At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we spoke with Harman Narula, CEO of Canary Technologies, about the company’s recent AI product launches and the growing role of artificial intelligence in hotel operations. From missed phone calls to personalised upselling, Canary’s suite of AI solutions is designed to enhance the guest experience and increase hotel revenue. Narula shared how voice AI, messaging, and upselling work together to streamline operations and help hoteliers do more with fewer resources.
You recently launched three AI products. Can you tell us more?
Canary Technologies launched a suite of AI solutions, including AI-powered guest messaging and upselling, an AI voice platform, and an AI webchat tool. These products form part of an omnichannel platform, helping hotels provide seamless communication and improve guest experience while supporting staff on property.
What does the AI voice platform do?
AI voice is designed to address a common issue in hotels: missed phone calls. Narula noted that up to 40 percent of calls to hotels go unanswered, many of which are potential bookings. The AI voice system ensures every call is answered, providing natural, human-like responses to guest enquiries, bookings, and requests. If needed, it hands off to a human team member, but in most cases, it handles everything from start to finish.
How does AI voice integrate with other platforms?
The voice platform is part of a broader omnichannel approach, allowing conversations to begin via phone and continue through messaging. This flexibility helps hotels meet guests where they are and respond more effectively, across multiple channels.
How long does it take to set up AI voice for a hotel?
According to Narula, onboarding is straightforward. The model is trained using publicly available data and internal hotel documentation. It continuously improves through reinforcement learning, responding to guest queries more accurately over time.
Do you see a future where most hotel calls are handled by AI?
Yes, Narula believes this future is already taking shape. While human support remains available for complex needs, more than 80 percent of guest interactions can be handled entirely by AI, allowing staff to focus on hospitality instead of administrative tasks.
Can AI actually drive revenue, not just reduce costs?
Absolutely. Narula stressed that AI enables “personalisation at scale.” For example, if a guest messages to request an extra bed, the AI might recognise a family stay and offer upsells such as movie night packages. These personalised suggestions happen automatically, increasing revenue opportunities while still feeling natural to the guest.
So it is not just about cost saving?
Correct. AI voice also ensures that every booking enquiry is captured. Narula explained that many missed calls represent missed revenue. By responding to each one, the hotel avoids losing potential bookings. The focus is on unlocking top-line growth as much as improving efficiency.
Some people are still sceptical about AI replacing human staff. What is your view?
Narula acknowledged the concern but clarified that the goal is not to replace staff, but to augment them. AI handles repetitive or administrative tasks so that team members can focus on delivering excellent guest experiences. In an industry facing persistent labour shortages, this approach helps hotels do more with fewer people.
Can AI help balance staffing challenges in hospitality?
Yes. Narula said productivity gains from AI are already visible across industries. Hotels are no exception. AI helps staff work more efficiently, allowing teams to handle more tasks without growing in size. This will be essential as the industry adapts to continued labour shortages and increased demand.
About Canary Technologies
Canary Technologies is revolutionizing the hotel tech stack with its award-winning Guest Management Platform, digitizing everything from post-booking to checkout. Trusted by 20,000+ hoteliers in 90+ countries, including Marriott, Four Seasons and Wyndham, Canary is the top-rated solution on HotelTechReport. Canary's solutions include Canary AI, Mobile Check-In, Smart Checkout, Dynamic Upsells, Guest Messaging, Digital Tipping, AI Voice and more. Canary eliminates paper processes, boosts revenue, increases staff efficiency, enhances the guest experience, and reduces chargebacks and payment fraud.
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