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 215 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:
GuestU shines .
STAY shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Mobile App and Guest Messaging.
Side-by-side ratings based on 215 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $300/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 215 |
After analyzing 215 verified reviews, GuestU users most value its , while STAY users highlight guest experience optimization, mobile and user experience, operational efficiency. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
GuestU
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Guest Experience Optimization
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Mobile and User Experience
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Operational Efficiency
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Support and Service
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CMS and Customization
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Integration Capabilities
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Analytics and Reporting
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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
| Segment |
GuestU
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #9 10 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | — | #4 83 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | — | #2 89 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | — | #2 24 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment |
GuestU
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #2 77 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #2 88 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #3 91 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #6 7 reviews |
By Region
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GuestU
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| North America ▾ | — | #5 27 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #3 112 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #6 3 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #7 2 reviews |
When choosing a hotel guest app, your primary concern is enhancing guest satisfaction while streamlining operations. GuestU and STAY both aim to serve this purpose, but they differ significantly in their scope, feature set, and market presence. GuestU offers basic guest engagement through a branded smartphone experience, primarily in Europe, with no recent reviews and a very limited feature set. STAY, on the other hand, provides a comprehensive guest experience platform with a strong global footprint, extensive features, and over 200 recent reviews. Which is the better fit for your hotel?
Both GuestU and STAY aim to improve guest engagement and operational efficiency, but they approach these goals differently. GuestU's core product is a branded guest smartphone offering internet, voice calls, and internal services requests, mainly tailored for hotels looking for a simple, branded device experience. STAY, however, offers an all-in-one guest experience OS, digitizing services like room reservations, messaging, room service, and local recommendations, with a robust integration ecosystem. GuestU’s limited feature list and regional focus contrast sharply with STAY’s extensive feature set and global reach.
GuestU’s last review was years ago, with no recent customer feedback, making its effectiveness and support less certain. Conversely, STAY boasts 206 recent reviews, with a high Net Promoter Score of 9.59/10, indicating strong, current customer satisfaction. If your hotel needs a flexible, feature-rich platform with proven recent user approval, STAY is clearly the stronger choice.
If your hotel needs to provide a personalized guest device, like a branded smartphone with basic services, GuestU could suffice, especially if operating mainly in Europe. It’s suited for hotels seeking a simple, branded in-room device experience with minimal digital service offerings. However, if your hotel aims to digitize a wide range of guest services—from messaging and reservations to local recommendations and mobile checkout—STAY’s broader capabilities make it the better fit.
For hotel chains or properties prioritizing operational efficiency, guest engagement, and data insights, STAY’s extensive feature set and proven track record with large hotel groups should guide your decision. GuestU’s narrow focus and limited recent reviews mean it’s best for very specific needs, not comprehensive guest experience enhancement.
GuestU’s user interface and onboarding process are not well-documented, and the absence of recent reviews makes assessment difficult. Conversely, STAY consistently receives praise for its intuitive, user-friendly app interface, scoring 4.78/5 for ease of use and 4.63/5 for onboarding. Hotel staff report that STAY’s CMS is straightforward to learn, and guests find the app easy to navigate, with many reviews highlighting its simplicity.
Given the current feedback, the clear edge goes to STAY, which demonstrates a proven, smooth user experience for both staff and guests.
GuestU offers only the GuestU Phone, a personalized device with basic internet and internal request features. STAY, however, provides a suite of 14 features including a mobile app, chatbots, automated replies, message routing, guest messaging, web app, room service ordering, local recommendations, hotel directory, app download, multi-lingual translations, mobile checkout, and guest profiles.
STAY’s extensive features cover almost every aspect of guest engagement and hotel operation digitization, whereas GuestU’s core offering is limited to a branded device. The feature count and functional depth clearly favor STAY, making it the more versatile platform.
GuestU’s support and onboarding ratings are unavailable, indicating a lack of recent customer feedback. STAY’s support scores are high at 4.83/5, with reviews praising the team’s helpfulness and responsiveness. Multiple hotel clients, including Barceló and NH Hotels, commend STAY’s support team for their proactive, efficient assistance, especially during rapid rollouts.
Given the recent positive reviews and high satisfaction ratings, STAY’s support is the clear leader, especially for hotels needing reliable, ongoing assistance.
