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

The Decision

Choosing between Crave Interactive and Tapendium for your in-room hotel tablets hinges on your hotel’s specific needs, budget, and operational goals. Crave offers a highly customizable, feature-rich platform with extensive integrations and a broad global presence, making it suitable for hotels aiming to elevate guest engagement and operational efficiency. Tapendium, in contrast, provides a straightforward, low-cost digital compendium with basic features, ideal for hotels seeking affordable guest information and upsell capabilities. Which solution aligns better with your priorities?

Is Crave Interactive or Tapendium Better for Hotels?

Both products aim to enhance the guest experience through digital in-room solutions, but Crave’s offerings are more comprehensive. Crave is built for hotels that want to provide a polished, interactive, and customizable guest interface, with robust features like room service, local recommendations, and multi-language support, all backed by a high rating of 4.6/5 from 147 reviews. Tapendium, with a 4/5 rating from a single review, focuses on delivering essential hotel info and upselling without extensive customization or integrations.

Crave’s platform is designed to streamline operations and offer multiple monetization avenues, making it more suitable for larger or luxury hotels seeking to differentiate themselves. Tapendium excels as a cost-effective, simple-to-manage solution, especially for properties that prioritize basic information sharing and incremental revenue through upsell features. Do you need a fully customizable experience, or can your hotel operate effectively with a straightforward digital compendium?

Crave Interactive vs Tapendium: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs a feature-rich, highly customizable platform with extensive integration options, go with Crave. Its suite of 28 shared features plus 27 unique to Crave enables tailored guest interactions, digital payments, and operational tools like request management and contactless ordering. Crave’s platform is well-suited for hotels that want to elevate guest engagement, improve upselling, and streamline operations, especially given its strong market presence (22 countries) and high review scores.

If your hotel requires a simple, low-cost solution focused on basic in-room info, guest services, and incremental revenue, Tapendium is the better choice. Its core features cover essential guest information, surveys, and upsell opportunities, with a straightforward management interface. Tapendium’s lower cost (with no clear pricing info but implied affordability) and ease of use make it ideal for smaller hotels or those new to digital amenities.

In summary, choose Crave if you need depth, customization, and extensive integrations; pick Tapendium if affordability and simplicity are your priorities.

Is Crave Interactive or Tapendium Easier to Use?

Crave’s platform scores 4.5/5 for ease of use based on detailed reviews, with many users praising its intuitive interface and seamless guest navigation. However, some critique the backend content management for being somewhat cumbersome, especially when making quick updates, and note that the hardware design could improve in aspects like sleep mode. Its onboarding process is rated 4.37/5, with most users reporting a smooth initial setup.

Tapendium scores a perfect 5/5 in ease of use, with reviews emphasizing its straightforward management system and simple deployment. Its minimalistic approach reduces the learning curve for staff and simplifies content updates, making it especially appealing for properties with limited IT resources.

Edge: Tapendium.

Which Has Better Features: Crave Interactive or Tapendium?

Crave’s platform boasts 28 shared features plus 27 exclusive, including hotel directory, multi-lingual support, digital menus, in-venue ordering, contactless payments, Google Pay, and POS integration—covering a comprehensive range of guest services and operational tools. Its extensive feature set enables hotels to create a tailored, interactive experience that can support revenue growth through upselling and personalized marketing.

Tapendium offers a core set of features, primarily focusing on guest information, surveys, and upsell prompts. It’s streamlined with fewer functionalities, lacking the advanced integrations and customization options of Crave.

Edge: Crave Interactive.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Crave Interactive or Tapendium?

Crave’s support team receives high praise, with a 4.6/5 rating and reviews highlighting responsiveness and helpfulness during onboarding and ongoing operations. Numerous users mention their satisfaction with support, describing it as diligent and proactive, which is essential when managing complex integrations and customizations.

Tapendium also scores a perfect 5/5 for support, but with only one recent review, its support reputation is less established. Still, its small team makes personalized assistance likely, though detailed feedback from users is limited.

Edge: Crave Interactive.

Which Has More Integrations: Crave Interactive or Tapendium?

Crave’s platform integrates with 17 verified partners, including prominent systems like Oracle Hospitality, Infor, and Amadeus, providing extensive options for PMS, POS, and other operational tools. Its broad integration ecosystem enables hoteliers to unify guest services with their existing tech stack seamlessly.

Tapendium has 9 verified partners, including RMS, Mews, and Shiji Group, but offers fewer integration options overall. Its limited ecosystem suits properties with simpler needs or those already aligned with these systems.

Edge: Crave Interactive.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Crave Interactive or Tapendium?

Crave’s robust review score of 4.6/5 from 147 reviews—most recent in the past 6 months—reflects strong satisfaction across diverse hotel segments, especially luxury and resort properties. Hoteliers value its extensive feature set, support, and ability to elevate guest experience, making it highly recommended with a 90% likelihood to recommend.

Tapendium’s single review rates it at 4/5, with positive feedback about cost savings and ease of management. However, the limited review base and recency make Crave’s ratings more reliable and indicative of broader user satisfaction.

Edge: Crave Interactive.

How Much Do Crave Interactive and Tapendium Cost?

Crave’s pricing starts at $1,200 for the base hardware, with no mention of ongoing monthly fees or implementation costs. Its pricing model suggests a one-time hardware purchase plus potential customizations, making costs predictable for larger deployments.

Tapendium does not disclose specific pricing but emphasizes affordability, implying a lower-cost solution. Its model likely involves a simple license or subscription fee, suitable for smaller hotels or those seeking minimal upfront investment.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Crave Interactive?

• Hotels that prioritize a comprehensive digital guest experience, including customization, multi-language support, and extensive operational features.
• Large or luxury properties seeking advanced integrations with PMS, POS, and other systems.
• Hotels aiming to increase revenue via upselling and targeted marketing.
• Properties with the resources to manage or customize a feature-rich platform.

Not ideal if you need a quick, low-cost solution without extensive integrations or customization.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Tapendium?

• Small to mid-sized hotels or boutique properties seeking an affordable, easy-to-manage in-room solution.
• Hotels that want to improve basic guest info sharing, feedback collection, and incremental revenue.
• Properties with limited IT staff or those new to digital amenities.
• Hotels prioritizing quick deployment over extensive customization.

Not ideal if your hotel requires advanced features, complex integrations, or a highly personalized guest interface.

The Bottom Line for Hotels

Crave Interactive offers a full-featured, customizable platform with a strong global presence, excellent support, and extensive integrations, making it suitable for hotels that want a premium guest experience and operational tools. Its high review score and broad feature set justify its investment for mid-to-large properties focused on revenue and service quality.

Tapendium provides a straightforward, low-cost solution for hotels that need essential digital guest information and upselling capabilities without complexity. Its simple management system and positive user feedback make it a good fit for budget-conscious hotels, smaller properties, or those just starting their digital transformation journey.

If your hotel values depth, customization, and extensive integration, Crave is the clear choice. However, if simplicity and cost are your primary concerns, Tapendium may meet your needs effectively.