When a hotel group that has managed more than a dozen properties for years decides to hand its technology stack to an AI platform, the hospitality industry tends to take notice. That is exactly what’s happening in the Philippines, where Hospitality Innovators, Inc. (HII) has formally elevated its long-time marketing collaborator, LOKAL Technologies Pty Ltd, to the role of official Technology Partner—a move that signals a deepening bet on artificial intelligence to drive direct bookings and cut operational friction.
From marketing partner to technology partner: Hospitality Innovators, Inc. signs LOKAL to power its hotel portfolio with ely, LOKAL’s AI to grow direct bookings
AI technology is definitely going to be one of those areas which can significantly help us.— Luis Monserrat, CEO, Hospitality Innovators, Inc.
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MAKATI, METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES, October 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — MANILA, Philippines — October 29, 2026 — Hospitality Innovators, Inc. (HII), a Philippine hotel management group with 16+ properties, has named LOKAL Technologies Pty Ltd (LOKAL) its official Technology Partner. The agreement formalizes a relationship that began in 2018 and extends LOKAL’s role from marketing into the technology HII’s hotels run on, starting with the rollout of ely across the group’s portfolio.
“AI technology is definitely going to be one of those areas which can significantly help us,” said Luis Monserrat, CEO of HII.
LOKAL has been HII’s marketing partner since 2018. In a recent six-month campaign across the group’s properties, LOKAL cut wasted ad spend by 41%, lowered cost per visitor by 61% and increased clicks by 46%. Working inside HII’s hotels for those years is what showed LOKAL the problems ely was built to solve.
“Because we gained a lot of expertise in hospitality marketing because of HII, we were able to then figure out there’s a lot of problems in the hotel industry that we can solve with technology,” said Joshua Pielago, Founder of LOKAL.
ely is built around two costs hotels carry every day. Guest messages arrive at all hours, and guests who get no reply often book elsewhere. Online travel agencies typically take 15–25% of the room rate on every booking they send. ely answers guests day and night, in 58+ languages, using only information the hotel has approved, and guides them to the hotel’s own booking page — with the booking engine included. When a question needs a person, ely hands the conversation to staff.
Guest chat is one part of it. A hotel website, visibility on Google and in AI answers, brand content and plain-English reports all read from the same approved hotel information, so they never disagree. LOKAL’s team sets everything up, tests it before go-live, reads conversations daily and reviews each week what to improve. The hotel approves the information and runs the hotel.
Across HII’s portfolio, ely starts with website chat and bookings, with Messenger, Viber and WhatsApp to follow.
HII is the first hotel group on ely, and the rollout is moving fast. ely is going live at 100+ hotels, resorts and accommodations across the Philippines this quarter, each set up and run by LOKAL’s team, starting with guest chat, bookings, website, visibility, brand and reports. Australia follows in Q1 2027. Hotels, resorts and venues can join the waitlist at ely.ph.
About Hospitality Innovators, Inc.
Hospitality Innovators, Inc. (HII) is a Philippine hotel management group with 16+ properties. HII believes technology plays an important role in elevating guest experiences and making hotel operations more efficient, and is committed to practical innovations that create value across its hospitality portfolio.
About ely
ely is LOKAL’s AI to grow direct bookings for hotels: more bookings on the hotel’s own website, less staff time answering the same questions. It answers guests day and night from hotel-approved information and guides them to the hotel’s own booking page, with a booking engine, hotel website, search and AI-answer visibility, brand content and reports built on the same approved information — all set up and run by LOKAL’s team. ely is rolling out across the Philippines in Q4 2026 and Australia in Q1 2027, with Messenger, Viber, WhatsApp, in-chat booking, PMS connection and voice coming next. More at ely.ph.
About LOKAL
LOKAL Technologies Pty Ltd (LOKAL) is the marketing and technology team behind agencies and multi-location groups, with its deepest track record in hospitality. Founded in Manila in 2017 and headquartered in Sydney, LOKAL has worked with 250+ organisations, holds 100% client retention since 2024, and runs about 80% of its own work on LOKI, its in-house AI system. ely is its AI product for hotels. LOKAL is a member of the Claude Partner Network and the OpenAI Partner Network. More at lkl.ai.
Deanne Madrona
LOKAL
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Why it matters: This partnership marks one of the first large-scale rollouts of AI-driven direct booking technology across an entire hotel group in the region, potentially reshaping how mid-sized hospitality operators compete with online travel agencies. If ely delivers on its promise across 100+ properties, it could set a precedent for other hotel chains to reclaim revenue and guest relationships from third-party platforms.
