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 42 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 in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile Friendly and Guest History.
SONAS Technologies shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 42 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 42 | 0 |
After analyzing 42 verified reviews, Akia users most value its guest messaging, team communication and task management, contactless check-in, while SONAS Technologies 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
Choosing a contactless check-in solution for your hotel involves evaluating tools that streamline guest arrivals, improve operational efficiency, and enhance guest satisfaction. Akia Contactless Check-In by Akia and Sonas Kiosk Solution by SONAS Technologies both aim to address these challenges but do so through different approaches. Akia specializes in mobile-friendly, communication-focused features with a robust review profile, whereas Sonas offers a self-service kiosk experience with limited review data. What aligns best with your property’s needs?
Both Akia and Sonas aim to reduce physical contact during guest check-in, yet Akia’s platform emphasizes automated guest communication via messaging, integrating seamlessly with PMS, and offering a suite of digital tools. It boasts a 4.95/5 overall rating based on 38 reviews, with recent feedback highlighting its ease of use, excellent support, and extensive feature set. Conversely, Sonas’ solution is primarily a self-service kiosk with no available user reviews, making it difficult to assess its reliability or user satisfaction.
Akia’s recent review count and high ratings make it the more data-backed choice, while Sonas’ lack of recent reviews and zero ratings suggest a less proven track record. Does your hotel prefer a communication-centric platform with proven reviews, or are you seeking a purely kiosk-focused solution with limited publicly available feedback?
If your hotel prioritizes guest communication, automated messaging, and integration with existing systems, Akia is the clear choice. Its features like guest history, messaging guest surveys, and multi-channel communication make it suitable for boutique, branded, and independent hotels seeking to improve operational efficiency and guest experience.
If your hotel needs a straightforward self-service kiosk for quick check-ins without extensive communication features, and if the absence of reviews isn’t a concern, Sonas might fulfill that role. However, given the limited information on Sonas’ user satisfaction and lack of reviews, Akia’s proven track record makes it the more reliable choice for most hoteliers.
Akia’s user ratings demonstrate a highly intuitive experience, with a 4.82/5 ease-of-use score based on 38 reviews, and onboarding ratings at 4.67/5. Users consistently praise Akia’s simple interface, quick onboarding, and minimal staff training needed. Reviewers also mention easy guest communication and automation as key benefits.
Sonas’ lack of reviews and user feedback makes it impossible to objectively compare usability. Given Akia’s proven high ratings and recent review momentum, it holds the edge for hotels seeking an easy-to-implement solution that staff can adopt swiftly.
Akia offers a broad suite of features, including mobile friendliness, photo sharing, chatbot booking, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger integrations, PMS compatibility, automated replies, guest history, ID verification, document scanning, and pre-arrival upselling. These features enable a comprehensive contactless check-in experience, automation, and rich guest engagement.
Sonas’ solution appears limited to self-service kiosk functions, with no detailed feature list or unique capabilities available. The extensive feature count and integration options in Akia give it a decisive advantage, especially for hotels wanting a flexible and feature-rich platform.
Akia’s support and onboarding ratings stand at 4.86/5, with recent reviews praising its knowledgeable, responsive team. Hoteliers appreciate the quick resolution of issues, proactive communication, and ongoing support, making their implementation smoother.
There is no available support or support ratings for Sonas, which raises concerns about post-sale service. The proven high support ratings for Akia suggest it is the stronger choice for hotels valuing dependable assistance during and after onboarding.
Akia integrates with 32 verified partners, including major PMS providers like WebRezPro, innRoad, Stayntouch, and others, ensuring broad compatibility. It also offers features such as door lock integration, payment processing, and digital registration solutions.
Sonas only lists one verified partner, with no details on integrations beyond basic kiosk functionalities. The extensive integration network in Akia makes it better suited for hotels that rely on seamless data flow and existing property systems.
Akia’s ratings are exceptionally high: a 4.95/5 overall score, 38 reviews, and a 97% likelihood to recommend, with recent reviews emphasizing ease of use, support, and operational benefits. The most recent review highlights how Akia improved guest communication, reputation, and operational efficiency.
Sonas has no reviews or ratings, making it impossible to gauge user satisfaction or property-specific feedback. For hoteliers seeking proven satisfaction metrics, Akia’s reviews clearly demonstrate its value.
Both Akia and Sonas do not publicly list their pricing models. Typically, Akia offers a subscription-based approach with no mention of implementation fees or freemium options, while Sonas’ pricing remains undisclosed. For detailed costs, direct inquiries are necessary, but Akia’s transparency with no trial or implementation fees simplifies comparison.
Not ideal if your hotel relies solely on a physical kiosk without a need for communication features or if you require an extensive support network for kiosk hardware.
Not ideal if your hotel values integrated communication, data synchronization, or proven user reviews, as these are absent from Sonas’ offering.
Akia excels as a contactless check-in solution with a proven, highly-rated platform that combines guest communication, automation, and integrations. Its 38 recent reviews and 4.95/5 rating position it as a reliable, well-supported choice for hotels seeking to elevate the guest experience.
Sonas offers a basic self-service kiosk experience but lacks user feedback and detailed features, making it difficult to evaluate its operational effectiveness. For most hotels, especially those prioritizing proven support and extensive features, Akia is the recommended solution.
If your hotel needs a communication-rich, easy-to-use platform with high user satisfaction, Akia is the clear choice. Conversely, if a simple kiosk is all you require and you are comfortable with limited public feedback, Sonas may be sufficient—but proceed with caution given the lack of reviews.
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.
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According to HTR's product database, Akia Contactless Check-In and Sonas Kiosk Solution share 0 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) | ||
| Mobile Friendly | ||
| Photo Sharing | ||
| Whatsapp Integration |
Showing top differences. 23 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.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Akia Contactless Check-In and Sonas Kiosk Solution share many core Contactless Check-in features, but each has unique capabilities. Akia Contactless Check-In offers 32 verified integration partners, while Sonas Kiosk Solution offers 1. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Akia Contactless Check-In 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.
Akia Contactless Check-In: No. Sonas Kiosk Solution: 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 SONAS Technologies 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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