Lobby is positioning itself as an intelligent solution for reservation teams, focusing on the high-volume B2B and group sectors where speed of response directly correlates to revenue growth. Romy Abbrederis, Founder and CEO of Lobby, speaks to TTN’s Publishing Director Kim Thomson about streamlining the B2B hospitality landscape through intelligent automation.
What is the core mission of Lobby AI?
Romy Abbrederis: We automate B2B and group bookings. Currently, many reservation teams are drowning in manual work, managing complex requests almost entirely via email. We’ve built an AI-enabled system that handles the journey from inquiry to reservation. By integrating with Central Reservation (CRS) and Property Management Systems (PMS), we find availability and rates to generate proposals instantly.
How do you handle the technical challenge of integrating with legacy hospitality systems?
Abbrederis: Legacy systems aren't a bottleneck for us. We built our second-generation system specifically for ease of integration. It now takes us about a week to get a new integration running. This agility is necessary because, without it, true automation is impossible.
How does the automated workflow function for a complex request?
Abbrederis: If a request comes in for a conference requiring meeting space, catering, and rooms, our system pulls data from various internal sources to generate a proposal. We then keep a "human in the loop." A staff member reviews the proposal first and can amend, approve, or reject it before it goes to the client. Because large group bookings involve significant revenue, we want to maintain a "high-touch" human oversight to ensure total accuracy.
Does the AI manage the negotiation phase as well?
Abbrederis: Yes. The system handles automatic follow-ups and back-and-forth negotiations. Once the client confirms, the data is pushed directly into the reservation systems. This is entirely configurable; some clients want full automation for follow-ups, while others prefer more control. We focus on high-volume companies that want to make their existing staff 100% efficient.
How do you view the Middle East market?
Abbrederis: We are already active there. It is a dynamic, fast-paced market with a massive appetite for B2B and MICE business. Professionals in the region are remarkably curious and open to trying new technologies.
What is your response to fears that AI will replace hospitality staff?
Abbrederis: We are not replacing people; we are enhancing them. We believe in assisting the workforce rather than fully automating them out of a job.
We want to make life easier for those overwhelmed by manual tasks.
What is the primary value proposition for your clients?
Abbrederis: We increase conversion rates by double digits. In B2B and group bookings, speed is everything. The first property to respond to a request is usually the one that wins the business.
By delivering that speed, we directly drive higher revenue for our clients.
Founderful fund
Since the interview at ITB Berlin, Lobby has secured $2.2 million from Founderful to expand its AI booking platform across the travel industry. As part of the investment, Pascal Mathis, Co-Founder of the venture capital firm and of GetYourGuide with wide experience in scaling startups, will join Lobby’s Board of Directors.