Sadie AI Wins AAHOA Tech Pitch Competition
Sadie AI, a voice-based front desk agent for hotels, won the top prize at the 2026 AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association) Tech Pitch Competition, held in Philadelphia in April. The company beat seven other finalists to claim the award, which includes a complimentary exhibit booth at next year's conference.
Sadie answers incoming calls 24/7, handles guest inquiries about room availability and rates, and books reservations. Hotels use it to capture revenue from calls that would otherwise go unanswered when staff are busy or unavailable.
The Problem It Solves
Sami Hilal, Sadie's chief executive officer, said hotel owners consistently identified missed calls as a major source of lost revenue. "Teams are stretched, and it's not always possible to answer every call," Hilal said. "Sadie was built to solve that instantly, ensuring every guest inquiry is handled, and more of those conversations turn into bookings."
Competition Details
A four-judge panel selected Sadie from eight finalists: Lilo, Ocra, Roomiy Finance, StayNow, TakeUp AI, VSR Network Technologies, and WithCoverage. Roomiy Finance placed second and Ocra placed third.
Judges included Nishant Patel, AAHOA's past chairman; Rohit Mathur, chief executive officer and co-founder of Bridge; Deepak Jain, co-founder and chief operating officer of Unify AMS; William Sullivan, a professor at the University of Delaware; and Frank Wolfe, president and chief executive officer of HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals).
AAHOA Chairman Rahul Patel said the finalists demonstrated how technology can address real operational challenges. "These finalists showed how thoughtful technology can solve real operational challenges, improve efficiency, and create better experiences for both guests and teams," Patel said.
For hospitality professionals managing operations and revenue, explore AI for Hospitality & Events and AI for Customer Support to understand how these tools work in practice.
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