The five-star Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas in Abu Dhabi (right), and a guest completing a swift check-in at a hotel front desk using H2O Hospitality's smart check-in solution and AI facial recognition system. [Courtesy of H2O Hospitality]
The five-star Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas in Abu Dhabi (right), and a guest completing a swift check-in at a hotel front desk using H2O Hospitality's smart check-in solution and AI facial recognition system. [Courtesy of H2O Hospitality]

H2O Hospitality, an AI-based hospitality solutions company, announced Thursday that it has signed a contract with Rotana, a leading hotel chain across the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe, and deployed its smart check-in solution across all Rotana properties in Abu Dhabi.

Under the agreement, H2O completed installation across 15 Rotana-affiliated hotels in Abu Dhabi — including Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Arjaan and Centro — covering 4,240 rooms in total. The two companies are in discussions to expand the rollout beyond Abu Dhabi, with plans to extend the solution to markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

H2O's smart check-in solution combines mobile pre-check-in with AI facial recognition to reduce wait times at the front desk.

Before arrival, guests receive a WhatsApp notification prompting them to complete pre-check-in by registering their passport and submitting a facial photo. Upon entering the lobby on the day of their stay, AI facial recognition instantly verifies their identity, allowing staff to hand over a room key card without passport checks or paperwork. Walk-in guests can also register using a tablet at the front desk, and the facial photo process has been designed to comply with the UAE government's National Tourism Strategy 2031.

H2O supplies the entire check-in workflow as a single software platform, covering mobile pre-arrival notifications, integration with hotel property management systems, staff-facing tablet interfaces and connectivity with government agency databases.

The deal demonstrates that the AI software capabilities of a Korean hospitality startup can clear the stringent security and systems standards of a major global hotel chain, establishing a foothold in a key Middle Eastern market.

Dominic Carr, chief information officer at Rotana, said the smart check-in system "enhances guest satisfaction while at the same time helping staff focus on the essence of hospitality." He added that "the data insights gained are a next-generation core technology that supports faster, smarter decision-making for the hotel."

Lee Ung-hee, chief executive of H2O Hospitality, said the company is in talks with numerous global and local hotel chains beyond Rotana to adopt the solution. "We will build H2O's own customer data platform to drive innovation in the tourism industry and continue advancing our AI-based hotel operations solution," he said.


silverpaper@heraldcorp.com