News Briefs

Tock, a reservation platform for hospitality businesses, has expanded its Reserve with Google capabilities to offer customers the ability to showcase all experiences, including those requiring prepayment and deposits, directly in Google search results. This expanded integration complements Tock's existing Reserve with Google feature for free bookings, aiming to increase reservations, visibility, and revenue for customers.

The Reserve with Google button, where guests can book a Tock reservation through Google Search, Maps, and Assistant, was previously only available for free Tock experiences or reservations. Guests can now view and select an offering based on a detailed description, before being redirected to Tock's website to complete the booking process with prepayment, a deposit, or credit card hold.

"Our collaboration with Reserve with Google has been hugely successful, with more than four million bookings made since launching this integration last year," says Matthew Tucker, Head of Tock. "Today, it's common for consumers to find restaurants on their search engine of choice, which is often Google. With the significant interest in prepaid experiences from both restaurants and guests, it has proven critical to also make these experiences searchable and bookable via Reserve with Google. This is an important benefit for our customers, especially those offering a range of experiences on their Tock page."

To date, over 5,000 Tock businesses have had reservations booked via Reserve with Google, and more than 17% of all Tock bookings are made through this integration. According to proprietary data, Tock has also seen a ~20% higher rate of new-to-Tock guest users booking via Reserve with Google than booking directly on Tock, demonstrating the growth in the use of search engines for reservations. The product expansion highlights Tock's commitment to aiding restaurants with discoverability, which increasingly is happening through search capabilities.

"In today's digital-first dining landscape, restaurant discoverability is not just important—it's essential," Tucker adds. "With countless dining options at their fingertips, consumers often make decisions based on what they find online. A restaurant that isn't easily discoverable through popular platforms like Google or social media apps is essentially invisible to a vast segment of potential diners. Enhanced discoverability fills tables, attracts new diners, and ultimately contributes to a restaurant's long-term success and growth in an incredibly competitive industry."

To learn more about how Tock continues to drive discoverability and volume for restaurants, visit: https://www.exploretock.com/join/restaurant-marketing-discovery/.

Interface Systems, a managed service provider of security, actionable insights, and purpose-built networks for multi-location businesses, has identified key security and technology trends that will shape retail and restaurant security in 2025. As threats evolve and technology accelerates, Interface anticipates a convergence of AI, advanced video analytics, and smarter monitoring solutions to drive more proactive and efficient business security systems.

Expansion of Cloud-Based Video Systems

The adoption of cloud-based video systems is expected to accelerate, driven by their ability to provide scalable, remote monitoring solutions. However, growth will be tempered by challenges surrounding appropriate network bandwidth availability and the cost of high-resolution video storage. Interface foresees steady adoption as technology advances to optimize storage efficiency without compromising video quality.

AI for Life Safety and Deterrence

Video analytics will play an increasingly central role as a detection and deterrence tool. Advances in AI-driven systems will simplify deployment and enable companies to implement more robust remote video monitoring (RVM). This next stage of innovation will focus on integrating video analytics with access control, alarms, and environmental sensors to create cohesive, intelligent security solutions. This will enable organizations to leverage capabilities like automated locking mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access or triggering voice-down messages to deter theft or loitering. However, maintaining a “human in the loop” will be crucial to overseeing AI operations, ensuring sound decision-making in high-stakes situations, and building trust in the technology.

Conversational AI and Automated Interventions

Interface Systems anticipates continued advancements in conversational AI to enhance remote video monitoring. Currently, AI-driven systems can identify “what” to respond to — distinguishing between human motion, vehicle movement, or environmental factors. In 2025, conversational AI will advance to determine “how” to respond, providing highly contextual, automated interventions. For example, AI could customize announcements based on situational details like a vehicle’s description or a suspect’s clothing, increasing the effectiveness of automated responses. Over time, machine learning models will refine these interactions by analyzing outcomes and adapting response parameters to improve deterrence.

Growing Sophistication of Retail Crime

Retail burglaries are becoming more sophisticated, with organized theft groups using “imposter” tactics to pose as workers and break into businesses from unprotected spaces. These teams employ cellular jamming to disable alarms, quickly attack on-site video equipment, and exploit weak backup systems. To counter these strategies, businesses must increasingly adopt cloud-based video systems, redundant recording solutions, and active remote monitoring to ensure system resilience and real-time detection.

“As threats continue to evolve, we anticipate that innovation in AI, video analytics, and cloud-based solutions will empower businesses to stay ahead of security challenges. At Interface, we remain committed to developing and delivering next-generation security technologies that prioritize proactive prevention and operational efficiency,” said Sean Foley, Chief Revenue Officer at Interface Systems.

SoundHound AI Inc.  unveiled an in-vehicle voice commerce platform with a demo at CES 2025. The platform, which allows drivers and passengers to order takeout for pick-up directly from the car’s infotainment system, will be showcased in SoundHound’s CES booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center (West Hall Level 1, Booth #4964, Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility).

CES attendees will be able to try the new AI software firsthand – with the ability to experiment with in-vehicle ordering from a range of restaurants integrated into SoundHound’s platform.

