BOWO Guest Room Tablets vs. Crave Interactive Tablets (acq by HCN):
Lequel vous convient le mieux ?

The Decision

Choosing the right in-room hotel tablet solution is crucial for elevating your guest experience and maximizing operational efficiency. Both Bowo Guest Room Tablets and Crave Interactive aim to modernize in-room engagement, but they diverge significantly in their approach, features, and market presence. Your decision hinges on whether you prioritize a user-friendly platform with a strong local presence or a feature-rich, widely adopted system capable of extensive customization.

Both platforms address guest engagement, upselling, and operational streamlining, but each has distinct strengths. Are you looking for a solution with deeper integration and more advanced features, or one that emphasizes ease of use and regional support? Let's compare.

Is Bowo or Crave Better for Hotels?

Bowo Guest Room Tablets and Crave Interactive both serve to transform the hotel guest experience with in-room tablets. Bowo offers a platform that centralizes services like check-in, communication, and entertainment, with a focus on simplicity and integration with existing hotel systems. Crave, on the other hand, emphasizes a polished user interface, extensive customization, and a broader array of features aimed at boosting revenue and guest satisfaction.

Bowo has a smaller but rapidly growing presence, primarily in Europe and North America, with 43 reviews, all recent. Crave’s larger footprint spans 22 countries, supported by 147 reviews, including recent feedback. Bowo’s high ratings (4.79/5 overall, 94% likelihood to recommend) reflect strong recent satisfaction, whereas Crave’s ratings (4.6/5 overall, 90% recommendation) are slightly lower but supported by more extensive user data. Given the recency and volume of reviews, Bowo’s current data offers a more current perspective on user satisfaction.

Both products aim to enhance guest engagement, reduce operational workload, and increase revenue. The choice boils down to whether you prefer a streamlined, easy-to-navigate system or a feature-rich platform with broader customization. Do you prioritize recent performance and user satisfaction, or a wider array of features and integrations?

Bowo vs Crave: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs a straightforward, easy-to-use system with a focus on core guest services like in-room entertainment, basic communication, and simple upselling, Bowo is the better fit. Its intuitive interface and high ease-of-use ratings (4.69/5) make onboarding quicker and staff adoption easier, especially in boutique, luxury, or smaller hotels.

However, if your hotel requires a highly customizable platform with advanced features such as multi-lingual support, digital menus, contactless ordering, and extensive revenue-generating tools, Crave is the right choice. Crave’s feature set—offering 25 unique features compared to Bowo’s none—enables more sophisticated guest interactions, particularly in large resorts, conference hotels, or properties seeking to differentiate through digital amenities.

Hotels that prioritize simplicity, rapid deployment, and regional support should lean toward Bowo. Conversely, properties aiming for digital sophistication, extensive upselling, and multi-channel marketing should select Crave. The decision depends on your property size, guest demographic, and strategic goals.

Is Bowo or Crave Easier to Use?

Bowo’s interface is praised for its intuitiveness, with a 4.69/5 ease-of-use rating. Reviewers highlight that staff and guests find it straightforward to navigate, and onboarding is quick (4.66/5). Bowo’s simpler content management system is better suited for hotels wanting minimal disruption during implementation.

Crave scores slightly lower at 4.5/5, with users noting that the user interface is modern and reliable but occasionally less intuitive, especially when customizing templates or managing content updates. Its backend system, while powerful, may require more familiarization for staff.

Edge: Bowo.

Which Has Better Features: Bowo or Crave?

Crave offers 25 exclusive features, including hotel directory, multi-lingual support, digital menus, contactless ordering, and integrated payments, making it a robust platform for upselling and guest personalization. Bowo’s feature set is more limited, with no exclusive features but 30 shared functions like in-room entertainment, communication, and basic service ordering.

Crave’s extensive feature list enables properties to implement advanced functionalities like Web-app access, QR codes, NFC, and integrated POS, appealing to larger resorts or hotels seeking full digital guest journeys. Bowo provides core features that cover basic guest engagement and operational needs but lacks some of Crave’s premium capabilities.

Edge: Crave Interactive.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Bowo or Crave?

