but also positions the company to scale
more effectively.”
Through its selection of venders,
KSL Resorts transitioned from
property-specific platforms to
company-wide partnerships,
improving data consolidation
and analysis. It also helped
them track guest preferences
across properties and improve
operational efficiency.
A new focus on value also
drives the movement toward
integrated technology,
according to a joint study
by FreedomPay and
Toast, two point-of-sale
technology platforms. The
Enterprise Merchants Needs
Assessment Study, a survey
of 200 hospitality decision-
makers in April, found that
most respondents said an
integrated payment solution is
valuable to their organization.
Additionally, 92 percent said
an integrated solution could
scale with their business.
Dayal said he’s seen more
openness among software
developers to share space on
hotel PMS servers.
“I do see a lot more
people allowing integration,
sharing APIs, allowing more
integration within each other,
which is great,” Dayal said.
“In the past, they wouldn't do
that, saying this is our system,
proprietary. Now, I think
you are beginning to see that
options are out there.”
Sheth as chief financial officer and
chief operating officer. Dayal said
he is impressed by Shah and Sheth’s
background of working for Marriott
International.
“I like the fact that they were trying to
bring an all-inclusive PMS system and
I like the fact that it was different than
everybody else,” Dayal said. “They’re
also incorporating AI in it as well.
And when I say different, I mean, for
example, for the rooms, they provide
not only the keyless entry, so you can
use your phone to get in, but they have
smart switches, so your AC, your lights,
are all controlled by your phone.”
StayiQ offers a unified hospitality
platform that offers, as Dayal said,
self-service capabilities for guests
including identity verification, in-
room controls of switches and smart
plugs, TV entertainment and service
requests. It also provides behavior-
driven upsells (extend stays, promote
upgrades, excursions, local
restaurants and tip tracking),
guest retention programs and
local partner promotions.
It features a dashboard that
allows hoteliers to monitor
revenue, reservations,
channel performance and
guest analytics across
properties. The platform’s
AI-powered operations
include staff engagement
apps, KYC verification,
remote device management
and AI companions for guest
communication.
“We are currently
operational in five hotels
in California, with signed
contracts to initiate
operations in more than 10
additional hotels in July,” the
San Francisco-based company
said in a statement.
StayiQ’s platform is
compatible with several
PMS, CRM and reservation
systems. They have integrated
MEWS, Anand Systems and
HotelKey, and their “plug-
and-play” AI platform enables
then to integrate with any
system within a week. It also
is compatible with Oracle's
Fidelio Interface Application
Specification, a protocol
specification used by different
hospitality PMS systems to
exchange data.
He also is a strategic advisor for
hospitality software provider StayiQ,
led by Shalin Shah as CEO and Pinakin
Cover Story
21
“I do see a lot more people allowing
integration, sharing APIs, allowing
more integration within each other,
which is great. In the past, they
wouldn't do that, saying this is our
systems, proprietary.”
Vipul Dayal, president of VNR Management in San Diego
www.asianhospitality.com
July 2025 | Issue 238
Vipul Dayal, president of VNR Management in San Diego and chairman
of AAHOA’s Independent Hoteliers Committee said independent hotels
particularly benefit from technology integration.