AHLA Tech Awards Spotlight Global Hospitality Innovation as Agilysys Belmond and Canary Lead AI Powered Transformation

Published on October 29, 2025

The momentum behind digital transformation in the hospitality industry continued to accelerate in 2025 with the announcement of this year’s leading hospitality technology innovators. Two prestigious recognitions – the HTNG TechOvation Award and the Tech Acceleration Award – spotlighted groundbreaking solutions that are reshaping how hotels operate, engage guests, and drive revenue in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Hosted during The Hospitality Show in Denver on October 28, the awards brought together global technology executives, hospitality leaders, investors, and innovators to highlight advancements that are unlocking new value streams for hotels and travel brands.

Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. Wins TechOvation Award

Celebrating ten years of promoting forward-thinking solutions, the HTNG TechOvation Award honors companies delivering transformational digital capabilities to the hotel sector. The 2025 title went to Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. (Stay Package Entitlement New Dynamic), a next-generation platform that redefines how hotels package, sell, and fulfill guest experiences.

Designed to boost ancillary revenue and streamline personalized offers, the system allows guests to reserve and manage package entitlements – such as spa sessions, dining experiences, golf reservations, tours, and activity add-ons – within one unified online journey. Unlike traditional methods that require email coordination or manual confirmation by hotel staff, this platform eliminates friction and enables real-time booking.

Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. emerged victorious from a competitive field of ten semi-finalists, each demonstrating compelling technological innovation. Finalists delivered four-minute live pitches before judges and attendees, who participated in selecting the winner through a combined scoring format. The success of S.P.E.N.D. signals a larger shift toward intelligent personalization and seamless digital fulfillment in hospitality operations.

Tech Acceleration Award Celebrates AI Leadership in Hospitality

The Tech Acceleration Award, now in its third year, recognizes organizations that demonstrate leadership in adopting globally recognized hotel technology standards. This year, the focus centered on the adoption of HTNG AI for Hospitality best practices, highlighting practical and scalable solutions that improve operational efficiency.

Hotelier Award – Belmond

Luxury hospitality group Belmond, known for its iconic hotels, trains, cruises, and safari lodges, was honored for developing Bella, an AI-powered communication assistant. Bella streamlines guest communications by managing email responses and handling reservation inquiries with advanced language intelligence. Integrated with customer preferences and property systems, the assistant helps deliver faster responses and personalized service while reducing workload for hotel teams. Belmond’s implementation proved that responsible AI adoption can enhance guest relationships without losing the human touch.

Vendor Award – Canary Technologies

The vendor recognition went to Canary Technologies for its automated guest communications platform, which applies AI across voice, SMS, and real-time chat. Designed to optimize hotel workflows, the platform handles routine interactions, such as pre-arrival instructions, upsell messaging, and service requests. By combining automation with data insights, the solution improves satisfaction scores and drives incremental revenue from stay extensions and upselling.

Both winners were selected by technology leaders from the Global Technology 100, reinforcing the growing importance of standardized frameworks and interoperability across hospitality systems.

Advancing the Future of Hotel Technology

This year’s award recipients underscore a critical transformation underway in hospitality: technology is no longer just a back-office utility but a strategic force that shapes brand value and customer loyalty. From AI-enabled guest interaction to dynamic revenue optimization and seamless digital commerce, the 2025 winners exemplify innovation with measurable business impact.

The awards spotlight how tightly integrated technology has become with hotel growth strategies. The industry is now prioritizing systems that:

• Increase revenue per guest through personalized experiences
• Streamline staff workloads amid ongoing labor challenges
• Deliver real-time engagement and 24/7 guest responsiveness
• Improve data integration and security
• Accelerate adoption of global hospitality standards
• Support long-term sustainability goals through smarter operations

As hotels across the world continue to modernize their digital infrastructure, the achievements recognized this year provide a clear signal: the future of hospitality belongs to brands that harness intelligent technology, emotional personalization, and unified guest journeys.

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