News Briefs

Sabre Hospitality announced the latest advancements in SynXis Concierge.AI that expand AI capabilities into SynXis Booking Engine. This integration offers instant, intelligent responses across key hotel guest-facing channels—including website, email, social platforms, and voice.​ Concierge.AI is managed and monitored from a unified inbox that provides powerful insights to boost conversions, increase website engagements, and streamline operations - saving time and cost.  Hotels can configure the solution at the chain, brand, or property level for brand consistency and control.

“A year ago, we announced that SynXis Concierge.AI was live and being used by our Customer Care & Delivery team to deliver faster, more accurate assistance, and it was our vision to add AI to other areas of our portfolio in thoughtful ways to move the dial for our customers (hoteliers) and their guests,” said Scott Wison, President, Sabre Hospitality. “We are kicking off early adopter testing of Concierge.AI functionality in SynXis Booking Engine in June and next month, we are putting Concierge.AI at our customers’ fingertips through the Community Portal to enable effortless self-service. This technology is deeply integrated into the booking engine, ensuring a seamless and elevated guest experience.”

Our latest SynXis Concierge.AI functionality will include:

• Booking Agent: An AI-powered chatbot embedded in SynXis Booking Engine that assists with real-time inquiries, room suggestions, booking support, FAQs, and local recommendations. Available in 50+ languages, it delivers fast, personalized responses that drive higher conversions, reduce booking abandon rates, and capture direct bookings that may otherwise go to OTAs.
• Email Automation: Uses generative AI to manage high volumes of travel-related emails by extracting key information (like travel dates or party size) and generating personalized offers.   This feature helps improve response speed, booking efficiency, and reduces staff workload.
• Social Connect: Enables AI-powered guest engagement across popular social platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp Business. Managed through a single unified inbox, hotels can streamline communications, ensure a consistent brand voice, and gain insights into guest sentiment and trends.
• Voice Connect: Integrates an AI phone agent into hotel telephone systems, providing 24/7 support for guest inquiries, bookings, and call transfers. This solution boosts operational efficiency while delivering fast, personalized service over the phone.

“From the foundation of our flagship property 160 years ago – which was the first hotel to offer air conditioning, hydraulic elevators, and hot and cold running water in guest rooms – pushing the boundaries of what’s possible has always been part of our DNA,” says Langham Hospitality Group Senior Vice President – Strategy, Technology and Innovation Sean Seah. “Sabre’s SynXis Concierge.AI solution greatly enhances our ability to address multilingual queries and booking requests from our guests while preserving the personal and intuitive touch our customer service is renowned for.” 

Amy Read, Vice President of Innovation, Sabre Hospitality, added, “We give hoteliers the tools to meet travelers where they are with efficiency, yet with a human touch. SynXis Concierge.AI helps them scale service, increase conversions, and operate more efficiently - without compromising the guest experience.  What sets these AI tools apart is the ability to combine automation with personalization, giving hotels the control to maintain their brand voice while enhancing efficiency. As we move towards greater personalization, our focus is on delivering best-in-class solutions that empower brands to shape the narrative, not surrender it - blending smart automation with assisted control.”

At its Leadership Experience event earlier this month, Starbucks announced its first generative-AI powered solution to support its frontline employees is being piloted in 35 locations.

Green Dot Assist is a virtual assistant built to help baristas in real time. Instead of flipping through manuals or searching for answers, partners can now ask questions on in-store iPads and receive instant, conversational responses. 

"With this new solution, we’re simplifying access to essential information in the flow of work for partners, making their jobs a little easier while they build confidence and expertise. For example, if a barista needs a quick reminder of the ingredients for a seasonal beverage, Green Dot Assist provides guidance in seconds—helping partners feel confident in delivering exceptional customer service," according to an annoucement on its website.   

Starbucks says this marks a significant step forward in its commitment to streamlining operations, reducing friction, and giving partners more time to focus on crafting beverages and connecting with customers.     

WATCH the Starbucks annoucement.

Hotel Internet Services (HIS) has officially rebranded as Touchstone 1. The rebrand is being revealed at HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis at Booth 1400, where the company is debuting its new name and visual identity. The rebrand reflects the company’s evolution over the last 22 years and its expanded focus across multiple industries, including hospitality, multifamily, senior living, student housing, healthcare and more.

Founded in 2003 at the dawn of hospitality Wi-Fi, the company quickly emerged as a pioneer, introducing industry-first solutions that set the standard for connectivity, network security and guest entertainment. Over the years, it has developed proprietary IPTV systems, advanced streaming platforms, cutting-edge Wi-Fi hardware and software platforms, and IoT-based integrations—all designed to enhance the user experience.

“The name ‘Hotel Internet Services’ has been a successful brand, but no longer captures who we’ve become or where we’re going,” said Gary Patrick, CEO of Touchstone1. “Touchstone1 encapsulates everything HIS has always stood for: raising the bar not just for technology, but for experiences—making them more human-centric, reliable and future-forward. ‘Touchstone,’ a tool once used to test the purity of gold, symbolizes the high standard we set for ourselves and the industry. And the ‘1’signals our mission to be the first choice in innovation and service.”

