Bowo - Guest App vs. LIKE MAGIC:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

Choosing the right guest app is crucial for elevating your hotel’s guest experience and optimizing operations. Both Bowo and LIKE MAGIC aim to enhance guest engagement and streamline workflows, yet they differ significantly in maturity, coverage, and user feedback. Your decision hinges on understanding these differences, especially as Bowo garners more reviews and recent feedback, making it the more reliable choice currently.

Both products promise to transform your hotel’s digital guest journey, but which one truly fits your property’s needs? Let’s compare them side-by-side.

Is Bowo or LIKE MAGIC Better for Hotels?

Both Bowo and LIKE MAGIC are designed to improve guest interactions and operational efficiency through digital solutions. Bowo focuses on delivering a highly customizable guest app with deep integration capabilities, while LIKE MAGIC emphasizes automation, AI-driven interactions, and a seamless guest journey from booking to post-stay.

Bowo offers over 99 reviews, with recent feedback from 2023, providing a clearer picture of its current performance. LIKE MAGIC has only 26 reviews, with just 2 in the last six months, making its recent performance less certain. Given the review volume and recency, Bowo’s data is more reliable, but LIKE MAGIC excels in automation and AI features.

Do these distinctions matter for your hotel’s strategic goals? Let’s explore further.

Bowo vs LIKE MAGIC: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs a highly personalized guest app with extensive integration options, choose Bowo. It’s ideal for properties seeking to customize every aspect of guest communication, upsell opportunities, and digital service offerings at scale, especially if operating across multiple regions with complex service needs.

Conversely, if your hotel values automation, AI-driven guest interactions, and a streamlined digital experience that minimizes staff workload, LIKE MAGIC may be the better fit. It’s suited for properties aiming to reduce staffing levels—evidenced by its case studies—and prioritize automated guest engagement.

For properties prioritizing deep customization and regional flexibility, Bowo’s broader integrations and feature set make it the preferred choice. If automation and AI are your primary goals, LIKE MAGIC offers compelling advantages despite its smaller user base.

Is Bowo or LIKE MAGIC Easier to Use?

Both products score highly on ease of use, with Bowo rated 4.87/5 and LIKE MAGIC at 4.96/5, indicating strong user satisfaction. Bowo’s onboarding process is rated 4.74/5, with reviews highlighting its intuitive platform and straightforward customization, though some users desire more automated translation features.

LIKE MAGIC scores marginally higher at 4.96/5, with reviews emphasizing its modern, user-friendly design and quick staff adoption. Both platforms are praised for their smooth onboarding experiences, but LIKE MAGIC’s AI-powered automation reduces complexity further.

Edge: LIKE MAGIC.

Which Has Better Features: Bowo or LIKE MAGIC?

Bowo offers 11 core features, including unique ones like Local Recommendations and Automatic Translations, which enhance regional personalization and multilingual support. It also provides digital room directories, upsell tools, and extensive integrations with 31 verified partners.

LIKE MAGIC provides 9 core features, including online check-in, a digital concierge, and an AI-powered booking engine, optimized for automation. It stands out with features like digital keys and a fully digital guest journey but lacks some localized customization options.

While Bowo’s broader feature set and integrations give it an edge for complex, multi-regional hotels, LIKE MAGIC’s automation features are highly compelling for efficiency-focused properties.

Edge: Bowo.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Bowo or LIKE MAGIC?

Both products earn top marks for support, with Bowo and LIKE MAGIC rated 4.85/5. Bowo’s support is praised for its proactive, personalized approach, especially in high-touch onboarding and customization.

LIKE MAGIC’s support is also highly rated, with reviews highlighting quick response times and effective problem-solving. However, some users note that LIKE MAGIC’s support staff may vary in familiarity with complex integrations.

Given the more extensive review volume and recent positive feedback, Bowo’s support reputation is slightly stronger, especially in personalized assistance.

Edge: Bowo.

Which Has More Integrations: Bowo or LIKE MAGIC?

