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 61 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:
Betterspace GmbH shines in ROI .
Gastfreund shines when it comes to support, onboarding, and responsiveness , with exclusive features like Guest Profiles.
Side-by-side ratings based on 61 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $100/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 31 | 30 |
After analyzing 61 verified reviews, Betterspace GmbH users most value its in-room tablets, customization and flexibility, guest communication, while Gastfreund users highlight support, onboarding, and responsiveness, guest app usability and ease of setup, guest information and digital directory. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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In-room tablets
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Support, onboarding, and responsiveness
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Customization and flexibility
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Guest app usability and ease of setup
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Guest communication
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Guest information and digital directory
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Customer support
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Reducing reception workload and self-service communication
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Performance issues
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Local recommendations, excursions, and activity promotion
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Multilingual support and translation quality
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How each product ranks among Hotel Guest Apps 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) ▾ | #4 22 reviews | #21 3 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #12 5 reviews | #18 7 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | #16 2 reviews | #27 1 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #17 1 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #13 9 reviews | #25 3 reviews |
| Luxury | #24 1 reviews | #25 3 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #12 7 reviews | #19 3 reviews |
| Extended Stay | #21 0 reviews | #17 1 reviews |
By Region
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| North America | #32 0 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #5 31 reviews | #14 13 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | #18 0 reviews | — |
Choosing between Better.Guest Hotel App by Betterspace GmbH and Gastfreund | Hotelcore hinges on your hotel’s specific needs. Both aim to improve guest experiences through digital solutions, but they differ significantly in features, user base, and support. Betterspace has more recent reviews, a higher overall rating, and a broader integration network, making it the more trusted choice for most hoteliers.
Your decision depends on whether you prioritize a more established, feature-rich platform or a modular, flexible solution tailored to a broad range of property types. Which aligns better with your hotel’s goals?
Better.Guest by Betterspace and Gastfreund | Hotelcore both serve as digital guest directories and communication tools. Betterspace’s platform, launched in 2014, offers a unified approach with energy management, in-room tablets, and a strong European and Asian presence, reflected by its 23 reviews and high ratings. Gastfreund’s product, founded in 2013, emphasizes modularity and personalization, with only 11 reviews and no recent feedback, which limits current insight into its effectiveness.
While both products aim to streamline guest information and engagement, Betterspace’s platform demonstrates more maturity, with proven integrations and higher customer satisfaction. Does your hotel need a well-established, comprehensive system or a flexible modular solution?
If your hotel requires a robust digital guest app with energy management, seamless communication, and proven integrations across multiple regions, go with Betterspace. Its extensive feature set—covering in-room control, guest communication, and marketing—appeals to properties seeking a comprehensive solution.
Conversely, if your hotel values modularity, flexibility, and a highly personalized guest experience, Gastfreund might be a good fit, especially if you operate in North America or have a focus on boutique or resort properties. However, note that Gastfreund’s user reviews and recent feedback are limited, making it riskier for hotels seeking proven performance.
Betterspace’s platform boasts a 4.78/5 ease of use rating, with reviewers praising its straightforward menu navigation and structured configuration. Many users highlight the quick onboarding process—rated 4.64/5—and intuitive interface, even for staff unfamiliar with digital tools.
Gastfreund’s solution, with a 4.27/5 rating, also receives positive remarks for user-friendliness. Users cite its modern interface and ease of access, but some note that initial setup can be time-consuming and requires familiarization.
Edge: Better.Guest.
Betterspace offers a total of 11 exclusive features, including energy management, advanced guest communication, and marketing tools—none of which are present in Gastfreund. It also provides comprehensive integrations with 27 verified partners, covering energy, room control, and PMS systems.
Gastfreund’s platform focuses on core guest communication and information delivery, with fewer features—only the essentials. It lacks specialized functionalities like energy management or extensive automation.
Edge: Better.Guest.
Betterspace is rated 4.61/5 for customer support, with reviewers emphasizing quick, knowledgeable, and friendly assistance. Comments note that support is generally proactive, with some users mentioning faster responses and helpful onboarding.
Gastfreund’s support, rated 4.27/5, receives praise for professionalism and responsiveness. However, with fewer recent reviews, there’s less current data on support effectiveness, making Betterspace the more reliable choice.
Edge: Better.Guest.
Betterspace connects to 27 verified partners, including major PMS and energy management systems like 4SUITES, hotelkit, and Oracle Hospitality. It offers extensive integration options, supporting a wide variety of hotel tech ecosystems.
Gastfreund offers 13 verified integrations, including PMS and booking platforms like SiteMinder, Little Hotelier, and RoomRaccoon. While sufficient for some, it has fewer options and limited interoperability compared to Betterspace.
Edge: Better.Guest.
Betterspace’s platform, with 23 recent reviews, boasts an exceptional 4.91/5 rating, particularly among city center, boutique, and resort hotels. Hoteliers praise its ease of use, support, and extensive features.
Gastfreund, with only 11 older reviews, has a 0/5 rating, which suggests outdated or insufficient data. Given the lack of recent feedback and lower ratings, Betterspace clearly outperforms in customer satisfaction.
Edge: Better.Guest.
Betterspace does not publicly disclose pricing; it likely involves a customized quote based on hotel size and needs. No free tier or trial information is available, indicating a potentially higher investment level.
Gastfreund charges a base fee of $400 per month, with no trial or freemium options. This straightforward pricing may appeal to smaller hotels or those with limited budgets, but it offers less flexibility.
