News Briefs

Stayntouch, a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology, announces its participation in HITEC 2025, set to take place from June 16-19 in Indianapolis. Coming off its recognition as “Hotel PMS of the Year” by the 2025 TravelTech Breakthrough Awards, Stayntouch will highlight its latest innovations, including the launch of its new Grab-and-Go self-service kiosk that enhances guest convenience and revenue generation.

Events in the Stayntouch line-up will include:

Stayntouch HITEC Technology Showcase
June 16-19, 2025 | Booth #821
Book A Meeting

Experience What Best-in-Class Really Means.
Visit Booth #821 to connect with Stayntouch product experts and discover why Stayntouch PMS was named best in the industry. Explore the platform through interactive demos and see how smart automation, intuitive design, and flexible tools drive performance and streamline hotel operations. 

• Enhance operational efficiency by up to 70 percent with powerful automation tools and multi-property management that streamline workflows and eliminate repetitive manual tasks.
• Train staff in just 2 hours with an intuitive interface designed to simplify onboarding and reduce friction.
• Build your ideal tech stack with access to 1,200+ integrations—giving you the freedom and control to customize your technology stack.
• Elevate guest convenience and drive revenue with the new Grab-and-Go Kiosk—offering seamless self-service access to snacks, drinks, and essentials 24/7.

Shift Gears to a Rooftop Happy Hour in Indianapolis!
Wed, June 18 | 7pm–10pm

After a busy day at HITEC, it’s time to unwind. Join Stayntouch, Toast, FreedomPay, and Curacity at Cannon Ball Lounge for the ultimate rooftop happy hour! Enjoy an open bar, delicious bites, and stunning city views, all while connecting with fellow hoteliers and industry peers. It’s the perfect opportunity to relax, network, and make valuable connections. 

To RSVP, reach out to [email protected] 

"We’re excited to be back at HITEC this year in Indianapolis, a city known for its energy and innovation, said Priya Rajamani, SVP of Implementation & Support at Stayntouch. “In that same spirit, we’re focused on helping hoteliers stay ahead with flexible, impactful solutions. Our cloud PMS and new Grab-and-Go Kiosk provide the perfect combination of tools to streamline operations, elevate guest experiences, and drive more revenue. We look forward to connecting with hoteliers  and partners to showcase how our solutions are making a real difference!"

Expedia Group announced a significant expansion of its B2B technology platform, introducing new APIs and AI-driven tools designed to enhance hotel operations and redefine travel discovery. These innovations were unveiled at the company's flagship EXPLORE™ event.

Key among the new offerings is the Reservation Management API, which provides 15 features to streamline hotel operations, including booking management, data recovery, and payment processing. Expedia estimates this API could save hotel partners up to 8 million hours and $120 million annually by automating manual workflows.

In the realm of traveler engagement, Expedia introduced Trip Matching, an AI-powered feature that allows users to share travel-related Instagram Reels with Expedia and receive personalized itineraries and destination suggestions. This tool aims to bridge the gap between social media inspiration and actionable travel planning.

[For more information on Trip Matching, click here.]

Ariane Gorin, CEO of Expedia Group, emphasized the company's commitment to partner growth and traveler satisfaction:

"With our new APIs, as well as expanded tools in Expedia Group Advertising, we’re giving partners the technology, reach, and intelligence they need to compete at scale. At the same time, we’re harnessing the power of GenAI to transform how travelers discover, plan, and book their next trip."

For hotel executives and tech vendors, these developments offer several advantages:

• Operational Efficiency: Automation of routine tasks reduces labor costs and minimizes errors.
• Enhanced Guest Experience: Personalized itineraries and seamless booking processes improve customer satisfaction.
• Competitive Edge: Access to cutting-edge AI tools positions hotels to meet evolving traveler expectations.
• Expanded Reach: Integration with popular platforms like Instagram taps into new customer segments.

These innovations signify a shift towards more integrated and intelligent travel solutions, positioning Expedia Group and its partners at the forefront of industry transformation.

HP has unveiled the HP AI Accelerator M.2 Card, a compact AI hardware add-on powered by the new Hailo-10H AI accelerator chip. Set to launch in August 2025, the card brings powerful generative and predictive AI capabilities to edge devices like the HP Engage product line — without the high energy demands or latency of cloud-based AI.

