“With Guestara, we’re tackling a fundamental yet neglected issue in hospitality—using AI to make guest interactions seamless and truly personalized.”

— Akshay Dekate

What inspired you to create Guestara, and how did you identify the need for an AI-powered guest management platform in the hospitality industry?

Guestara was born out of a personal frustration. During my previous startup, Kontext, I traveled extensively and stayed in hotels across India and abroad. Despite being a repeat guest at many places and new at others, I noticed a lack of engagement—no personalization, no meaningful interaction. It felt transactional rather than welcoming.

Curious, I started asking hotel managers and staff why this was the case. Turns out, they genuinely wanted to engage guests better but lacked the right tools. That insight stuck with me.

After Kontext, I knew I wanted to solve this gap. I’ve always been drawn to vertical SaaS—industries that are overlooked but have deep-rooted challenges. Unlike hype-driven markets, these require patience but lead to lasting impact. With Guestara, we’re tackling a fundamental yet neglected issue in hospitality—using AI to make guest interactions seamless and truly personalized.

What are some of the biggest challenges hospitality businesses face today, and how does Guestara address these pain points effectively?

Hospitality businesses face three major challenges—rising guest expectations, staffing shortages, and the need to drive revenue efficiently. Yet, many still rely on outdated systems, making these issues worse. Guestara solves this with AI-powered automation.

Guest engagement at scale is a major struggle. Travelers expect instant, personalized responses, but hotels often lack 24/7 resources. Guestara’s Unified Inbox centralizes messages across WhatsApp, email, and OTAs, with AI enabling instant, context-aware replies—ensuring no inquiry is missed.

Upselling is another missed opportunity. Generic, poorly timed offers limit revenue potential. Guestara’s AI-driven personalized upselling suggests upgrades, F&B experiences, and activities at the right moment—boosting conversions significantly.

Operational inefficiencies, especially with labor shortages, also slow businesses down. Guestara automates routine tasks like FAQs, check-in requests, and guest feedback management, freeing staff to focus on high-value interactions.

Unlike closed hospitality tools, Guestara seamlessly integrates with PMSs and other systems, enabling AI-driven guest management without disrupting existing operations.

Our vision - Helping hotels do more with less—enhancing efficiency while keeping the human touch where it matters most.

Guestara offers a wide range of tools, from an AI-enabled Unified Inbox to Personalized Upselling. Which feature do you think has had the most significant impact on users so far, and why?

The impact of Guestara’s features really depends on the type of property. Hotels and STRs have different challenges, and our platform is designed to cater to both.

For STRs, the AI-enabled Unified Inbox has been a game-changer. Many STR operators run lean teams, sometimes remotely, making it tough to manage guest communication efficiently. Guests expect quick responses—whether it’s check-in details, special requests, or local recommendations.

Our inbox centralizes messages from WhatsApp, email, and OTAs into a single AI-powered dashboard, ensuring instant, context-aware replies. The result? Higher guest satisfaction, fewer missed messages, and smoother operations—without needing a full-time front desk.

For hotels, the impact comes from how Guestara’s features work together rather than a single standout tool. Some see the biggest gains from our AI-driven upselling, increasing ancillary revenue, while others benefit most from automated engagement, reducing front desk workload.

The key is flexibility—Guestara adapts to each property’s needs instead of forcing a rigid system.

Ultimately, our goal is simple: to make guest engagement effortless. Whether it’s helping STRs manage properties remotely or enabling hotels to boost efficiency and revenue, Guestara ensures every hospitality business sees real, measurable value.

How does Guestara enhance the guest experience and create value for hospitality businesses during every stage of the guest journey?

Guestara enhances the guest experience at every stage—before arrival, during the stay, and after checkout—while driving value for hospitality businesses with AI-powered, personalized interactions.

Before arrival, we replace generic confirmations with personalized messages—warm welcomes, itinerary suggestions, and AI-driven upsell offers like early check-in or room upgrades—boosting engagement and conversions.

During the stay, AI enables instant guest assistance via chat, WhatsApp, or voice, reducing front desk wait times. We also drive in-stay upsells, like dining or spa experiences, at the right moment, with seamless booking and payment integration.

After checkout, Guestara automates review requests, re-engagement campaigns, and loyalty offers. AI flags guest issues early, helping hotels resolve concerns before they become negative reviews.

Great hospitality is about anticipating needs. By blending AI-driven automation with human touchpoints, Guestara strengthens guest relationships, streamlines operations, and maximizes revenue.

AI and data play a crucial role in Guestara’s platform. Could you share how Guestara leverages AI to uncover insights and improve operational efficiency?

AI and data are at the heart of Guestara. The hospitality industry already has a wealth of information—guest reviews, booking behaviors, and engagement patterns—but most hotels struggle to make sense of it. That’s where we step in, turning raw data into meaningful insights and automation that drive both revenue and efficiency.

