News & Events

As travelers turn to AI agents like ChatGPT and Claude to book trips, hotels risk losing bookings if they’re not visible inside those platforms. Zucchetti North America’s new MCP connector suite puts live rates, availability, and instant booking directly into AI chat interfaces. “Hotels that are not accessible within them will lose those bookings,” said CEO Mark Lewis-Brown.

Zucchetti North America has launched an MCP connector suite in its Booking Engine, used by 7,000+ properties in 75 countries, enabling hotels to accept direct bookings through Claude and ChatGPT. The connector feeds live rates and availability straight into AI platforms, helping hotels capture reservations that might otherwise go to OTAs. “We are now enabling hotels to capture a completed reservation without the guest visiting their website,” said CEO Mark Lewis-Brown.

At HITEC 2026, Zucchetti North America showcased visioncheckout, an AI-powered self-checkout solution transforming hotel food and beverage operations. With instant item recognition and automated transactions, the technology helps hotels reduce wait times, improve operational efficiency, and deliver a seamless guest experience.

At HITEC 2026, Zucchetti North America showcased how AI is transforming hospitality, from revenue optimization and distribution to on-property operations and business intelligence. Discover the innovations helping hotels work smarter and deliver better guest experiences.

Every guest interaction matters. Discover how TCPOS helps hotels and resorts streamline operations across every touchpoint with an intelligent, fully integrated POS solution. From seamless billing and centralized sales management to real-time connectivity with hotel systems, TCPOS empowers teams to deliver efficient service and memorable guest experiences.

International recognition for a leadership model built on people, technology, and sustainability. Discover why Zucchetti’s STP approach was featured as an academic case study in the European Journal of Innovation Management.

Vertical Booking and Simple Booking have once again earned top connectivity recognition, reinforcing our commitment to reliable integrations, seamless distribution, and exceptional performance for hotels worldwide.

What does it take to attract the next generation of hospitality talent? At the Wisconsin Lodging Conference, Estella Hale shared practical strategies on how technology can help hotels recruit smarter, empower employees, and build stronger teams for the future.

In a special HITEC 2025 episode of dojo.live, Zucchetti North America’s President Mark Lewis-Brown and VP of Commercial Strategy Estella Hale discuss how automation and machine learning are reshaping revenue management in hospitality. They explore trends like flight search-driven demand modeling, automated rate forecasting, and distribution strategies that balance OTA exposure with brand control. Set against the backdrop of Lybra Assistant’s North American debut, the conversation highlights the critical role of predictive insights and the human-tech balance in maximizing profitability. With decades of combined leadership in hospitality and hotel tech, Mark and Estella bring strategic depth and real-world experience to Zucchetti’s innovation-led market expansion.

In Episode #175 of The Modern Hotelier, recorded live at HITEC, Estella Hale of Zucchetti North America shares how the company is driving innovation by bringing European hospitality tech excellence stateside. With over 15 years of HITEC experience, Estella discusses Zucchetti’s use of generative AI for translations, chatbots, and visual content, and highlights the company’s commitment to deeper, more meaningful system integration—well beyond the industry’s typical “minimum common denominator.” She also explores how data lakes and automation can empower hoteliers to make smarter revenue decisions and build more resilient operations.

At HITEC 2025, Mark Lewis-Brown of Zucchetti North America spotlighted the evolution of revenue management systems (RMS) as essential to navigating today’s volatile hotel market. He emphasized the shift from static, historical models to dynamic, AI-driven tools that integrate real-time intelligence from sources like flight searches and booking pace to anticipate demand sooner. With automation addressing labor constraints and modular flexibility enabling hotels to pivot quickly, modern RMS platforms are becoming vital for both profitability and operational agility. Zucchetti’s approach underscores the importance of seamless integration, user-centric design, and maintaining a strategic balance between data-powered automation and human expertise.

In this special HITEC edition of Top Floor, Estella Hale pitches Zucchetti North America and outlines who they are and what makes them different from others in the industry.

A significant update: Zucchetti North America has appointed Estella Hale as Vice President of Commercial Strategy for its hospitality division. The article also covers assignments across various hotel groups, including McNeill Hotel Company, Hyatt Regency Jacksonville, The St. Regis Washington, D.C., and others, detailing roles such as general managers, directors of sales, marketing, F&B, and executive chefs.

Estella Hale has been named Vice President of Commercial Strategy for Zucchetti North America’s Hospitality Division, based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. In her new role, she’ll lead market growth for the company’s integrated hospitality tech solutions—aligning the regional product suite with global strategy and driving deeper North American penetration. With over two decades in the industry—including senior roles at HotelIQ, Deloitte Greenhouse®, and iHotelier—and a master’s in technology commercialization from Texas McCombs, Estella brings deep expertise in commercial strategy, tech optimization, and innovation-led profitability.

Zucchetti North America has named Estella Hale as Vice President of Commercial Strategy, tasking her with driving growth across the North American market and tailoring the company’s tech offerings to regional needs. With over 20 years of experience—including leadership roles at HotelIQ—Hale brings a strong background in hospitality technology and innovation. CEO Mark Lewis-Brown praised her strategic vision, noting she will lead cross-functional initiatives to strengthen market presence and commercial impact.

Catch Jasmine Seliga from Affixify and Estella Hale our VP at Zucchetti North America, as they dive into how AI is reshaping hospitality. From revenue management and forecasting to guest recognition and authentic touchpoints, discover why AI won’t replace humans—it empowers them.

AI agents are changing the future of hotel technology. In this exclusive interview, Estella Hale of Zucchetti North America explores how agentic AI is transforming hotel operations, revenue management, and technology partnerships and what every hotelier should know to stay ahead.