Hotels that should consider Betterspace:
Not ideal if:
Hotels that should consider Gastfreund:
Not ideal if:
Better.Guest by Betterspace is a mature, feature-rich platform with a high customer satisfaction score, extensive integrations, and proven support. It suits hotels that aim to deliver a comprehensive, energy-efficient digital guest experience and are ready to invest in a proven solution.
Gastfreund | Hotelcore offers a flexible, modular approach with a focus on personalized guest engagement, ideal for boutique and resort properties seeking simplicity and customization. However, its limited recent reviews and fewer features make it less suitable for hotels seeking a comprehensive, scalable solution.
If you prioritize reliability, extensive features, and a strong support network, Betterspace is the clear choice. For hotels that need a lightweight, flexible platform with basic digital tools, Gastfreund could work, but with less confidence in current performance.
In summary: For most hotels looking for a trusted, proven platform capable of supporting growth and regional expansion, Better.Guest by Betterspace should be your pick. If your hotel values flexibility and a lighter touch, Gastfreund may suffice, but consider the lack of recent data before committing.
Hotel Guest Apps 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 $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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Communication & Messaging
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| Automatic Translations (Multi-Lingual) | ||
| Request Management | ||
| Room Service Ordering | ||
| Guest Messaging | ||
| App download | ||
| Web-app | ||
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Content Management
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| Hotel Directory | ||
| Guest Profiles | ||
| Local Recommendations | ||
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Upselling
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| Payments | ||
| Room Service Ordering | ||
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Request Management
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| Request Management | ||
| Room Service Ordering | ||
| Mobile Checkout | ||
| Mobile Checkin |
We analyzed 3 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.
"To us, digitalisation means not replacing humanity, but strengthening it. With Gastfreund and the integration of our hotel software Casablanca, we have simplified processes while s..."
What hoteliers love
In-room tablets are frequently mentioned for enhancing guest experience through easy access to hotel services, room controls, and information. They al... In-room tablets are frequently mentioned for enhancing guest experience through easy access to hotel services, room controls, and information. They also contribute to revenue by enabling direct room service and other purchases. Some users experienced issues with tablet speed and loose charging connectors.
Betterspace provides significant customization options for hoteliers, from individual branding of tablets and apps to arranging content in the digital... Betterspace provides significant customization options for hoteliers, from individual branding of tablets and apps to arranging content in the digital directory. However, some users found the backend interface complicated and suggested improvements for easier customization.
Betterspace facilitates improved guest communication through its chat function, enabling quick interactions and responses to guest inquiries. This fea... Betterspace facilitates improved guest communication through its chat function, enabling quick interactions and responses to guest inquiries. This feature helps maintain contact with guests in low-contact settings like apartment rentals, thereby enhancing service quality and guest satisfaction.
Where hoteliers push back
There are multiple mentions of performance-related issues, including slow loading times of the backend interface and insufficiently fast in-room table... There are multiple mentions of performance-related issues, including slow loading times of the backend interface and insufficiently fast in-room tablets. Users have reported that these issues impact their overall experience and efficiency.
Ranks higher for
What hoteliers love
Positive reviews consistently praise Gastfreund’s onboarding, training, and quick support response when issues arise. At the same time, one review rep... Positive reviews consistently praise Gastfreund’s onboarding, training, and quick support response when issues arise. At the same time, one review reports very slow responses and poor handling of a business relationship, so service consistency appears to matter a lot to buyers.
Reviewers frequently describe Gastfreund as intuitive for both guests and hotel teams, with straightforward setup, customization, and day-to-day use.... Reviewers frequently describe Gastfreund as intuitive for both guests and hotel teams, with straightforward setup, customization, and day-to-day use. Ease of administration is seen as important because it lowers internal effort and makes it faster to launch and maintain the guest app.
Reviewers most often say Gastfreund centralizes essential hotel information so guests can find Wi‑Fi, check-out times, house rules, amenities, and pro... Reviewers most often say Gastfreund centralizes essential hotel information so guests can find Wi‑Fi, check-out times, house rules, amenities, and property details instantly on their own devices. Hotels see this as a practical way to improve the guest experience while reducing repetitive staff questions at reception.
Where hoteliers push back
Many hotels use Gastfreund to showcase regional attractions, excursions, hiking tips, and leisure activities, helping increase guest engagement and po... Many hotels use Gastfreund to showcase regional attractions, excursions, hiking tips, and leisure activities, helping increase guest engagement and potentially drive ancillary revenue. Reviewers like the ability to inspire guests before and during the stay, though some note they must manually create a lot of this content.
Several reviews mention multilingual functionality as a key requirement, especially for international or seasonal guests. While the ability to offer m... Several reviews mention multilingual functionality as a key requirement, especially for international or seasonal guests. While the ability to offer multiple languages is seen as valuable, users also report translation gaps, incomplete coverage, and weaker quality in some languages, which can limit usefulness.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Better.Guest Hotel App (by Betterspace) and Gastfreund share many core Hotel Guest Apps features, but each has unique capabilities. Better.Guest Hotel App (by Betterspace) offers 27 verified integration partners, while Gastfreund offers 17. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Better.Guest Hotel App (by Betterspace) leads in ease of use at 4.7/5 vs 4.6/5. 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.
Better.Guest Hotel App (by Betterspace): No. Gastfreund: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Hotel Guest Apps 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. Betterspace GmbH has an HT Score of 65 and Gastfreund has 79. 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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