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More than 50% of Safara’s reviews come from United States.
Bell - AI powered product analyst
I analyzed all of Safara’s product reviews, expert recommendations, features, capabilities, pricing, integrations and more to produce the below summary.
Hoteliers say
Hoteliers like Safara's seamless booking process, which enhances direct bookings by reducing abandonment rates through an intuitive interface. Its flexible integration boosts conversion rates and improves the customer experience by allowing non-room bookings directly. Safara's responsive design ensures functionality across all devices. However, users desire advanced data analytics, customizable branding features, and incorporation of marketing tools to further increase revenue and reduce costs.
Founded in 2021 | Headquarters in New York (United States) | 54 employees
Safara is a booking engine designed to enhance your hotel's online presence by enabling direct bookings through your marketing website. This software increases conversions by supporting alternate payment methods, making the booking process seamless for guests. Safara integrates effortlessly with your existing Central Reservation System (CRS) or Property Management System (PMS) to pull real-time inventory, ensuring up-to-date availability and pricing. Additionally, Safara is developing a digital shopping cart to allow hotels to market and sell a comprehensive range of on-property and nearby offerings, enhancing guest experiences and boosting revenue.
Powered by AI
This description was generated by AI which analyzed the following sources to summarize a description of Safara products, features and capabilities. Leveraging user generated verified data sources allows us to generate a more helpful and realistic description for hoteliers free of sales promotion and hyperbole.
Sources
Verified hotelier reviews
We analyze all verified product reviews as a way to understand and summarize what real users/hoteliers are saying about the product to provide a more accurate and relevant description for buyers than only what vendors provide.
We analyze recommendations from industry experts who we ask to describe the most valuable features and capabilities of the product as well as key differentiators and what types of hotels the product works best for to extract unique insights and perspective for buyers.
While its important to incorporate analysis from verified user reviews and industry experts to create more balanced content, the way a vendor describes their overall company and vision can also shed light on their unique perspective or way of doing business which is why the AI ingests this information as well to add more context to paint a picture of what the company says vs what users and industry experts say.
Safara's Provided Description:
"Safara is a hotel booking platform that powers seamless travel experiences for guests and hoteliers around the world. Since launch in 2022, Safara has built best-in-class software designed with hoteliers in mind, connecting them to a network of high-value travelers. Safara’s consumer-facing platform curates the world's best hotels and rewards guests with cashback on every booking. With a focus on modern, tech-enabled hospitality, our Safara 360 hotel-facing platform provides hotels with tools to drive direct demand, enhance the guest experience, and build brand loyalty.
Backed by Sequoia Capital, defy.vc, Thayer Ventures, H20, and other adventurers."
Not sure if Safara is right for your hotel? Here are similar Booking Engine vendors that could be a good fit for your hotel:
Capabilities
Make Your Website Your #1 Channel
Make Your Website Your #1 Channel
Boost your bottom line by increasing conversions and decreasing distribution costs with an improved, streamlined checkout experience for your guests.
Keep Your Brand at the Core
Keep Your Brand at the Core
With over 100 configuration options, let your property’s unique design, branding, and vision create a cohesive and intuitive booking experience that builds trust between you and your guests.
Deliver Tailored Experiences
Deliver Tailored Experiences
Enhance the guest experience by gathering both permanent preferences, like a feather allergy, and personalized reservation requests, such as celebrating a honeymoon or birthday. Safara 360 delivers these details, allowing you to further strengthen the relationship with your guests.
Keep Revenue In Your Pockets
Keep Revenue In Your Pockets
When you list your property on Safara, we don’t take any of your booking revenue, letting you maximize profits while maintaining full control over your bookings. More money in your pocket means more opportunities to invest in your property and guest experience.
Reach Our Valuable Bookers
Reach Our Valuable Bookers
List your property on Safara to reach 60,000+ millennial and Gen Z users. With more than five bookings per year and around $400 ADR, these frequent travelers are engaged and ready to book.
Give Your Guests Control
Give Your Guests Control
Guests can view, modify, and cancel reservations—whether they booked directly or through Safara—all from one seamless platform. Keep everything in one place for an effortless experience.
Stay Connected
Stay Connected
Direct bookers on your website can now unlock the convenience of an in-app experience. Guests will receive a hotel-branded SMS confirming their reservation and an invite to the Safara app to manage it.
