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 17 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:
LIKE MAGIC stands out with exclusive features like Mobile access on any device.
Side-by-side ratings based on 17 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Likelihood to Recommend |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Value for Money |
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $1,100/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 1 | 16 |
How each product ranks among Staff Collaboration Tools vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment |
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #7 7 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #12 6 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | — | #22 2 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #18 1 reviews | — |
By Property Type
| Segment |
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #15 7 reviews |
| Luxury | #26 1 reviews | #23 2 reviews |
| Branded / Chain | — | #25 1 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #8 8 reviews |
By Region
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| North America | — | #30 0 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #5 15 reviews |
| Middle East | #10 1 reviews | — |
Avaya and LIKE MAGIC both target hotel staff collaboration but diverge sharply in scope and fit. Avaya is a broad unified communications platform emphasizing IP telephony and contact center solutions suitable for properties with established network infrastructure and a need for advanced voice and video communication tools. In contrast, LIKE MAGIC is a dedicated hotel operations platform focused on digitizing and automating staff workflows in real time, with a strong feature set tailored specifically for hospitality operations from housekeeping to front office.
Both products solve the challenge of improving internal communication and operational efficiency. Avaya achieves this through integrated telephony and messaging across the enterprise, while LIKE MAGIC centralizes task management, guest communication, and operational workflows on a mobile-first platform. The choice rests on whether the hotel prioritizes comprehensive voice communications (Avaya) or integrated, digital task and guest experience management (LIKE MAGIC).
If you run a small to mid-sized European or Asia Pacific property focused on operational digitization—especially extended stay or serviced apartments where task automation and guest self-service matter—choose LIKE MAGIC. This is supported by its 16 reviews with an average 5/5 rating, especially strong in extended stay (5/5 across 8 reviews) and boutique hotels (4.9/5 across 7 reviews). LIKE MAGIC’s feature set including real-time task tracking, mobile access, and multi-property monitoring aligns with properties seeking to streamline operations and reduce staffing, as documented in case studies.
If your hotel requires a robust, enterprise-grade telephony and unified communications solution, particularly with existing network infrastructure and a need for contact center functionality, Avaya is a fit. However, data here is limited to one 4.5/5 review from a city center budget hotel, indicating thin review coverage and less operational depth specific to hotel workflows compared to LIKE MAGIC.
Both Avaya and LIKE MAGIC receive perfect 5/5 ease of use scores. Avaya’s single review praises the platform’s advanced IP telephony features but notes the need for network infrastructure expansion, implying a steeper technical setup. LIKE MAGIC’s users highlight the mobile-first design and intuitive digital workflows that cut down training time to as little as 1.5 days in case studies, facilitating rapid staff adoption even in lean teams.
Onboarding scores are 4/5 for Avaya and 4.9/5 for LIKE MAGIC, reflecting LIKE MAGIC’s hospitality-specific focus and faster ramp-up. Despite this, the difference is not large enough to call a decisive edge. Both products are rated highly by staff for usability across different hotel segments.
Edge: Even.
LIKE MAGIC offers a substantial feature advantage with 12 verified hotel-specific functions that Avaya lacks. These include work prioritization, case management, real-time task tracking, a virtual logbook, mobile access on any device, multi-property portfolio monitoring, and an analytics dashboard. These features transform operational workflows by making task assignment, progress monitoring, and interdepartmental communication seamless and transparent, directly impacting housekeeping, maintenance, and front office efficiency.
Avaya does not list unique hotel collaboration features beyond its unified communications and IP telephony capabilities. It lacks dedicated task management or workflow automation tools critical to daily hotel operations. The zero shared features underscore the products’ fundamentally different approaches.
Edge: LIKE MAGIC.
Avaya and LIKE MAGIC both rate extremely well on customer support, with Avaya at 5/5 and LIKE MAGIC at 4.9/5. Avaya’s sole reviewer notes satisfaction with support but flags the cost and infrastructure requirements. LIKE MAGIC users emphasize responsive support and continuous product evolution, though some request more self-service options and telephone support for urgent issues.
Onboarding ratings of 4/5 for Avaya and 4.9/5 for LIKE MAGIC reflect slight favor toward LIKE MAGIC’s tailored hospitality onboarding experience. The volume of LIKE MAGIC reviews (16) compared to Avaya (1) provides stronger evidence for its support reliability.
