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 Guest Messaging.
Xotelier (Guest App) shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 67 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $400/mo | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 67 | 0 |
After analyzing 67 verified reviews, Crave Interactive users most value its customer service, user interface, customization, while Xotelier (Guest App) 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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Back-end system
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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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Xotelier (Guest App)
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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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Xotelier (Guest App)
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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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Xotelier (Guest App)
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| North America ▾ | #4 26 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #8 31 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #8 2 reviews | — |
| Middle East | #8 1 reviews | — |
Choosing the right guest engagement app can dramatically impact your hotel's operations and guest satisfaction. Crave Mobile Platform by Crave Interactive and Xotelier (Guest App) both aim to enhance guest experience through mobile solutions; however, their offerings and backing differ significantly. Crave's platform is more established, with a broader feature set and a stronger review presence, while Xotelier's solution appears more tailored toward custom development with less market traction. Do you need a proven system with comprehensive features or a flexible, bespoke app?
Crave Interactive’s platform is a well-reviewed, full-featured solution with 48 reviews, a high overall rating (4.75/5), and recent positive feedback, especially in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Xotelier’s Guest App, with no reviews or ratings available, offers custom development tailored to specific hotel needs but lacks proven market performance. While Crave’s app emphasizes ease of engagement and automation, Xotelier’s platform is about bespoke development and technical support. Which approach aligns more with your hotel’s priorities?
Crave’s platform includes 25 unique features like mobile payments, in-venue ordering, QR codes, and multi-lingual support, making it a comprehensive choice for hotels seeking ready-to-deploy capabilities. Xotelier’s offering, lacking specific feature details, leans toward custom solutions that may include flexible functionalities but require more development time and investment. Are your hotel’s needs best served by a ready-made solution or a tailored application?
While Crave’s reviews praise its user interface, customer support, and integration with existing hotel systems, some mention that the back-end system could be more modern and that hardware durability is a concern. Xotelier’s status as a less-reviewed, less-known provider makes it difficult to assess support quality and feature robustness. Do you prioritize proven performance or bespoke development with tailored support?
In summary, Crave's platform has a clear edge with a robust feature set, recent reviews, and a proven track record. Xotelier’s approach is more about custom solutions, which might fit niche needs but lack the validation of a large user base. Which option aligns better with your hotel’s operational maturity and strategic goals?
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
If your hotel needs a reliable, feature-rich guest engagement system ready to integrate with your existing operations, Crave is the better choice. With 48 reviews, a 4.75/5 overall rating, and features like mobile payments, QR codes, multi-language support, and in-venue ordering, Crave appeals to hotels looking for a comprehensive, proven solution. Its high NPS score of 9.15/10 and recent reviews confirm its strong market presence.
Conversely, if your hotel requires a highly customized app tailored to unique workflows, branding, or specific services, Xotelier’s platform might serve you better. Its strength lies in bespoke app development, offering technical support for publication and ongoing management, though the lack of reviews makes its performance and customer satisfaction less certain. If you are comfortable with a development-first approach, Xotelier could be a fit.
For hotels in need of a plug-and-play, scalable solution with a track record of success, Crave is the clear choice. If your team has specific, complex requirements and prefers a tailor-made app, Xotelier’s bespoke offerings may be worth exploring, but be prepared for longer implementation timelines and less proven results.
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
Crave’s platform scores highly on ease of use, with a rating of 4.61/5 based on extensive reviews, and users praise its intuitive interface and proactive onboarding process. Reviews highlight that staff find it straightforward to train on, and guests appreciate its simplicity, with some noting the QR code access is particularly user-friendly.
Xotelier’s platform, lacking detailed reviews or user feedback, makes it difficult to assess its ease of use. Its focus on custom development suggests that the user experience will depend heavily on the bespoke design and implementation process, which can vary in complexity. Without concrete feedback, it’s safer to say Crave’s platform is more predictable in usability.
