Alternatives to Duve (Wishbox): 7 Powerful Tools for 2023

If you’re reading this, you’re either using the hospitality management platform Duve (formerly known as Wishbox) for your hospitality business already—or you’re considering it.

Duve is a hospitality platform that helps professionals manage everything from check-in to guest communication, relationship management, guidebooks, and more.


But as a good business owner, you might be doing due diligence to make sure you’re selecting the best possible tool for you. Or perhaps you just want to switch providers.


Making sure you choose the most coordinated, guest management, and communication tool has never been more important. In fact, our research on hospitality industry trends has shown that 78.8% of hospitality professionals say their guests either “appreciate” or “expect” digital functionality, such as keyless check-in, as part of their hotel guest experience.


As a result, hotel and vacation rental managers today are looking for the best digital tools for their guests and ways to send them crucial information as easily as possible.


Digitizing the guest experience can save you time and empower your guests.


But we also know it can be overwhelming to contemplate the sheer number of digital tools out there.

Table of Contents

That’s why we’ve rounded up this list of great alternatives to Duve, and the most popular hospitality apps out there, all of which offer functionality and useful digital tools for hospitality professionals looking to manage, automate and ultimately improve your operations.


So you can spend less time on admin and behind-the-scenes management, and more time on giving your guests the best possible stay.

What is Duve?

Duve is a guest management platform designed for hotels, designed to help managers automate a range of tasks digitally, such as contactless check-in and digital guidebooks.


It used to be known as Wishbox and recently completed a rebrand as Duve. It is now present in 150 hotels worldwide (according to HotelTechReport) and, as an Israeli brand, accounts for 25% of the Israeli hospitality market.


In its own words, it says that it aims to provide a “deeper, friendlier and enhanced experience for guests”. It ultimately aims to improve guest communication. It also integrates with more than 70 property management systems (PMS), to streamline operations for hotel managers too.

A screenshot of the Duve website

Credit: GetDuve.com

Duve Features

The platform’s features aim to improve guest communication and offer useful information digitally and automatically, so guests have everything they need on their digital devices.


These include:


  • Digital guestbooks (such as local recommendations) so guests are more likely to see them.
  • Digital house manual (including house rules and info such as check-out times) to ensure guests actually read it.
  • Online check-in and mobile keys so guests can check in themselves when they arrive, without input from your team, waiting in line, or for someone to meet them.
  • Upsells and automated deals sent to guests to boost sales and improve revenue management.
  • Unified inbox so you can delegate guest communication among your team.
  • Digital checkout so guests can leave easily without waiting or needing input from you.
  • Online payment collection on check-out, plus review requests for feedback after guests leave.

Duve pricing

  • Basic. €5 per room per month. Minimum of €100 per month. Includes online check-in and guest mobile app, as well as check-out coordination, analytics, and customer support.
  • Pro. €6.50 per room per month. Minimum 130. Everything in Basic plus Guest Chat, SMS and WhatsApp, and automated guest messaging.
  • Premium. €9 per room per month. Minimum 180. Everything in Pro plus Room upgrades, early check-in, and upselling late check-out, and extra dedicated support.
  • Enterprise. Price on request. Advanced customization, dedicated account manager.

7 best Duve (Wishbox) alternatives

There’s no doubt that Duve is a powerful solution for hospitality professionals. But it’s not the only digital automation platform out there.


Depending on your business or your needs, it makes sense that you might want to see what else is available before investing in your hotel or vacation rental business.


We’ve taken a look at the following options to give a sense of what else might work for you.


  • Operto Guest Portal
  • Touch Stay
  • Hostfully Guidebooks
  • Autohost
  • YourWelcome
  • HelloHere
  • Virtual Concierge Service

Operto Guest Portal

Operto is a powerful alternative to Duve because it can connect everything under one easy dashboard, and integrates with many of the tools we’ve listed below too.


Operto Guest is perfect for hospitality professionals who want to offer guests personalized recommendations without needing to be super tech-savvy or being forced to spend hours in front of the computer.


Plus, because it offers a hyper-connected bridge between your property management software and its guest portal, Operto is more than just another platform.


It’s actually the link that connects all of your tools under one digital software solution and enables you to streamline guest communication, so you can answer common queries remotely and easily—such as your check-out policy, and the most popular local attractions.


05_operto connect for guests screenshot

You can communicate with guests personally in minutes, and replace any previous cumbersome paper documents and time-consuming manual processes with digital solutions instead.


Guests have everything they need in one place, including contactless check-in, details of the property and local area, and the option to contact you easily if they have further questions.


Operto also offers effective security options, such as integrating with the digital trust platform Superhog, allowing the operator to check guest IDs.


It also connects with Autohost (described below) to provide additional guest screening and important security checks such as credit card validation and damage deposits.


With a wide range of PMS integrations, Operto Guest also connects with Airbnb smart locks and generates individual codes for each guest automatically (and every cleaner gets their own code too), freeing you from spending time manually generating codes for each booking, and further boosting security.


Operto does all this without anyone needing to download a separate app, and without requiring you to flip between hundreds of tabs or programs, or being super tech-savvy.


With Operto, you can connect:


  • Access with smart locks with keycodes.
  • Smart devices such as smart lights and thermostats.
  • PMS to enable guest communication and automated keycodes with each new guest.
  • Noise monitoring to reduce the risk of damage or unauthorized parties.
  • Team operations to enable you to delegate to staff, and coordinate housekeeping.
  • And guest management including calendars, upsells, and communication.

