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 67 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:
Crave Interactive shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Payments and Mobile Checkout.
Gustaffo digital Service GmbH shines , with exclusive features like Guest Profiles.
Side-by-side ratings based on 67 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $400/mo | From $500/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 67 | 0 |
After analyzing 67 verified reviews, Crave Interactive users most value its customer service, user interface, customization, while Gustaffo digital Service GmbH users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Customer service
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User interface
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Customization
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Guest communication
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Hardware issues
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Seamless system integration
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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) ▾ | #6 13 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #9 26 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #4 14 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #5 7 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #6 26 reviews | — |
| Luxury ▾ | #5 31 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #4 27 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay | #10 2 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #4 26 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #8 31 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #8 2 reviews | — |
| Middle East | #8 1 reviews | — |
Choosing between Crave Mobile Platform by Crave Interactive and Gustaffo Digital Guest Journey depends on your hotel’s specific needs. Both aim to enhance guest engagement and streamline operations, but they approach these goals differently. Crave offers a feature-rich platform with a strong track record, while Gustaffo emphasizes simplifying the guest journey through digitalization. What core capabilities do you prioritize for your property?
Crave is the more established product with a large user base, more recent reviews, and a broader feature set. Gustaffo, however, has no recent reviews and fewer integrations, which may impact its suitability. Are you ready for a more proven solution or looking for a newer platform with potential?
Crave Interactive stands out with a 4.75/5 overall rating based on 48 reviews, all within the last six months, indicating active user feedback and recent performance data. Gustaffo has no recent reviews or ratings and only one verified partner, making it hard to gauge current effectiveness or support quality.
If your priority is reliability, extensive features, and proven support, Crave is the obvious choice. Gustaffo might be suitable if you’re looking for a niche digital guest experience or early-stage platform, but limited data makes this riskier now.
Crave’s user interface earns a 4.61/5 rating, with most hoteliers praising its intuitiveness and straightforward setup. Reviewers mention that guests find it easy to navigate, and onboarding is rated 4.57/5, with high marks for staff adoption and support responsiveness.
Gustaffo, on the other hand, has no available usability ratings or reviews, which suggests a lack of recent user feedback on ease of use. Without recent insights, it's difficult to compare their user-friendliness effectively.
Edge: Crave.
Crave offers 20 unique features, including web-based access, multi-lingual translations, mobile checkout, QR codes, contactless ordering, and integrations with POS and payment systems. These advanced functionalities enable a comprehensive guest experience, from digital menus to in-venue ordering and upselling.
Gustaffo provides only two features outside basic app download and guest profiles. While these may suit simple digital journeys, they lack the versatility and depth of Crave’s platform.
Edge: Crave.
Crave’s customer support is rated 4.79/5, with reviews highlighting quick, helpful responses and proactive service. Clients appreciate the responsiveness, especially during technical issues or menu updates, which are crucial for operational continuity.
Gustaffo has no recent review data on support quality, leaving its responsiveness and customer care unverified. Without recent feedback, Crave’s support remains the more dependable option.
Edge: Crave.
Crave integrates with 17 verified partners, including major PMS, POS, and management systems such as Oracle, Infor, and Kipsu. This broad network simplifies deployment across diverse hotel brands and tech stacks.
Gustaffo has only one verified integration—Stripe—limiting its compatibility and scalability. For hotels needing seamless system connections, Crave offers a clear advantage.
Edge: Crave.
Crave’s high ratings (4.75/5 overall, 93% likelihood to recommend) come from 48 reviews, mostly recent, and span multiple hotel segments. Luxury and branded hotels especially praise its reliability, ease of use, and support.
Gustaffo has no available recent reviews or ratings, making it impossible to assess user satisfaction or segment-specific performance. Currently, Crave’s proven track record makes it the preferred choice.
Edge: Crave.
Crave’s pricing starts at $400, with no mention of ongoing fees, trial options, or implementation costs. Gustaffo’s pricing is listed at $500, also without details on additional charges or free trials.
Both products are similarly priced, but Crave’s lower starting price and transparent fee structure give it a slight edge for budget-conscious hotels.
Not ideal if you require a simple, minimal digital solution without many features or integrations.
Not ideal if you need advanced features, multiple integrations, or proven support.
Crave’s extensive feature set, proven support, and broad integrations make it the more dependable choice for most hotels. Its high ratings and recent reviews demonstrate ongoing value and satisfaction.
Gustaffo may appeal to properties seeking a simple, low-cost digital solution with a focus on basic guest journey components. However, its lack of recent reviews and limited features make it riskier for hotels that need reliable, scalable guest engagement tools.
If your hotel requires a robust, well-supported platform that adapts to various operational needs, Crave is the clear winner. For those with very limited digital requirements and a focus solely on simplified guest access, Gustaffo could suffice, but with caution.
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 $400/mo | From $500/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Crave Mobile Platform and Gustaffo Digital Guest Journey share 5 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| App download | ||
| Automatic Translations (Multi-Lingual) | ||
| Guest Profiles | ||
| Mobile Checkout | ||
| Payments | ||
| QR Codes | ||
| Web Based (Appless) | ||
| Web-app |
Showing top differences. 10 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
Crave Interactive provides exceptional customer service with quick response times and helpful support staff. Hoteliers appreciate the efficient and pr... Crave Interactive provides exceptional customer service with quick response times and helpful support staff. Hoteliers appreciate the efficient and proactive support, which helps in resolving issues promptly.
While the user interface is appreciated for being user-friendly and intuitive for guests, some feedback suggests it could be more modern and customiza... While the user interface is appreciated for being user-friendly and intuitive for guests, some feedback suggests it could be more modern and customizable to better fit individual hotel needs.
Customization options, especially for menu updates and guest interfaces, are limited and often require support from Crave Interactive's team. Users ex... Customization options, especially for menu updates and guest interfaces, are limited and often require support from Crave Interactive's team. Users express a desire for more control over customizations.
Where hoteliers push back
Several reviews mentioned concerns with the hardware, specifically tablet durability and charging difficulties. These issues can affect overall effici... Several reviews mentioned concerns with the hardware, specifically tablet durability and charging difficulties. These issues can affect overall efficiency and guest satisfaction when using the system.
The system's integration with other hotel management systems, such as Simphony and PMS, is highlighted for making operations smoother and reducing man... The system's integration with other hotel management systems, such as Simphony and PMS, is highlighted for making operations smoother and reducing manual entry. This has been particularly beneficial during large events and for managing room services efficiently.
Unique capabilities
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Crave Mobile Platform and Gustaffo Digital Guest Journey share many core Hotel Guest Apps features, but each has unique capabilities. Crave Mobile Platform offers 17 verified integration partners, while Gustaffo Digital Guest Journey offers 1. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Crave Mobile Platform leads in ease of use at 4.6/5 vs 0.0/5. 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.
Crave Mobile Platform: No. Gustaffo Digital Guest Journey: 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. Crave Interactive has an HT Score of 75 and Gustaffo digital Service GmbH 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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