By HTN staff - 6.21.2025
Last week marked a pivotal moment for hospitality technology, as the landscape was reshaped by announcements of AI-powered tools, native integrations, and breakthrough innovations revealed at HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis (June 16–19).
Canary Technologies closed an $80 million Series D round on June 12, lifting its valuation to around $600 million. Known for its AI-driven guest experiences—voice agents, digital tipping, and more—the company now serves over 20,000 hotels. The funding will accelerate its international growth and deepen its development in conversational AI and guest engagement platforms.
Cloudbeds debuted a real-time data integration with STR (CoStar Group), allowing hotels to stream occupancy, average daily rate, and RevPAR metrics directly into its PMS dashboard. This wiped away data delays, giving hoteliers the ability to make immediate, data-informed revenue decisions rather than relying on retrospective reports.
Access Hospitality, which owns SHR, Guestline, and STAAH, unveiled an agentic AI booking engine embedded directly on hotel websites. Launched June 13, the new system guides guests through conversational booking—from availability and pricing to upsells and confirmation—eliminating static forms or third-party redirects and significantly boosting conversion potential.
At HITEC 2025, nearly 6,000 industry professionals and over 360 exhibitors gathered for a conference rich with applications of AI, cybersecurity, connectivity, and ecosystem innovations. Jeremy Gutsche of TrendHunter delivered the opening keynote, followed by economist Todd Buchholz, who connected macro trends to hospitality strategy and helped induct Bruce Bensetler and Luis Segredo into the International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame. The tenth anniversary of the Entrepreneur 20X pitch competition featured eight startups, with AI-driven Levee earning both Judges’ and People’s Choice awards for its task automation platform.
In addition to keynote sessions, several companies used HITEC’s show floor to debut new offerings. Duetto introduced a unified Revenue & Profit Operating System, combining AI-powered pricing, forecasting, loyalty analytics, and profit insights into a single platform, alongside a specialized revenue controller for select-service chains. Agilysys revealed “Intelligent Guest Profiles,” enabling real-time synchronized guest data across systems—spanning F&B, spa, reservations, and PMS—to power authentic personalization, upsells, and guest recognition. Nomadix rolled out an upgraded Internet Gateway and smart energy management solution, while Vingcard-enhanced TV casting and guest Wi‑Fi portals improved connectivity and branding control.
Panels at HITEC placed a premium on AI’s role in elevating—not replacing—the human touch. Speakers emphasized that AI-driven personalization, check‑in assistance, and operational automation free up staff to provide more meaningful, memorable experiences. Attendees described the atmosphere as “electric,” “engaging,” and fueled by a spirit of innovation—a sentiment reflected in the energized demos, strategic networking, and industry-wide optimism.
In sum, last week’s announcements and show-floor innovations signaled a clear and irreversible industry trajectory toward data-centric, intelligence-infused operations. As AI becomes embedded across booking engines, revenue systems, property controls, and guest profiles, hotels are poised to deliver experiences that are faster, smarter, more personalized—and still deeply human.