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 69 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 when it comes to customer service — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile Checkout and Credit Card Payments.
Orana Software shines in ease of use and ROI , with exclusive features like Guest Profiles.
Side-by-side ratings based on 69 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $400/mo | From $400/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 67 | 2 |
After analyzing 69 verified reviews, Crave Interactive users most value its customer service, user interface, customization, while Orana Software 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 | #24 1 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 | #29 2 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 Orana Stay by Orana Software hinges on your hotel's specific needs and priorities. Both products aim to enhance guest engagement through digital solutions, but they approach this goal differently—Crave focuses on comprehensive in-app services with extensive features, while Orana emphasizes automation and guest communication. Your decision should consider your current operational focus, desired features, and regional presence.
Crave’s platform offers a rich set of functionalities for guest service automation, especially in food and beverage ordering, with a strong customer base among hotels seeking to boost revenue and streamline operations. Orana's solution is more about simplifying communication and offering a branded app experience, particularly suited for boutique hotels prioritizing guest self-sufficiency. Which aligns more with your hotel’s strategic goals?
Both products serve as digital guest engagement tools but differ significantly in scope and sophistication. Crave's platform provides 18 exclusive features, such as mobile checkout, QR codes, contactless ordering, and POS integration, making it ideal for hotels seeking comprehensive service automation. Conversely, Orana primarily offers guest communication, booking, and information features, with only one unique feature, guest profiles.
Crave's robust feature set caters well to larger or full-service hotels aiming to increase revenue through upselling and contactless transactions. Orana’s simplicity and focus on communication make it perfect for boutique or small hotels that want a straightforward, branded app without complex operational integrations. Do you need extensive service features, or is a streamlined communication app enough?
Crave’s extensive regional presence across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East suggests a mature, globally oriented solution. Orana’s reach is more concentrated, with a focus on Australia, Asia Pacific, and Central America, making it a better fit if regional support matters. Are you looking for a platform with proven international deployment or one more tailored to your local market?
Another critical difference is review recency and volume. Crave’s 48 recent reviews with high ratings (4.75/5 overall) reflect strong current user satisfaction. Orana’s two reviews are older and less detailed, offering less confidence in recent performance. Which product has more recent, validated feedback?
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
If your hotel needs a highly customizable, feature-rich guest app that integrates with multiple hotel systems to drive ancillary revenue, Crave is the clear choice. Its 18 exclusive features include web-based access, mobile checkout, in-venue ordering, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and POS integrations—capabilities that can elevate guest experience and operational efficiency.
If your hotel prioritizes simplicity, cost-efficiency, and a focus on communication rather than extensive service features, Orana is better. Its streamlined platform, with its single unique feature—guest profiles—and emphasis on messaging, maps, and bookings, helps boutique hotels improve guest self-sufficiency without the complexity or cost of a broader solution.
Crave’s larger, more diverse hotel user base, including luxury, branded, and city center hotels, demonstrates its scalability and depth. Orana’s boutique hotel focus indicates a niche solution ideal for properties wanting a straightforward, branded guest app with essential features.
Choosing Crave suits properties aiming for deeper engagement and upselling; Orana fits those seeking a simple, branded communication tool that enhances guest convenience. Which approach aligns with your hotel's operational strategy?
Crave’s platform has a high ease-of-use rating of 4.61/5, with many users praising its user-friendly interface for both staff and guests. Onboarding is also rated positively at 4.57/5, with clients highlighting helpful setup and support staff.
Orana Stay claims a perfect 5/5 ease rating, emphasizing its straightforward, intuitive interface that requires minimal training. Reviewers commend the simplicity of updates and the convenience of the app for guests, making adoption quick and easy.
While Crave’s interface is well-regarded, some users mention that its back-end system could be more modern and intuitive, which may require more staff training and support. Orana’s minimalist design and high usability score suggest less onboarding effort.
Edge: Orana Stay.
Crave’s platform offers 18 features exclusive to its solution, including web-based access, mobile checkout, QR codes, contactless ordering, Apple Pay, Google Pay, POS integration, curbside pickup, tipping, and upselling. These enable a fully integrated, contactless service environment, ideal for hotels seeking operational automation and revenue growth.
Orana provides only one exclusive feature—guest profiles—focusing mainly on communication, bookings, maps, and weather updates. Its feature set is limited but sufficient for boutique hotels prioritizing guest self-sufficiency and direct communication.
Crave’s broader feature suite makes it more capable of supporting complex service workflows and revenue-generating initiatives. Orana’s leaner feature set suits hotels that want a simple, branded app for basic engagement.
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
Crave’s support team boasts a high rating of 4.79/5, with reviews emphasizing quick, helpful responses and proactive service. Hoteliers frequently praise Crave’s technical team for resolving issues promptly, with comments like, "ServeSafely speeds up table service, and customer success is incredible."
Orana also scores a perfect 5/5 for customer support, with clients describing the communication as easy, quick, and effective. Their Australian-based team is praised for responsiveness, especially during implementation.
Given the more extensive review base, Crave’s consistently high ratings and recent feedback enhance confidence in its support quality. Both solutions are strong, but Crave’s larger customer base and recent reviews suggest a slight edge.
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
Crave’s overall rating of 4.75/5 from 48 reviews, including recent feedback, shows strong user satisfaction across diverse hotel types. Luxury hotels and branded properties particularly rate it highly, with some reviews mentioning increased revenue and improved guest engagement.
Orana’s two reviews are older, with no current ratings or recent feedback, making it difficult to assess recent satisfaction levels. The limited review count and lack of detailed scores suggest less confidence in its current performance.
Crave’s higher review volume and recent positive ratings make it the more validated choice among hoteliers.
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
Both products are priced at a base fee of $400, with no mention of freemium models, monthly flat fees, or implementation charges. Their pricing structures are straightforward, making comparison easy.
However, additional costs like hardware, integrations, or customizations may vary depending on your hotel’s needs, so discussing specific requirements with vendors is advisable.
Since both are similarly priced, the choice hinges more on features and support rather than cost.
Not ideal if your hotel is small, boutique, or prefers straightforward communication without extensive features.
Not ideal if you require advanced service automation, complex integrations, or detailed analytics.
Crave’s platform excels at delivering a comprehensive, feature-rich guest engagement experience with robust integrations. Its large review volume, recent positive feedback, and extensive regional presence make it a dependable choice for hotels seeking operational automation and revenue uplift.
Orana offers a streamlined, easy-to-use app focused on communication, bookings, and guest convenience. It’s ideal for boutique hotels that value simplicity and quick implementation but may lack the depth of features and integrations necessary for larger properties.
If your hotel’s priority is sophisticated service automation, upselling, and extensive integration, Crave is the clear winner. Conversely, if your focus is on guest communication, ease of use, and a branded experience without complex operational needs, Orana is suitable.
Ultimately, your choice should reflect your hotel’s size, operational goals, and regional support preferences.
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 $400/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Crave Mobile Platform and Orana Stay share 7 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Apple Pay | ||
| Digital Menu | ||
| Guest Profiles | ||
| Mobile Checkout | ||
| QR Codes | ||
| Room Service Ordering | ||
| Web Based (Appless) |
Showing top differences. 7 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.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Crave Mobile Platform and Orana Stay share many core Hotel Guest Apps features, but each has unique capabilities. Crave Mobile Platform offers 17 verified integration partners, while Orana Stay offers 6. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Orana Stay leads in ease of use at 5.0/5 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.
Crave Mobile Platform: No. Orana Stay: 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 Orana Software 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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