The Guestbook: Cash Rewards Suite vs. Hovr:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

Choosing between The Guestbook’s Cash Rewards Suite and Hovr hinges on your hotel’s primary goal: driving direct bookings or enhancing website engagement. Both products aim to boost revenue and guest experience but approach it differently—one through loyalty rewards, the other via interactive content. Your decision should align with whether you prioritize rewarding guests to foster loyalty or creating immersive web experiences that inspire action.

While both serve the hospitality sector, The Guestbook has a significantly larger footprint, more reviews, and recent feedback. It’s the clear leader for hotels focused on direct booking growth, making it the stronger choice for most hoteliers evaluating these options today.

Is The Guestbook or Hovr Better for Hotels?

The Guestbook and Hovr address different but complementary challenges in the hotel sales funnel. The Guestbook focuses on converting visitors into loyal, repeat guests through cashback rewards and loyalty programs proven to increase direct bookings. Hovr, on the other hand, seeks to engage potential guests on your website visually and interactively, encouraging immediate action through tap-to-book experiences.

Both products improve digital engagement, but The Guestbook’s reviews emphasize its tangible results—boosted conversions, revenue growth, and guest loyalty—while Hovr highlights ease of management and immersive content. Given the differences, your hotel must decide whether to prioritize guest loyalty or web engagement, or whether integrating both could maximize results.

The Guestbook vs Hovr: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs to increase direct bookings and reduce dependency on OTAs, go with The Guestbook. Its proven ability to generate immediate lifts in reservation conversions, backed by over 175 reviews and a 95 HTR Score, makes it a reliable investment for hotels aiming for higher profitability.

If your team focuses on creating a dynamic website that captivates visitors and guides them seamlessly to booking—especially if you want to enhance pre-arrival guest experience—Hovr is the better fit. Its lightweight overlays and high user-friendliness appeal to hotels looking for quick, visually engaging solutions to boost site engagement, though it has fewer reviews and less proven ROI data compared to The Guestbook.

Is The Guestbook or Hovr Easier to Use?

The Guestbook has a slightly lower ease of use rating (4.82/5) but is highly rated for its intuitive interface, especially on the hotelier side, with many reviews praising its straightforward setup and dashboard. It’s well-regarded for helping staff manage rewards and analyze results, though some users note a learning curve in customizing marketing features.

Hovr scores a perfect 5/5 for ease of use, with reviewers emphasizing how quickly and effortlessly they installed and customized the platform. Its minimal setup and no redesign requirement make it ideal for teams seeking immediate results without complexity.

Edge: Hovr.

Which Has Better Features: The Guestbook or Hovr?

The Guestbook offers five features exclusive to its platform: Parity Reports, Custom Segment Messaging, Messaging Analytics, Live Chat, and Instant Redeemable Rewards. These tools support targeted marketing, real-time communication, and immediate reward redemption—crucial for loyalty programs.

Hovr provides a single unique feature: A/B Split Testing, which helps optimize website engagement through experimentation. While Hovr’s feature set is more limited, its focus on interactive content can drive higher on-site conversions. Overall, The Guestbook’s broader feature suite affords more tools for comprehensive loyalty and marketing management.

Edge: The Guestbook.

Which Has Better Customer Support: The Guestbook or Hovr?

The Guestbook boasts a support rating of 4.91/5, with reviews highlighting quick, helpful responses and ongoing collaboration. Customers frequently mention how their team’s needs are promptly addressed, particularly during onboarding and troubleshooting, fostering trust and confidence.

Hovr also scores a perfect 5/5, with users describing its support team as responsive, industry-savvy, and attentive to client needs. The consistent praise for proactive assistance and smooth onboarding suggests both excel, but The Guestbook’s larger review base and recent feedback lend it a slight edge.

Edge: The Guestbook.

Which Has More Integrations: The Guestbook or Hovr?

The Guestbook integrates with 36 verified partners, including prominent hotel systems like WebRezPro, ReservHOTEL, ROIBACK, and The Hotels Network. These integrations enable hotels to embed rewards into existing booking and management workflows, enhancing overall marketing efficiency.

Hovr currently has no verified partners listed, which limits its integration capabilities. While Hovr’s standalone product is simple to deploy, its lack of extensive integrations may restrict its ability to fit seamlessly into complex tech stacks.

Edge: The Guestbook.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: The Guestbook or Hovr?

The Guestbook enjoys a 95.1 HTR Score and a 97% likelihood to recommend, supported by 175 reviews, with the majority from hotels in various market segments, especially luxury, boutique, and resort properties. Hotels consistently praise its ability to boost direct bookings, improve guest data, and increase revenue, with recent reviews reaffirming its effectiveness.

Hovr, with only 8 reviews and a 0/5 overall rating, lacks sufficient data for a meaningful comparison. Its limited feedback suggests hoteliers have yet to widely adopt or assess the platform, making The Guestbook the preferred choice among hotel professionals.

Edge: The Guestbook.

How Much Do The Guestbook and Hovr Cost?

The Guestbook charges a straightforward $200 monthly fee without implementation or setup charges. Its transparent pricing and strong ROI make it accessible for a wide range of hotels.

Hovr’s pricing begins at $400 per month, with no additional setup fees. Its higher price point could be justified by its interactive content capabilities, but with fewer reviews and less proven ROI, cost-effectiveness favors The Guestbook.

What Type of Hotel Should Use The Guestbook?

Hotels that should consider The Guestbook:

• Hotels aiming to significantly boost direct bookings and reduce OTA reliance
• Properties with a focus on guest loyalty and long-term retention
• Hotels looking for a comprehensive rewards program with detailed guest data insights
• Independent, boutique, and resort properties seeking proven revenue growth
• Hotels that value customization and in-depth analytics to refine marketing strategies

Not ideal if:

• Your hotel primarily needs website engagement tools without a loyalty program focus
• You lack the resources to manage a rewards program or analyze guest data
• Your property is very small with limited marketing staff

What Type of Hotel Should Use Hovr?

Hotels that should consider Hovr:

• Properties seeking to enhance website engagement with interactive content
• Hotels wanting to improve pre-arrival guest experience visually
• Those with existing booking engines looking for quick, no-redesign solutions
• Hotels aiming for a simple, easy-to-deploy digital tool that drives immediate action
• Hotels that prioritize visual storytelling and immersive online experiences

Not ideal if:

• Your primary goal is increasing direct bookings through loyalty rewards
• Your team prefers extensive analytics or integration with a broad network
• You require a mature, proven ROI from your digital marketing investments

The Guestbook vs Hovr: The Bottom Line for Hotels

The Guestbook’s core strength lies in its ability to directly increase hotel revenue through loyalty rewards, proven to boost bookings and guest retention. Its extensive reviews, higher overall ratings, and proven case studies affirm its effectiveness for hotels that want measurable growth in direct bookings and customer data insights.

Hovr offers an engaging, easy-to-implement platform that enhances website interaction through interactive videos and images. It’s best suited for properties looking to create immersive online experiences but lacks the extensive review backing and proven ROI that make The Guestbook the clearer choice for most hotels today.

If your hotel’s priority is generating more direct bookings and long-term guest loyalty, The Guestbook’s track record and review volume make it the recommended option. Use Hovr if your focus is on online engagement and visual storytelling, understanding that its limited review data suggests less proven impact yet potentially high engagement value.

This comparison underscores that The Guestbook remains the dominant choice for hotels aiming for measurable, revenue-driven results, especially given its large, recent review base and industry recognition. Hovr may serve niche needs for immersive digital content but should be approached cautiously if your goal is proven ROI and comprehensive integration.