Crave Interactive Tablets (acq by HCN) vs. INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets:
Which Is Right for You?

Is Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) or INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets Better for Hotels?

Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) and INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets both serve the hospitality sector by enhancing guest engagement and operational efficiency through in-room digital interfaces. They diverge primarily in feature scope and integration breadth. Crave Interactive offers a broader set of hotel-specific transactional features, including extensive payment options and multi-menu ordering, fitting properties prioritizing upselling and guest self-service. INTELITY provides stronger entertainment and streaming capabilities alongside a larger integration ecosystem, suiting hotels that emphasize guest personalization and seamless system connectivity.

Both solutions address the core problem of modernizing guest interactions while reducing front desk workload. They enable digital ordering, service requests, and information delivery directly from the guest room, streamlining operations and increasing guest satisfaction. Each platform centralizes guest communication and leverages technology to drive ancillary revenue, albeit through different feature emphases.

Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) vs INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If you run a resort or luxury property focused on maximizing in-room revenue through payments, upselling, and flexible ordering, Crave Interactive (HCN) is the better fit. Its 197 reviews with a 4.5 rating reflect solid performance in these segments, including 28% resort users and 23% luxury hotels. The platform’s 27 unique features—such as contactless payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay), multi-menu ordering, and digital concierge video—directly impact operational workflows for front desk and F&B teams by automating requests and increasing upsell conversion.

If your hotel is a boutique or branded property prioritizing seamless integration and guest personalization through entertainment and system control, INTELITY’s 4.6 rating over 62 reviews justifies the choice. INTELITY serves 26% boutique and 27% resort hotels, with a notable 55 verified integrations that include loyalty and room control systems. Hotels that value streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube) and advanced content management will find INTELITY’s offering aligned with their guest experience goals.

Data on airport/conference hotels and motels is limited or minimal for both products, so conclusions there are less certain. Recent review activity for Crave Interactive has dropped sharply (4 reviews last 6 months vs. 11.8 average previously), indicating its all-time ratings may not fully reflect current product stability or support. INTELITY has no recent reviews, so its current standing is also less verifiable.

Is Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) or INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets Easier to Use?

Crave Interactive and INTELITY both score highly on ease of use and onboarding—4.5 vs. 4.7 for ease of use, and both 4.5 for onboarding. Reviewers of both products frequently describe the tablet interfaces as intuitive for guests and straightforward for staff training. Crave is praised for its "highly intuitive software" that anticipates guest needs, while INTELITY users highlight the system’s user-friendliness from an IT perspective and guest ease.

While Crave’s design is described as “slick” and highly responsive, INTELITY is noted for requiring little maintenance once established. The onboarding processes for both receive consistent commendations for quick adoption by front desk and service teams. Neither product has a significant lead in this category.

Edge: Even.

Which Has Better Features: Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) or INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets?

Crave Interactive (HCN) has 27 unique features not found in INTELITY’s platform, nearly two and a half times INTELITY’s 11 distinct features. Crave’s exclusive capabilities center on transactional and operational enhancements: payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit card integration), multi-menu and contactless ordering, request management, guest messaging, mobile checkout, and digital concierge video. These features transform workflows by reducing manual order-taking and enabling guests to manage payments and service requests independently, directly affecting F&B revenue and front desk efficiency.

INTELITY’s unique features include entertainment streaming apps (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Pandora), device streaming compatibility (iOS and Android), a customizable branded interface, and guest marketing tools. These offerings focus on guest personalization and content engagement rather than transactional throughput. INTELITY also supports PMS integration, which both platforms share but emphasize differently.

Operationally, Crave Interactive’s feature set suits hotels aiming to increase revenue through direct guest transactions and streamline ordering logistics. INTELITY’s feature differences cater to properties investing in personalized guest experiences and entertainment, potentially improving satisfaction but with less impact on direct revenue streams.

Edge: Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN).

Which Has Better Customer Support: Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) or INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets?

Customer support ratings are close: Crave Interactive scores 4.7 and INTELITY 4.6. Onboarding ratings are identical at 4.5. Crave reviewers praise the support team’s responsiveness and attitude, often citing individuals by name for exceptional service, though some negative reviews highlight inconsistent follow-up and slow resolution. INTELITY users commend the vendor for quick issue resolution and proactive implementation but mention a need for more real-time alert systems to detect hardware failures earlier.

Neither product decisively outperforms the other in support. Both maintain strong reputations for onboarding and ongoing assistance, with occasional variability in responsiveness noted by Crave Interactive users.

Edge: Even.

Which Has More Integrations: Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) or INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets?

INTELITY leads with 55 verified integrations versus Crave Interactive’s 17, exceeding Crave’s count by over 225%. Both share nine common partners, including major PMS and POS providers like Oracle Hospitality, Amadeus, and Agilysys. INTELITY’s exclusive partners include Innspire, Priority Software, and Smartcon Solutions, which support advanced guest control and property management needs. Crave’s unique integrations such as PressReader, Kipsu, and ALICE focus on guest messaging and operational communication.

