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By Nishang Narayan
Published on June 26, 2025
Vienna-based AI startup Chatlyn has raised €8 million in Series A funding, as it sets out to build what it calls the "AI brain for hotels"—a powerful communication and operations platform that is transforming how hotels engage with guests across every touchpoint. The round was led by Smedvig Ventures and saw participation from notable investors including AnyDesk founder Andreas Burike, Blaguss Group, and hospitality-focused angels. An innovation grant was also awarded by FFG, Austria's research and development agency.
Chatlyn’s platform is already used by over 1,000 properties across 30 countries, including luxury brands like St. Regis Mauritius, Singer Palace Rome, and InterContinental Vienna. The company recently opened a new Dubai office, strengthening its presence in the fast-growing Middle East market.
"We’re building an AI that understands hospitality like a concierge and never sleeps," said Nicolas Vorsteher, CEO & Co-founder, Chatlyn. "Our goal is to eliminate missed opportunities and bring back meaningful guest interactions—instantly, intelligently, and in over 35 languages."
Chatlyn tackles one of the hotel industry's biggest pain points: fragmented guest communication across multiple channels like WhatsApp, Booking.com, Airbnb, SMS, and email. This chaos leads to missed revenue, frustrated staff, and unhappy guests.
Chatlyn consolidates these platforms into a single AI-powered hub that doesn’t just automate responses—it learns the brand voice, understands context, and handles everything from booking inquiries to multilingual review replies.
AI Visual Webchat: Guests can book rooms via chat, see real-time prices, and complete reservations—all within a conversation.
98% Open Rates: WhatsApp-based messaging far outperforms traditional email marketing.
Full Channel Integration: Only platform that combines Airbnb, Booking messenger, social, email, SMS, and more.
Language Mastery: Real-time translation in 35+ languages, handling 70%+ of inquiries autonomously.
"Our AI assistant handles over 70% of queries in English, German, Arabic, and more—freeing our team to focus on delivering exceptional service," said Garry Loefgen, Head of Commercial at InterContinental Vienna.
"Chatlyn is poised to lead hospitality’s biggest transformation since online booking," said Freddie Kalfayan, Principal at Smedvig Ventures.
The new funds will be used to:
Develop AI Booking Assistant for seamless omnichannel bookings.
Expand into APAC, UAE, and wider Europe, cementing market leadership.
Double the AI and development team, enhancing both platform depth and consultative services for hotels.
"We’re not just automating—our AI anticipates needs and creates magical guest moments,” added Michael Urbanek, CTO & Co-founder.
Funding Raised: €8M Series A
Properties Served: 1,000+ in 30 countries
Founded: Late 2022
Top Integrations: Oracle Opera, Mews, Protel by Planet, Apaleo, Clock PMS
Recognition: World Travel Awards 2024 – Best Chatbot Solution Provider
Key Clients: The Royal Stable Dubai, InterContinental Vienna, Le Grand Bellevue Gstaad
Chatlyn’s momentum signals a new era of smart hospitality, where AI doesn’t replace staff—it empowers them to deliver faster, more meaningful guest experiences.
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Published on July 14, 2025
Wilding Hotels, renowned for its immersive wilderness retreats, has taken a decisive step in marrying luxury with sustainability by introducing Volo’s in-room concierge tablets across its properties. This strategic collaboration with Volo Solutions aims to modernise guest engagement, streamline operations, and support the brand’s strong eco-conscious mission.
"At Wilding Hotels, we focus on providing a seamless and elevated guest experience while fostering sustainability," shared Amy Hansen, Head of Hotel Operations. "Implementing Volo in-room tablets has enhanced guest experience, streamlined operations, and supported our sustainability goals."
The decision to integrate Volo was driven by the platform’s user-friendly interface, robust customisation options, and responsive customer support. The tablets, tailored to each Wilding location, allow guests to effortlessly explore hotel services, place orders, contact concierge, and access curated local recommendations—all from an in-room iPad. This has dramatically reduced response times and improved communication, freeing staff to focus on delivering more personalised, high-touch service.
A key advantage of adopting Volo’s digital solution is the elimination of traditional printed directories, menus, and brochures, significantly cutting down on paper waste and printing costs. This aligns seamlessly with Wilding’s sustainability initiatives without compromising on the luxury experience guests expect.
