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 395 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:
Softstar shines .
ThinkReservations shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Payment processing and Housekeeping module.
Side-by-side ratings based on 395 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $500/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 395 |
After analyzing 395 verified reviews, Softstar users most value its , while ThinkReservations users highlight customer support, operational efficiency, data and reporting. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Customer Support
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Operational Efficiency
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Data and Reporting
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Integration with OTAs
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Pricing and Fees
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Security Features
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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
| Segment | Softstar |
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|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #4 145 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #9 25 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | — | #6 3 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | — | #5 1 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment | Softstar |
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #7 100 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #7 70 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #7 24 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #11 8 reviews |
By Region
| Segment | Softstar |
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|---|---|---|
| North America ▾ | — | #1 386 reviews |
| Europe | — | #57 0 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #32 0 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #32 0 reviews |
Choosing the right property management system (PMS) is crucial for your hotel's success. Softstar and ThinkReservations both aim to streamline operations, improve guest experiences, and boost revenue, but they serve very different hotel profiles and business needs. Your choice hinges on your property type, feature requirements, and how much support you need to grow.
Softstar offers a niche, less-reviewed solution with AI-driven property management, while ThinkReservations is a well-established platform favored for its extensive features and proven success in the market. Are you looking for a system with proven reliability and a large user base? Or a tailored AI-powered tool that might require more integration work?
Both Softstar and ThinkReservations target property management but differ significantly in their approach and market focus. Softstar emphasizes automation, AI insights, and advanced property management capabilities primarily suited for rental properties and larger portfolios. ThinkReservations, by contrast, provides a comprehensive PMS with booking, channels, and guest communication tools, designed for small to mid-sized hotels and inns.
ThinkReservations holds the advantage in recent reviews, boasting 356 reviews with a 4.88/5 overall rating, and a recent surge in positive feedback in the last six months. Softstar has no reviews or ratings available, making it difficult to assess its current performance or user satisfaction. Given the volume and recency of ThinkReservations' feedback, it clearly has more proven success in the hotel industry.
Are you prioritizing a system proven by current user feedback? Or are you interested in exploring an AI-centric platform with a more limited market presence?
If your hotel needs a robust, fully-featured PMS with a proven track record, ThinkReservations is the clear choice. Its extensive feature set—including channel management, booking engine, automated messaging, and integrations—has been praised by a broad range of hotel types, especially inns and small hotels, for increasing operational efficiency and revenue through upselling.
Softstar might appeal if your property management involves advanced automation, tenant tracking, or AI-driven insights, but without reviews, it’s hard to verify its effectiveness or support network. If reliability, user satisfaction, and ease of use are your priorities, ThinkReservations' extensive positive reviews and high ratings make it the safer investment.
For most hoteliers looking to streamline operations quickly and with confidence, ThinkReservations offers a more proven, comprehensive solution. Is your goal to implement a system with verified success and ongoing support? Or are you exploring a specialized software that might still be in development or niche use?
ThinkReservations consistently earns top marks for ease of use, with a 4.82/5 rating and glowing reviews praising its intuitive interface, onboarding, and customer support. Reviewers describe it as "very easy to navigate" and "like adding another employee," highlighting its user-friendly design and accessible support team.
Softstar, on the other hand, lacks publicly available reviews or ratings, which makes assessing its usability challenging. Without user feedback, it’s difficult to gauge how quickly your team can adopt Softstar or how well it supports staff training.
Edge: ThinkReservations.
ThinkReservations offers 39 distinct features, including channel management, online check-in, guest communication, native email marketing, and revenue tracking tools. These features are designed to enhance daily operations, increase revenue opportunities, and simplify multi-channel distribution.
Softstar, by contrast, does not report any unique or additional features in the available data, focusing instead on AI-driven property management. Its strength appears to be in automation and analytics rather than breadth of features.
Given the extensive feature set and proven integrations, ThinkReservations provides a broader, more immediately usable toolkit for hotels seeking comprehensive management capabilities.
Edge: ThinkReservations.
ThinkReservations consistently receives praise for its support, with a 4.82/5 rating and reviews emphasizing quick, knowledgeable assistance and excellent onboarding. Many users describe the support team as "accessible" and "helpful," which is critical during initial setup and ongoing operations.