Touchstone1’s new identity is anchored in the tagline: “A Higher Level of Connection.” It reflects the leading-edge technology the company delivers as well as its core goal of building stronger, more human-centered digital experiences.

At HITEC the company will showcase the next evolution of in-room entertainment. Attendees will get hands-on demonstrations of HIS’s most advanced solutions, including the Smartroom guestroom entertainment platform with seamless, secure TV Casting. 

Yum! Brands, Inc. today announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected Chris Turner, 50, as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2025.

Turner, who currently serves as Chief Financial & Franchise Officer for Yum! Brands, will succeed current Chief Executive Officer David Gibbs, who, in March 2025, informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire in the next year after 37 years with the Company and a successful tenure as CEO.

Turner has served as Yum! Brands' Chief Financial Officer since 2019 and expanded his role to include Chief Franchise Officer in 2024, with responsibilities for finance, corporate strategy, supply chain, franchise standards and support. In recent years, he has been instrumental in driving bold actions that leverage Yum!’s scale, such as accelerating the Company’s digital and technology transformation through initiatives like the establishment of Byte by Yum!, an AI-driven restaurant technology platform; launching a centralized, global Supply Chain Center of Excellence; and the creation of Saucy by KFC, a bold new restaurant concept.

He has worked closely with Gibbs and the entire Yum! Brands leadership team to drive growth through unit development, deliver strong shareholder returns and foster a people-first culture of collaboration.

“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead Yum! Brands and work with such passionate, talented people across our global system throughout my almost 37 years with the Company,” said Gibbs. “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together and am confident that the best is yet to come. During my time partnering with Chris, he’s demonstrated deep knowledge of our business, strong values and a clear commitment to our growth. I can’t think of a better person to guide Yum! into its next chapter, and I look forward to supporting a smooth and successful transition.”

Gibbs has served as Yum! Brands’ CEO since January 2020. As CEO, Gibbs was instrumental in architecting and leading the Company’s digital transformation and tripled the pace of Yum! Brands’ annual net new unit development, leading to nearly 61,000 restaurant units worldwide. Gibbs also successfully navigated the Company through the COVID-19 pandemic and an increasingly complex operating environment, making Yum! a top performer in the restaurant industry. During Gibbs’ tenure, digital sales surpassed $30 billion in 2024, with over 50% of sales through digital channels.

Gibbs remains CEO until September 30, 2025, and will serve as an adviser to the Company until the end of 2026 to ensure a seamless transition.

At HITEC 2025 booth 3006, Vingcard, an ASSA ABLOY company, is showcasing its expanded portfolio of hospitality technologies—highlighting how modular, fully integrated solutions are driving the next generation of efficiency, personalization, and service quality.

Vingcard’s solution portfolio now features several distinct categories that are each tailored to specific hotel operational needs. Each category also includes solutions that can either be integrated with a property’s other technologies or serve as a standalone platform, with customization options available that can seamlessly align with specific business needs:

• Access Management- Utilizing the latest advances in cloud technology to provide a highly flexible and scalable system able to receive automatic software and encryption updates against unauthorized room entry threats. Future-ready solutions also feature Mobile Access compatibility with personal device digital wallets.

• Asset Tracking- Hotel staff can now instantly determine the precise real-time location of equipment, amenity rentals, F&B items and more, saving time and minimizing the risk of theft or loss. The same technology can also be deployed to equip employees with location-based alert devices to ensure rapid assistance during an emergency.

• Energy & Guest Room Management- Advanced smart devices such as thermostats, lighting and occupancy sensors ensure that hoteliers can automatically minimize utility costs while maintaining a welcoming guestroom environment that can be seamlessly personalized to individual preferences. Being unveiled at this year’s HITEC is an all-new cloud-native energy management infrastructure that leverages existing Wi-Fi infrastructure to make deployment both easy and at low cost.
• Networks & Connectivity- From WLAN access points and gateway devices to satellite authentication and the latest in Passpoint technology, properties can now effortlessly design and deploy an internet experience that always lives up to guest expectations. HITEC attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the new Nomadix Internet Gateway EG 5K, designed for midsize properties and capable of providing up to 5 Gbps of internet bandwidth for as many as 5,000 simultaneously connected devices. The solution also features enhanced energy efficiency abilities.
• Cloud & Middleware- In addition to access management, Vingcard’s cloud technology expertise also extends to providing advanced integration hub software that leverages the cloud to create a seamless and easily managed ecosystem of disparate solutions. Examples include guestroom entertainment platforms, PBX systems, PMS solutions, elevator controls and energy management devices.
• Operations Management- Whether for the front office, housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, F&B operations or guest requests, Vingcard provides the real-time based and mobile device-compatible task tracking technology that ensures no responsibility slips through the cracks. Able to be customized according to various hotel task management needs, Vingcard’s task management technology can be leveraged to change a room’s status, charge minibar purchases, enter claims, report issues or lost items and much more.