Gastfreund vs. LIKE MAGIC:
Which Is Right for You?

Is Gastfreund or LIKE MAGIC Better for Hotels?

Gastfreund and LIKE MAGIC diverge most clearly in their market maturity, regional presence, and feature specialization. Gastfreund, established in 2013 with 94 employees, serves over 7,000 properties primarily in the DACH region and Italy, offering a modular guest experience platform with a strong multilingual focus and integrated team communication. LIKE MAGIC, a newer entrant founded in 2023 with 20 employees, focuses on streamlining the entire guest journey in a mobile-first, no-install web app primarily across Europe, emphasizing operational automation and an intelligent booking engine.

Both products solve the core problem of improving guest engagement and operational efficiency by digitizing guest communication and services. They reduce front desk workload by providing self-service digital guest directories, online check-in, direct messaging, and upsell opportunities. Hotels using either platform report improved guest satisfaction and time saved for staff, but the choice depends on property specifics and priorities.

Gastfreund vs LIKE MAGIC: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your property is a hotel or vacation rental in the DACH region or Italy seeking a mature, customizable platform with deep multilingual support and integrated team communication, Gastfreund fits best. This is supported by 48 reviews with a recent 4.8/5 rating over 35 reviews in the last six months, showing active use and satisfaction. Small to mid-sized boutique hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals value Gastfreund’s local recommendations and multi-language translations, features unique to this product.

If you operate an extended stay or serviced apartment property, especially in Switzerland or wider Europe, and prioritize seamless operational automation with a strong integrated booking engine, LIKE MAGIC is more suitable. Its 26 reviews, all prior to the last six months, show a perfect 5/5 rating but lack recent data, which introduces some uncertainty. Properties with lean teams aiming to reduce staff and integrate guest communications with operational workflows benefit from LIKE MAGIC’s all-in-one approach.

Data on review volume and segment coverage indicates Gastfreund’s strength in hospitality segments like resorts and vacation rentals, while LIKE MAGIC has concentrated success in extended stay and city center hotels. Limited data for LIKE MAGIC in vacation rentals and resorts suggests caution for these segments.

Is Gastfreund or LIKE MAGIC Easier to Use?

LIKE MAGIC holds an edge in ease of use with a perfect 5/5 ease of use rating and 4.8/5 onboarding rating, compared to Gastfreund’s 4.6/5 ease of use and 4.6/5 onboarding from a larger review base. Reviewers emphasize LIKE MAGIC’s intuitive, consolidated interface that automates repetitive tasks and minimizes training time, with one property reducing staff training to 1.5 days. Hotels praise its ability to streamline operations, helping staff focus on guest experience.

Gastfreund is described as straightforward and intuitive for both guests and staff, with clear layouts and easy content updates. However, some reviewers mention a learning curve in exploring all features, and one noted the need for improvements in workflow identity and messaging clarity.

Edge: LIKE MAGIC.

Which Has Better Features: Gastfreund or LIKE MAGIC?

Gastfreund offers two unique features that LIKE MAGIC lacks: local recommendations and automatic translations. Local recommendations allow properties to showcase regional attractions and excursions, which supports upselling and guest engagement—a capability reviewers say helps increase ancillary revenue by up to 30%. Automatic translations support multilingual guest populations with over 30 languages, crucial for DACH-region hotels with international guests, reducing repetitive guest inquiries.

LIKE MAGIC does not list any exclusive features beyond the 10 it shares with Gastfreund. It excels in operational automation, integrating online check-in, direct guest communication, and a fast intelligent booking engine. However, users note the absence of a room upgrade function and custom branding capabilities, which limits guest personalization and revenue opportunities.

Edge: Gastfreund.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Gastfreund or LIKE MAGIC?

Gastfreund and LIKE MAGIC have closely matched customer support ratings: Gastfreund at 4.6/5 and LIKE MAGIC at 4.8/5, with onboarding scores of 4.6/5 and 4.8/5 respectively. Reviewers of Gastfreund frequently praise the professional and quick support response, although one negative review cited slow responses and contract difficulties. LIKE MAGIC’s support is commended for responsiveness and helpfulness, though some users ask for phone support for urgent issues.

Overall, both platforms receive consistent positive feedback on support and onboarding, making them equally reliable for hoteliers requiring responsive vendor assistance.

Edge: Even.

Which Has More Integrations: Gastfreund or LIKE MAGIC?

Gastfreund offers 17 verified integrations, 55% more than LIKE MAGIC’s 11. Both share integrations with leading PMS providers like Mews and MARA Solutions, which cover a broad range of hotel operations. Gastfreund uniquely integrates with platforms like Winhotel, SiteMinder, Little Hotelier, RoomRaccoon, and protel partners such as Casablanca and ASA Hotelsoftware, supporting a wider variety of property management systems used in European small to mid-sized hotels.