Bowo maintains a high customer support rating of 4.81/5, with reviews emphasizing rapid, personalized assistance and proactive engagement. Hoteliers praise Bowo’s responsiveness, especially for technical issues, and the team’s flexibility in tailoring features.

Crave’s support rating (4.6/5) is also strong, with reviews noting diligent responses and effective problem-solving. However, some users mention occasional delays in content updates and less proactive follow-up, especially for smaller or less frequent requests.

Edge: Bowo.

Which Has More Integrations: Bowo or Crave?

Bowo boasts 31 verified integrations, including key partners like Oracle Hospitality, Mews, and Infor, offering extensive compatibility with PMS and property management tools. Crave’s 17 verified partners include notable integrations like ALICE, Amadeus, and InfoGenesis, but with fewer options overall.

The broader integration landscape makes Bowo more adaptable for properties with complex tech stacks or specific PMS requirements. Crave’s integrations are strong but more limited in scope, which may restrict customization for larger, multi-system hotels.

Edge: Bowo.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Bowo or Crave?

Bowo’s recent reviews reflect a 4.79/5 rating and 94% willingness to recommend, with hoteliers in luxury and boutique segments praising its simplicity and support. Its latest reviews consistently mention quick implementation and effective communication.

Crave’s ratings (4.6/5, 90% recommendation) are slightly lower but stem from a broader, more diverse hotel base, including resorts and independent properties. Its reviews often highlight the elegant design and upselling features but note that content updates can be cumbersome.

Edge: Bowo.

How Much Do Bowo and Crave Cost?

Bowo’s pricing is set at a base of $1,100, with no additional implementation or monthly fees, making it a predictable investment. Crave’s base price is $1,200, also without ongoing fees, but some users report additional costs for integrations or customizations.

While both are similar in initial cost, Bowo’s straightforward pricing structure may appeal to smaller or mid-sized hotels seeking transparency. Crave’s slightly higher price may reflect its advanced feature set and customization options.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Bowo?

• Hotels that prioritize ease of use and quick deployment, including boutique, luxury, or small city hotels.
• Properties seeking to improve guest satisfaction with intuitive entertainment and communication tools.
• Hotels looking for a reliable platform with strong regional support, especially in Europe or North America.
• Teams that prefer a simpler backend for content updates and management.
• Not ideal if your hotel needs extensive customization, multi-language support, or advanced upselling features.

Not ideal if:

• Your property is a large resort or conference hotel requiring complex integrations.
• You plan to heavily customize the guest interface or content.
• You need extensive multilingual and digital menu capabilities.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Crave?

• Larger hotels or resorts aiming to maximize revenue through advanced upselling, digital menus, and contactless payments.
• Properties seeking a highly customizable platform that can be tailored to their branding and guest needs.
• Hotels looking for a modern, sleek UI that impresses tech-savvy guests.
• Properties that benefit from extensive integrations with POS, local recommendations, and multi-channel marketing.
• Not ideal if your hotel prefers a straightforward solution with minimal customization or has limited IT resources.

Not ideal if:

• Your hotel is small or boutique, mainly seeking a simple guest messaging or basic entertainment system.
• You have limited technical staff or prefer a plug-and-play setup.
• Your focus is on cost-effective basic guest engagement without a need for advanced features.

Bowo vs Crave: The Bottom Line for Hotels

Bowo and Crave in-room tablets both serve to enhance guest satisfaction and streamline hotel operations, but their core differences are clear. Bowo focuses on simplicity, regional support, and quick deployment, with high user satisfaction backed by recent reviews. Crave offers a broader array of advanced features and customization options, making it suitable for larger properties or those seeking digital innovation.

If your hotel values ease of use, fast onboarding, and a proven recent track record, Bowo is the better choice. Its high ratings and recent reviews support this, especially in boutique or luxury segments. Crave is preferable if your hotel aims to implement a comprehensive digital guest journey with extensive upselling and branding flexibility, despite a slightly steeper learning curve.

In summary, go with Bowo if you want a reliable, straightforward solution that’s rated highly by recent users. Opt for Crave if your hotel needs a feature-rich, fully customizable platform that can support a complex and extensive digital guest experience.