Hotel Tech Insider

Guest reviews aren’t just social proof anymore—they’re quietly becoming the backbone of pricing power, AI-driven discovery, and automated guest communication. In this episode of Hotel Tech Insider, Ben Jost, Founder and CEO of TrustYou, shares how nearly two decades of working with the world’s largest hotel brands has shaped his view on where reputation management is headed next—and why many hoteliers are still underestimating its impact.Ben walks through TrustYou’s evolution from an early consumer review startup to the world’s leading guest feedback and reputation intelligence platform, including its acquisition by Recruit Holdings (Indeed, Glassdoor) and subsequent management buyout. That journey set the foundation for what TrustYou is building today: a unified platform that combines guest feedback, transactional data, and AI agents into a continuous, two-way conversation with guests across every channel.For experienced hoteliers, the insights are practical and sharp. Ben explains why even small improvements in review scores can directly unlock higher ADR, how reputation management has become the long-term counterpart to revenue management, and why up to 50% of a hotel’s total reviews can now come from its own first-party surveys. He also breaks down a major shift already underway: guests are no longer asking simple yes-or-no questions like “Does the hotel have a pool?”—they’re asking AI long-tail questions that reward hotels with rich, structured review content and strong brand voice.The conversation goes further into what’s surprising many industry veterans: CDPs, guest messaging, and chatbots are collapsing into a single AI-driven conversation layer that can answer questions, personalize responses using PMS data, and soon execute tasks like upgrades and add-ons in real time. Ben makes the case that the hotel tech stack is about to shrink—not grow—and that the hotels who adapt early will have a structural advantage in both direct bookings and guest satisfaction.If you want to understand how guest feedback, AI agents, and hotel data are converging—and what that means for pricing, distribution, and operations—this episode is essential listening. Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with the leaders shaping the future of hospitality, and share this episode with anyone who still thinks reviews are just about responding on OTAs.

What if removing your front desk—and doubling down on the right integrations—was the key to keeping your hotel profitable after COVID?In this episode of Hotel Tech Insider, Roberto Pacaccio, Revenue & Expense Manager at GWT Hotels, shares how a five-property independent hotel group in San Francisco survived near-shutdown, rebuilt its operating model, and lowered its breakeven point by rethinking technology from the ground up.How GWT Hotels eliminated traditional front desks without sacrificing service: Roberto breaks down the exact tech stack—including PMS, digital keys, guest messaging, and centralized support—that allows four independent hotels to operate front-desk-free while still offering 24/7 guest assistance.Why integration matters more than “best-of-breed” tools: Learn how choosing tightly integrated systems (PMS + digital keys + messaging + dynamic pricing) reduced staff workload, training complexity, and operational errors—and why fragmented tools nearly derailed adoption early on.The revenue lesson most hoteliers miss: lowering breakeven beats chasing ADR:  Roberto explains how automation and labor-light operations materially lowered per-room breakeven costs—and how dynamic pricing rules tied to occupancy replaced manual rate shopping entirely.GWT Hotels didn’t modernize to “innovate”—they modernized to survive. From replacing physical metal keys to centralizing five hotels under one operational hub, this episode offers a rare, honest look at what tech adoption actually looks like for small independent hotels with no margin for error.If you’re rethinking how your hotel operates in a labor-constrained world, this episode is a must-listen. Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more real-world insights from hoteliers who’ve actually done the work—and share this episode with a peer who’s questioning whether their current tech stack is holding them back.

What happens when a boutique hotel director builds a fully personalized “signature tech stack” from the ground up—and proves you don’t need to be a tech native to run one of the most digitally advanced 70-key properties in Berlin? In this episode, Tini Diekmann, Hotel Director at the acclaimed Hotel Oderberger, reveals the real-world tools, workflows, and mindsets that transformed her operations. This episode is designed for experienced hoteliers, GMs, and department heads who have lived through multiple system overhauls, survived legacy tech, and are looking for practical, proven strategies to modernize their operations without the chaos.Takeaways: • How a boutique hotel built a high-performing, revenue-focused tech stack—piece by piece. Learn how Tini turned a self-built legacy PMS into a fully integrated ecosystem using Mews, SiteMinder, RoomPriceGenie, TrustYou, and more. • Surprising operational wins you wouldn’t expect. Discover why installing a guest tablet actually slashed heating costs—thanks to a three-way integration between the PMS, in-room devices, and IoT-connected radiators. • A realistic blueprint for evaluating, selecting, and phasing in new tools. Tini explains why you should never implement more than one or two solutions per year, how to measure ROI, when to cut a tool, and how to keep staff empowered (not overwhelmed) throughout the transition. • AI in guest communication that actually works. Hear why their call volume collapsed overnight after adopting a chatbot—and how AI email responses now handle 98% of inquiries while maintaining brand tone and reducing workload.

What happens when the Chief Commercial Officer of the world’s largest hotel franchisor rethinks the entire guest-to-tech relationship? In this episode, Wyndham CCO Scott Strickland reveals how a single global tech stack, empathetic AI, and vendor co-development are quietly reshaping hotel operations at a scale few brands on earth can match.Key Takeaways: How Wyndham uses one global tech stack across 9,000 hotels—and why standardizing CRS, PMS, loyalty, CRM, and marketing systems unlocks speed, cost efficiency, and innovation (including a surprising 25% drop in handle time from a co-built tool). Actionable strategies for building high-trust vendor partnerships—including why Wyndham gives Canary Technologies, Oracle, Salesforce, Sabre, Hapi, and Adobe physical office space inside their HQ, and how that accelerates co-innovation. The real-world playbook for operational AI—from empathetic, multi-language AI agents that guests have literally asked out on dates to omnichannel reservation automation and hyper-personalized offers that adapt to guest behavior in real time. Lessons from other industries hoteliers rarely study—how retail, manufacturing, and airlines provide blueprints for automation, app-based journeys, and guest-centric digital experiences.If you’re serious about future-proofing your tech strategy, don’t miss an episode—subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider and share this one with a colleague who’s shaping the next generation of hotel operations.

Did you know 30–40% of guest calls to hotels go unanswered? In this episode, Harman Singh Narula, CEO and co-founder of Canary Technologies, shares how his team is tackling this operational gap while redefining the entire digital guest journey—backed by $80M in funding and multiple HotelTechAwards wins.This episode is for veteran hoteliers, brand executives, and asset managers who want to understand where guest-facing technology is headed and how AI-driven innovations, tipping solutions, and digital workflows can translate into higher revenue and better guest satisfaction.Key Takeaways: • How Canary evolved from solving a niche payments problem to building an end-to-end guest journey platform—and what that means for tech adoption across hotel portfolios. • Why AI voice is set to eliminate missed calls and improve upsell potential—plus insights on how independents can deploy it just as effectively as enterprise brands. • The surprising shift in how major hotel chains evaluate tech partners, moving toward best-in-breed guest-facing solutions rather than relying on slow in-house builds.