LIKE MAGIC’s integrations include Oracle Hospitality, SALTO Systems for access control, Adyen for payments, Triptease for upselling, and TrustYou for guest feedback, indicating a focus on operational and guest experience enhancements relevant for larger or branded hotels.

Hotels with existing PMS diversity or requiring broad third-party connectivity will find Gastfreund’s integration portfolio more extensive. LIKE MAGIC’s integrations suit properties prioritizing modern payment, access control, and guest feedback ecosystems.

Edge: Gastfreund.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Gastfreund or LIKE MAGIC?

Gastfreund has an overall rating of 4.8/5 from 48 reviews, including 35 in the last six months maintaining the same score, indicating current satisfaction. LIKE MAGIC shows a perfect 5/5 rating from 26 reviews but none in the past six months, so its current performance is less certain. Both have high likelihood-to-recommend scores: 95% for Gastfreund and 99% for LIKE MAGIC.

Segment ratings show Gastfreund excels with vacation rentals, branded hotels, airport/conference hotels, and resorts, scoring between 4.9 and 5, supported by 30+ reviews per segment. LIKE MAGIC leads in extended stay and serviced apartments with a 5/5 over 13 reviews, and scores near 5 in city center hotels and boutique hotels.

Review volume and recency favor Gastfreund for portfolio diversity confidence, while LIKE MAGIC’s flawless rating reflects exceptional performance in its core segment but with limited recent user feedback.

Edge: Even.

How Much Do Gastfreund and LIKE MAGIC Cost?

Gastfreund’s pricing starts at $100 with no freemium, no monthly flat fee, and no per-room charges or implementation fees. No trial is offered. LIKE MAGIC’s base price is $700 with similarly no freemium, no monthly flat or per-room fees, and no implementation fee, also without a trial.

Gastfreund offers a significantly lower entry cost, making it accessible to smaller and mid-sized properties with budget constraints. LIKE MAGIC’s higher base price suggests a focus on properties with larger operational complexity or budgets, justified by its integrated operational automation features.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Gastfreund?

• Hotels that serve multilingual and international guests needing automatic translation into 30+ languages.
• Properties focused on local guest engagement and upselling through curated regional recommendations.
• Hotels requiring modular guest communication combined with internal team messaging.
• Vacation rentals, boutique hotels, and resorts in the DACH region or Italy prioritizing strong local support and frequent content updates.
• Teams looking to reduce front desk inquiries by up to 30% through digital guest directories and AI assistants.

Not ideal if:

• Your hotel requires integrated intelligent booking engine or operational automation as a core focus, which Gastfreund lacks.
• You need a fully digital guest journey platform designed for lean extended-stay properties.
• Your budget cannot accommodate even the $100 base cost (though lower than LIKE MAGIC, still a consideration).

What Type of Hotel Should Use LIKE MAGIC?

• Extended stay and serviced apartment properties seeking full digital guest journey automation.
• Hotels prioritizing operational efficiency with tools like online check-in and intelligent booking engines integrated.
• Teams aiming to reduce staff and training time substantially, supported by platform automation.
• City center and branded hotels looking for seamless guest communication and upselling features.
• Properties needing integrations with Oracle Hospitality, SALTO Systems, and Adyen payment processing.

Not ideal if:

• Your property requires multilingual support beyond core languages; LIKE MAGIC does not offer automatic translation.
• You want to customize branding or provide guest room upgrade options within the app, both currently missing.
• Recent user feedback and review volume are critical for your purchasing confidence.

Gastfreund vs LIKE MAGIC: The Bottom Line for Hotels

Gastfreund is a mature, modular guest experience platform excelling in multilingual support, local recommendations, and integrated team communication. It fits small to mid-sized hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals requiring a comprehensive digital guest directory that reduces front desk workload and supports multilingual guests. Its 48 reviews, including 35 recent ones, validate ongoing satisfaction and reliability.

Choose Gastfreund if you need strong multilingual capabilities, want to upsell local experiences, and value a lower entry price point with a larger integration ecosystem. Its content management and guest engagement features free teams from repetitive inquiries, saving up to 20 hours monthly.

LIKE MAGIC delivers a mobile-first, no-install digital guest journey emphasizing operational automation, intelligent booking, and guest communication in one system. It targets extended stay, serviced apartments, and city center hotels aiming to run lean with fewer staff and streamlined workflows. Although it lacks recent reviews, its perfect 5/5 historic rating and case studies show substantial efficiency gains.

Choose LIKE MAGIC if your priority is end-to-end operational efficiency with automated check-in, booking, and guest messaging, and you operate properties with staffing challenges or require integrations with cutting-edge access control and payment systems. Its higher price reflects its advanced operational focus.

For hotels in the DACH region or Italy desiring a proven multilingual guest platform, Gastfreund leads. For properties seeking operational automation and workflow integration in European extended stay markets, LIKE MAGIC is the preferred choice.