“This groundbreaking technology is set to redefine the way retail and hospitality businesses operate,” wrote Andrew Medlin, HP’s Senior Director and Global Head of Retail and Industry Solutions.

By enabling real-time inventory tracking, fraud detection, personalized recommendations, and AI-powered agents, the AI Accelerator Card empowers hospitality operations to become more responsive and efficient.

“HP will be the first to market with the Hailo-10H accelerator, a state-of-the-art chip designed to bring high performance generative AI to the edge at maximum speed and privacy,” Medlin added.

Why This Matters for Hotel Execs and Tech Vendors:
 

• AI at the edge = faster service, less lag: No more waiting on the cloud — edge processing ensures low latency and higher reliability, even in areas with spotty connectivity.
• Energy-efficient and cost-effective: Lower power consumption makes it feasible to scale AI across large hotel footprints without breaking the budget.
• Supports diverse use cases: From front desk automation to smart inventory and guest personalization, this solution enables tangible operational improvements.
• Plug-and-play across environments: Compatible with a variety of HP devices and other systems with an M.2 slot, making integration flexible for IT teams.
• Industry-first advantage: As the first to market with this chip, HP gives hotel brands and tech vendors a leg up on AI innovation in a competitive landscape.

This announcement signals a major step in democratizing AI for hospitality — moving from cloud-based concepts to on-the-ground action where guests, employees, and operations intersect.

What happens when an AI innovator enters one of the world’s most service-driven industries? For BEN, it enters a new vertical—reimagining hospitality with personalized, intelligent AI. That journey begins at one of Eastern Europe’s top luxury hotels, delivering a next-generation guest experience that blends high-touch service with human-like intelligence.

Brand Engagement Network Inc. (BEN), an innovator in AI-powered customer engagement, announced it has entered into a formal agreement with Seven Visions Resort & Places, The Dvin (The Dvin), to develop and deploy BEN’s expert Concierge AI Agent at the iconic Yerevan destination. This collaboration signifies BEN’s entry into the hospitality sector, which the parties believe will establish a new standard for AI-enhanced luxury guest experiences on a larger scale.

A Two-Phase Pilot Initiative Designed for Impact

The collaboration will begin with a two-phase pilot initiative, starting with a 24/7 Concierge AI Agent and following with a Reservation AI Agent. Both are powered by BEN’s modular iSKYE platform, allowing clients to deploy high-impact use cases quickly and scale across the guest journey.

With this initiative, BEN enters the hospitality industry, offering secure, guest-first AI tailored for high-touch customer experience, marking a strategic expansion into a new vertical.

A Setting Built for Innovation

“Introducing AI at this level isn’t just about adopting new technology—it’s about redefining luxury,” said Dvin owner Artak Tovmasyan, who also holds a 30% stake in a cybersecurity firm serving over 85% of Dubai’s hotels. “We chose BEN for their secure, guest-first platform—designed with trust, speed, and world-class execution in mind.”

“This is an opportunity to demonstrate the versatility of BEN’s AI platform in a setting where service excellence is paramount,” said Paul Chang, CEO of Brand Engagement Network.

Ansa, the pioneer in white-labeled digital wallets, today announced Scream Truck, a fleet of experiential, on-demand food trucks, will leverage its stored-value solution to power its growth and loyalty strategy. As Scream Truck expands nationwide via franchising, its partnership with Ansa will deliver a seamless payments experience for its customers while driving visit frequency and strengthening long term brand loyalty.

Ansa's stored-value platform empowers Scream Truck customers to become “Scream Truck Superfans"  and add Superfan funds to a branded digital wallet to use on future purchases, while earning exciting rewards and incentives. Enabling a faster, hassle-free ordering and checkout experience, the Scream Truck digital wallet will significantly boost convenience and engagement to maximize customer lifetime value while dramatically reducing credit card processing fees through a stored-value model.

As part of the partnership, Ansa has also announced an integration with Shopify, which provides Scream Truck customers the “storefront” to pre-order and pre-pay for premium ice cream, pizza, and future food truck concepts that are then delivered during Scream Truck’s ‘reserved routes.’ Scream Truck customers can also purchase merchandise such as branded tees, hoodies, and hats, using their ‘Scream Truck Superfan funds’ and redeem incentives online in their Scream Truck Store.