Edge: Even.
LIKE MAGIC supports 11 verified integrations, including key hospitality platforms like Oracle Hospitality, Mews, SALTO Systems, Adyen, Triptease, and TrustYou. These integrations enable seamless data exchange for booking, payments, access control, and guest feedback within a single workflow platform, crucial for properties aiming to consolidate and modernize their tech stack.
Avaya lists only one verified integration, innRoad, a property management system. The limited integration count constrains Avaya’s interoperability in a hotel tech ecosystem compared to LIKE MAGIC’s broader partner network.
Edge: LIKE MAGIC.
LIKE MAGIC holds a 5/5 overall rating across 16 reviews, including 8 in the last two years, while Avaya has a 4.5/5 rating from a single review with no recent activity. LIKE MAGIC’s ratings are consistent across multiple hotel segments: extended stay & serviced apartments (5/5, 8 reviews), boutique hotels (4.9/5, 7 reviews), and city center hotels (4.9/5, 6 reviews). Avaya’s single review covers city center hotels, limited service, and luxury hotels with equal rating but insufficient volume for segment confidence.
The quantity and recency of LIKE MAGIC reviews offer stronger evidence of current product satisfaction and performance.
Edge: Even.
Avaya does not publish pricing information, nor does it offer freemium, flat monthly, or per-room pricing models. There is no trial available, and implementation fees are unspecified, suggesting custom pricing and potential additional costs for infrastructure upgrades.
LIKE MAGIC publishes a base price of $1,100 per month, with no freemium or per-room pricing. No implementation fees or trials are offered. This transparent pricing supports budgeting for hotels seeking a cloud-based, operational workflow platform without hidden costs.
Not ideal if:
Not ideal if:
Avaya and LIKE MAGIC serve distinct collaboration needs in hotels. Avaya delivers enterprise-grade unified communications geared toward voice and video collaboration with limited hotel-specific operational features. LIKE MAGIC focuses exclusively on hospitality operational workflows, offering a rich feature set designed to digitize staff coordination, guest communication, and task management in real time.
Choose Avaya if your property demands robust IP telephony integrated with contact center capabilities and can invest in network infrastructure upgrades. It serves city center and limited service hotels requiring advanced voice communication across departments.
Choose LIKE MAGIC if you operate extended stay or boutique hotels seeking to streamline operations with mobile-first digital workflows, integrated guest services, and broad third-party connectivity. Its documented impact on staffing efficiency and guest experience makes it the superior choice for hotels prioritizing operational automation and staff collaboration.
Staff Collaboration Tools 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 $1,100/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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Task Management
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| Work Prioritization | ||
| File Library Support (images, documents and videos) | ||
| Asset Tracking | ||
| Case Management | ||
| Inspection | ||
| Deep cleaning | ||
| Preventative maintenance module | ||
| Real time task tracking | ||
| Virtual logbook | ||
| Lost & found module | ||
| Late checkouts | ||
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Messaging & Collaboration
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| Message Routing | ||
| Team goal setting (e.g. rewards sign-ups, satisfaction) | ||
| In app translation | ||
| Mobile access on any device | ||
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Escalations & Alerts
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| Service Recovery/Escalation | ||
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Reporting
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| Analytics dashboard | ||
| Multi-property portfolio monitoring | ||
| Print old records | ||
| Meter Reading | ||
| Compensation Tracking | ||
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Automation
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| Automated Replies | ||
| Message Templates | ||
| Open API | ||
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Templates
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| Message Templates |
We analyzed 4 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.
"Like Magic allowed us to operate with just six staff members, without compromising guest experience. The platform is easy to use, fun to work with, and has revolutionized how we ru..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"LIKE MAGIC isn't just a tool for us, it's the backbone of our overall guest experience. If I ever worked somewhere else, I'd bring it with me."
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
It depends on your requirements. Avaya and LIKE MAGIC (Staff App) share many core Staff Collaboration Tools features, but each has unique capabilities. Avaya offers 1 verified integration partners, while LIKE MAGIC (Staff App) offers 11. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Avaya leads in ease of use at 5.0/5 vs 5.0/5. 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.
Avaya: No. LIKE MAGIC (Staff App): No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Staff Collaboration Tools 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. Avaya has an HT Score of 0 and LIKE MAGIC 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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