Boost your bottom line by increasing conversions and decreasing distribution costs with an improved, streamlined checkout experience for your guests that is easily integrated directly into your website. Gain valuable insights into where drop-offs occur and understand key metrics to make smarter, data-driven decisions to increase the share of direct reservations.
List your property on Safara and reach 60,000+ millennial and Gen Z users with more than five bookings per year and around $400 ADR. The best part? We don’t take any of your booking revenue, letting you maximize profits while maintaining full control over your bookings.
Give your guests the digital experience they expect from the big-name brands. Guests will receive a hotel-branded SMS confirming their reservation and an invite to the Safara app, where they can view, modify, and cancel reservations—whether they booked directly or through Safara—all in one seamless platform.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Mid-sized hotels, often evaluated due to its robust real-time inventory management across multiple OTAs and ease of use, though some users note occasional sync delays and a learning curve for new staff.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Large hotels due to its comprehensive channel management capabilities that streamline rate and availability updates across multiple OTAs, while both brands offer support that can vary in responsiveness during peak periods.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Mid-sized hotels, often evaluated due to its robust real-time inventory management across multiple OTAs and ease of use, though some users note occasional sync delays and a learning curve for new staff.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Large hotels due to its comprehensive channel management capabilities that streamline rate and availability updates across multiple OTAs, while both brands offer support that can vary in responsiveness during peak periods.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for luxury hotels, primarily due to its robust channel management capabilities and real-time synchronization with multiple OTAs, although some users note potential delays in PMS integration affecting peak-time availability accuracy.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Vacation-Rentals-Villas hotels due to its user-friendly interface and effective channel management, which simplifies connecting to multiple OTAs and helps prevent overbooking, although some users note integration challenges with certain property management systems.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Conference hotels due to its strong channel management capabilities, seamless integration with Property Management Systems (PMS), and reliable customer support, though its suitability may vary depending on specific integration needs and pricing considerations.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for luxury hotels, primarily due to its robust channel management capabilities and real-time synchronization with multiple OTAs, although some users note potential delays in PMS integration affecting peak-time availability accuracy.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Vacation-Rentals-Villas hotels due to its user-friendly interface and effective channel management, which simplifies connecting to multiple OTAs and helps prevent overbooking, although some users note integration challenges with certain property management systems.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Conference hotels due to its strong channel management capabilities, seamless integration with Property Management Systems (PMS), and reliable customer support, though its suitability may vary depending on specific integration needs and pricing considerations.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for small hotels due to its comprehensive support system and streamlined channel management, though challenges with onboarding and occasional technical support delays have been reported.
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for small hotels due to its comprehensive support system and streamlined channel management, though challenges with onboarding and occasional technical support delays have been reported.
Cendyn is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Us hotels due to its strong integration capabilities with third-party platforms, which enhance reservation management and help streamline operations across various hotel systems, though some users indicate a need for more customizable reporting options.
Cendyn is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Us hotels due to its strong integration capabilities with third-party platforms, which enhance reservation management and help streamline operations across various hotel systems, though some users indicate a need for more customizable reporting options.
Safara is ranked #33 of 35 for Mid-sized in Booking Engine6 reviews, 100% recommendPopular alternatives: SiteMinder, Profitroom, Exely and 31 others
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Mid-sized hotels, often evaluated due to its robust real-time inventory management across multiple OTAs and ease of use, though some users note occasional sync delays and a learning curve for new staff.
Mid-sized hotels say that Safara's Booking Engine ranks highly in verified HotelTechReport reviews for its seamless integration, improved conversion rates, and enhanced guest booking experience. Mid-sized hotels appreciate the compatibility with various systems and the consistent customer support provided by Safara.
Safara is ranked #11 of 21 for Large in Booking Engine16 reviews, 100% recommendPopular alternatives: SiteMinder, Profitroom, Cendyn and 17 others
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Large hotels due to its comprehensive channel management capabilities that streamline rate and availability updates across multiple OTAs, while both brands offer support that can vary in responsiveness during peak periods.
Large hotels say that Safara's Booking Engine ranks highly in verified HotelTechReport reviews due to its strong conversion optimization, intuitive user interface, and seamless integration with hotel tech. These aspects facilitate direct bookings and enhance the guest booking experience.
By hotel type
Safara is ranked #19 of 36 for Luxury Hotels in Booking Engine20 reviews, 100% recommendPopular alternatives: SiteMinder, Profitroom, Cendyn and 32 others
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for luxury hotels, primarily due to its robust channel management capabilities and real-time synchronization with multiple OTAs, although some users note potential delays in PMS integration affecting peak-time availability accuracy.
