Travel technology platform Hopper Technology Solutions has launched a new AI-based refundability product for hotels that will let guests cancel their reservations for any reason. Cancel for Any Reason uses AI to optimize pricing, merchandising and user experience to drive both customer satisfaction and higher margins, according to the company.
“Cancel for Any Reason provides additional flexibility options on top of existing rates from the hotel, adding even more flexibility to both refundable and non-refundable rates,” Colin Whitney, VP of product, flexibility at Hopper Technology Solutions told Hotel Management. When booking, prospective guests can select the level of refundability they want, he explained, and if they need to cancel, they can get a predetermined percentage of their room cost back, and the cancellation is processed instantly for the hotel. The option “creates a new, high-margin revenue stream for hotel partners,” the company said in a statement. HTS covers customer-related costs and handles cancellations through self-serve automation.
“Hotel partners that integrate HTS’ Cancel for Any Reason for hotels on their direct channels see new ancillary revenue and a high single-digit attach rate,” Whitney said, adding that guests associate the value of the product with the hotel, which can increase brand loyalty and perception. “The product enhances the value for customers booking on hotels’ direct channels.”
Partners
The program is already live with several partners, including Tripadvisor (which launched a hotel booking portal with HTS in 2024) as well as hospitality tech platform Cloudbeds, and is set to launch with more companies including Aven Hospitality (formerly Hospitality Solutions. The program is available in hotels across more than 190 countries and, according to the company, has helped hotels achieve “consistent high single-digit attach rates and strong customer satisfaction scores.” Since deploying HTS’ flexibility solution, the company said that Tripadvisor has seen “strong performance” with 15 percent of reservations booked through the OTA including the purchase of an HTS fintech product.
"Booking flexibility has been reserved for airlines and major OTAs for too long. Independent hotels were told to compete, but without the tools to do so," Adam Harris, CEO of Cloudbeds, said in the statement. "That ends now with our partnership. HTS' innovative Cancel for Any Reason for hotels is proving that when independents are given the same tools, they have a competitive advantage. This is the future of hospitality infrastructure: flexibility for travelers, intelligence for operators and growth built directly into the booking flow."
“Aven Hospitality’s Booking Engine is focused on delivering outsized value to both our hotel guests and the partner brands we’re privileged to work with,” Ethan Wiseman, head of distribution, product management at Aven, said in the statement. “HTS' Cancel for Any Reason solution does exactly that. By providing enhanced flexibility, we give guests the confidence to book without hesitation—and that confidence translates directly into increased revenue for our hotel partners.”
The AI infrastructure will let HTS dynamically adapt the product in real-time, Whitney noted. “Cancel for Any Reason for hotels supports hotelier strategies, and we’re exploring all potential use cases to best serve hotels and their guests, including live events.”