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 107 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:
HPE/Aruba shines .
Zingle shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for independent properties (4.8/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile Friendly and Guest History.
Side-by-side ratings based on 107 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 107 |
After analyzing 107 verified reviews, HPE/Aruba users most value its , while Zingle users highlight communication, ease of use, auto messages. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Communication
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Ease of use
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Auto messages
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Response time
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Customization
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Platform integration
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How each product ranks among Guest Messaging Software vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment | HPE/Aruba |
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|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #12 8 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #11 25 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #3 42 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | — | #4 25 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment | HPE/Aruba |
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #10 44 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #8 47 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #8 48 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #11 7 reviews |
By Region
| Segment | HPE/Aruba |
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| North America ▾ | — | #5 103 reviews |
| Europe | — | #18 1 reviews |
Choosing the right guest messaging software is critical for your hotel’s operational efficiency and guest satisfaction. Aruba Central by HPE/Aruba aims to optimize network management, while Medallia Zingle by Zingle focuses entirely on guest communication. Both serve different core purposes, but for guest messaging specifically, Zingle offers more specialized features and a stronger recent track record. Are you prioritizing guest interaction or network management?
Aruba Central is designed primarily for network management, providing real-time analytics and centralized control over hardware like switches, access points, and gateways. It helps IT teams reduce operational costs and streamline infrastructure. In contrast, Zingle is dedicated to guest messaging, boasting a 4.68/5 overall rating from over 100 reviews, last updated within the last six months, with 95% likelihood to recommend.
While Aruba Central offers no recent reviews or ratings, Zingle’s fresh and abundant feedback highlights its relevance for hotels seeking contactless communication solutions. Do you need a platform for guest messaging or network management? If your focus is direct guest engagement, Zingle remains the clear choice.
If your hotel needs a network management tool to oversee extensive wired and wireless systems, Aruba Central is the logical selection. It integrates with hardware, provides real-time analytics, and reduces operational complexity—ideal for large resorts or properties with complex infrastructure.
However, if your goal is to improve guest communication, automate workflows, and boost satisfaction, Zingle is the stronger choice. It’s rated highly across ease of use (4.73/5), customer support (4.58/5), and has a proven track record, especially in creating contactless experiences. For hotels prioritizing guest interaction over infrastructure management, Zingle’s focus and recent positive reviews make it the better fit.
Zingle’s ease of use is rated 4.73/5, based on reviews praising its modern, user-friendly platform, quick onboarding, and intuitive management of guest conversations. Users often share how staff can quickly adapt to its interface with minimal training, making daily operations smoother.
In contrast, Aruba Central’s lack of recent reviews suggests no current data on usability, but historically, network management platforms tend to require specialized training and technical expertise. Given Zingle’s high recent ratings and positive feedback, edge: Zingle.
Zingle offers 21 features exclusive to its platform, including SMS text messaging, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp integrations, automated replies, chatbots, and guest surveys. It also provides guest history, message routing, and analytics dashboards, enabling personalized, automated communication.
Aruba Central has no unique features listed for guest messaging, as it’s primarily a network management solution. Its core features revolve around network analytics and control, not guest interaction. For guest messaging features, Zingle’s extensive and specialized capabilities give it the edge.
Zingle’s customer support scores 4.58/5, with reviews highlighting its legendary responsiveness and excellent customer success team. Users frequently mention quick, helpful responses that make onboarding and troubleshooting easier.
Aruba Central has no recent support ratings available, but historically, network management platforms often require technical support for infrastructure issues. Based on current data, edge: Zingle.
Zingle offers 16 verified integrations, connecting seamlessly with systems like Opera, HotSOS, SiteMinder, and Oracle Hospitality. Its open API and multiple PMS integrations facilitate smooth workflow automation and guest data management.
Aruba Central currently lists no verified partners, limiting its integration scope mainly to hardware and network services. For guest-facing integrations, Zingle clearly leads. Edge: Zingle.
Zingle’s recent reviews reveal an impressive overall rating of 4.68/5, with a net promoter score of 9.46/10, and 95% likelihood to recommend. Independent and branded hotels both rate it highly, with scores averaging around 4.75/5.
Aruba Central lacks recent reviews, indicating less current user feedback. Given the abundant recent positive reviews for Zingle, it’s the more trusted choice for guest messaging. Edge: Zingle.
Both products do not publicly list prices or offer free tiers. Pricing models are likely custom quotes based on hotel size, features needed, and integration scope. Expect to contact sales for tailored quotes.
Not ideal if your focus is enhancing guest engagement rather than managing infrastructure.
Not ideal if your core need is managing hardware or internal network issues.
Aruba Central is a robust network management platform designed to streamline infrastructure oversight, making it ideal for large properties with complex systems. Its lack of recent reviews and focus on network control means it shouldn’t be your first choice for guest messaging.
Zingle, on the other hand, is an established guest engagement platform with a proven track record, especially in creating contactless, automated communication channels. With a high recent rating, extensive features, and positive hotel reviews, it’s best suited for hotels prioritizing guest experience and operational efficiency.
If your hotel’s priority is guest messaging, automation, and guest satisfaction, go with Zingle. If managing your property’s network infrastructure is the goal, Aruba Central is the logical choice. For most hoteliers focused on guest engagement today, Zingle offers a more relevant and tested solution.
According to HTR's product database, Aruba Central and Medallia Zingle share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature | HPE/Aruba |
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| Guest History | ||
| Mobile Friendly | ||
| Open API | ||
| Photo Sharing | ||
| SMS text messaging | ||
| Secured Data Protection |
Showing top differences. 9 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
Users find Zingle excels in facilitating easy and quick communication with guests, allowing issues to be resolved before escalating. This adaptability... Users find Zingle excels in facilitating easy and quick communication with guests, allowing issues to be resolved before escalating. This adaptability has led to elevated guest satisfaction and lessened workload on staff. The ability to handle multiple guest inquiries simultaneously and send mass messages is viewed as a significant strength.
Zingle's user-friendly interface is frequently praised, making it easy for hotel staff to learn and efficiently handle guest messages. This ease of us... Zingle's user-friendly interface is frequently praised, making it easy for hotel staff to learn and efficiently handle guest messages. This ease of use extends to both the web platform and mobile application.
Auto messaging is appreciated for handling routine communications and improving response times. However, there were critiques about auto responses not... Auto messaging is appreciated for handling routine communications and improving response times. However, there were critiques about auto responses not always reflecting the current status accurately, which could lead to guest confusion.
Where hoteliers push back
Users generally appreciate Zingle's customization options for both messages and the platform itself. However, some new users found it challenging to c... Users generally appreciate Zingle's customization options for both messages and the platform itself. However, some new users found it challenging to customize certain features to fit their specific needs, suggesting room for improvement in flexibility.
Although most users are satisfied with Zingle, some have pointed out technical issues such as system crashes, message delays, and synchronization prob... Although most users are satisfied with Zingle, some have pointed out technical issues such as system crashes, message delays, and synchronization problems with PMS, affecting overall efficiency and user experience.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Aruba Central and Medallia Zingle share many core Guest Messaging Software features, but each has unique capabilities. Aruba Central offers 0 verified integration partners, while Medallia Zingle offers 16. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Medallia Zingle leads in ease of use at 4.7/5 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.
Aruba Central: No. Medallia Zingle: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Guest Messaging 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. HPE/Aruba has an HT Score of 0 and Zingle has 19. 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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