Grand Copthorne Waterfront Invests in the Future with Aiello’s AI-Powered Smart Room System for Hospitality

Grand Copthorne Waterfront Invests in the Future with Aiello’s AI-Powered Smart Room System for Hospitality

By Nishang Narayan

Published on August 4, 2024

In a groundbreaking move to elevate guest experiences, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel has partnered with Aiello to introduce the Aiello Voice Assistant (AVA), an advanced AI-powered smart room system. Nestled along the picturesque Singapore River, the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel is renowned for its luxurious accommodations, exceptional service, and strong commitment to sustainability. This collaboration marks a significant leap in integrating AI technology into the hotel’s ecosystem, setting a new standard for future-forward hospitality.

The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel has replaced all guest room telephones with AVA, transforming each room into a connected, smart environment. Guests can now make hands-free calls, communicate with hotel staff, and voice their questions and requests, ensuring prompt and efficient service. For instance, room service can be requested directly through AVA, streamlining operations and enhancing overall efficiency.

Aiello's system also integrates seamlessly with other hotel systems, including the Property Management System (PMS) and the newly defined Hospitality Task Management System (TMS). This integration ensures that guest requests made to AVA are automatically assigned to the appropriate employees and departments, significantly reducing communication costs and optimizing efficiency across the hotel’s front office, guest rooms, and backend operations. Guests can use voice commands to control various room features, including the TV, lights, and air conditioning, or select smart room modes like "Good Morning" and "Good Night" for added convenience and comfort.

"We are excited to introduce AVA at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel as part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing guest experiences through innovation," said Mr. Andrew Tan, General Manager of Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. "With AVA's integrated IoT capabilities, guests can experience a new level of convenience and personalized service, reflecting our dedication to delivering exceptional hospitality."

Aiello's CEO and Co-founder, Mr. Vic Shen, emphasized the transformative impact of AI integration: "Through our partnership with Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Aiello is proud to lead the charge in redefining hospitality with advanced AI technology. By replacing traditional phones with AVA and integrating IoT-connected smart rooms, we aim to set a bold new standard for intuitive guest interactions."

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This innovative guest interface not only enhances operational efficiency but also elevates the overall guest experience, marking a significant leap forward in hospitality technology.

About Aiello

Aiello is a leading provider of Voice AI in the hospitality industry. Its flagship product, Aiello Voice Assistant, is a multi-award-winning talk & touch voice AI technology solution aimed at streamlining hotel operations, enhancing the guest experience, and generating insights about customer behavior. Since 2019, Aiello Voice Assistant has been deployed in over 100 hotels, encompassing 10,000 rooms, and has answered over 14 million inquiries from 2.5 million end users in Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and English. Learn more at Aiello's official website.

About Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore

An award-winning and sustainable riverside hotel, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city; an ideal one-stop-shop for travelers of all kinds. This picturesque waterfront location along the bank of the Singapore River offers easy accessibility to the business and shopping districts, enabling business and leisure travelers the best of both worlds. Our international awards and accolades include Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Award 2023, Best Convention Hotel Singapore (2019-2020), Best Luxury Hotel Singapore (2018-2019), International Five Star Hotel (2019-2020), NTUC Digital Learning Transformation Award 2018, and BCA Green Mark Platinum 2015-2021 by the Building and Construction Authority. Visit Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel for more information.

About Millennium Hotels and Resorts

Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) is the global brand of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Limited (M&C), a global hotel company which owns, manages, and operates over 145 hotels across some 80 locations. It has several distinct hotel brands, including Grand Millennium, Millennium, M Social, Copthorne, and Kingsgate, throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, and the United States. Visit Millennium Hotels for more information.

For further information, please contact:

  • Amy Lai Marketing Manager, Aiello E-mail: amy.lai@aiello.ai

  • Carolyn Wishnowski Director, Global Branding, Marketing & Loyalty, Millennium Hotels and Resorts Email: Carolyn.Wishnowski@millenniumhotels.com


HKSTP Leads Landmark Innovation Delegation at VivaTech 2025 in Paris

HKSTP Leads Landmark Innovation Delegation at VivaTech 2025 in Paris

By Nishang Narayan

Published on June 16, 2025

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has made a powerful debut at VivaTech 2025, Europe’s premier startup and tech showcase, by leading a delegation of 18 of Hong Kong’s most promising innovators in AI, robotics, healthtech, greentech, and fintech.

The delegation was hosted at the Hong Kong Tech Pavilion, co-organised with Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), highlighting a unified effort to bridge the innovation ecosystems of Hong Kong and France.

This milestone participation marks HKSTP’s mission of taking home-grown talent global and bringing international opportunities back to Asia. VivaTech provided an ideal launchpad to form meaningful partnerships and adapt breakthrough technologies for evolving global markets.

Standout Innovations from Hong Kong at VivaTech 2025:

  • Ailytics: Winner of the EDF Startup Challenge and named among the Top 30 VivaTech Innovations, thanks to its AI-powered video analytics for safety and efficiency in heavy industries.

  • AQUMON and Midas Analytics: Nominated as Top 12 FinTech Trail for their advanced AI-driven data solutions.

  • Imsight, OKOsix, and Vismed: Finalists in the Tech for Change Award, recognized for innovative strides in cancer diagnostics, biomaterials, and medical training, respectively.

Strategic Partnerships Formed:

  • Westwell Technology partnered with Logicor, a leading European logistics provider, to co-host an innovation showcase on autonomous driving and green logistics in Paris.

  • PointFit announced a collaboration with Kinomap, a French indoor-training platform, bringing wearable fitness tech to Europe.

Adding to this momentum, HKSTP signed a partnership agreement with Startup Genome, further committing to global ecosystem building through cross-border networking and innovation-centric events.