Bowo connects with 31 verified partners, including prominent PMS, access control, and booking system providers like Mews, Oracle Hospitality, and Infor. It offers extensive integrations, including four shared partners with LIKE MAGIC, plus several exclusive to Bowo.

LIKE MAGIC integrates with only 10 verified partners, primarily focusing on core hotel management systems and payment providers like Adyen. Its integrations are sufficient for streamlined operations but less diverse than Bowo’s.

For hotels requiring broad, flexible system integrations, Bowo’s extensive partner network is a clear advantage.

Edge: Bowo.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Bowo or LIKE MAGIC?

Bowo’s ratings are more comprehensive, with a 39.7/100 HTR Score and 99 reviews, including recent feedback, indicating strong confidence. Hoteliers from diverse segments, especially luxury and boutique hotels, praise its customization, support, and regional adaptability.

LIKE MAGIC’s HTR score is higher at 76.8/100, but with only 26 reviews, and just 2 recent ones, its data is less stable. Its users, primarily from extended stay and mid-scale properties, commend automation and operational efficiency but express some desire for expanded features.

Given the volume and recency of reviews, Bowo’s ratings are more representative of current user sentiment.

Edge: Bowo.

How Much Do Bowo and LIKE MAGIC Cost?

Bowo’s base price is $600 per month, with no freemium option or setup fees. LIKE MAGIC’s base price is $700 per month, also without additional charges or a trial period.

Both solutions are priced similarly, positioning cost as a secondary factor to feature and support considerations, but Bowo’s slightly lower price offers a marginal advantage for budget-conscious properties.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Bowo?

• Hotels that require extensive customization of guest communications and digital services.
• Properties with complex, regional service offerings needing multi-language support.
• Hotels seeking deep integrations with existing property management and access control systems.
• Chains or groups managing multiple properties across regions.
• Hotels aiming to boost ancillary revenues through upselling and personalized offers.

Not ideal if:

• Your hotel prefers a less customizable, more automated solution.
• You operate in a region with limited Bowo support or integration partners.
• Your property is small and needs a simple, straightforward app.

What Type of Hotel Should Use LIKE MAGIC?

• Hotels seeking to automate guest interactions with minimal staff involvement.
• Properties emphasizing contactless check-in, digital keys, and AI-driven guest engagement.
• Hotels with lean teams aiming to reduce operational costs.
• Properties that prioritize efficiency over extensive customization.
• Hotels interested in a fast, digital guest journey with automated upselling.

Not ideal if:

• Your hotel needs deep regional or brand-specific customization.
• You require a broad ecosystem of integrations.
• You want room upgrade features or extensive branding options.

LIKE MAGIC vs Bowo: The Bottom Line for Hotels

In essence, Bowo and LIKE MAGIC serve different hotel profiles. Bowo excels in customization, integrations, and regional support, making it ideal for larger or multi-property hotels needing tailored digital experiences.

LIKE MAGIC offers automation and AI-driven guest interactions, perfect for hotels prioritizing operational efficiency and contactless service, especially with lean staffing or high-volume throughput.

If your hotel demands a more established, feature-rich, and regionally versatile platform, Bowo is the clear winner. For properties focusing on automation and reducing staff workload, LIKE MAGIC remains a strong contender.

When to choose Bowo:

• You need a highly customizable guest app with extensive integrations.
• Your hotel operates across multiple regions and requires multilingual support.
• Revenue growth through upselling and personalized guest journeys is a priority.
• You prefer a mature platform backed by a larger, recent review base.

When to choose LIKE MAGIC:

• Your focus is on automating guest interactions efficiently.
• You aim to reduce staffing costs with AI-powered features.
• Contactless and digital self-service are critical for your guest experience.
• You want a platform that simplifies operations with minimal manual intervention.

In conclusion, Bowo's broader features, integrations, and recent positive reviews position it as the better choice for most hotels seeking customization and stability. LIKE MAGIC’s automation focus suits properties emphasizing operational efficiency, but its smaller review base makes its long-term reliability less clear at this stage.