Beekeeper (Digital Workspace) vs. Guestware:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

When choosing a staff collaboration tool for your hotel, the decision hinges on your operational focus. Beekeeper and Guestware both aim to streamline communication and improve service, but they cater to different hotel needs. Beekeeper emphasizes employee engagement and team communication, especially for non-desk staff, while Guestware centers on operational automation, guest issue tracking, and task management. Which aligns better with your hotel’s priorities?

Both products aim to enhance internal workflows, but they diverge in capabilities and user experience. Beekeeper’s strength lies in fostering a connected, informed staff, and Guestware excels in automating guest service and maintenance processes. Are you prioritizing team engagement or operational efficiency?

Is Beekeeper or Guestware Better for Hotels?

Beekeeper and Guestware are designed to tackle distinct challenges within hotel management. Beekeeper acts as a unified communication app for non-desk employees, emphasizing engagement, multilingual messaging, and information sharing across teams. Guestware, on the other hand, consolidates guest requests, work orders, and preventative maintenance into a single platform, making daily operations more efficient.

While Beekeeper has a higher overall rating (4.85/5 vs 4.43/5) and more recent reviews, Guestware boasts a broader feature set (14 unique features vs 22 in Beekeeper), especially for operational tasks. Beekeeper’s reviews highlight ease of use and improved morale, with comments praising its social media-like interface and multilingual capabilities. Guestware’s users focus on automation, detailed reporting, and integration with PMS, though some find it complex and demanding in training.

Ultimately, your choice depends on your hotel’s core need: staff engagement and communication or operational automation and guest service management. Do you want a platform that boosts team morale or one that optimizes behind-the-scenes processes?

Beekeeper vs Guestware: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs to improve internal communication, employee engagement, and cross-departmental information sharing, go with Beekeeper. It’s ideal for properties seeking to foster a connected staff environment, especially where non-desk employees comprise a large portion of the workforce.

If your goal is to streamline guest service, automate tasks, and manage maintenance more efficiently, Guestware is the better option. It suits hotels that want detailed reporting, automation of repetitive tasks, and tight integration with PMS systems for a seamless operational flow.

For boutique hotels or properties emphasizing staff morale, Beekeeper’s user-friendly interface and high review scores make it the top choice. Conversely, larger resorts or hotels focused on operational control and guest issue resolution should lean toward Guestware.

Is Beekeeper or Guestware Easier to Use?

Beekeeper’s ease of use is reflected in its 4.78/5 UI rating, with reviews emphasizing its simple, social-media-like interface that staff find intuitive. Its onboarding process averages 4.66/5, and customers praise the support team as "fantastic" and "helpful," making staff adoption smoother.

Guestware, rated at 4.34/5 for ease of use, is often described as feature-rich but more complex, requiring more intensive training. Users mention that navigating and fully utilizing its extensive options can be challenging, increasing the learning curve.

Edge: Beekeeper.

Which Has Better Features: Beekeeper or Guestware?

Beekeeper offers 22 unique features, including employee onboarding, multilingual messaging, automation workflows, and employee recognition, not available in Guestware. It supports SMS messaging, in-app translation, and engagement analytics, making it a comprehensive communication platform.

Guestware provides 14 exclusive features centered on operational needs, such as a guest request portal, work order management, preventative maintenance, and case management. These features focus on automating guest service and internal maintenance workflows.

Given the extensive feature set of Beekeeper, especially for communication, it edges out in versatility. However, if your focus is detailed operational automation, Guestware’s specialized tools are valuable.

Edge: Beekeeper.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Beekeeper or Guestware?

Beekeeper’s support ratings are slightly higher (4.83/5) than Guestware’s (4.59/5). Customers praise Beekeeper’s customer service as "fantastic," emphasizing quick, helpful responses that facilitate smoother onboarding and issue resolution.

Guestware’s support is also highly regarded, with clients emphasizing personalized attention from account reps like Jeff Bowes, and noting that support helps them adapt the system to their needs. While both are strong, Beekeeper’s recent reviews suggest more consistent positive support experiences.

Edge: Beekeeper.

Which Has More Integrations: Beekeeper or Guestware?

Both platforms have verified integrations with nine partners, including Oracle Hospitality. Shared integrations include common systems like PMS solutions, but Beekeeper lists additional partners such as Revinate and Kronos, expanding its connectivity options.

Guestware’s integrations focus on hotel operations and guest management, with notable partners like Maestro PMS and IRIS Systems. Its open API enables custom integrations, but some users express frustration over real-time data flow and connectivity issues.

Edge: Beekeeper.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Beekeeper or Guestware?

Beekeeper’s overall rating of 4.85/5 surpasses Guestware’s 4.43/5. Based on recent reviews, Beekeeper’s clients—especially in boutique hotels, resorts, and independent properties—are more likely to recommend it, with a 98% likelihood versus 86% for Guestware.

Review scores from different segments show Beekeeper receiving top ratings from boutique hotels (5/5) and independent properties (5/5). Guestware, while favored in resorts and standard hotels, generally garners slightly lower scores, reflecting more mixed experiences.

Edge: Beekeeper.

How Much Do Beekeeper and Guestware Cost?

Pricing details for both are unavailable, indicating custom quotes based on hotel size and needs. No free trials or freemium options are offered, so costs are likely tailored and potentially significant.

Your hotel should contact both vendors directly for quotes, considering your size and operational complexity before making a decision.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Beekeeper?

• Hotels that prioritize staff engagement and morale.
• Properties with large, non-desk employee teams needing effective communication.
• Hotels seeking multilingual support to connect diverse staff.
• Teams that want a simple, social-media-like experience.
• Hotels aiming to improve internal culture and reduce turnover.

Not ideal if your focus is solely on guest-facing operations or maintenance automation without strong internal communication needs.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Guestware?

• Resorts with complex operations requiring automation.
• Hotels that want detailed tracking of guest requests and work orders.
• Properties aiming to integrate maintenance and housekeeping workflows.
• Hotels that value detailed reporting and operational insights.
• Properties with existing PMS systems that need seamless integration.

Not ideal if your primary focus is internal staff engagement or if you prefer a more straightforward, less feature-rich system.

The Bottom Line for Hotels

Core Difference: Beekeeper focuses on employee communication and engagement, while Guestware emphasizes operational automation and guest service management.

When to choose Beekeeper: If your hotel needs to improve team communication, foster a positive workplace culture, and simplify non-desk staff interactions, Beekeeper’s high user ratings and recent positive reviews make it the better fit.

When to choose Guestware: For hotels that want to automate guest requests, streamline maintenance, and gain detailed operational reports, Guestware’s extensive features and integrations will serve you well, despite its steeper learning curve.

Final verdict: If internal communication and staff engagement are your top priorities, go with Beekeeper. If operational automation and guest service insights are more critical, opt for Guestware. Both are valuable tools, but your specific needs should guide your decision.