Hungry on the way home? Imagine finding the best new place for pizza en route, or maybe ordering from your favorite burrito or sub spot so it’s ready when you arrive – just by speaking directly to your vehicle. SoundHound’s advanced voice commerce ecosystem will allow drivers and passengers to place an order, make payments seamlessly, and then navigate to the nearest pick-up location, all directly from a car’s infotainment system completely hands-free.

Example queries:

• "Show me the closest MOD Pizza restaurants.”
  “I’d like to place an order from the first one to pick up.”
• “Navigate home.”
  “I’d like to order a burrito from the most convenient location on the way.”
• “Take me to my hotel.”
  “Find some Asian food to order for pickup within five miles of my hotel.”
• “I’d like to order a pepperoni pizza from a spot no more than 5 minutes off my route.”

SoundHound is in talks with well-known automotive manufacturers to pilot this first-of-its-kind ordering channel which delivers voice transactions and next-level convenience to the digital cockpit. The company aims to launch its voice commerce ecosystem in collaboration with automakers and restaurant partners in 2025.

Recent research found that a majority of drivers in the US and Europe would welcome this feature, with well over half saying they would use it regularly.

In-vehicle voice commerce promises to revolutionize the way drivers utilize a car’s voice assistant to order from their favorite coffee shops, delis, cafes, pizzerias, and restaurants. This new functionality will even allow consumers to bypass drive thru lanes completely and collect hot food timed with the vehicle’s GPS navigation to be ready upon their arrival at a restaurant.

“This incredible moment has been decades in the making. With a technology that can exceed expectations, an ecosystem of millions of cars connecting to national restaurant brands with thousands of locations, we can finally launch the vision we have talked about for years,” said Keyvan Mohajer, CEO and Co-Founder of SoundHound AI. “What we’re introducing here at CES is a seamless way to order your favorite takeout on-the-go using natural speech, completely hands-free from the vehicle. And what begins here with food and restaurants will ultimately open up a whole new commercial ecosystem for vehicle and device manufacturers everywhere.”

While the CES demo focuses on food ordering, SoundHound AI already works with partners and customers across a variety of different industries, and in the future the company plans to enable new capabilities like banking transactions, ticket purchases, appointment making, and more. Additionally, the company intends to bring ordering and voice commerce to other devices – like smart TVs. This milestone also highlights the expertise and strategic value brought by SoundHound’s recent acquisition of Allset, which has fast-tracked the company’s development of a voice commerce ecosystem.

SoundHound’s conversational AI technology is currently used by hundreds of large enterprise brands, thousands of restaurant and retail locations, and is deployed in millions of cars and devices.

To learn more about SoundHound AI, visit SoundHound.com.

Custom Travel Solutions (CTS), a software-as-a-service private-label platform for membership organizations and loyalty programs, announced the launch of its innovative AI-Powered Booking Reconfirmation Tool. This cutting-edge technology that imitates the human voice automates the booking reconfirmation process, significantly enhancing accuracy, operational efficiency, and the guest experience.

This service is live and available for new client onboarding at any scale. Designed to address common challenges in the booking process, the AI-Powered Booking Reconfirmation Tool automates the traditionally resource-intensive tasks of manual confirmations, eliminates undetected booking errors, and scales effortlessly to handle increasing volumes. By seamlessly integrating with content management systems (CMS) through API technology, the tool provides real-time status updates, ensuring complete visibility for customer support teams.

The process is streamlined and efficient. New bookings enter the reconfirmation queue, after which AI-powered human-like voice calls are placed to the hotel to verify the reservations. The system is designed to seamlessly navigate through auto-attendants, hold music, and transfer. Once connected, it reconfirms the booking by asking hotel staff for their own reservation number, which is then logged and shared with the end client via APIs. Additionally, the system includes a CMS that provides the end client with a web portal to easily access confirmation details. For example, clients can view: "Susan P. reconfirmed the reservation for John Smith at 9:03 AM on December 12, 2024, for Mr. Smith’s stay on January 2, 2025." AI can make up to three calls to retrieve confirmation numbers, automatically logging the results in the CMS.

The tool's intelligent AI mimics human interactions with hotel staff, ensuring that it aligns with a brand’s communication standards. It is powered by robust APIs designed for high-volume booking data processing, enabling a smooth and scalable solution. Additionally, the system uses data-driven insights to optimize call timing for maximum success.

The benefits are far-reaching. By automating repetitive, error-prone tasks, CTS’s new tool reduces operational costs, improves booking accuracy, and enhances scalability. It ensures a seamless experience for guests with no surprises, reinforcing trust in the brand. For travel providers, the tool increases operational efficiency, freeing up frontline teams to focus on high-value tasks.

Mike Putman, CEO & Founder of CTS, stated: "Our AI-Powered Booking Reconfirmation Tool is a game-changer for the travel industry. By combining advanced AI with our years of expertise, we're enabling our clients to improve booking accuracy, optimize resources, and deliver exceptional guest experiences. This tool not only tackles the common pain points of booking errors but sets a new standard for efficiency and scalability in the sector.”

