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 36 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:
Gastfreund | Hotelcore shines , with exclusive features like App download.
TouchMenu shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Guest Profiles.
Side-by-side ratings based on 36 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $400/mo | From $300/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 11 | 25 |
After analyzing 36 verified reviews, Gastfreund | Hotelcore users most value its , while TouchMenu users highlight guest experience enhancement, operational efficiency, ease of use. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Guest Experience Enhancement
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Operational Efficiency
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Ease of Use
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Support and Responsiveness
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Integration with Existing Systems
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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) ▾ | #25 1 reviews | #12 7 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #20 5 reviews | #10 13 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #24 1 reviews | #11 5 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #23 3 reviews | #12 12 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #30 1 reviews | #10 17 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #18 3 reviews | #13 7 reviews |
| Extended Stay | #15 1 reviews | #11 2 reviews |
By Region
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| North America | — | #18 1 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | #14 9 reviews | #10 22 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #10 2 reviews |
Choosing between Gastfreund | Hotelcore and TouchMenu hinges on your hotel’s specific needs for guest engagement, operational efficiency, and integration. Both aim to enhance your guest experience, but they approach this differently—Gastfreund offers a broader suite of tools focused on digital guest directories and personalized communication, while TouchMenu emphasizes seamless ordering, upselling, and operational automation. Your decision should consider which features align more closely with your property’s priorities.
Gastfreund’s platform is more established with a larger review base and recent feedback, providing a stronger data foundation. TouchMenu, though newer and with fewer reviews, boasts a higher recent review score and more recent feedback, indicating rapid development and strong current user satisfaction. So, which product truly fits your hotel’s goals?
Gastfreund | Hotelcore and TouchMenu both serve to digitize guest interactions but differ in scope and focus. Gastfreund’s solution is a modular platform that includes digital guest directories, info channels, and hotel newspapers, aiming to improve communication and reduce front desk inquiries. TouchMenu centers around ordering, upselling, and operational automation, integrating services like room service, spa bookings, and guest communication into one platform.
Gastfreund has more reviews (11 vs. 25), but TouchMenu’s reviews are all from the last six months, giving it a more current user perspective. TouchMenu’s higher overall rating (77.63 vs. 0) and perfect support score (5/5 vs. 4.27/5) indicate stronger recent customer satisfaction. Do you need a comprehensive communication platform or a streamlined operational tool? That choice defines your best fit.
If your hotel prioritizes enriching guest communication, offering multilingual digital directories, and reducing administrative burdens, Gastfreund is the better fit. It’s ideal for properties seeking to improve guest engagement through digital info channels, with a broad range of integrations and a track record of success across global markets.
For hotels aiming to increase revenue through upselling, streamline service delivery, and automate operations like room service and spa bookings, TouchMenu is preferable. Its focus on personalized guest interactions, high ease of use, and recent stellar reviews make it perfect for tech-savvy, service-driven properties.
Your choice depends on whether your focus is guest communication and information or operational automation and revenue growth.
Gastfreund scores 4.27/5 for ease of use, with onboarding rated 4.44/5. Reviewers mention the platform’s modern interface and intuitive structure, making it accessible for staff and guests. Support is responsive, and the platform’s modular design helps hotels adopt features gradually, easing staff adoption.
TouchMenu outperforms with a 4.96/5 ease of use rating and a nearly perfect onboarding score of 4.96/5. Multiple reviews highlight its simple, fast, and comprehensive interface, with users praising the platform’s ability to quickly deliver value. Support responsiveness is also highly rated, with hotel staff feeling confident using it after onboarding.
Edge: TouchMenu.
Gastfreund offers a digital guest directory, info channel, hotel newspaper, and hotelboard, totaling four core features. It also has a unique app download feature, enhancing guest engagement via native mobile apps, which TouchMenu does not provide.
TouchMenu offers ten shared features, including ordering, booking, and guest communication, plus a guest profiles feature that Gastfreund lacks. Its focus on operational tools like upselling and automation gives it an edge for properties seeking to boost revenue and streamline services.
Edge: TouchMenu.
Gastfreund’s support has a 4.27/5 rating, with reviews praising its friendly, quick, and solution-oriented responses. Guests appreciate the platform’s professional support and rapid completion times, emphasizing its reliability.