Softstar has no available review data or ratings, making it impossible to assess its support quality. Launching a new system without verified support could pose risks, especially if issues arise during onboarding or peak seasons.
Edge: ThinkReservations.
ThinkReservations boasts 16 verified integrations, including major OTAs like Airbnb, Expedia, and TripAdvisor, plus tools such as Sojern, TrustYou, and OpenKey. These integrations are well-documented and frequently praised, helping hotels expand distribution and streamline operations.
Softstar has no verified integrations reported, which could limit its ability to connect with other essential systems. For hotels relying on multiple online channels, this lack of connectivity might hinder overall efficiency.
Edge: ThinkReservations.
Because Softstar has no reviews, we must rely on ThinkReservations’ 356 reviews, with a 4.88/5 rating, and recent positive feedback. Hoteliers across segments, especially inns and boutique hotels, report significant improvements in revenue, guest satisfaction, and operational efficiency with ThinkReservations.
Softstar’s lack of reviews prevents any current user rating assessment. Based on available data, ThinkReservations is the preferred choice for hoteliers seeking validated satisfaction and proven performance.
Edge: ThinkReservations.
Softstar’s pricing is not publicly available, which suggests it might be customized or in a more niche phase. ThinkReservations charges a flat $500 monthly fee, with no additional implementation or per-room charges, making its costs predictable.
For hotels seeking transparent, upfront pricing, ThinkReservations offers clarity. The absence of pricing details for Softstar makes it difficult to evaluate value for money at this stage.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
The core difference between Softstar and ThinkReservations lies in their market focus and user validation. Softstar offers an AI-enhanced property management approach, but it lacks recent reviews or a proven track record in the hotel industry.
ThinkReservations, by contrast, is a mature, well-reviewed PMS that has helped hundreds of small to mid-sized hotels increase revenue and operational efficiency. Its extensive feature set, support, and integrations make it a clear choice for most hotels seeking a reliable management platform.
If your priority is stability, proven performance, and a system trusted by hundreds of hotels, go with ThinkReservations. Its recent reviews and high ratings back up its ability to meet your needs today.
Choose Softstar if you’re exploring AI-driven automation for large rental portfolios and are prepared to navigate less proven support and features, but be aware that its market presence and user feedback are currently limited.
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.
| Softstar |
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| Starting Price | — | From $500/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Softstar and ThinkReservations PMS share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature | Softstar |
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| Booking Engine | ||
| Calendar view | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Custom rates | ||
| EPoS | ||
| Payment processing |
Showing top differences. 27 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.
No published case study for this goal yet.
"I became aware of ThinkReservations at a trade show in the US, and I could see right away that it would help Blue Tang Inn streamline our operations, increase our booking and upsel..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"ThinkReservations Digital Registration has streamlined our check in process, making my job so much easier. Being able to ask guests for their ID and credit card ahead of time, agre..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"We try to take care of all the needs of our guests so that they have an experience rather than just a stay"
What hoteliers love
Though already noted as excellent by many, a few reviews express the desire for additional support on weekends to better handle urgent inquiries.
ThinkReservations aids in streamlining operations through digital registration, night audits, and easy management of booking and check-in processes, a... ThinkReservations aids in streamlining operations through digital registration, night audits, and easy management of booking and check-in processes, allowing staff to focus more on guest interactions.
The system offers comprehensive data and reporting features, enabling hoteliers to make informed decisions on pricing, guest satisfaction, and strateg... The system offers comprehensive data and reporting features, enabling hoteliers to make informed decisions on pricing, guest satisfaction, and strategy planning.
Where hoteliers push back
Some reviews highlight issues with the pricing structure, including dissatisfaction with channel manager fees and the high price of features like Thin... Some reviews highlight issues with the pricing structure, including dissatisfaction with channel manager fees and the high price of features like ThinkMessenger.
Mandatory two-step authentication is a point of frustration for some users, who find it burdensome and wish for lower security settings.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Softstar and ThinkReservations PMS share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. Softstar offers 0 verified integration partners, while ThinkReservations PMS offers 16. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. ThinkReservations PMS leads in ease of use at 4.8/5 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.
Softstar: No. ThinkReservations 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. Softstar has an HT Score of 0 and ThinkReservations has 89. 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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