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 378 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:
The Guestbook shines in strong partnership and responsive support — especially for casino properties (5.0/5), with exclusive features like Redemption Catalog and Multi-Currency Support.
Side-by-side ratings based on 378 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 378 | 0 |
After analyzing 378 verified reviews, The Guestbook users most value its strong partnership and responsive support, flexible guest rewards and redemption options, guest loyalty and repeat stays, while Wanup users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Strong partnership and responsive support
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Flexible guest rewards and redemption options
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Guest loyalty and repeat stays
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Ease of use for guests and staff
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Need for more customization and control
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Reporting, analytics, and booking insights
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How each product ranks among Loyalty Programs for Independents 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) ▾ | #1 46 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #1 163 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #1 108 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #1 41 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #1 208 reviews | — |
| Luxury ▾ | #1 145 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #1 85 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #1 32 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #1 264 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #2 40 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #1 20 reviews | — |
| Middle East ▾ | #2 7 reviews | — |
The Guestbook and Wanup both position themselves as loyalty programs targeting independent hotels, but their market presence, features, and proven impact diverge sharply. The Guestbook serves over 900 partner hotels across 41 countries with a global rewards network and 4 million registered members, while Wanup offers a curated selection of hotels primarily in Europe but lacks verified hotel partnerships or customer reviews. This makes The Guestbook demonstrably fit for hotels seeking to increase direct bookings and guest loyalty with a mature platform.
Both products aim to help independents compete with larger brands by fostering repeat stays and direct booking via rewards. However, The Guestbook’s flexible cash back options and extensive integrations support operational workflows and marketing goals, whereas Wanup remains unproven with zero reviews or integrations. For hotels requiring a tested, scalable loyalty solution integrated into existing systems, The Guestbook stands out. Wanup’s concept remains unvalidated by hotel operators or measured results.
If your property is an independent or boutique hotel, resort, or small chain seeking a loyalty program with proven ROI, extensive hotel segment coverage, and international reach, The Guestbook is the clear choice based on 378 reviews averaging 4.8 overall and 87 recent reviews rating 4.9. The Guestbook’s flexible rewards, partner network, and case studies across luxury to budget segments support diverse operational needs and direct booking growth.
Wanup currently lacks review data, verified partners, or case studies, so it cannot be recommended for any hotel segment with confidence. If your hotel is in Europe and interested in a newcomer with a boutique approach to loyalty, Wanup may be worth a pilot, but the absence of user feedback and integrations means its operational impact and reliability are unknown.
For properties outside Europe or those prioritizing integration with PMS and booking engines, The Guestbook’s 36 verified partners and open API provide operational advantages that Wanup cannot match. The Guestbook’s data-driven insights and cash-back rewards help maximize conversion and retention, supported by multiple client success stories reporting immediate revenue shifts.
The Guestbook receives an ease of use rating of 4.8/5 from 378 reviews, with recent reviewers praising its straightforward enrollment process and seamless integration into hotel workflows. Both front desk staff and guests find the platform intuitive, reducing training time and errors. Reviewers highlight a user interface that balances simple guest-facing booking incentives with a granular hotelier dashboard for data analysis.
Wanup has no recorded ratings for ease of use or onboarding, leaving no evidence to assess staff adoption or guest experience. Without verified user feedback, it is impossible to determine if Wanup’s interface or processes reduce operational burden or enhance the guest journey.
Edge: Even.
The Guestbook offers 13 distinct features that Wanup does not list or advertise. These include a Redemption Catalog allowing guests to choose rewards such as cash back, future stay credit, or charitable donations, which simplifies guest decision-making and enhances repeat business. Its Multi-Currency Support and Currency Exchange facilitate international guests and bookings in 41 countries, reducing transactional friction.
Operationally, The Guestbook’s Loyalty Rules Engine and Partner Management enable hotels to tailor incentives by season or segment, improving marketing precision and conversion. The Open API supports integration into PMS and booking engines, automating reward validation and reconciliation, which reviewers report reduces manual workload at the front desk and revenue management.
Wanup does not advertise any features explicitly, lacking the depth required to support hotel operations or guest engagement at scale. This absence limits its utility for hotels needing robust loyalty mechanics and flexible reward options.
Edge: The Guestbook.
The Guestbook’s customer support scores 4.9/5 from 378 reviews, with recent scores improving to 4.9 based on 87 reviews. Users describe the support team as responsive, collaborative, and knowledgeable, often acting as an extension of hotel staff. Reviewers emphasize quick resolution of issues, proactive account management, and seamless onboarding processes that minimize disruption.
Wanup has no published customer support ratings or testimonials, making it impossible to evaluate responsiveness or quality. The lack of user-reported experiences suggests limited or untested support capacity.
Edge: Even.
The Guestbook has 36 verified partners including booking engines such as ROIBACK, WebRezPro, Net Affinity / Smarthotel, Bookassist, SHR Group, and Vertical Booking. These integrations allow direct syncing of booking and reward data, reducing manual reconciliation and enabling more accurate guest segmentation and targeting. Hotels operating across multiple regions benefit from The Guestbook’s broad integration ecosystem.