Beyond operational efficiency and eco benefits, the tablets have proven to be effective revenue drivers. They encourage guests to discover and book dining experiences, spa treatments, and bespoke adventures. Looking ahead, Wilding Hotels plans to deepen this digital experience with AI-led recommendations and smart room integrations that will further personalise each guest’s stay.
"Volo's intuitive platform and exceptional support made this transition seamless, and we've already seen increased engagement and revenue," Hansen added. "These tablets are central to delivering a high-touch experience aligned with our brand's luxury and innovation."
With properties in Alaska and Texas, Wilding Hotels continues to carve out its niche as a luxury wilderness brand that balances comfort with a deep respect for nature. The addition of Volo’s in-room tablets reaffirms this commitment—offering guests an effortless, modern stay while treading lightly on the planet.
For more details, visit getvolo.com and wildinghotels.com.
By Manu Vardhan Kannan
Published on July 13, 2025
Zoomcar has introduced ZoomPro, a smart fleet management dashboard built to enhance the efficiency and performance of India’s self-drive mobility ecosystem. Tailored for large B2B fleet operators, the platform enables users to manage bookings, pricing, and vehicle performance with ease, marking a major step in Zoomcar’s vision of tech-led transformation.
ZoomPro arrives at a time when Zoomcar is celebrating strong performance in FY25, which includes a 10% year-on-year rise in bookings and an 86% surge in repeat users. These trends signal growing consumer confidence and the rising demand for tech-enabled self-drive options.
“We’re building more than a marketplace, we’re enabling the operating system for self-drive mobility in India,” said Anirudh Lamba, Head of Marketing and Partnerships at Zoomcar. “With ZoomPro, our B2B toolkit empowers fleet operators to drive better performance, higher earnings, and superior guest experiences at scale.”
The dashboard offers a data-first interface that reflects how modern operators function across multiple cities and users. It provides real-time insights on vehicle metrics and customer behavior, allowing for more accurate decision-making and enhanced fleet control.
According to Vishal Ramrakhyani, Head of Engineering, “ZoomPro has been designed to scale with our partners. It supports long-term growth through tools like bulk onboarding, AI-powered recommendations, and soon, LLM-based customer support for faster and more personalized issue resolution.”
Zoomcar’s FY25 milestones also include a USD 4.25 million contribution profit at a 47% margin, a 58% rise in high-rated host vehicles, and a 67% drop in operational losses, validating its pivot to partner-first innovation.
The launch of ZoomPro is set to redefine how India's self-drive car rental sector operates, offering greater transparency, higher efficiency, and scalable tools for large fleet operators aiming to stay ahead in a rapidly growing market.
Published on July 12, 2025
Mews has announced a strategic integration with Salto’s smart locking system, enhancing its Digital Key offering and paving the way for a more seamless, contactless guest experience. Through this partnership, hotels using Salto’s access control can now enable guests to unlock rooms via their mobile devices using the Mews Hospitality Cloud—eliminating the need for physical keys altogether.
This move streamlines the check-in process, reduces manual front desk tasks, and strengthens overall security. Matt Welle, CEO of Mews, said, “Every step of the guest journey should be effortless. With Salto smart access for hospitality compatibility, more properties can reduce the friction around arrival and check-in. Digital Key is a win-win because it’s as much about operational efficiency as it is about improving guest satisfaction.”
Early results from Belgian brand YUST, which operates a hybrid model for short and long stays, show the integration’s impact. At its Antwerp property, 12% of guests checked in using Digital Key in the first month without any promotional push, and 64% of those with an active digital key used it to access their rooms. Dirk Van Gompel, CTO of YUST, shared, “Digital Key makes it easy for guests to go straight to their room, while creating real-time savings for our team, who can then focus on building real human connections.”
Salto’s Nora Urquiza highlighted the value of this collaboration, stating, “Our integration with Mews reinforces our commitment to delivering a seamless, secure, and modern digital experience through strong technology alliances.”
Beyond convenience, the integration also cuts down on environmental waste by removing the need for plastic keycards and supports a fully digital, on-the-go check-in and check-out process. Fully embedded within the Mews Hospitality Cloud, the Digital Key capability allows hotels to customise and automate the guest experience, opening new avenues for upselling and enhanced guest engagement.
Mews has been on a roll with tech enhancements, recently rolling out a Multicurrency feature for customers across Europe.
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