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 70 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 customer support and ROI — especially for brand properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Credit Card Payments and Payments Integrations.
DOWHAT shines , with exclusive features like Guest Profiles and Mobile Checkin.
Side-by-side ratings based on 70 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $400/mo | From $400/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 67 | 3 |
After analyzing 70 verified reviews, Crave Interactive users most value its customer service, user interface, customization, while DOWHAT 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 | #32 0 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #9 26 reviews | #32 1 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #4 14 reviews | #27 0 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #5 7 reviews | #11 2 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #6 26 reviews | #32 1 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #5 31 reviews | #22 2 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #4 27 reviews | #31 0 reviews |
| Extended Stay | #10 2 reviews | #20 0 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #4 26 reviews | #31 0 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | #8 31 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #8 2 reviews | #5 3 reviews |
| Middle East | #8 1 reviews | — |
Both Crave Mobile Platform by Crave Interactive and DOWHAT’s Smart Check-in/Out aim to improve guest engagement and streamline hotel operations through guest-facing apps. Crave’s platform offers a comprehensive, feature-rich experience, while DOWHAT focuses primarily on contactless check-in and room access. Your choice hinges on whether you need an all-in-one guest engagement solution or a streamlined check-in/out system.
Crave’s platform is well-rated, with more recent reviews and a larger user base, making it the more reliable option for hotels seeking detailed guest service tools. DOWHAT, despite its simplicity, has fewer reviews and less market presence. Are you prioritizing guest engagement or operational efficiency?
Crave’s platform is designed to offer a broad range of guest services—like digital menus, in-venue ordering, contactless payments, and upselling—across multiple hotel types, including luxury and branded properties. DOWHAT, on the other hand, emphasizes quick, contactless check-in/out and room access, making it ideal for hotels that want to minimize front desk queues.
Crave’s recent reviews highlight its ability to increase sales and guest satisfaction through features like digital menus and in-venue ordering, with a 4.75/5 overall rating from 48 reviews. DOWHAT's reviews are limited, mostly praising its convenience, but with no detailed feature feedback and only 3 reviews, its overall reliability is less certain.
Do you want a comprehensive guest engagement platform or a specialized check-in/out solution?
If your hotel needs a versatile app that handles food and beverage ordering, guest communication, and marketing, go with Crave Interactive. Its 16 exclusive features—like Apple Pay, Google Pay, POS integration, and multi-menu ordering—support a wide range of guest services, suitable for mid to large hotels aiming to upsell.
If your hotel’s priority is quick, contactless check-in and room access, DOWHAT is the better fit. Its core strengths are guest convenience at arrival and departure, with features like app/web check-in and mobile room keys, ideal for budget hotels or properties focusing on operational flow.
Choose based on your hotel’s service scope: Crave for full-service engagement, DOWHAT for streamlined arrivals and departures.
Crave’s user interface scores 4.61/5, with reviews praising its intuitive design and helpful onboarding. Guests find it simple to order food or access services, and staff appreciate its straightforward menu updates, though some mention limited customization options.
DOWHAT scores 4.33/5 for ease of use, with reviews emphasizing its convenience and speed during check-in/out. Users note the app’s straightforward process, but some bugs and sync issues on mobile devices have been reported.
Edge: Crave.
Crave offers 16 features, including digital menus, in-venue ordering, contactless payments, NFC, and POS integration, making it a comprehensive guest engagement tool. DOWHAT provides only 3 features—app download, guest profiles, and mobile check-in—focused mainly on contactless arrivals.
Crave’s extensive feature set enables upselling, personalized marketing, and detailed analytics, whereas DOWHAT’s simplicity supports fast check-in/out processes. If you need a full suite of guest services, Crave is clearly ahead.
Edge: Crave.
Crave’s customer support is rated 4.79/5, with reviews highlighting quick response times and proactive service, including 24/7 assistance. Clients mention its helpful support team addressing issues promptly, contributing to a high Net Promoter Score (9.15/5).
DOWHAT’s support scores 4/5, with fewer reviews and limited detail, but users appreciate its reliability. However, the small review base makes Crave’s support reputation more trustworthy.
Edge: Crave.
Crave integrates with 17 verified partners, including Oracle Hospitality, POS systems, and other hotel management tools, supporting complex hotel operations. DOWHAT only has 2 verified partners, with minimal integration options.
The higher number of integrations in Crave allows your team to connect seamlessly with existing systems, reducing manual work and errors. DOWHAT’s limited integrations may restrict scalability or future tech adoption.
Edge: Crave.
Crave’s overall rating of 4.75/5 is based on 48 reviews, with many hotel segments—luxury, branded, boutique—highlighting its positive impact. The recent review activity and a high likelihood to recommend (93%) reinforce its strong reputation.
DOWHAT’s reviews are limited and lack detailed ratings, with an overall score of 0/5 from 3 reviews, all praising its convenience but offering no comparative data. Crave’s extensive, recent review base makes it the more reliable choice.
Edge: Crave.
Both products are priced at a $400 base fee, with no monthly fees, implementation charges, or freemium options. This flat pricing model makes cost straightforward; however, the lack of ongoing costs means you should evaluate feature needs carefully.
Crave provides a more feature-rich experience, so its value depends on your hotel’s service ambitions. DOWHAT’s limited features may suit properties with simpler needs, offering a low-cost entry point.
Crave’s platform is a comprehensive solution that boosts guest engagement with a wide array of features, making it suitable for hotels looking to increase revenue and guest satisfaction. Its larger review base, recent activity, and extensive integrations support its position as the more reliable choice.
If your hotel needs a full-service guest app capable of digital menus, upselling, and detailed analytics, Crave is the clear winner. It’s especially fitting for mid-size to large properties with resources to implement and manage a complex system.
Conversely, DOWHAT offers a streamlined, easy-to-use platform centered on contactless check-in/out, ideal for hotels seeking operational efficiency with minimal tech complexity. It suits properties focusing on quick arrivals, departures, and room access.
Choose Crave if your goal is a versatile, features-rich guest app that enhances multiple aspects of the guest journey. Opt for DOWHAT if your priority is fast, contactless check-in/out and simplified operations—especially if your hotel has fewer service needs or wants to minimize upfront costs.
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 Smart Check-in/Out by DOWHAT share 9 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| App download | ||
| Apple Pay | ||
| Credit Card Payments | ||
| Digital Menu | ||
| Guest Profiles | ||
| In-Venue Ordering | ||
| Mobile Checkin | ||
| QR Codes | ||
| 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
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Crave Mobile Platform and Smart Check-in/Out by DOWHAT share many core Hotel Guest Apps features, but each has unique capabilities. Crave Mobile Platform offers 17 verified integration partners, while Smart Check-in/Out by DOWHAT offers 2. 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 4.3/5. 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. Smart Check-in/Out by DOWHAT: 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 DOWHAT 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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