One of AI’s biggest advantages is personalization. Instead of generic offers, hotels can send tailored recommendations—an upgrade, a dining experience, or a spa package—based on a guest’s preferences. This boosts ancillary revenue while making the experience feel seamless and curated.

AI also streamlines operations by automating repetitive tasks like responding to inquiries, managing feedback, and optimizing room inventory. Hotel teams can focus on delivering great hospitality instead of being buried in admin work.

Another game-changer is predictive analytics. AI doesn’t just analyze past data—it forecasts demand, optimizes pricing, and even identifies potential service bottlenecks before they become issues. This helps hotels make smarter, real-time decisions.

At Guestara, we see AI as an enabler, not a replacement for hospitality. It enhances efficiency, allows teams to do more with less, and ensures guests receive a seamless, personalized experience every time.

Guestara integrates with leading Property Management Systems (PMS) and other tech solutions. How important is this seamless integration for your customers, and how do you approach developing these partnerships?

Seamless integration with Property Management Systems (PMS) and other hospitality tech isn’t just important—it’s essential. Hotels rely on multiple systems, and if they don’t sync, it leads to inefficiencies, lost revenue, and a disjointed guest experience. That’s why Guestara has taken an open, integration-first approach from day one.

Unlike many hospitality SaaS tools that lock hotels into rigid ecosystems, Guestara connects seamlessly with PMS platforms, CRMs, payment gateways, and communication tools. This means hotels can enhance their existing tech stack instead of overhauling it, making adoption smooth and efficient.

We also offer an Open API, allowing other hospitality tech providers to integrate with Guestara. This flexibility unlocks deeper automation, personalized guest interactions, and custom workflows tailored to each property’s unique needs.

At Guestara, we believe the future of hospitality tech is about collaboration, not isolation. Our integration-first approach helps hotels create a connected, efficient, and revenue-driven guest experience—without the headaches of fragmented systems.

You’ve built over 15 products across diverse industries before Guestara. How did your previous experiences shape your approach to launching and scaling this platform?

Having built over 15 products across industries, I’ve learned that success comes from rapid innovation, market alignment, and scalable execution—principles that drive Guestara. Unlike slow-moving hospitality tech, we focus on fast iterations to solve real challenges. For example, we helped customers unlock new upsell and payment capabilities by reinventing processes with AI and automation for measurable revenue impact.

Scalability is key. While many solutions require heavy customization, Guestara scales effortlessly across boutique hotels and global chains, ensuring seamless guest interactions and operations.

Security is non-negotiable. With guest data at the core, we ensure enterprise-grade security, compliance, and privacy, allowing hotels to deliver personalized experiences with confidence.

At Guestara, we’re redefining guest management by blending speed, innovation, and deep industry insight—helping hotels achieve what once seemed impossible.

Maximizing ancillary revenue is a key focus of Guestara. Can you elaborate on how the platform empowers businesses to achieve this goal?

Maximizing ancillary revenue is a huge opportunity, yet most hotels take a passive approach—missing out. Guestara changes that with intelligent, automated, and personalized upselling.

The biggest issue is poorly timed, generic offers. AI solves this by analyzing guest behavior, booking patterns, and external factors to deliver the right offer at the right time. For example, if a guest books a stay for their anniversary, Guestara suggests a romantic dinner or suite upgrade.

If they frequently book spa treatments, a personalized offer reaches them before they even ask. Automation is key. Hotels lack the time to manually push upsells at scale. Guestara runs these opportunities on autopilot via AI-driven WhatsApp, email, and in-room notifications—boosting revenue without extra workload.

At Guestara, we make upselling effortless, ensuring hotels unlock new revenue streams while enhancing the guest experience.

How do you see AI and other emerging technologies shaping the future of hospitality, and where does Guestara fit into that vision?

AI is transforming hospitality by making guest experiences seamless, consistent, and profitable.

Most hotels still rely on fragmented, manual processes, leading to inconsistent guest communication. AI, especially Large Language Models (LLMs), enables real-time, personalized responses at scale across WhatsApp, email, and calls.

Beyond communication, AI enhances upselling by analyzing guest behavior to recommend relevant upgrades—like spa packages or suite upgrades—boosting both revenue and satisfaction.

Voice AI is another game-changer. Guests can simply say, “I need fresh towels” or “Book me a cab,” and the system handles it instantly, improving efficiency while streamlining the guest experience.

At Guestara, we see AI as a partner, not a replacement, for hospitality teams—automating routine tasks so staff can focus on delivering exceptional, personal guest experiences.

Name: Akshay Dekate

Email: akshay@guestara.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshaydekate/

Website: https://www.guestara.com/

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guestara/