Hotels
At the 2026 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show in Philadelphia, Sadie AI was named winner of the Tech Pitch Competition, co-powered by HFTP.
Selected from a competitive group of eight finalists, Sadie stood out for one simple reason: it solves a problem every hotel owner knows too well, missed calls.
The problem hiding in plain sight
For most hotels, the phone is still one of the highest-intent booking channels. But it is also one of the most fragile.
Front desk teams are juggling check-ins, guest requests, and on-property service. When the phone rings, it often competes with everything else happening in real time.
The result is predictable:
Calls go unanswered
Guests hang up
Booking opportunities disappear
And in many cases, hotels do not even realize how much revenue is slipping through.
What resonated with AAHOA members and hotel owners
Throughout the conference, one theme came up again and again in conversations with hotel owners at the Sadie booth:
“We know we’re missing calls. We just don’t have the bandwidth to fix it.”
That is exactly where Sadie comes in.
Sadie is a 24/7 voice AI front desk agent built specifically for hospitality. It answers every call instantly, shares property details, provides real-time availability and rates, and books and manages reservations through PMS integrations.
No hold times. No missed calls. No lost opportunities.
By acting as an always-on extension of the front desk, Sadie helps hotels:
Capture more direct bookings
Reduce pressure on staff
Deliver fast, consistent guest service
Built for real hotel operations
The Tech Pitch Competition focuses on “owner-ready innovation,” solutions that are not just impressive, but practical and scalable.
Sadie was designed with that exact mindset.
It integrates directly with hotel systems, operates 24/7, and handles real guest interactions in real time. Not as a demo, but as a live operational tool already used by hotels today.
This is not about replacing teams. It is about giving them support where it matters most, ensuring every guest inquiry is handled while staff stay focused on the in-person experience.
A strong field of innovators
Sadie was selected as the winner among a group of standout companies pushing hospitality technology forward, including Lilo, Ocra, Roomiy Finance, StayNow, TakeUp AI, VSR Network Technologies, and WithCoverage.
The level of innovation across the board reflects how quickly the industry is evolving, and how urgently hotels are looking for solutions that drive both efficiency and revenue.
What’s next
As part of the win, Sadie will be exhibiting at AAHOACON 2027 in Anaheim.
More importantly, we are continuing to work closely with hotel owners and partners to expand integrations, refine the product, and bring Sadie to more properties.
The goal is simple:
Make sure every call is answered, every guest is taken care of, and every booking opportunity is captured.
