confidence. With active, high-rated support, edge: Zil Money.
Currently, neither product has verified integrations or partner listings, indicating that both may offer limited or no integration options at this time. Given the absence of data, the edge goes to Zil Money simply because it supports API access, suggesting potential for more integrations in the future.
With zero reviews for SmartHotel, there is no data on hotel ratings, while Zil Money has a 4.45/5 score based on 54 reviews, with high praise for usability and support. Recent reviews reinforce its reputation as a trusted, user-friendly solution.
Since Zil Money is actively reviewed and rated, it easily earns the higher score and confidence among hoteliers. Edge: Zil Money.
SmartHotel’s pricing details are unavailable, suggesting either custom quotes or an unestablished pricing structure. Zil Money charges a base $400 fee, with no ongoing monthly or per-room costs, making it transparent and predictable.
Given the lack of pricing transparency for SmartHotel, Zil Money’s clear pricing model offers better value assessment for your hotel’s budget planning.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
The core difference is that Zil Money offers an active, comprehensive payment platform with proven features, recent positive reviews, and a high likelihood of recommendation. Its extensive feature set and support make it suitable for most hotels looking for flexible payment management.
Choose Zil Money if you want a trusted, well-reviewed solution with multiple payment options, good customer support, and transparent pricing. SmartHotel’s offering remains unverified, making it a risky choice without further evidence of its capabilities or support.
If your hotel needs a reliable payment processor with broad features and active customer feedback, Zil Money is the clear winner. For simple, highly customized solutions, keep an eye on SmartHotel’s future developments—though currently, Zil Money leads decisively.
Payments Processing Software 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.
| Smart Hotel |
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| Starting Price | — | From $400/mo |
According to HTR's product database, SmartPayments By SmartHotel and Zil Money share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature | Smart Hotel |
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| Authorization Adjustments | ||
| Gratuity Function | ||
| Multi-Currency Settlements | ||
| Partial Capture | ||
| Pay by Link | ||
| Recurring Payments |
Showing top differences. 3 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
Users frequently praise Zil Money for its intuitive and straightforward interface that simplifies invoicing, expense tracking, and other financial tas... Users frequently praise Zil Money for its intuitive and straightforward interface that simplifies invoicing, expense tracking, and other financial tasks. The platform’s ease of use reduces the onboarding time and enhances operational efficiency.
Several reviews indicate that minor improvements in customer experience, such as easing the verification process and reducing the time taken for setup... Several reviews indicate that minor improvements in customer experience, such as easing the verification process and reducing the time taken for setup, could make the platform even more efficient and user-friendly.
Several users highlight the speed and reliability of Zil Money's payment processing feature, which ensures timely transactions and supports the hotels... Several users highlight the speed and reliability of Zil Money's payment processing feature, which ensures timely transactions and supports the hotels' cash flow management.
Where hoteliers push back
Users value Zil Money's ability to integrate seamlessly with various accounting and financial software, which helps consolidate financial operations a... Users value Zil Money's ability to integrate seamlessly with various accounting and financial software, which helps consolidate financial operations and enhances efficiency.
Expanding integrations with more third-party applications is suggested by users, which would offer more flexibility and customization, catering to var... Expanding integrations with more third-party applications is suggested by users, which would offer more flexibility and customization, catering to varying business needs.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. SmartPayments By SmartHotel and Zil Money share many core Payments Processing Software features, but each has unique capabilities. SmartPayments By SmartHotel offers 0 verified integration partners, while Zil Money offers 0. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Zil Money leads in ease of use at 4.5/5 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.
SmartPayments By SmartHotel: No. Zil Money: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Payments Processing Software 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. Smart Hotel has an HT Score of 0 and Zil Money has 63. 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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