Luxury hotels say that Safara's Booking Engine ranks highly due to its streamlined user interface, responsive customer support, and integration flexibility, as reflected in verified HotelTechReport reviews. Luxury properties appreciate these features for enhancing conversion rates and direct bookings.
Safara is ranked #7 of 18 for Vacation Rentals & Villas in Booking Engine9 reviews, 100% recommendPopular alternatives: SiteMinder, Profitroom, Cendyn and 14 others
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Vacation-Rentals-Villas hotels due to its user-friendly interface and effective channel management, which simplifies connecting to multiple OTAs and helps prevent overbooking, although some users note integration challenges with certain property management systems.
Vacation-Rentals-Villas hotels say that Safara's Booking Engine ranks highly due to its seamless integration, high conversion rates, and responsive design. According to verified HotelTechReport reviews, these strengths are vital for enhancing direct bookings in the Vacation-Rentals-Villas sector.
Safara is ranked #23 of 34 for Airport/Conference Hotels in Booking Engine12 reviews, 100% recommendPopular alternatives: SiteMinder, Profitroom, Exely and 30 others
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Conference hotels due to its strong channel management capabilities, seamless integration with Property Management Systems (PMS), and reliable customer support, though its suitability may vary depending on specific integration needs and pricing considerations.
Conference hotels say that Safara’s Booking Engine ranks highly in verified HotelTechReport reviews for its ability to enhance conversion rates and simplify direct bookings. Recurring strengths include exceptional customer service and seamless integration with existing hotel technologies, essential for Conference operations.
By region
Safara is ranked #9 of 17 for North America in Booking Engine26 reviews, 100% recommendPopular alternatives: SiteMinder, Cendyn, Aven Hospitality and 13 others
SiteMinder is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for small hotels due to its comprehensive support system and streamlined channel management, though challenges with onboarding and occasional technical support delays have been reported.
Hotels in North America say that Safara's Booking Engine is a transformative tool for boosting conversion rates and streamlining the guest booking experience. Its intuitive, seamless integration with hotel websites keeps users engaged without redirecting them, which is particularly crucial for properties prioritizing direct bookings over third-party channels. While the tool is praised for its user-friendliness and customer service, enhancements such as more advanced customization options, improved reporting, and dynamic messaging capabilities could further meet the operational needs and competitive demands faced by North American hotels.
By country
Safara is ranked #9 of 15 for United States in Booking Engine25 reviews, 100% recommendPopular alternatives: Cendyn, SiteMinder, Aven Hospitality and 11 others
Cendyn is commonly considered an alternative to Safara for Us hotels due to its strong integration capabilities with third-party platforms, which enhance reservation management and help streamline operations across various hotel systems, though some users indicate a need for more customizable reporting options.
Hotels in the United States say that Safara’s Booking Engine is highly valued for its seamless integration and conversion-focused design, which aligns with the operational need to capture direct bookings and reduce reliance on OTAs. The product's user-friendly interface and high-touch customer support offer an intuitive booking experience, crucial for maintaining brand identity and building trust with guests. However, further enhancements such as advanced customization options and deeper reporting capabilities are desired for meeting the complex preferences and strategic goals of U.S. properties.
Branded Hotels
97%
recommended by
3
Branded Hotels
Limited Service & Budget Hotels
97%
recommended by
3
Limited Service & Budget Hotels
Casinos
100%
recommended by
1
Casinos
Hostels
100%
recommended by
1
Hostels
Achievements
Trending Product
This vendor's trending score is rising, Safara is the #139 most trending product in the Booking Engine category (out of 151) and the #2640 most trending product overall in the global hotel tech ecosystem. HTR assesses vendor's real time activity in the market to give buyers a sense of whether a product is gaining momentum
This vendor has not met the minimum criteria for the Certificate of Excellence which is awarded to vendors who exemplify transparent cultures and come highly recommended by their clients. For more information, please see the help center.
Hotel Tech Score is a composite ranking comprising of key signals such as: user satisfaction, review quantity, review recency, and vendor submitted information to help buyers better understand their products.
This product is priced higher than the average product in the category which is usually an indicator that it is a premium product with enhanced functionality designed for more complex operations and use cases and larger properties.
