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


Meet Chai Magic: Your New Best Friend for Brewing Chai

Meet Chai Magic: Your New Best Friend for Brewing Chai

By Hariharan U

Published on July 31, 2025

Wonderchef has introduced something every chai lover will want in their kitchen "Chai Magic", the world’s first fully automatic tea maker built just for Indian-style tea. The launch, hosted in Kolkata, saw the presence of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Mr. Ravi Saxena, co-founders of the brand, as they showcased what might just be the future of chai-making.

How It Works

 All it takes is loading your ingredients—tea, spices, water, and milk—into the machine, pressing a button, and letting Chai Magic handle the rest. Milk gets added at just the right moment, and the tea brews to perfection. Once it’s done, the machine switches off on its own. That’s right—no more burnt milk or tea spills.

"Chai Magic brings tradition and technology together. It makes everyday tea-making simple, stress-free, and delightful," said Chef Sanjeev Kapoor during the live demo.

He added, "You can add any masala—ginger, clove, pepper, saffron—and Chai Magic will brew it just the way you like it. It’s consistent, hands-free, and honestly, a joy to use."

Mr. Ravi Saxena, CEO of Wonderchef, called it a “magical appliance”, built for daily use in Indian homes. “It’s a product rooted in our tea culture but powered by modern convenience,” he said.

Coming Soon Near You

 Chai Magic will be available across retail stores and Wonderchef’s website in the coming weeks.

New Store Launch in Kolkata

 Wonderchef also marked the launch of its 31st exclusive store—and the first in East India—at City Centre Mall, Salt Lake, Kolkata. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor inaugurated the outlet, part of the brand’s plan to double its store count over the next two years.

 About Wonderchef
Founded in 2009, Wonderchef is known for its premium cookware and kitchen appliances. With over 600 products, it has built a strong presence both in India and globally—spanning 22,000+ retail outlets, 80,000+ women entrepreneurs, and availability in 25 countries.

This new launch adds one more feather to their innovation-first approach, making everyday cooking smarter, easier, and a little more magical.


Invisible Infrastructure: Reimagining Security in Hospitality Spaces

Invisible Infrastructure: Reimagining Security in Hospitality Spaces

By Author

Published on July 29, 2025

In luxury hospitality, the guest experience is meticulously crafted to feel effortless. Yet, behind the polished marble floors and ambient lighting lies an invisible yet vital layer — security. When done right, it’s not just a system; it’s an ecosystem of trust that operates quietly in the background, ensuring safety without ever disrupting elegance.

Today, hotel security has evolved beyond conventional surveillance. It’s not about how many cameras you install — it’s about where, why, and how they integrate into the environment. Smart surveillance strategies combine analytics with human insight, mapping guest behavior, anticipating pressure points, and aligning seamlessly with the tempo of operations. Think of it as an unseen concierge — alert, adaptive, and always one step ahead.

Access control, too, has become a sophisticated architecture of trust. Whether it’s guest keycards, staff movement, or vendor logistics, every access point is an opportunity to blend efficiency with discretion. The best frameworks balance hierarchy with hospitality — offering layered security that respects both guest privacy and staff autonomy.

But even the most intelligent infrastructure is only as strong as the people who operate it. Hotels that foster a proactive security culture — through training, simulations, and clearly defined accountability — gain an unmatched edge in both daily operations and crisis management. In such environments, security is not just protection; it’s empowerment.

Importantly, security should never be a generic overlay. It must reflect the soul of the brand. A wellness retreat in the hills may need subtle, almost invisible systems, while a corporate hotel in the heart of a city might benefit from visible, high-tech deterrents. Every hotel has a story and its security design should narrate it with purpose.

This is where independent expertise becomes invaluable. Too often, security is bundled into IT or MEP contracts as an afterthought. In reality, it deserves its own voice — one that understands physical risk, guest psychology, operational rhythms, and architectural intent. A seasoned security consultant can decode these variables and craft bespoke, scalable systems that serve both safety and sophistication.

Col Deepak Kajla, a techno-security expert with over 22 years of military and corporate experience, offers exactly this level of insight. His unique approach blends strategic thinking with hands-on implementation, helping hospitality brands design security that is intuitive, unobtrusive, and deeply effective. From five-star properties to eco-resorts, he brings clarity, control, and creativity to every project — transforming security from a backend function into a seamless extension of guest experience.

For hotels aiming to modernize their security approach without compromising on brand or ambiance, the path forward begins with a simple idea:

"Invisible infrastructure creates visible confidence"

CONTACT deepak.kajla@securesec.in 
https://www.securesec.in/


Empowering Hospitality: The Bingoforge Journey from Vision to Innovation

Empowering Hospitality: The Bingoforge Journey from Vision to Innovation

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on July 26, 2025

At the heart of Bingoforge lies a vision that has remained unwavering since its inception, to equip the hospitality industry with intuitive, intelligent, and fully integrated CRM solutions. This journey began from a deep, firsthand understanding of the hurdles faced by hoteliers, restaurateurs, and sales professionals. Disconnected systems, outdated processes, and fragmented data had long plagued the industry, slowing down growth and innovation. It was this very gap that inspired the creation of Bingoforge.

The company’s story dates back to 2017, when Zubin Bilimoria, a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience across airlines, travel solutions (GDS), and hospitality technology, founded the brand. Operating initially under the name Zubin Hospitality Solutions, the humble beginnings took root in a neighborhood CCD coffee shop. During his stint as Global Sales Director at RezNext in 2015-16, Zubin noticed the glaring absence of a specialized Sales CRM designed exclusively for the hospitality ecosystem. With insight, experience, and a clear purpose, he set out to build a solution that would transform how sales teams in the industry functioned.

With strong support and feedback from senior leaders in hospitality, the first version of the product, MyHotelCRM was developed in collaboration with a hotel chain, ensuring every feature was born from real-world challenges and use cases. What started as a basic contact and lead management tool soon grew into a robust, scalable platform that caters to the needs of all hospitality stakeholders, from sales executives to ownership and management teams.

Today, MyHotelCRM is available in three distinct versions, LITE, BUSINESS, and ENTERPRISE and serves a wide array of properties including hotels, restaurants, and clubs of all sizes. Its compatibility with both one-way and two-way integrations with leading PMS platforms has made it a preferred solution across the sector. Among its integration partners are IDS Next (IDS Fortune and IDS FX), WinHMS, WinCloud, InnKeys PMS, Protel, and MyCloud Hospitality. The platform is also working toward integrations with global players such as Opera Cloud, among others.

In keeping with its vision of seamless connectivity, Bingoforge has been steadily expanding its interface capabilities. This includes planned integrations with hotel websites, social media platforms, IVR, WhatsApp communication, and Revenue Management Solutions, ensuring users benefit from a truly centralized and intelligent CRM system.

From those early coffee shop days to becoming a leading sales solution provider in the hospitality domain, Bingoforge’s journey has been marked by passion, innovation, and a relentless focus on simplifying workflows. The company’s offerings now extend to corporate ERP solutions as well, designed to match and adapt to customer-specific workflows.

The most recent milestone in Bingoforge’s evolution is its partnership with Trillion Global Innovations, with Mr. Pankaj Kumar Goel, Director and Co-founder, joining as a Consulting Sales Partner. This collaboration is set to amplify Bingoforge’s market presence, taking its trusted solutions to an even wider audience.

For more information, visit www.bingoforge.com or reach out via email at bd@bingoforge.com.

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