GuestU has only one verified partner, Nonius, limiting its integration capabilities. In contrast, STAY integrates with 20 partners, including hotel systems like hotelkit, apaleo, Winhotel, SiteMinder, Oracle Hospitality, Mews, and others, facilitating a seamless flow of data and operations.
This extensive integration network makes STAY a more adaptable and scalable solution, capable of fitting into diverse hotel tech stacks. Edge: STAY.
GuestU’s reviews are nonexistent in recent data, indicating very limited or no active hotel feedback. STAY, however, has 206 recent reviews with an overall rating of 3/5, and a remarkable NPS score of 9.59/10. Hotels across segments—especially major chains like NH Hotels and Riu—highlight how STAY improves operational efficiency, guest satisfaction, and sustainability.
The strong, recent review activity and high ratings clearly favor STAY, especially among large and premium properties.
GuestU’s pricing details are unavailable, which suggests it may have a customized or less transparent pricing model. STAY charges $300 per month, with no implementation fee or trial period, making its costs predictable and straightforward.
For hotels seeking budget clarity, STAY’s transparent pricing provides confidence in ongoing costs and ROI expectations. The absence of current GuestU pricing data makes it less accessible for budget-conscious hoteliers.
Hotels that:
Not ideal if:
Hotels that:
Not ideal if:
GuestU offers a niche solution focused on a branded device experience, best suited for hotels needing a simple guest engagement tool within Europe or North America. Its limited features, lack of recent reviews, and regional focus make it less compelling for hotels aiming for comprehensive guest experience management.
STAY provides a broad, feature-rich platform with proven success across multiple regions, large hotel chains, and independent hotels. With extensive integrations, high customer satisfaction, and active recent reviews, STAY is well-positioned to meet the needs of hotels seeking to modernize and digitize their guest services.
If your hotel needs a scalable, full-featured guest experience OS that improves operational flow and guest satisfaction, STAY is the clear leader. For a minimal, device-based solution, GuestU might suffice—though it comes with fewer features and less recent support.
According to HTR's product database, GuestU and STAY Guest App share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Automated Replies | ||
| Chatbot | ||
| Guest Messaging | ||
| Message Routing | ||
| Mobile App | ||
| Web-app |
Showing top differences. 2 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 8 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
GuestU
No published case study for this goal yet.
"Thanks to STAY, we offer our guests an interaction tool with our staff. We can make real-time decisions with it. This simplifies our staff's duties at the same time. The guest expe..."
GuestU
No published case study for this goal yet.
"Implementing STAY contributed to a significant increase in our revenue and customer satisfaction. The app pays for itself. We have seen significant increases in consumption for all..."
What hoteliers love
Multiple reviews highlight how STAY dramatically enhances guest experience by providing digital and sustainable ways for guests to access information... Multiple reviews highlight how STAY dramatically enhances guest experience by providing digital and sustainable ways for guests to access information and services. Features like real-time updates, mobile service ordering, and the ability to make restaurant reservations reduce wait times and provide convenience.
The app's user interface and mobile experience are lauded for being intuitive and easy to navigate. Users find it simple to update information and man... The app's user interface and mobile experience are lauded for being intuitive and easy to navigate. Users find it simple to update information and manage content, whether they are hotel staff or guests.
STAY aids in improving hotel operational efficiency by allowing quicker handling of guest requests, optimized internal processes, and reduced front de... STAY aids in improving hotel operational efficiency by allowing quicker handling of guest requests, optimized internal processes, and reduced front desk lines. The tool facilitates sustainable practices by digitizing traditional paper-based services, aiding hotels in their sustainability goals.
Where hoteliers push back
The CMS is highlighted for its ease of use and customization capabilities, though users have indicated some areas for improvement, particularly more f... The CMS is highlighted for its ease of use and customization capabilities, though users have indicated some areas for improvement, particularly more flexibility in design and functionality.
Users appreciate STAY's robust integration capabilities with various internal applications and systems, including PMS and CRM systems. These integrati... Users appreciate STAY's robust integration capabilities with various internal applications and systems, including PMS and CRM systems. These integrations streamline data management and help provide a seamless experience for both staff and guests.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. GuestU and STAY Guest App share many core Hotel Guest Apps features, but each has unique capabilities. GuestU offers 1 verified integration partners, while STAY Guest App offers 20. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. STAY Guest App leads in ease of use at 4.8/5 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.
GuestU: No. STAY 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. GuestU has an HT Score of 0 and STAY has 47. 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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