IRIS vs. Olo Digital Ordering:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

When deciding between IRIS by IRIS Systems and Olo Digital Ordering for your hotel’s mobile and room service needs, it’s essential to understand what each product offers and how they align with your operational goals. Both aim to improve guest experiences and streamline orders, but their scope and capabilities differ significantly. IRIS focuses on a comprehensive guest experience platform integrated with multiple hotel systems, while Olo specializes in digital order management, primarily for food and beverage outlets. Which aligns better with your hotel’s priorities?

IRIS’s broader feature set and recent positive reviews make it the stronger choice for hotels seeking an all-in-one guest engagement solution. Olo, with its limited features and absence of recent reviews, is less compelling in this context. Are you ready to explore the strengths and weaknesses of each?

Is IRIS or Olo Better for Hotels?

IRIS Systems and Olo serve different core needs; IRIS provides a full guest experience platform with mobile ordering, directories, and integrations, while Olo offers a straightforward digital ordering interface focused on food and beverage. IRIS’s extensive feature list includes digital menus, house-keeping requests, POS & PMS integration, and multilingual support—features Olo lacks. Conversely, Olo’s primary advantage is its simplicity and specialization in managing catering and takeout calls.

IRIS’s reviews highlight its high user satisfaction, especially regarding ease of use, customer support, and recent positive feedback, with a 9.54/10 NPS score and 98% likelihood to recommend. Olo, however, has no recent reviews or ratings, making it difficult to assess its current performance or customer satisfaction. Given this, IRIS’s proven track record and recent reviews give it a clear edge.

IRIS vs Olo: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs an all-in-one guest engagement platform, including room directories, in-room dining, concierge services, and integrations with PMS and POS systems, IRIS is the right pick. Its specialization in mobile guest experience tools makes it ideal for independent hotels, resorts, and branded properties seeking to boost revenue and guest satisfaction.

If your focus is solely on modernizing and simplifying food and beverage order management, particularly if your hotel already has a call center or in-house catering team, Olo might seem suitable. However, given the lack of recent reviews and limited feature scope, IRIS’s comprehensive capabilities make it the more reliable choice for most hotels.

Is IRIS or Olo Easier to Use?

IRIS scores a 4.62/5 for ease of use, backed by recent reviews praising its intuitive interface and straightforward onboarding, especially for staff and guests. Its ability to accommodate various devices, including guestroom TVs and smartphones, simplifies adoption and daily operations. Support during onboarding is highly rated, with reviews noting the professionalism of team members like Miguel, and they emphasize the platform’s user-friendly design.

Olo, with no recent reviews or ratings, offers no concrete insights into usability. Its limited scope suggests a simple interface, but without direct feedback, it's impossible to confidently compare. Based on available data, Edge: IRIS.

Which Has Better Features: IRIS or Olo?

IRIS boasts 27 unique features, including digital menus, local city guides, house-keeping requests, restaurant reservations, POS & PMS integration, digital concierge, in-room dining, spa modules, multi-currency and multilingual support, QR codes, contactless payments, and upselling tools. These features create a full guest experience platform tailored for hotels.

Olo provides only one unique feature: loyalty program integrations. While useful for restaurants, this limited scope doesn’t match the extensive offerings of IRIS for hospitality settings. Endorsement: Edge: IRIS.

Which Has Better Customer Support: IRIS or Olo?

IRIS’s customer support scores 4.73/5, with recent reviews highlighting the professionalism and responsiveness of their onboarding team. Users describe their experience as hassle-free, with mentions of dedicated staff like Catalina and Miguel making a difference. Support during implementation and troubleshooting is consistently praised, with some reviews recommending additional training materials for even smoother adoption.

Olo offers no recent reviews or support ratings, making it impossible to evaluate their support quality. Given IRIS’s documented high support standards, Edge: IRIS.

Which Has More Integrations: IRIS or Olo?

IRIS integrates with 17 verified partners, including major solutions like Oracle Hospitality, Uniguest, and Infor, covering POS, PMS, and other hotel systems. Its extensive network supports complex hotel environments and diverse operational needs.

Olo has only three verified partners, with no shared integrations across platforms. Its limited integrations restrict its flexibility and scalability for larger or tech-savvy hotels. End of the day: Edge: IRIS.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: IRIS or Olo?

IRIS’s recent reviews and high scores (overall rating 5/5 and NPS of 9.54/10) indicate strong hotel satisfaction, especially among independent properties and resorts. Hotels appreciate its ease of use, support, and feature set, with comments about increased guest engagement and revenue.

Olo, lacking recent reviews, provides no current data on hotel ratings or satisfaction. Based on available evidence, IRIS’s higher and more recent ratings clearly favor it. Edge: IRIS.

How Much Do IRIS and Olo Cost?

IRIS does not publish explicit pricing but offers a freemium model without implementation fees, suggesting a flexible, possibly SaaS-based pricing structure. Olo similarly lacks detailed pricing info and appears to follow a custom quote approach.

Without transparent pricing, it’s difficult to compare costs directly. However, given IRIS's clear value propositions and extensive features, your hotel could expect a more predictable investment with measurable ROI.

What Type of Hotel Should Use IRIS?

• Hotels that want a comprehensive guest engagement platform including directories, concierge, digital menus, and F&B ordering.
• Hotels aiming for increased F&B revenue through mobile ordering and upselling.
• Hotels seeking to improve staff efficiency and automate service requests.
• Hotels with existing POS/PMS systems looking for seamless integrations.
• Small independents and boutique properties eager to compete with major brands.
• Not ideal if your hotel has limited budget for integrations or staff training.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Olo?

• Hotels focusing solely on streamlining catering and room service orders.
• Properties with a large in-house catering or restaurant team that handles orders via phone.
• Hotels that do not require extensive guest engagement features.
• Hotels seeking a simple, single-purpose digital ordering tool.
• Not ideal if you need a full guest experience platform or extensive integrations.

IRIS vs Olo: The Bottom Line for Hotels

IRIS’s core advantage is its broad feature set, high user satisfaction, and recent reviews supporting its effectiveness. It functions well for hotels that want a comprehensive platform to engage guests, increase revenue, and optimize operations. IRIS’s integration capabilities and dedicated support set it apart, especially in competitive markets.

Olo, with its limited scope and no recent reviews, remains a niche solution primarily suited for restaurants or hotels with very specific catering needs. Its lack of recent customer feedback and fewer features make it less compelling for most hoteliers seeking a full guest experience.

For most hotels evaluating these two options, IRIS’s proven performance and extensive capabilities provide greater confidence and value. If your goal is to elevate the entire guest stay and streamline multiple touchpoints, IRIS emerges as the clear winner.