Do you think the future is tech-enabled hospitality?
Well, I believe tech-enabled hospitality is important. I think you as a guest shouldn’t feel it. There are things in hospitality that may differ depending on the culture you’re in. In some countries, people are accustomed to using technology in a completely different way than in others. It may also differ by the qualification of the hotel—are you in a five-star or a new four-star—and also across generations. But by all means, hospitality is a people business and it’s about selling experiences so we should use tech to support that.
How can hoteliers maximize tech investments for revenue, efficiency, and guest experience?
First of all, I believe you need to really look at how you want to sell, what you want to sell, and who your target audience is. What we do very often is focus only internally—operationally—and not enough on the guest. That’s one of the most important things. Then, really look into open technology. Companies like ours give power to independents and anyone who wants to put personalization and experiences at the forefront. With closed environments, it’s impossible to add that. With open tech solutions, you can exchange systems quickly. That’s the base for everything going forward. It’s about making your technology approach a strategic decision.
Amid ITB’s innovations, how can hoteliers stay agile and choose the right tech?
It’s almost a philosophical question—do you want everything in one, or do you want to combine the best? Years ago with music systems, you had all-in-one boxes, but professionals would choose the best speaker from one brand and the best amplifier from another. Same here. It depends on where you are in the process. And don’t forget your team—change management is huge. Your staff must be ready, so take them with you.
How can technology help hoteliers unlock new revenue beyond room sales?
Actually, I’d say we’re not maximising room revenue at all yet. Hospitality sells by category, not by unit. You book a standard room and get a very different experience depending on the room. We’re missing out on revenue by not selling features that make rooms different. Then there’s inventory management—hotels often overbook categories because they don’t manage unit-level availability. They end up upgrading for free. We have solutions that optimize room assignments for revenue or occupancy and prevent revenue leakage from free upgrades.
How can hotels use tech to deliver authentic personalised experiences?
With GauVendi, we help hotels move from generic product offerings to guest-centric approaches. In other industries, customers choose specifics—colours, add-ons, styles. But in hospitality, we still offer generic options. Once you shift from internal processes to thinking about what your guests want, you can price and position completely differently. There’s a different willingness to pay depending on the guest’s preferences.
What are you most excited about for GauVendi in the next year?
We’ve been in business for four years, and while our current sales engine already replaces booking engines, we’re now launching a new version. It’s intelligent, showing only the most relevant products depending on space type—apartments, hotels, camping. We’re also improving how we accommodate pets—we’ll make it easier to include them during booking. And we’re introducing dynamic pricing for packages, based on client feedback.
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