TouchMenu’s support is rated a perfect 5/5, with reviews highlighting its helpfulness and responsiveness. Hoteliers note that support is always available to assist in implementation and troubleshooting, making the platform feel well-backed.
Edge: TouchMenu.
Gastfreund integrates with 13 verified partners, including major PMS and booking systems like Winhotel, SiteMinder, and RoomRaccoon. It supports seamless operation with a broad array of third-party systems, offering more flexibility for larger or more complex hotel setups.
TouchMenu has four verified partners, including Stripe and Oracle Hospitality. While fewer, these integrations cover essential functions like payments and hospitality systems, sufficient for properties with simpler tech stacks.
Edge: Gastfreund.
TouchMenu’s recent reviews (all within the last six months) provide a clearer picture of current satisfaction, with an overall rating of 77.63 and a 98% likelihood to recommend. Hotels in the luxury segment particularly praise its ease of use and support.
Gastfreund, with only 11 reviews, has a lower overall rating (0/5), but its long-standing presence and diverse hotel types (resorts, boutique hotels, RV parks) suggest steady performance. However, the more recent and higher ratings for TouchMenu reflect stronger current satisfaction.
Edge: TouchMenu.
Gastfreund’s pricing starts at $400 per month, with no free trial or implementation fees, making it a mid-range option. Its cost reflects its broader feature set and extensive integrations.
TouchMenu costs $300 per month, also with no trial or setup fees, positioning it as a slightly more affordable solution with a strong focus on automation and guest interaction features.
Not ideal if you need a highly specialized order and booking platform or minimal digital communication tools.
Not ideal if your focus is primarily on digital guest information or if your hotel requires extensive multilingual support beyond basic profiles.
Gastfreund | Hotelcore offers a broad, established platform that emphasizes digital guest communication, multi-channel content, and extensive integrations. Its long history and diverse hotel segment coverage make it suitable for larger properties seeking comprehensive guest engagement.
TouchMenu is a newer, rapidly evolving platform that excels in operational automation, upselling, and guest service personalization. Its recent positive reviews, high ease of use, and support quality make it ideal for hotels prioritizing efficiency and revenue growth through digital means.
If your hotel needs a broad communication and engagement platform, Gastfreund is the more proven choice. However, if your focus is operational automation, upselling, and current high satisfaction, TouchMenu is the better option.
In conclusion, for a hotel aiming for a modern, user-friendly guest experience with strong current reviews, TouchMenu is the recommended choice. But if your property benefits from a modular, highly integrated communication suite, Gastfreund’s longstanding reputation makes it the safer investment.
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 $300/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Gastfreund | Hotelcore and TouchMenu share 10 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| App download | ||
| Guest Profiles |
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
What hoteliers love
Users often mention how the TouchMenu significantly boosts guest satisfaction through seamless ordering, personalized experiences, and easy communicat... Users often mention how the TouchMenu significantly boosts guest satisfaction through seamless ordering, personalized experiences, and easy communication without physical interaction, which is crucial for modern hospitality.
Reviewers appreciate TouchMenu for simplifying operations through integrated ordering and booking features. This automation reduces the need for direc... Reviewers appreciate TouchMenu for simplifying operations through integrated ordering and booking features. This automation reduces the need for direct staff involvement, enhances operational efficiency, and helps in following green initiatives by reducing paper use.
Many reviews highlight TouchMenu's user-friendly interface, making it easy for guests and staff alike to interact with the system. Its intuitive desig... Many reviews highlight TouchMenu's user-friendly interface, making it easy for guests and staff alike to interact with the system. Its intuitive design eliminates barriers to usage, encouraging wider user adoption across different user groups.
Where hoteliers push back
Several reviews emphasize the software's support for integration with existing property management and guest-facing systems, which helps maintain seam... Several reviews emphasize the software's support for integration with existing property management and guest-facing systems, which helps maintain seamless operations across different hotel functionalities.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Gastfreund | Hotelcore and TouchMenu share many core Hotel Guest Apps features, but each has unique capabilities. Gastfreund | Hotelcore offers 13 verified integration partners, while TouchMenu offers 4. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. TouchMenu leads in ease of use at 5.0/5 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.
Gastfreund | Hotelcore: No. TouchMenu: 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. Gastfreund | Hotelcore has an HT Score of 0 and TouchMenu has 78. 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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