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Safara’s booking engine stands out for its exceptional customer service—responsive, proactive, and always willing to troubleshoot issues quickly. It’s also optimized for conversion, making it easy for guests to complete their bookings with minimal friction.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
A key area for improvement is the ability to customize messaging based on the dates a guest selects. Tailoring promotions or alerts dynamically such as highlighting special offers or availability constraints would make the booking experience more engaging and informative.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
5.0/5
Implementation
4.0/5
Safara’s booking engine stands out for its exceptional customer service—responsive, proactive, and always willing to troubleshoot issues quickly. It’s also optimized for conversion, making it easy for guests to complete their bookings with minimal friction.
Safara’s booking engine streamlines the reservation process, enhancing user conversion by keeping users on the same site instead of redirecting them elsewhere. This seamless experience fosters trust and reduces drop-off, making it an invaluable tool for direct bookings.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
One area for improvement is dedicated landing pages for special offers and corporate negotiated rates. Providing a clear, tailored experience for these bookings would enhance usability and drive even stronger conversion rates.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
5.0/5
Implementation
5.0/5
Safara’s booking engine streamlines the reservation process, enhancing user conversion by keeping users on the same site instead of redirecting them elsewhere. This seamless experience fosters trust and reduces drop-off, making it an invaluable tool for direct bookings.
Safara is a great tool for driving higher conversion rates and making direct bookings more seamless. It’s easy to install and works well with other hotel tech tools, like CRM systems, to support shopping cart abandonment recovery. The platform is also straightforward to use, and the team is responsive and helpful.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
Adding more robust reporting would provide better insights into performance and guest behavior. It would also be helpful to have a way to incorporate video content into the booking experience to create a more engaging and informative experience for travelers.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
5.0/5
Implementation
5.0/5
Safara is a great tool for driving higher conversion rates and making direct bookings more seamless. It’s easy to install and works well with other hotel tech tools, like CRM systems, to support shopping cart abandonment recovery. The platform is also straightforward to use, and the team is responsive and helpful.
Having worked with numerous booking engines throughout my career at various independent hotels, Safara stands out significantly. The impact on our conversion rates has been remarkable since implementation. The streamlined, intuitive checkout process has dramatically reduced abandonment rates at a time when capturing direct bookings is more crucial than ever for our bottom line. What particularly impresses me is the clean, fast interface that presents our room options in a way that naturally guides guests through the booking process. The speed of the checkout experience is exceptional—guests can complete their booking in just a few steps, which is critical for capturing those high-value, last-minute reservations that might otherwise be lost to OTAs. I appreciate how the booking widget maintains our hotel's unique brand identity throughout the booking journey, creating confidence and trust with potential guests. This has been particularly valuable in helping us shift more bookings to our direct channel, improving our overall channel mix and reducing commission costs. The responsive design works flawlessly across all devices, which is essential considering the significant portion of bookings that now come through mobile.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
Coming from a chain hotel environment, I miss some of the advanced chain-level booking features like centralized date searches across multiple properties, where guests can easily see availability across the brand in one place. Larger booking engines typically provide centralized control to manage promotions, availability, and rate parity at the brand level, while still allowing individual properties room for customizations. Introducing features like these would make Safara even more attractive for small to mid-sized hotel groups that want the best of both worlds.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
5.0/5
Implementation
5.0/5
Having worked with numerous booking engines throughout my career at various independent hotels, Safara stands out significantly. The impact on our conversion rates has been remarkable since implementation. The streamlined, intuitive checkout process has dramatically reduced abandonment rates at a time when capturing direct bookings is more...
Safara's booking engine has revolutionized our ability to capture additional revenue beyond just room bookings. The standout feature for us has been the capability to sell non-room inventory directly within the booking widget. Our guests can now seamlessly book restaurant reservations and spa appointments alongside their room, all in one streamlined transaction. Since implementing this integrated approach, we've seen a substantial increase in both restaurant and spa reservations, significantly boosting our non-room revenue contribution. What makes this functionality particularly valuable is how intuitive it is for guests. The booking flow naturally guides them to consider these additional services without feeling pushy or overwhelming. The quick loading times and frictionless experience encourage guests to explore all our offerings rather than just booking a room and leaving the site. The Safara team provided excellent support in setting up these additional inventory types, ensuring everything works smoothly within our existing operations. The ability to showcase our full property experience in one booking widget has not only increased revenue but also enhanced the overall guest experience before they even arrive.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
While the current system works well, having more advanced inventory management tools specifically for non-room items would further enhance the experience. The ability to create bundled packages that combine rooms with spa or dining experiences could be a valuable addition to drive even more ancillary revenue.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
5.0/5
Implementation
5.0/5
Safara's booking engine has revolutionized our ability to capture additional revenue beyond just room bookings. The standout feature for us has been the capability to sell non-room inventory directly within the booking widget. Our guests can now seamlessly book restaurant reservations and spa appointments alongside their room, all in one st...