"As consumers continue to embrace digital wallets, we’re proud to partner with forward-thinking brands like Scream Truck to power their next-gen payments experience,” said Sophia Goldberg, Cofounder & CEO at Ansa. “Our flexible digital wallet solution is designed to enhance and simplify payments through a stored value approach tied to personalized incentives that drive measurable return visits and long-term brand loyalty. With a business model that typically draws higher frequency and lower ticket sizes per transaction, Scream Truck is the ideal customer to benefit from a digital wallet solution like Ansa.”

Scream Truck has created the world’s first experiential, on-demand food trucks, featuring premium ‘soft scream’ (aka soft serve ice cream) treats and artisan, Neapolitan style pizza, both made-to-order at your house or special event. Scream Truck’s state-of-the-art trucks, combined with its customer experience software platform and now its branded digital wallet technology through Ansa, creates a completely frictionless experience revolutionizing the food truck business model. Scream Truck currently serves over 40,000 houses per month.

“The Scream Truck experience was built around technology that allows customers to summon a truck to their house when we're visiting their neighborhood (our ‘reserved routes’), or easily book a truck online for a special event (our ‘reserved events’),” said Eric Murphy, Founder & CEO at Scream Truck. “Ansa is the perfect addition to the tech forward, efficient way we serve our customers. Their advanced digital wallet technology gives our customers an even easier way to pay with pre-loaded funds while taking advantage of incentives and promotions that create more value. Our white labeled digital wallet paired with the seamless Shopify integration is the perfect catalyst to drive more convenience, frequency, and revenue.”

To sign up for Scream Truck's Reserved Routes or book a private event, customers can visit www.screamtruck.com. Every customer is automatically given access to a personalized Scream Truck Superfan rewards account, powered by Ansa.

For more information about Ansa, visit https://www.ansa.dev/.

PAX Technology, Inc., a global leader in payment solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of its AI Voice Drive-Thru Solution, an advanced extension of the recently unveiled AI Voice Ordering Solution (VOS), now tailored specifically for the demands of enterprise quick-service restaurants (QSRs). 

Purpose-built for high volume, drive-thru-centric brands, the solution uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence to streamline order-taking, increase order volume, and elevate the guest experience without adding operational complexity.

“Following the successful launch of our AI Voice Ordering Solution for phone-based reservations and takeout, we’re excited to extend this innovation to the drive-thru lane to support the evolving needs of modern QSR operators,” said Andy Chau, President and CEO of PAX Technology, Inc. “This new enhancement reinforces our commitment to delivering intelligent, scalable, and revenue-driving solutions to restaurants.”

PAX’s AI Voice Drive-Thru Solution is designed to tackle the persistent pain points of high-volume, multi-lane, QSR environments by automating order-taking with unmatched accuracy and consistency. Leveraging advanced natural language processing (NLP), the solution accurately interprets complex, multi-item, and customer customization orders with ease, reducing miscommunications and improving customer satisfaction.

Key Benefits for QSR Enterprises:

• Reduced Wait Times – By instantly recognizing and processing spoken orders, the AI system significantly reduces order-taking and wait times
• Enhanced Order Accuracy – NLP technology minimizes errors by accurately interpreting customizations and multi-item orders
• Availability 24/7 – Ensures consistent, friendly, and efficient interactions at all hours, regardless of staffing levels
• Labor Optimization – Allows staff to focus on high-value tasks such as kitchen operations and customer service
• Minimal Integration – Simple deployment across existing infrastructure, including single and multi-lane drive-thru configurations

PAX’s AI Voice Drive-Thru Solution is designed to seamlessly integrate into enterprise-scale restaurant systems while delivering rapid ROI through efficiency gains and improved guest satisfaction.

See the Innovation Live at the National Restaurant Association Show
The AI Voice Drive-Thru Solution will make its official debut at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago, May 17–20, where PAX will offer live demonstrations at Booth #6861.     

To learn more, please visit AI Voice Drive-Thru Solution Enterprise QSRs. You can also email [email protected] for more information.