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 60 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:
Revinate shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (4.9/5) , with exclusive features like Open API and Secured Data Protection.
Kipsu shines when it comes to guest engagement — especially for brand properties (4.4/5) , with exclusive features like Broadcast Messaging.
Side-by-side ratings based on 60 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 35 | 25 |
After analyzing 60 verified reviews, Revinate users most value its multi-channel guest communication, customer engagement and satisfaction, automated responses and smart features, while Kipsu users highlight guest engagement, operational efficiency, guests' preference for texting. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Multi-Channel Guest Communication
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Guest Engagement
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Customer Engagement and Satisfaction
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Operational Efficiency
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Automated Responses and Smart Features
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Guests' Preference for Texting
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Support and Response Time Issues
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Technology Adoption
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Technical Glitches and Improvements
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Operational Limitations
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Customization and Flexibility
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PMS Integration
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Formal Communication
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How each product ranks among Guest Messaging Software 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) | #21 2 reviews | #19 2 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #13 23 reviews | #24 4 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #15 5 reviews | #11 8 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #14 3 reviews | #8 7 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #21 10 reviews | #19 7 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #19 9 reviews | #12 15 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #15 13 reviews | #12 17 reviews |
| Extended Stay | #18 2 reviews | #19 1 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #8 35 reviews | #10 20 reviews |
| Europe | #22 0 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #17 0 reviews | — |
| Middle East | — | #7 1 reviews |
Choosing between Revinate Ivy and Kipsu involves weighing their core functionalities and how they align with your hotel's needs. Both aim to enhance guest communication but approach it differently—Revinate with its AI-driven messaging and data-rich platform, and Kipsu with its focus on real-time, multi-channel guest engagement. Your decision hinges on whether you prioritize automation and analytics or direct, personalized interactions.
Revinate Ivy offers a comprehensive, AI-powered messaging system integrated deeply with property systems, while Kipsu emphasizes immediate, human-like communication through multiple channels. Do you want a system that automates routine guest interactions or one that facilitates direct human engagement?
Revinate Ivy and Kipsu tackle guest communication but target different hotel operational styles. Ivy’s AI-driven approach automates up to 60% of front desk inquiries, providing personalized upsell opportunities and multi-channel communication, making it ideal for hotels aiming to reduce staffing burdens. Conversely, Kipsu focuses on real-time messaging, photo sharing, and in-depth interaction, suited for properties prioritizing immediate guest service with a human touch.
Revinate’s more recent reviews and higher overall ratings (4.82/5 vs. 4.3/5) strongly suggest its stronger reputation among hoteliers. Ivy's ease of automation and integration with PMS systems appeal to larger or tech-forward hotels, while Kipsu’s conversational style attracts boutique and independent hotels seeking personalized guest interactions. Which approach better suits your hotel’s operational model?
If your hotel needs a scalable, automated messaging platform that integrates with your PMS and provides detailed reporting, go with Revinate Ivy. It’s especially suitable if you aim to reduce front desk workload and increase ancillary revenue through personalized offers, as evidenced by its high 4.92/5 ease of use rating and 96% likelihood to recommend.
On the other hand, if your team values direct, immediate communication, especially with tech-savvy guests, Kipsu is the better choice. It excels in real-time engagement, photo sharing, and social media integrations, making it ideal for properties that want to foster personal guest relationships and address concerns instantly.
Revinate Ivy boasts a user rating of 4.92/5 for ease of use, with many reviews highlighting its intuitive interface and smooth onboarding process. Users commend its seamless PMS integration, which minimizes staff training time and encourages widespread adoption.
Kipsu’s ease of use scores slightly lower at 4.54/5. While many praise its straightforward messaging platform, some users mention a learning curve with its workflow and slower PMS update times, particularly when connecting guest data.
Edge: Revinate Ivy.
Revinate offers 3 exclusive features: an Open API, Secured Data Protection, and a Chatbot Booking Agent. These facilitate automation, security, and seamless booking integrations, setting it apart in terms of technical sophistication.
Kipsu, with 15 unique features, provides advanced options like Photo Sharing, Analytics Dashboard, Automated Workflows, and a Unified Omnichannel Inbox. These features enable richer, more personalized guest engagement and operational management.
Edge: Kipsu.
Revinate’s support and onboarding ratings are notably high at 4.88/5, with reviews praising quick responses and helpful staff, such as “Jack in support is amazing and very responsive.” Its recent reviews, though, note some slowdown in response times, which may impact urgent needs.
Kipsu’s customer support scores much lower at 3.5/5, with reviews indicating inconsistent responsiveness and some dissatisfaction with troubleshooting. While generally easy to use, it might require more patience during technical issues.
Edge: Revinate Ivy.
Revinate stands out with 98 verified partner integrations, including popular PMS and marketing platforms like WebRezPro, Quore, and Oracle Hospitality. Its open API allows for extensive customization and data exchange.
Kipsu has 9 verified partners, with notable integrations like OpenKey and Crave Interactive. However, its PMS integrations are limited, often leading to delays and manual updates.
Edge: Revinate.
Revinate scores a 4.82/5 overall, with independent hotels rating it a perfect 5/5 and larger properties giving slightly lower scores but still high. Its recent 0 reviews in the last 6 months indicate consistent satisfaction among a broad hotel range.