Safara's booking engine has transformed our hotel's direct booking experience with its intuitive user interface that seamlessly integrates with our website's aesthetic. Since implementation, we've seen a significant increase in conversion rates and direct bookings. The clean, user-friendly format displays our inventory and pricing attractively. What truly stands out is the exceptional mobile experience—guests can complete their bookings quickly and efficiently on any device without being redirected to a third-party site, maintaining the consistent brand experience throughout their journey. The booking widget feels like a natural extension of our website, creating a cohesive booking process that guests appreciate. Safara's customer support team has been exceptionally responsive and proactive, consistently offering innovative suggestions to enhance our booking process. What do you dislike or think could be improved? While Safara excels in most areas, adding date-specific messaging capabilities within the booking flow would enhance our marketing efforts. Currently, we can only add general messages for guests. Additional customization options for the booking interface would also provide greater flexibility to match our evolving brand identity.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
While Safara excels in most areas, adding date-specific messaging capabilities within the booking flow would enhance our marketing efforts. Currently, we can only add general messages for guests. Additional customization options for the booking interface would also provide greater flexibility to match our evolving brand identity.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
5.0/5
Implementation
5.0/5
Safara's booking engine has transformed our hotel's direct booking experience with its intuitive user interface that seamlessly integrates with our website's aesthetic. Since implementation, we've seen a significant increase in conversion rates and direct bookings. The clean, user-friendly format displays our inventory and pricing attractiv...
Personally I find it to be a useful platform for connecting with potential guests. The integration with our booking system is smooth, and the platform’s clean layout makes it easy for guests to find what they need.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
Would be great if we were allowed more flexibility in setting special rates or promotions for our property. Additionally, I think having a way to directly communicate with guests through the platform could help improve the overall guest experience.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
5.0/5
Implementation
5.0/5
Personally I find it to be a useful platform for connecting with potential guests. The integration with our booking system is smooth, and the platform’s clean layout makes it easy for guests to find what they need.
Safara brings in good exposure for our property, which helps us reach a wider audience. The platform is easy for guests to navigate, and the booking process is seamless.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
One area for improvement would be more responsive customer service, especially when issues arise. It’d also be nice if we were provided more detailed analytics to help us understand our performance better and make improvements.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
5.0/5
Implementation
5.0/5
Safara brings in good exposure for our property, which helps us reach a wider audience. The platform is easy for guests to navigate, and the booking process is seamless.
Safara makes everything so seamless for our guests. Upselling is inherent to the booking flow. No more linking off to other websites. The ability to make deep links for promotions and offers is second-to-none.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
The only thing I wish was seamless is the integration with The Guest Book - this is our loyalty program.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
N/A
Implementation
N/A
Safara makes everything so seamless for our guests. Upselling is inherent to the booking flow. No more linking off to other websites. The ability to make deep links for promotions and offers is second-to-none.
The booking engine provided by this vendor is incredibly intuitive and efficient. It has significantly improved our reservation process, reducing manual work and enhancing the guest booking experience. The seamless integration with our existing systems ensures smooth operation, minimizing errors and boosting overall efficiency. Additionally, the real-time availability updates and user-friendly interface make it easy for both our staff and guests to use.
What do you dislike or think could be improved?
While the booking engine is highly functional, adding more customization options for branding and layout would be a great enhancement. Having the ability to tailor the design more closely to our brand identity would create a more cohesive user experience. Additionally, more detailed analytics and reporting tools within the dashboard would be valuable in helping us refine our marketing and pricing strategies.
5.0
Excellent
Ease of Use
5.0/5
Customer Support
5.0/5
ROI
5.0/5
Implementation
5.0/5
The booking engine provided by this vendor is incredibly intuitive and efficient. It has significantly improved our reservation process, reducing manual work and enhancing the guest booking experience. The seamless integration with our existing systems ensures smooth operation, minimizing errors and boosting overall efficiency. Additionally...
Safara has not yet had their customer support processes certified by Hotel Tech Report. We recommend referencing the GCSC rubric during your demo call to make sure that this vendor has strong processes in place to support customers.