Hospitality
AI Should Empower, Not Replace, Human Hospitality
Exclusive Interview with Samir Abi Frem, CEO, Lokalee
Tell us about your journey in hospitality and the vision behind Lokalee
I’m the CEO of Advanced Digital Technology, developers of Lokalee. Prior to founding Lokalee in 2020, I worked for 20+ years in global hospitality IT, most recently as Corporate VP of IT with Rotana Hotels Management. Lokalee has allowed me to combine my passion for technology and hospitality.
Lokalee was born out of a vision to transform the way travellers experience their trips. We recognised a gap in the market for a content platform that seamlessly connects travellers with the hotel they’re staying at, and the authentic local experiences destinations have to offer.
What does Lokalee do and how does the platform help hotel owners and operators?
Lokalee is an AI-powered guest companion allowing guests to access hotel services and browse and book unique local experiences on one digital platform. From learning about the hotel’s facilities and promotions, ordering room service or extra pillows, to chatting with the concierge and booking unique local experiences, Lokalee brings all this together under one digital experience for the guest, while seamlessly integrating with a hotel’s existing apps and systems. Guests can browse and book everything a hotel and the destination have to offer, curated by our local experts and supported by our global partners.
Specifically designed for hotels and holiday homes, Lokalee was developed to help hoteliers enhance their guest experience and increase customer satisfaction, drive commission and ancillary revenue, and improve operational efficiency.
From your perspective, what is the biggest challenge hoteliers face right now?
Providing highly personalised guest experiences is a key priority for hoteliers in response to ever-evolving needs and expectations of travellers, but it’s often also one of their key challenges. We help hoteliers digitise their guest journey and provide unique and personalised local experiences and facilitate the way to book these by complementing the hotel concierge team. AI technology plays a pivotal role in this. Hotel staff can offer recommendations, but they rely on personal knowledge and experience, which may not always align with every guest’s preferences. AI-powered platforms, such as Lokalee, use advanced data analytics to predict individual guest behaviours and anticipate their choices. This helps hotels refine offerings, provide upsell opportunities for in-room services, dining, and curated activities through more personalised offers and promotions.
How can AI-powered tools streamline hotel operations, particularly in enhancing efficiency and guest services?
The growing integration of AI in the hospitality sector presents opportunities across all aspects of hotel operations. Many guest requests such as booking airport transfers, ordering in-room dining and providing directions, can be addressed by AI-powered tools such as Lokalee, freeing up staff to focus on more complex and high-touch customer service. This not only boosts efficiency but ensures a quicker, smoother experience for guests.
Besides tracking and monitoring guest preferences and behaviour in real time, AI is much faster and more efficient than humans in collecting and processing this data to continually refine services. This means it can predict guest needs, suggest tailored experiences based on previous interactions, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty.
What advice can you give hotels that are considering implementing AI powered solutions?
My advice is to start small and scale gradually. Begin with a pilot program to test the technology, then ensure the solution integrates smoothly with existing hotel software and platforms to avoid operational disruptions. Train your employees to work alongside the AI solutions so they can step in when necessary and leverage the technology effectively, and communicate transparently with your guests to let them know that they are interacting with an AI tool.
How can hoteliers maintain the human, personal touch while leveraging AI tools?
At Lokalee, we recognise that while AI has the power to enhance the guest experience, it’s essential that we keep the human element at the forefront of everything we do. Our goal is not to replace human interaction, but to empower hotel teams and elevate the guest experience through smart, personalised interactions.
AI may assist with guest inquiries, but if a more complex request arises, it can seamlessly escalate the interaction to a staff member. This ensures that the guest experience remains personal, with the right balance of automation and human touch. Every hotel has its own unique culture and personality, and we understand that it’s essential for this to shine through every guest interaction, whether AI-driven or human.
What are the key advancements in AI that you’re most excited about, and how will they shape the future of hospitality?
Personally, I’m excited about the ability of AI to understand and engage in human-like conversations, which is rapidly advancing thanks to improvements in natural language processing (NLP). This technology will enable more intuitive communication between guests and hotel systems, whether through chatbots or messaging platforms. Soon, guests will be able to make reservations, request services, or get local recommendations simply by speaking or typing in natural language. This breakthrough will ensure an even more frictionless, instant, and personalised experience, enabling guests to interact with the hotel in a way that feels more like communicating with a human.
Lokalee has recently been acquired by Beaconsmind, after successfully securing funding early last year, what’s next in Lokalee’s growth journey?
The acquisition by beaconsmind and Swissnet AG presents an exciting opportunity for us to accelerate our growth and further solidify our position as a leader in AI-driven hospitality solutions. The group adds complementary strengths and capabilities that will allow us to enhance and expand our offerings, bringing cutting-edge technologies that align with Lokalee’s vision of enhancing the guest experience. With beaconsmind’s expertise in location-based services, IoT, and proximity marketing, we’ll be able to leverage advanced geolocation and real-time engagement capabilities to deliver even more contextually relevant, personalised content to guests.
The acquisition opens the door to new markets and strategic partnerships. beaconsmind and Swissnet AG have established networks in key hospitality and technology sectors, and we can leverage these connections to accelerate our growth. We’ll have greater access to larger hotel chains, resorts, and destinations, enabling Lokalee to provide its AI-driven digital concierge services to a wider audience and drive adoption at scale.
Hospitality
SAN CARLO, THE ITALIAN RESTAURANT UAE TRAVELLERS ARE BOOKING THIS LONDON SUMMER

