THE NEXT GENERATION OF HOTEL GUEST EXPERIENCES: THE JOURNEY OF INSIGHT PARTNERS AND CANARY TECHNOLOGIES TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF HOSPITALITY

In the fast-paced world of hospitality, a new era is dawning, geared towards emerging technologies that not only help operators drive efficiencies, but also significantly improve the guest experience. As the hotel industry recovers with bumper returns, tech startups in particular are leading the innovation charge for travellers. Canary Technologies now backed by tech investor Insight Partners, is a unique hospitality tech startup focusing on reimagining the hotel guest journey.

THE JOURNEY TOWARDS ENHANCED GUEST EXPERIENCES

The traveller of the digital era, it seems, is wired in, accustomed to using technology and expecting its seamless integration with the travel experience. Harman Singh Narula, the co-founder and CEO of Canary Technologies, has a vested interest in understanding this shift. ‘You have a modern-day traveller who wants efficiency at the fingertips. This could be texting the front desk, or simply checking in and out while on the go,’ Narula tells me. Narula believes that these kinds of expectations could lead to a battle for the hospitality industry, especially with the emergence of alternatives such as Airbnb that have some sharp tech at their disposal.

THE STORY BEHIND CANARY TECHNOLOGIES' ASCENT

Canary Technologies was the idea of Narula and his friend SJ Sawhney, who had a wealth of experience from Starwood Hotels & Resorts and at tech startups such as Stayful. Narula explained how they wanted to ‘put a little technology in everything we do in the guest journey’ from mobile check-in and digital registration to guest messaging and more. The idea was that Canary Technologies would digitise and simplify what was still largely a cumbersome process from check-in to check-out.

THE EVOLUTION OF GUEST MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

At first, its mission was to eliminate wasteful, manual, paper-based processes that plague the hotel industry. Today, its evolved into a full suite of products that enhance the experience of the guest. Its clients include hospitality brands such as Marriott International and Four Seasons, which are using Canary to reimagine guest interactions at more than 20,000 hotels around the world.

THE GROWTH TRAJECTORY AND VENTURE CAPITAL RECOGNITION

Canary’s growth has been exponential, with revenue increasing by more than 100 per cent over the past several years. The venture capital community took notice this year as well, with insurer AIG’s private equity arm Insight Partners leading Canary Technologies’ $50 million Series C funding, which will further expand deployment of guest-facing AI technology.

A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE: THE IMPACT OF AI AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Like it or not, the march towards digitalisation in hospitality continues. And Canary Technologies is leading the charge. Now with heaps of new funding and a massive amount of advanced AI tech at its disposal, it’ll soon be giving guests even more specialised, efficient hospitality experiences. And with Insight Partners on their side, a firm with a reputation for backing winners, we can expect Canary’s tech to set the standard in hospitality of the future.

THE COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS AND JOURNEY PARTNERS

This latest fundraising was led by Insight Partners, who joined forces with the returning investors F-Prime Capital and Y Combinator, to express their faith in Canary’s vision. ‘Canary is able to provide best-in-class solutions that meet the unique demands of hoteliers,’ says Thomas Krane, a managing director at Insight Partners. ‘Despite the obstacles of 2020 on technology growth and execution, Canary not only excelled but thrived, surpassing all our growth and execution plans. This led us to double down on their mission.’

THE ESSENCE OF JOURNEY IN SHAPING HOSPITALITY'S FUTURE

The journey metaphor applies as much to hospitality as it does to the travel of the guest. It is embedded in the very history of the importance of hospitality as a requirement of hotel management and guest services. Canary Technologies’ own journey is about as good as it gets, filled with innovation, strategic partners and a commitment to improving the guest experience. Just as that journey began to get underway, so too is the journey of Canary Technologies and others like it in the hospitality industry. Watch this space.

In many ways, by perfecting the process of invention and technological adoption, Canary is fast-forwarding to a new phase of hospitality by bringing technology to every aspect of the guest experience Not only did Canary brave the onslaught of the pandemic, it also became part of the solution, and Insight Partners’ investment will ensure it continues reshaping the future of travel by bringing technology to every aspect of the guest experience. It’s hard to argue with the results.