Hilda Chan, Chief Marketing Officer at HKSTP, shared,

“Hong Kong’s innovation scene is ripe with global potential. With deep connectivity, globally fluent talent, and trusted systems, we’re enabling new tech frontiers to rise from Asia, and VivaTech is a key milestone in that journey.”

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The delegation arrives at a time when both France and Hong Kong are stepping up as global I&T leaders—France through its AI unicorn ambitions, and Hong Kong as the 2nd most innovative economy globally, according to WIPO.

To continue this global engagement, HKSTP is hosting EPIC 2025—the Elevator Pitch Competition—in November in Hong Kong. With US$100 million in targeted investment funding, and over 600 applicants from 47 economies in previous years, the competition is open for entries till 17 June 2025: https://epic.hkstp.org

About HKSTP

Founded in 2001, HKSTP has nurtured over 2,300 tech companies from 25+ countries, including 13 unicorns. It supports innovations across AI, healthtech, fintech, smart city, and more via its major hubs—Science Park, InnoCentre, and InnoParks in Hong Kong and its Shenzhen branch. With access to labs, funding, and global networks, HKSTP aims to anchor innovation as a pillar of Hong Kong’s economic future.

From Paris to Hong Kong, HKSTP is redefining how tech talent and ecosystems connect—and the world is watching.


RoomRaccoon Unveils RaccoonRev Plus: AI Revenue Co-Pilot for Independent Hotels

RoomRaccoon Unveils RaccoonRev Plus: AI Revenue Co-Pilot for Independent Hotels

By Nishang Narayan

Published on June 8, 2025

RoomRaccoon, a leading hotel management system trusted by independent hoteliers worldwide, has announced the launch of RaccoonRev Plus—a next-gen, AI-powered revenue management tool designed to deliver RMS-level pricing intelligence natively within the RoomRaccoon platform.

Tailored for small and mid-sized properties, RaccoonRev Plus helps bridge the gap between basic rule-based pricing models and complex Revenue Management Systems (RMS). The tool uses predictive AI and real-time data to offer daily rate recommendations up to 90 days in advance. It takes into account a wide range of signals including competitor pricing, weather forecasts, lead-time behavior, pickup pace, and historical trends to fine-tune hotel pricing strategy.

“Independent hoteliers have long been priced out of sophisticated revenue management technology,” said Tymen van Dyl, CEO of RoomRaccoon. “RaccoonRev Plus changes that. By embedding predictive pricing intelligence directly into our platform, we’re removing barriers and putting powerful, RMS-level tools into a system that hoteliers already know and trust.”

Designed as a ‘revenue co-pilot,’ the tool supports users with clear, AI-powered suggestions while keeping full control in their hands. Hoteliers can choose to act on insights at their own pace, with future updates offering full automation for those ready to go on autopilot.

“The idea of a revenue co-pilot is simple: you’re still in control, but you’re no longer flying solo,” van Dyl added. “We built the system to support hoteliers in stages, offering intelligent suggestions and giving users the confidence to gradually switch on autopilot when they’re ready.”

While revenue is the first frontier, RoomRaccoon views this as part of a larger AI roadmap.

“We’re moving toward a future where your HMS isn’t just a system — it’s part of your team,” van Dyl emphasized. “AI will make hotel operations more efficient by removing the friction of traditional workflows.”

RaccoonRev Plus is currently in beta testing with selected RoomRaccoon users, and the company anticipates a wider release later this year. Interested hoteliers can stay informed via RoomRaccoon’s website.

About RoomRaccoon

Founded in 2017 by a hotel owner and tech entrepreneur, RoomRaccoon is an award-winning cloud-based Hotel Management System. It offers a wide suite of tools that help hotels increase revenue, streamline operations, and enhance guest experience. With over 400 integrations, it’s among the most connected hospitality platforms on the market.


Kiğılı Selects Centric Software to Power Digital Retail Transformation

Kiğılı Selects Centric Software to Power Digital Retail Transformation

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on May 30, 2025

Leading Turkish menswear brand Kiğılı has partnered with Centric Software to transform its retail planning and support its growth ambitions through digital innovation. Kiğılı has chosen Centric Planning, an AI-powered platform that offers end-to-end merchandise planning capabilities tailored for the fashion retail industry.

Founded in 1938, Kiğılı has built a solid presence in the menswear space with over 180 stores in Türkiye and more than 50 points of sale across 15 countries. With customers shopping across a mix of physical stores, e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and wholesale channels, Kiğılı sought a digital solution to optimize its planning operations.

Until now, Kiğılı relied on Excel sheets and internal tools to handle store segmentation and SKU planning. However, managing these tasks manually limited the brand’s ability to scale efficiently. With Centric Planning, Kiğılı will now move toward a centralized, intelligent system that enhances allocation, store planning, and supply chain decisions.

 “Planning is the cornerstone of our business operations, and with Centric Planning, we are setting a solid foundation for future growth,” said Hüseyin Deveci, Supply Chain Director at Kiğılı. “This project is at the center of our digital transformation strategy.”

 The brand’s aim is to bridge pre-season planning with in-season execution, ensuring accurate purchasing, better product positioning, and timely replenishment. “This integration will allow us to respond more strategically and dynamically to market shifts,” Deveci added.

Following a rigorous evaluation of over 15 solutions, Kiğılı selected Centric Planning for its ability to unify planning workflows into one adaptable structure. “What impressed us was how Centric connects all planning phases seamlessly. It frees our teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than manual tasks,” Deveci noted.

 “Kiğılı will benefit from a unified, intelligent platform that simplifies planning from start to finish,” said Fabrice Canonge, President of Centric Software. “We are proud to support Kiğılı in their transformation journey.”

The partnership marks a significant milestone for Kiğılı as it accelerates into a new era of digital retail excellence.

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