Wanup reports zero verified integrations or partnerships, limiting its connectivity to PMS or booking engines. This restricts automation and operational efficiency for hotels relying on integrated systems.
Edge: The Guestbook.
The Guestbook holds a 4.8 overall rating from 378 reviews, with 87 reviews in the last six months rating it 4.9/5. Hotels across segments from boutique (218 reviews, 4.8) to luxury (147 reviews, 4.9) and resorts (151 reviews, 4.8) consistently rate it highly. Other segments including limited service, city center, airport/conference, and bed & breakfasts also report ratings between 4.7 and 5.0, indicating broad satisfaction.
Wanup has no reviews or ratings available, preventing any comparative analysis or endorsement by hotel users.
Edge: Even.
The Guestbook publishes a base price of $200 per month with no implementation fee or trial offer. Pricing is not per room or a flat monthly fee, which makes costs predictable for independent hotels budgeting loyalty program expenses.
Wanup does not publish any pricing information, leaving buyers without cost transparency or the ability to assess value versus expense.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
The core difference between The Guestbook and Wanup is maturity and proven impact. The Guestbook is a globally deployed loyalty program with 4 million members, verified integration partners, and hundreds of reviews confirming improvements in direct bookings and guest retention. Wanup is a new entrant targeting European boutique hotels but lacks any verified hotel customers or operational evidence.
Choose The Guestbook if your hotel needs a flexible, data-driven loyalty program that integrates into your existing systems, supports multi-currency rewards, and delivers measurable revenue growth. The Guestbook’s extensive partner network and client success stories across multiple segments demonstrate its ability to drive direct booking conversion and guest loyalty.
Choose Wanup only if you are located in Europe and willing to experiment with a new loyalty model focused on travel cash and in-destination privileges, accepting that no user or operational data validates its effectiveness. Wanup’s lack of pricing transparency and integrations means it carries higher risk and operational uncertainty.
The Guestbook’s strong review volume, high ratings, robust features, and integration ecosystem make it the operationally sound choice for independent hotels seeking to build direct relationships and loyalty at scale. Wanup’s concept remains untested and unsupported by hotel users at this time.
Loyalty Programs for Independents 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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| Starting Price | From $200/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.
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Points & Redemption
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| Multi-Currency Support | ||
| Redemption Catalog | ||
| Points Bank | ||
| Currency Exchange | ||
| Future Stay Rewards | ||
| Charitable Donation Rewards | ||
| Cash Back Rewards | ||
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Loyalty Program Customization
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| Loyalty Rules Engine | ||
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Other
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| Partner Management | ||
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We analyzed 8 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"The Guestbook has increased direct bookings for us over the years. They have always been flexible with custom needs to assist our property and our initiatives. The best part is y..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"One of the greatest tools we incorporated in several years!"
No published case study for this goal yet.
What hoteliers love
A frequent positive is the hands-on, responsive Guestbook team and account managers, who are described as collaborative, knowledgeable, and proactive.... A frequent positive is the hands-on, responsive Guestbook team and account managers, who are described as collaborative, knowledgeable, and proactive. Hotels value that the relationship feels like an extension of their staff, especially when setting up the program or resolving issues quickly.
Users love that The Guestbook lets guests choose how to redeem value, especially cash back, future stay credit, gift cards, charity donations, and oth... Users love that The Guestbook lets guests choose how to redeem value, especially cash back, future stay credit, gift cards, charity donations, and other partner rewards. This flexibility is seen as easier for guests to understand than points-based systems and helps create a more compelling loyalty proposition for independents.
A major theme is that The Guestbook helps build repeat business by giving travelers a reason to return and stay within the hotel’s network. Hotels say... A major theme is that The Guestbook helps build repeat business by giving travelers a reason to return and stay within the hotel’s network. Hotels say the program strengthens long-term guest relationships, increases retention, and keeps them competitive with branded chains and OTA loyalty offers.
Where hoteliers push back
Another recurring topic is the desire for more hotel-side control over rewards, rate eligibility, branding, and offer structure. Reviewers want to cus... Another recurring topic is the desire for more hotel-side control over rewards, rate eligibility, branding, and offer structure. Reviewers want to customize incentives by season or segment, exclude certain rates more easily, and tailor the widget or experience to better match their property brand.
A common request is for more detailed and easier-to-use reporting, including better analytics, guest behavior insight, and export options. Hotels want... A common request is for more detailed and easier-to-use reporting, including better analytics, guest behavior insight, and export options. Hotels want clearer visibility into performance, conversions, reward history, and reconciliation data so they can manage the program and prove ROI more effectively.
Unique capabilities
It depends on your requirements. The Guestbook and Wanup share many core Loyalty Programs for Independents features, but each has unique capabilities. The Guestbook offers 36 verified integration partners, while Wanup offers 0. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
The Guestbook: No. Wanup: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Loyalty Programs for Independents 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. The Guestbook has an HT Score of 100 and Wanup 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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