Hotels requiring broad compatibility with diverse property systems, particularly those seeking advanced guest control or loyalty integration, benefit from INTELITY’s larger ecosystem. Crave’s integrations emphasize guest communication and service management, fitting properties prioritizing direct guest interaction over system breadth.

Edge: INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) or INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets?

Overall ratings are close: Crave Interactive at 4.5/5 from 197 reviews, and INTELITY at 4.6/5 from 62 reviews. Neither product has sufficient recent review volume to confirm current standings definitively, with Crave experiencing a 66% drop in review activity in the last six months (4 recent reviews vs. 11.8 average previously), and INTELITY having no reviews in the same period.

By segment, Crave Interactive rates strongly in luxury hotels (4.5/5, 160 reviews), resorts (4.5/5, 114), boutique hotels (4.6/5, 88), and bed & breakfasts (4.6/5, 91). INTELITY is favored in boutique hotels (4.6/5, 43) and extended stay properties (4.9/5, 8), with strong scores in branded hotels (4.9/5, 12) and casinos (4.7/5, 9).

Crave Interactive’s broader review base provides more representative data. Both products maintain high likelihood-to-recommend rates: 90% for Crave and 93% for INTELITY.

Edge: Even.

How Much Do Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) and INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets Cost?

Crave Interactive publishes a base price of $1,200 per unit with no freemium, monthly fees, or implementation charges disclosed. INTELITY does not publish pricing, limiting direct cost comparison.

Crave’s transparent pricing model benefits budget planning for hotels adopting in-room tablets, though total cost depends on quantity and customization. INTELITY’s pricing, likely tailored, requires direct vendor engagement.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN)?

• Hotels that prioritize in-room payment processing, including credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, to boost ancillary revenue.
• Resorts and luxury properties that seek extensive digital ordering options, including multi-menu ordering and contactless payments.
• Teams aiming to reduce front desk workload by automating guest requests, messaging, and mobile checkout.
• Properties emphasizing multi-lingual support and local recommendations to enhance guest satisfaction.
• Hotels looking for a tablet solution with a broad feature set tailored to operational efficiency and upselling.

Not ideal if:

• Your property requires extensive entertainment streaming options (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube), which Crave lacks.
• You require a large integration ecosystem with multiple PMS, loyalty, and guest control systems beyond Crave’s 17 verified partners.
• You operate a boutique or branded hotel prioritizing highly customizable UI branding beyond Crave’s current flexibility.

What Type of Hotel Should Use INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets?

• Boutique and branded hotels that value a seamless, personalized guest experience bolstered by entertainment streaming (Netflix, Hulu, Pandora).
• Hotels seeking the largest integration ecosystem (55 partners), including advanced PMS, room control, and loyalty platforms.
• Properties aiming to enhance guest engagement through custom branded interfaces and targeted marketing campaigns.
• Organizations prioritizing staff operational efficiency with automated guest request tracking and real-time content management.
• Hotels focused on sustainability initiatives by replacing printed materials with digital content and streamlining communication.

Not ideal if:

• Your hotel requires integrated payment processing and advanced ordering features found in Crave Interactive but missing from INTELITY.
• You prefer published pricing for budgeting purposes, as INTELITY’s pricing is not publicly available.
• Your hotel operates in regions or segments underrepresented in INTELITY’s user base, limiting segment-specific feedback.

Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) vs INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets: The Bottom Line for Hotels

Crave Interactive Tablets (HCN) and INTELITY Smart-Room Tablets each modernize guest interactions and reduce operational burden but differ in focus. Crave excels in transactional features—payments, multi-menu and contactless ordering, guest messaging—that appeal to resorts and luxury hotels intent on maximizing ancillary revenue and self-service efficiency. INTELITY prioritizes guest personalization, entertainment streaming, and extensive system integrations, aligning with boutique and branded hotels emphasizing immersive guest experiences and operational automation.

Choose Crave Interactive if your hotel needs robust in-room payment options and feature depth that drives direct revenue, supported by a large review base across resorts and luxury segments. Its 27 unique features and highly praised intuitive design enable front desk and F&B teams to automate workflows and elevate guest convenience. However, note the recent steep decline in review activity that may indicate evolving product or support challenges.

Choose INTELITY if your property values a broader integration ecosystem and guest-centric entertainment options, with an emphasis on brand customization and marketing. INTELITY’s 55 verified integrations and streaming capabilities support comprehensive guest engagement and operational control. Though fewer reviews exist, INTELITY maintains high satisfaction in boutique and branded hotels. Pricing transparency is lacking, requiring vendor consultation.

In summary, properties driven by revenue optimization and operational transactionality lean toward Crave Interactive, while those focused on immersive guest experiences and extensive system integration favor INTELITY. The recent drop in Crave’s review volume advises caution and due diligence on current product support, while INTELITY’s smaller review pool suggests engaging references when considering adoption.

Edge: Decided by hotel priorities, but Crave Interactive leads in features and review volume; INTELITY leads in integrations and entertainment.