Carlito App vs. Crave Mobile Platform (acq by HCN):
Lequel vous convient le mieux ?

The Decision

Choosing between Carlito App by Carlito and Crave Mobile Platform by Crave Interactive hinges on your hotel’s specific needs and operational priorities. Both products aim to enhance guest engagement but diverge significantly in features, integration, and maturity in the market. Your team must evaluate whether a simple, customizable app or a feature-rich, comprehensive platform aligns better with your goals.

Carlito offers a straightforward, easy-to-use guest app designed as a concierge and operational tool, primarily suited for resorts and properties seeking basic personalization. Crave, however, provides a robust, appliance-free platform with extensive features that support service automation and guest engagement across multiple hotel segments. The question is: which approach better suits your hotel’s current and future demands?

Is Carlito or Crave Better for Hotels?

Carlito’s position as a lightweight, customizable app built for resorts and other property types with a focus on guest personalization makes it ideal for hotels seeking an easy-to-implement solution that promotes cross-selling and guest engagement. However, its limited features—only seven shared capabilities—may fall short if your hotel desires automation, contactless ordering, or integrated payment options.

Crave, with its 18 exclusive features, including contactless ordering, QR codes, and payment integrations, is designed to streamline operations and heighten guest convenience. Its broad regional presence and extensive partner network make it suitable for hotels aiming for a high-tech, integrated guest experience. Do your hotel’s priorities lean toward simplicity or comprehensive service automation?

Crave Interactive vs Carlito App: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs a quick-to-deploy, user-friendly app with proven guest satisfaction, Carlito’s high review count (3 reviews, all recent) and 4.75-star rating make it a compelling choice. It’s best for resorts or properties prioritizing guest communication and basic personalization without heavy automation.

If, on the other hand, your hotel requires an extensive, feature-packed platform capable of supporting contactless payments, in-venue ordering, and multiple integrations, Crave’s larger feature set and 48 reviews—mainly recent—make it the better option. Its 4.75-star rating reflects strong user satisfaction with its capabilities. Which level of service automation aligns with your property’s future vision?

Is Carlito or Crave Easier to Use?

Carlito scores a 4.67/5 for ease of use, with reviews emphasizing its simplicity, customization, and straightforward updates. Users report it’s very easy to onboard staff and communicate with guests, making adoption smoother in resorts or smaller properties.

Crave also maintains an impressive 4.61/5 rating, praised for its intuitive interface and proactive support team. Some users note the platform’s complexity can be mitigated by Crave’s excellent customer service, but its broader feature set might require more initial training. Edge: Carlito.

Which Has Better Features: Carlito or Crave?

Crave’s 18 unique features—including QR codes, contactless payments, mobile checkout, and POS integration—outpace Carlito’s zero exclusive features. These capabilities enable automation of service processes and enable a more self-serve guest experience.

Carlito, with only seven shared features, might lack the depth needed for hotels seeking advanced automation or digital ordering. If comprehensive, tech-forward functionalities are paramount, Crave’s extensive feature set clearly stands out. Edge: Crave Interactive.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Carlito or Crave?

Both products score highly on support, with Carlito’s 4.67/5 and Crave’s 4.79/5 ratings. Guests and hoteliers alike appreciate Crave’s responsive, proactive service, often citing quick issue resolution and helpful staff.

Carlito’s reviews highlight support as very good and easy to work with, but its smaller user base and fewer recent reviews limit the validation. Crave’s larger, more recent review count and high support rating give it a slight edge. Edge: Crave Interactive.

Which Has More Integrations: Carlito or Crave?

Crave’s 17 verified partners include notable players like Oracle Hospitality, Book4Time, and Kipsu, offering extensive integration options. Shared integrations with Mews and ASA are less numerous but still valuable.

Carlito’s two verified partners—Mews and ASA Hotelsoftware—limit its integration scope, making Crave the more flexible platform for hotels requiring extensive system connectivity. Edge: Crave Interactive.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Carlito or Crave?

Crave’s 48 reviews, with a 4.75/5 overall score, reflect strong, consistent satisfaction across multiple segments, especially luxury hotels (average 4.69/5). Recent reviews confirm continued high ratings, reinforcing confidence in the platform’s value.

Carlito’s three reviews are all positive but fewer in number and older, with an overall 0/5 rating, indicating a lack of recent validation. Given the volume and recency, Crave’s ratings are more reliable. Edge: Crave Interactive.

How Much Do Carlito and Crave Cost?

Carlito’s pricing details are unavailable, which may suggest a bespoke quote or a different model. Crave charges a fixed $400 monthly base fee, with no trial or implementation costs, making budgeting straightforward.

If transparent pricing is critical, Crave’s clear fee structure offers predictability. The absence of clear pricing for Carlito might be a concern for budget-conscious hotels. Edge: Crave Interactive.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Carlito?

• Hotels that prioritize guest personalization and direct communication, such as resorts or boutique properties.
• Teams that need a simple, customizable app to promote cross-selling, pre-arrival engagement, and daily updates.
• Hotels seeking a quick onboarding with minimal training requirements.
• Properties with limited automation needs or smaller operational teams.

Not ideal if your hotel requires extensive automation, contactless payments, or integration with multiple hotel systems. Complex, large-scale hotels or those aiming for full service automation should consider Crave instead.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Crave?

• Hotels looking for a full-service digital platform supporting contactless ordering, payments, and loyalty features.
• Properties that want to automate operational workflows like mobile checkout and in-venue ordering.
• Hotels that value extensive integrations with PMS, POS, and other management systems.
• Larger hotels or resorts with multiple outlets and high service volume.
• Properties seeking to reduce manual errors and improve operational efficiency through data insights.

Not ideal if your hotel values simplicity over advanced features or has limited IT support. Smaller hotels with straightforward needs may find Crave’s extensive capabilities overwhelming or unnecessary.

The Bottom Line for Hotels

Crave Interactive’s platform stands out with its extensive feature set, integrations, and recent high reviews, making it suitable for hotels seeking a comprehensive, automation-driven guest experience. Its broad regional presence and reliable support further support this choice.

Carlito offers a quick-to-implement, highly customizable guest app that works well for resorts and boutique hotels with a focus on personalized communication. Its limited feature count and smaller user base mean it’s less suitable for properties seeking advanced automation.

Choose Carlito if your hotel needs a simple, personalized app with minimal setup and automation. Opt for Crave if you require a feature-rich, integrated platform capable of automating multiple guest service touchpoints and supporting large-scale operations.

In summary, if recent reviews and broader capabilities matter, Crave is the stronger choice. For basic, customizable guest engagement with straightforward deployment, Carlito remains a viable option.