Custom Travel Solutions continues to lead the way in the travel technology space. The launch of the AI-Powered Booking Reconfirmation Tool builds on its proven track record of innovation and strengthens its position as the most powerful private-label travel solution provider. CTS serves travel clubs, loyalty programs, financial services, and member-only platforms, offering customized solutions that include accommodation APIs, private-label platform building, and now, AI-driven booking solutions.

Guestara, a startup reimagining how hospitality professionals serve and engage guests, announced a $500K pre-seed funding round from a group of experienced travel and hospitality tech entrepreneurs, led by industry veteran Sanjay Ghare. The funds will fuel Guestara’s mission to develop cutting-edge AI-driven solutions that streamline operations, boost guest satisfaction, and uncover new revenue opportunities for hotels worldwide.

Founded by CEO Akshay Dekate and three other co-founders, Guestara offers an AI-enabled guest management platform that centralizes and automates key hospitality functions. Akshay himself has spent over a decade in hospitality innovation. Guestara’s solutions span Unified Inbox, Contactless Mobile Check-In, Omnichannel Guest Engagement, Personalized Upselling, and Smart Checkout—all designed to integrate seamlessly with leading Property Management Systems (PMS). By transforming guest management into a centralized, intelligent workflow, Guestara empowers hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals to focus on what matters most: delivering memorable guest experiences.

“Hospitality is more than a service—it’s an experience,” said Akshay. “Guestara harnesses AI to help hotels elevate that experience, boosting operational efficiency and enhancing guest loyalty. Our goal is to onboard 2 million rooms globally and transform the sector into a data-driven, people-focused industry.”

Guestara has already onboarded hotels and short-term rentals as beta clients, with 2000+ rooms collectively, including 3 global hotel chains, reporting a 20% increase in operational efficiency, a 35% rise in guest satisfaction, and a 57% boost in incremental revenue. By providing real-time insights and eliminating many of the manual tasks that burden staff, Guestara’s platform frees hoteliers to build deeper guest relationships.

“We see Guestara as a game-changer,” said Sanjay. “Their AI-first approach brings immediate benefits—both economic and experiential—to our industry. We’re thrilled to support them as they redefine hospitality for the modern era.”

With this infusion of capital, Guestara will accelerate product development and expand its reach, targeting a diverse range of hotel partners—from boutique independents to multinational chains. By doing so, the company aims to set a new standard in guest management, blending technology with genuine hospitality to deliver truly exceptional stays.

Hotelogix, a cloud-based hospitality technology provider, introduced an hourly booking module to help hotels maximize revenue opportunities while empowering them to offer flexible check-in and check-out times to accommodate their guests’ evolving itineraries. With this newly added capability, hotels worldwide can now offer their guests the option to book hotel rooms and pay only for the hours they use, which makes it affordable for them.

Travelers seeking greater flexibility in terms of check-in and check-out time and affordability are now increasingly booking hotel rooms by the hour. It has led to remarkable growth in the hourly hotel booking segment, valued at $16.67 billion in 2019 and forecasted to reach $25.62 billion by 2027. Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and the Philippines, along with several Southeast Asian nations, are witnessing this trend firsthand. This accommodation model caters to those who require just a few hours of respite, whether to unwind during a long layover, catch up on work, or simply recharge during a busy travel schedule while saving big as it can help them save up to 60% of their accommodation costs. Airport hotels, transit hotels, business hotels, capsule hotels, and love hotels are increasingly embracing this short-stay concept.

Apart from selling rooms on hourly basis, with Hotelogix PMS’s Hourly Booking feature, hotels can apply packages, offer discounts and even late check-out facilities to their guests booking rooms. Hotelogix has also introduced a new custom report, enabling hotels to efficiently track critical metrics of hourly bookings, including revenue streams and source of guests. These reports help hotels analyze booking trends to make data-driven decisions and optimize revenue strategies.

"The hourly booking feature will transform how hotels enhance occupancy and optimize revenue potential, all while addressing the evolving needs of modern travelers. This innovation positions us significantly ahead of our competitors within this sector and creates exciting new market opportunities. Hotels in this segment can now move beyond outdated solutions that compromise their operational efficiency." said Aditya Sanghi, CEO of Hotelogix.

Speaking about the usefulness of the hourly booking feature now available in Hotelogix PMS, Alexander Asuncion, Senior Executive of the Philippines-based GCGC and current COO & Business Unit Head of Global Officium Limited Inc (GOLI), said, "Selling rooms by the hour is quite important to our portfolio of hotels. It allows us to cater to a specific market segment that values pocket-friendly accommodation, above-par guest experience, and excellent customer service." GCGC manages over 60 properties comprising more than 8,000 rooms with brands like Hotel Sogo, Eurotel, Apo View Hotel, DreamWorld, and Astrotel.

As an early adopter of Hotelogix's hourly booking features, GCGC has experienced numerous benefits. The group has generated an average of over 750 bookings by selling rooms by the hour, with each booking averaging about 6 hours in length. It has also helped them see a 40% increase in revenue per room.