Sometimes, innovation begins with a simple observation from everyday hotel operations: a large part of communication still takes place by email. Especially in hotels that work closely with tour operators and travel organisers, this can quickly create a high administrative workload. FIT bookings, group requests, offers, allotments, follow-up questions and follow-ups all land in the inbox and have to be processed manually.<\/p>\n
This is exactly where the idea behind Lobby<\/a> began.<\/p>\n At the Hospitality Summit 2024, the founders of Lobby approached the Hospitality Booster team. Their idea: to support email communication in the hotel industry with artificial intelligence, enabling requests to be handled faster, in a more structured way and with a more personal touch. The potential quickly became clear, as Lobby was addressing a concrete challenge faced by the industry.<\/p>\n The Hospitality Booster supported Lobby in this early phase with industry knowledge, feedback and networking. Together, hotel industry needs were reflected, use cases were sharpened and connections were made. This also included a connection to the EHL Group<\/a>, where Lobby gained further insights and support. Later, the company continued its development as a Trusted Startup within the HotellerieSuisse network and, among other things, launched a collaboration with Apaleo<\/a>.<\/p>\n Today, it is clear how far a strong idea can go with commitment, expertise and the right network. Lobby has now secured USD 2.2 million in funding. This development is a strong signal for the company, but also for the innovative strength of the hotel industry.<\/p>\n Lobby helps hotels understand incoming requests, check availability and rates, prepare suitable responses and handle booking processes more efficiently. There is particularly strong potential in the tour operator business: with FIT bookings, group requests, offers, allotments, rooming lists and follow-ups. Lobby is already integrated with PMS systems such as Protel<\/a>, Oracle Opera<\/a> and Mews<\/a>, with the ability to build new integrations quickly.<\/p>\n For the industry, this is more than an efficiency gain. When used well, digitalisation can enable more human interaction. When repetitive administrative tasks are reduced, employees gain more time for conversations, advice and genuine hospitality. At the same time, generative AI opens up new possibilities for personalised communication in day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n For the Hospitality Booster, Lobby is an example of what can emerge when committed idea generators meet industry knowledge, critical feedback and the right network. The Booster does not take over project management and does not finance startups. It helps to test and sharpen ideas and connect them with relevant stakeholders from hospitality, education, research and technology.<\/p>\n We are proud to have accompanied Lobby on part of this journey. Even more, we look forward to making further ideas visible, testing them and developing them further together with the industry.<\/p>\n