Hospitality Technology Next Generation awards program celebrates advancement of industry standards and AI-powered solutions driving hospitality forward

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) today announced the recipients of the 2025 HTNG TechOvation and AHLA Tech Acceleration Awards – two prestigious technology awards recognizing excellence and innovation in hospitality technology.  

The HTNG TechOvation Award, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, continues its tradition of honoring the people and companies driving hospitality’s digital evolution. This year’s winner is Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. (Stay Package Entitlement New Dynamic), a technology breakthrough that increases ancillary revenue and guest personalization by simplifying how hotels sell and fulfill packages. It enables guests to reserve all entitlements in a package – from spa and golf to dining and activities and tours — in a single, guided online experience without requiring calls, emails or manual coordination with a property’s staff. 

Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. was selected from 10 exceptional semi-finalists representing the forefront of hospitality innovation.  

Following four-minute presentations from each semi-finalist, the winner was determined through a combination of expert judging and live audience voting at the awards ceremony held October 28 at The Hospitality Show in Denver. 

“Hotels and their partners increasingly rely on innovation to enhance operations, elevate guest experiences, and advance profitability,” Rosanna Maietta, President and CEO of AHLA. “These award winners demonstrate how thoughtful technology implementation elevates every aspect of the hotel experience.” 

The AHLA Tech Acceleration Award recognizes hotels and suppliers leading the adoption of HTNG standards and best practices to shape the future of hotel technology. Selected by leaders of the Global Technology 100, both winners this year demonstrated exceptional implementation of HTNG AI for Hospitality best practices: 

• Hotelier Category Winner: Belmond

  • Belmond – a collection of luxury hotels, trains, boats, and safari lodges – earned recognition for developing Bella, an AI-powered email assistant that leverages HTNG AI for Hospitality best practices to streamline guest communications and booking inquiries. The solution delivers enhanced efficiency and real-time personalization in guest interactions, demonstrating how HTNG standards translate into tangible operational improvements.

• Vendor Category Winner: Canary Technologies

  • Canary Technologies was honored for utilizing HTNG AI for Hospitality best practices to automate guest communications across voice, chat, and messaging platforms. Their implementation reduces staff workload while simultaneously boosting guest satisfaction and unlocking new revenue opportunities. 

The Tech Acceleration Award, now in its third year, has reinforced the critical importance of industry-wide standards adoption. Together, these awards celebrate the visionaries and forward-thinking companies pushing the boundaries of what’s possible – from enhancing operations and guest experiences to advancing sustainability goals across the industry.  

Part of AHLA, HTNG is the premier technology solutions organization in the hospitality industry, serving members from hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, consultants, media and academic experts. For more information about HTNG standards and the award programs, visit https://www.ahla.com/htng.