As Dubai residents pack their bags for a London summer, San Carlo is quickly becoming the go-to booking for UAE travellers craving authentic Italian food, with two London locations ready to welcome them.

Tucked just steps from Harrods on Hans Road, San Carlo in Knightsbridge has been a staple part of London’s Italian dining scene for over three decades, loved for its glamorous dining room, classic menu and warm, family-run hospitality. On the edge of Mayfair, Cicchetti brings its Venetian-inspired, all-day small-plates menu to Piccadilly, with a fresh new interior that’s perfect for sharing good food and good company. Whether travellers fancy a classic, glamorous dinner or a laid-back share-plate evening, both spots sit just minutes from Knightsbridge and Mayfair’s favourite hotels and boutiques.
For the many UAE visitors who make London home for the summer, both restaurants offer something special, a dining experience that feels instantly familiar, like catching up with an old friend. In addition, both restaurants also offer private dining for those travelling with family or friends, making them a lovely choice for group bookings this summer.

Founded by the Distefano family in Birmingham back in 1992, San Carlo Group has won over food lovers across the Gulf through sister restaurants Signor Sassi and Cicchetti, with locations in Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Al Khobar and Jeddah. The same spirit, authentic Italian food, genuine hospitality and no pretence, runs through every restaurant in the group, whether it’s in London or the Gulf.
Hospitality
SERENITY – THE ART OF WELL BEING CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY

Serenity – The Art of Well Being is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, marking a decade devoted to the art of caring, to continuous innovation and to building a new vision of well-being. Over the past ten years, the brand has established itself as one of Portugal’s most prestigious names in the world of luxury well-being, distinguished by an approach that elevates well-being to its fullest, most transformative expression.
Founded in the Algarve in 2016, Serenity embarked on a journey defined by sustained growth and a relentless pursuit of excellence, expanding its presence both nationally and internationally to destinations such as Lisbon, Cascais and Dubai. In 2024, the brand marked a significant milestone in its international expansion with the opening of Serenity at Fairmont The Palm, Dubai, bringing its distinctive approach to well-being to one of the city’s most iconic destinations. In 2026, Serenity is preparing to open three new spaces – two in Portugal and one in Dubai – reinforcing its mission to make deeply meaningful well-being experiences increasingly accessible across different geographies.

More than a spa, Serenity represents an integrated 360° well-being ecosystem, designed to meet the physical, mental and emotional needs of the contemporary individual. Its offering brings together complementary concepts such as ACTIVE by Serenity, dedicated to movement, performance and recovery, and the healthy restaurant ZEST, where mindful nutrition plays a central role in promoting health and vitality.
In a decade marked by profound shifts in the way we understand self-care, Serenity has stood out for its ability to anticipate and set trends, introducing new concepts and innovative approaches to the national market. From longevity to physical recovery, from health optimisation to nervous system regulation, the brand has continually integrated experiences and therapies that address the challenges of modern life, fostering a deeper balance between body and mind. Intravenous therapies, ice baths and specialised recovery programmes are just some examples of a vision that sees well-being not as an isolated moment, but as a continuous and conscious practice woven into clients’ lifestyles.