Kipsu’s 4.3/5 rating is solid but less impressive, with some reviews pointing out usability issues. Larger resorts and boutique hotels appreciate its immediate engagement features more than independent properties.
Edge: Revinate.
Both products do not publicly disclose pricing as they are typically customized based on hotel size and needs. They are offered without freemium models, implementation fees, or monthly flat rates, so expect tailored quotes upon inquiry.
Not ideal if your hotel prefers minimal automation or has a limited budget for software investment.
Not ideal if your hotel requires extensive PMS integration or prefers a more traditional, less chat-centric approach.
Revinate Ivy and Kipsu aim to improve guest communication but serve different operational philosophies. Ivy’s AI-driven, automated system simplifies routine interactions, reduces staff workload, and integrates deeply with PMS systems, making it ideal for large, revenue-focused hotels.
Kipsu excels in real-time engagement, multimedia sharing, and fostering authentic guest relationships, suitable for boutique and independent hotels that value personal touch over automation.
If your hotel needs a scalable, automated communication platform with strong integrations, go with Revinate Ivy. Its higher ratings, recent reviews, and extensive features make it the stronger choice.
Choose Kipsu if your focus is on immediate, human-like interactions and rich multimedia engagement, and your property can manage the manual aspects of system integration. Its ease of use and guest-centric features are ideal for properties prioritizing personal service.
In conclusion, for most hotels looking for a reliable, well-supported guest messaging system, Revinate Ivy currently offers the better overall package backed by more recent positive reviews and a wider range of integrations.
According to HTR's product database, Revinate (Ivy) and Kipsu share 14 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Analytics dashboard | ||
| Automated Workflows | ||
| Broadcast Messaging | ||
| Chatbot Booking Agent | ||
| Desktop App (non-web based) | ||
| Facebook Messenger Integration | ||
| Open API | ||
| Photo Sharing | ||
| Secured Data Protection |
Showing top differences. 6 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
The ability to capture guest data and communicate through multiple channels, including phone info pre-call and text messaging, is highly valued. This... The ability to capture guest data and communicate through multiple channels, including phone info pre-call and text messaging, is highly valued. This feature enhances the guest experience by allowing for personalized and timely interactions, helping in both guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Revinate/Ivy allows properties to address guest issues before they escalate, leading to improved satisfaction scores. Features like pre-arrival texts... Revinate/Ivy allows properties to address guest issues before they escalate, leading to improved satisfaction scores. Features like pre-arrival texts and prompt responses to queries enhance the guest experience significantly.
Ivy's smart response feature helps significantly during peak times by addressing common guest queries efficiently. Users highlight that guests appreci... Ivy's smart response feature helps significantly during peak times by addressing common guest queries efficiently. Users highlight that guests appreciate the welcome texts and check-ins from Ivy, making communication smoother and more efficient.
Where hoteliers push back
Users have reported occasional technical glitches such as Ivy getting confused with informal vocabulary, delays in messages, and issues with automatio... Users have reported occasional technical glitches such as Ivy getting confused with informal vocabulary, delays in messages, and issues with automation. Continuous improvements and updates are suggested to enhance the reliability of the system.
There is a desire for more customization options, especially concerning chat templates and organizing responses based on specific property needs. Bett... There is a desire for more customization options, especially concerning chat templates and organizing responses based on specific property needs. Better organization capabilities would help teams manage communications more effectively.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
What hoteliers love
Kipsu empowers hotels to engage with guests promptly via mobile communication, enhancing guest satisfaction and allowing immediate issue resolution. S... Kipsu empowers hotels to engage with guests promptly via mobile communication, enhancing guest satisfaction and allowing immediate issue resolution. Several reviews highlight its ease of use and the preference of guests to text rather than call.
Kipsu helps hotels by making communication more efficient. It allows front desk staff to handle guest queries quickly and track their usage of the app... Kipsu helps hotels by making communication more efficient. It allows front desk staff to handle guest queries quickly and track their usage of the app. There is a noted improvement in task management and operational flow among teams.
The shift from phone calls to texting aligns with guests’ preferences, making it easier for them to communicate their needs discreetly. This trend is... The shift from phone calls to texting aligns with guests’ preferences, making it easier for them to communicate their needs discreetly. This trend is particularly beneficial for tech-savvy and mobile-centric guests.
Where hoteliers push back
While many find Kipsu user-friendly, some note that it could be more robust. Limitations include the scope of the program and occasional hiccups with... While many find Kipsu user-friendly, some note that it could be more robust. Limitations include the scope of the program and occasional hiccups with searching archived messages efficiently.
Many users highlight the need for better integration with property management systems (PMS), noting delays and sync issues. Proper integration would f... Many users highlight the need for better integration with property management systems (PMS), noting delays and sync issues. Proper integration would further streamline communication by automatically updating guest details, which currently is a manual process for some.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Revinate (Ivy) and Kipsu share many core Guest Messaging Software features, but each has unique capabilities. Revinate (Ivy) offers 98 verified integration partners, while Kipsu offers 9. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Revinate (Ivy) leads in ease of use at 4.9/5 vs 4.5/5. 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.
Revinate (Ivy): No. Kipsu: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Guest Messaging Software 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. Revinate has an HT Score of 26 and Kipsu has 14. 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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