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
Crave’s platform boasts 25 unique features, including web-based access, multi-lingual support, mobile payments, request management, in-venue ordering, QR codes, Apple Pay, Google Pay, POS integration, and contactless ordering. These capabilities enable seamless guest service automation across diverse hotel types, making it a versatile solution.
Xotelier’s Guest App does not specify feature count or list functionalities, focusing instead on custom development tailored to hotel needs. While this allows flexibility, it leaves uncertainty about which features are included out-of-the-box. For hotels wanting a comprehensive, ready-to-use suite, Crave’s extensive features provide a clear advantage.
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
Crave’s support ratings are strong, with a 4.79/5 customer support score, and reviews cite quick response times and proactive assistance. Clients appreciate the 24/7 support, with one reviewer noting, “Their response times are absolutely incredible,” which is critical during operational issues.
Xotelier’s support quality isn’t documented through reviews, making it difficult to gauge. The company’s smaller size and focus on custom development suggest support quality could vary and depend on ongoing contracts. Based on available data, Crave’s support stands out as more reliable.
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
Crave’s platform integrates with 17 verified partners, including Interel, Infor, Oracle Hospitality, Amadeus, and others, facilitating smooth operation within existing hotel tech stacks. This extensive integration footprint allows for easier automation and data sharing.
Xotelier offers no publicly listed integrations, highlighting its focus on custom solutions rather than out-of-the-box connectivity. If integration is a priority, Crave’s established partner network provides a significant advantage.
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
Crave’s reviews consistently praise its ease of use, support, and feature set, with a 4.75/5 overall rating and a 93% likelihood to recommend. Its recent reviews reinforce its reputation among hotels across segments, especially in North America and Europe, with an average hotel rating of 4.69/5 from 42 reviews.
Xotelier’s lack of reviews makes it impossible to assess user satisfaction. Its personalized, bespoke approach may appeal to niche hotels but doesn’t demonstrate proven hotel ratings or satisfaction levels in the market.
Edge: Crave Mobile Platform.
Crave’s platform charges a flat fee of $400, with no additional implementation or monthly charges, making it straightforward and predictable. Xotelier’s pricing is not publicly available; since it focuses on custom app development, costs will vary based on scope, complexity, and ongoing support.
If predictable costs are vital, Crave offers clarity with its flat fee. For tailored solutions, Xotelier’s variable pricing could be advantageous but less transparent.
Not ideal if your hotel has highly unique workflows requiring bespoke app development or minimal budget flexibility.
Not ideal if you prefer a quick, out-of-the-box solution or lack the internal resources for custom app management.
Crave Mobile Platform stands out as the more reliable, feature-rich guest app with proven market success, extensive integrations, and high user satisfaction. It’s best suited for properties seeking a scalable, ready-to-use solution that enhances guest engagement and operational efficiency.
Xotelier offers a flexible, custom development approach, ideal for hotels with specific needs and resources for bespoke app management. However, its lack of reviews and market presence makes it a riskier choice unless your hotel has the capacity to handle custom tech projects.
For hotels prioritizing proven performance, extensive features, and strong support, Crave is the clear winner. If your hotel values bespoke development above all, Xotelier could be worth exploring, but proceed cautiously given the limited market validation.
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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Xotelier (Guest App)
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| Starting Price | From $400/mo | — |
According to HTR's product database, Crave Mobile Platform and Xotelier (Guest App) share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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Xotelier (Guest App)
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| Automatic Translations (Multi-Lingual) | ||
| Hotel Directory | ||
| Payments | ||
| Request Management | ||
| Room Service Ordering | ||
| Web Based (Appless) |
Showing top differences. 13 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
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Crave Mobile Platform and Xotelier (Guest App) share many core Hotel Guest Apps features, but each has unique capabilities. Crave Mobile Platform offers 17 verified integration partners, while Xotelier (Guest App) offers 0. 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. Xotelier (Guest App): 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 Xotelier (Guest App) 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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