AI Is More Than Hype — It’s Becoming Essential

In the latest TECH Matchmaker Webinar, AI’s growing influence in the hospitality industry took center stage. Two featured speakers—Michael Marchand, Regional Director Sales EMEA at Canary Technologies, and Fabian Prinz, Sales Director at FLYR Hospitality—shared their insights on how artificial intelligence is moving beyond buzz to become a transformative force. With solutions tailored to distinct areas of hotel operations, both companies are helping hoteliers rethink efficiency, personalization, and profitability.

Personalization without compromise: Canary’s vision for guest experience

Michael Marchand addressed a common concern among hoteliers: that AI might erode the personalized service guests expect—especially in luxury settings. He offered the opposite perspective. By automating repetitive tasks like check-in, common guest questions, and transactional communication, AI actually creates more time for authentic, face-to-face guest interaction.

Canary Technologies is delivering on this promise through a suite of AI-powered tools built specifically for hospitality. These include:

·        Smart guest messaging platforms

·        Voice AI assistants for handling front desk queries

·        Automated check-in/out solutions

·        AI-powered fraud detection tools for credit card transactions

·        Intelligent upselling engines tailored to guest profiles

Michael shared that AI currently resolves over 80% of guest inquiries for Canary’s clients—dramatically lightening the load on front office teams and helping deliver service at scale without sacrificing warmth or personality.

Strategic shift: Hotels are investing in AI now

Michael also underscored a critical shift in mindset among hoteliers. A growing majority now view AI not as a futuristic trend, but a practical solution to immediate challenges. Recent research cited in the session shows that 73% of hoteliers recognize AI as transformative, with many allocating 5–50% of their IT budgets to AI-related initiatives in the year ahead.

He summed it up with a candid observation: when even seasoned hoteliers call the front desk to ask what time breakfast starts, it's clear there's a role for AI. Taking routine friction out of the guest experience doesn’t reduce hospitality—it enhances it.

AI that speaks the language of revenue: FLYR’s intelligent platform

Turning the spotlight to revenue management, Fabian Prinz of FLYR Hospitality introduced a different but equally compelling AI application. FLYR, which began as Pace Revenue in 2016 and rebranded following a $300 million investment, is using AI to equip revenue teams with smarter decision-making tools.

At its core, FLYR is about democratizing access to intelligent forecasting and pricing strategies—no coding, complex interfaces, or BI expertise required.

Key highlights of the FLYR solution include:

·        Natural language queries (ask it questions like you would a colleague)

·        Live dashboards that deploy within 48 hours after PMS integration

·        Adaptive pricing strategies that respond to real-time booking behavior

·        AI-powered anomaly detection to quickly adjust for events or disruptions

Fabian emphasized that many hotels are still stuck with tools designed for finance teams—not revenue managers. FLYR bridges that gap by giving commercial teams tools that are intuitive, fast, and focused on outcomes.

Human-in-the-loop: Building confidence in AI decisions

A major focus of Fabian’s talk was trust. He acknowledged that adopting AI can feel like relinquishing control—but it doesn’t have to be that way. With FLYR, revenue managers always stay in the driver’s seat. They can adjust AI recommendations, make strategic overrides, and feed their decisions back into the system. This “human-in-the-loop” approach ensures the platform evolves based on team preferences, not just data.

Fabian likened it to using ChatGPT or other AI platforms—the more you interact, the more confident you become in using it as a trusted partner.

Ready for market shocks and future growth

Another strength of FLYR’s platform is its responsiveness to market fluctuations. Whether it’s a sudden surge in cancellations or a major event affecting demand, the system continuously tests how price changes impact performance. Its “exploration vs. exploitation” model ensures pricing strategies are never static—they’re always learning.

Looking forward, Fabian revealed FLYR’s ambitions to expand beyond rooms revenue into F&B, MICE, and other commercial streams. The goal? To offer a truly holistic view of revenue performance powered by connected, AI-driven insights.

Two approaches, one direction: Enabling human-centered hospitality

While Michael and Fabian represent very different corners of hotel operations—guest experience and revenue management—their messages were aligned: AI isn’t replacing hospitality, it’s enabling it.

Canary is freeing up hotel staff to deliver more meaningful guest interactions. FLYR is empowering revenue teams to make smarter, faster decisions. Together, they’re showing how AI can serve both sides of the hospitality house: front-of-house warmth and back-of-house intelligence.

The hospitality industry is clearly past the tipping point. AI is no longer about experimentation—it’s about execution. And with innovators like Canary Technologies and FLYR Hospitality leading the way, hotels now have access to practical, powerful tools that can elevate both service and performance.

Don’t miss tomorrow’s session: Driving Ancillary Revenue Growth Outside the Guest Room