Some of Operto’s major integrations include:


  • PMS such as Mews, WebRezPro, Guesty, Kigo, Hostaway, and Hostfully.
  • Smart lock providers such as Salto, Yale, Schlage, and Nuki.
  • Smart devices such as NoiseAware, Netatmo, and Ecobee.
  • Operto ensures you have everything in one place, with all the automation functionality you’re looking for from your digital tools, without piling on the tech overwhelm or fatigue.

Touch Stay

Touch Stay is a digital welcome book provider. Within its digital guide books, you can include features such as frequently asked questions (so you don’t have to keep answering them manually!), and provide important practical information such as check-in details, check-out policy, local recommendations, and invitations to guest review.


Integrations and features


  • Google Places for local recommendations, restaurants, and attractions.
  • Works offline using Progressive Web App (PWA) technology.
  • Multiple language translations.
  • Email and SMS scheduling.
  • Integrates with PMS such as OwnerRez and BookingSync.

04_TouchStay homepage screenshot

Credit: TouchStay.com

Host Tools

From the PMS platform of the same name, Hostfully Guidebooks is (as it sounds) another digital guidebook provider. It specializes in offering mini, mobile-first websites that guests can access easily via a simple link. Your guidebook can include FAQs, local recommendations, and information about how to contact you, so guests have all the info they need at their fingertips.


Integrations and features


  • Google Maps and Photos for local recommendations.
  • Frequently-asked questions section, with information on check-in and check-out.
  • Property rules, information, and your contact details.
  • Your brand’s logo and colors.

Supports translation into eight different languages.

05_Hostfully Guidebooks homepage

Credit: Hostfully.com

Autohost

Autohost specializes in intelligent guest screening, and automation services for hospitality professionals. Its major USP is in checking Airbnb guest backgrounds and verifying details, to prevent unauthorized parties, damage, excess noise, and even criminal activity. It can help you stay within local guidelines, and prevent revenue loss, damage, and fraud.


Integrations and features


  • Screening AI platform.
  • Background checks and ID verification.
  • Security deposits and credit checks.
  • Online check-in portal.
  • Automated guest messaging.
  • Integrates with platforms such as Operto to enable a full range of features.

05_Handy homepage website screenshot

Credit: Autohost.ai

YourWelcome

YourWelcome comes integrated with its own in-room tablet (free with each subscription), which is very similar to an iPad. It’s been designed to include all of the YourWelcome suite, which enables everything from guest communication to in-room upsells.


Integrations and features


  • Check-in screens for easy check-in and check-out.
  • Welcome videos and video guides.
  • Guest messaging through Slack.
  • Payment processing, including via Stripe and PayPal.
  • Upsells and local recommendations.
  • OTA integration including Airbnb and HomeAway.
  • PMS integration with more than 30 PMS, including Mews, Guesty, Lodgify, and Kigo.

01_YourWelcome screenshot

Credit: YourWelcome.com

HelloHere

HelloHere is a digital welcome book platform that also enables you to offer guests a destination guide, chat communication, automated messaging, and upsells. Its main USP is being a simple, user-friendly, and customizable guidebook, with extra guest features if you choose.


Features and integrations


  • Visual, digital guidebook with recommendations for local attractions, cafes, and restaurants.
  • Upsell capability including affiliate offers and commissions.
  • Consistent branding is available across all your properties.
  • Real-time in-app chat with guests, plus automated messages when needed.
  • Enables direct bookings via its own reservation system, to skip the OTAs such as Booking.com and save money.

07_helloHere homepage screenshot

Credit: New.hellohere.com

Virtual Concierge Service

Virtual Concierge Service does what it says on the tin, in that it offers in-room services and communication digitally and remotely. Using the power of smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant enables communication via voice and the guests’ phones.


Features and Integrations


  • Proactively answers the most frequently asked questions, such as Wi-Fi password.
  • Prevents late check-outs by reminding guests of check-out policies.
  • Coordinates staff, such as if you need earlier cleaning after an early checkout.
  • Recommends local attractions and community destinations.
  • Smart device control such as AC, thermostat, and lighting.
  • Enables music to help guests sleep or relax.

https://www.virtualconciergeservice.com/

Credit: virtualconciergeservce.com

How to choose the best Duve alternative

Depending on your business and needs, any of these tools could be right for you.


While Duve specializes in offering guests digital guestbooks plus online check-in, and Autohost is excellent for guest screening and added security, Hostfully Guidebooks could be best if you’re just looking for a super-simple, easy-to-use mobile guidebook.


And Operto Guest Portal might be especially ideal if you’re looking for an all-in-one platform that connects with a huge variety of tools and services.


Through its many integrations with a whole host of tools, Operto helps you to manage everything from access, PMS integration for personalized communication, automated messaging, smart device controls, and even staff coordination.


Operto can also help you oversee your entire hotel operations via a single dashboard, saving you time and hassle, and cutting through digital fatigue instantly.


If you’re looking for a management tool that integrates smoothly with your entire tech stack and makes guest communication seamless and streamlined without piling on extra work for you and your team, then Operto could be for you.


If you decide to give us a try, we’ll be happy to help you make the switch with ease.