Today, more than ever, true luxury lies in the ability to slow down, recover, reconnect and invest in one’s own health. It is within this space of balance, presence and longevity that Serenity continues to assert its identity, creating experiences designed to restore energy, promote mental clarity and cultivate a lasting state of well-being.
“We celebrate these ten years with deep gratitude and a sense of purpose, proud of a journey shaped by our ability to anticipate the future of well-being. This path has been built by the team members, partners and clients who believed in our vision from day one and who, every day, entrust us with their well-being. Throughout this decade, we have sought to contribute to a new way of living well – more integrated, more conscious and profoundly human. More than following trends, our commitment has always been to create transformative experiences that bring physical and mental health together and enable people to care for themselves in a genuine and sustainable way. It was with the conviction that well-being has the power to change the way we live that we built Serenity – The Art of Well Being. After a decade of continuous innovation, that purpose is more alive than ever. We look to the years ahead with a strong ambition to grow, determined to keep redefining the standards of excellence and to lead the future of this industry,” says Maria d’Orey, Founder & Global Director of Serenity.

Internationally recognised through numerous awards and a reference in the well-being and hospitality sectors, Serenity has been honoured over the past decade, among others, at the World Luxury Spa Awards, with distinctions including World’s Best Luxury Wellness Centre and World’s Best Spa Development Group.
10 Years | 10 Days | 10 Offers Campaign
As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, Serenity is turning the tables and sharing the gifts with those who matter most: its clients. Because the best way to celebrate is to share the journey with those who have always been there, the brand has created an exclusive July campaign: 10 days filled with 10 well-being experiences. The anniversary line-up includes unmissable offers such as complimentary access to the pool and beach, 50% off on the Matcha menu at Mashrabiya lounge, personalised physical assessments and a complimentary experience in the Aurum Suite when booking a couple’s treatment, among many others. Prior reservations are required through the spa WhatsApp number.
This initiative marks the start of a special anniversary program that reflects the brand’s ongoing commitment to the evolution of well-being and to creating experiences that are ever more emotional, conscious and personalised.
Hospitality
FIRE AND FLAVOUR: RODEO DRIVE IBN BATTUTA GATE TEASES THE LAUNCH OF ITS NEW FOOD MENU

Rodeo Drive, Ibn Battuta Gate is set to launch its revamped food menu that reenvisions that homely, authentic All American grill house feeling. Brought to life by a chef whose cooking draws on decades spent across Mexico, Texas and Dubai.
Built around the restaurant’s centrepiece Asado Grill, especially imported from the U.S.A., to cook over open flame, flawlessly seasoned meats and seafood. A new introduction to Rodeo Drive’s kitchen is its succulent, slow-cooked smoked meats prepared painstakingly inhouse by our chefs.

The new menu offerings trades predictability for something more authentic, a menu that reads like a road trip along America’s Deep South to its border with Mexico. Alongside familiar favourites such as it’s Cowboy Tomahawk Steak, 1.3kg’s of mouth-watering Black Angus meat perfectly catered to be shared amongst friends, Rodeo Drive’s new menu journey starts with smoke and flames.
The Rodeo Drive Mix Grill Plater is a generous assortment of tender meats such as 1kg of tender 15 hour slow-cooked brisket, 7 day cured Pastrami meats, delectable sausage and juicy Blackened Half Chicken served with home-made BBQ sauce and two sides of your choice. The new menu’s range stretches beyond red meat too, with a Whole Blackened Seabream and Cajun Tiger Prawns bringing a coastal, herbaceous counterpart seasoned lightly enough to let the fire do most of the talking.
That same instinct carries through the smaller plates. The Nashville Hot Chicken Burger offers butter-milked fried chicken, dressed with Nashville hot glaze sauce, tangy coleslaw, melted cheddar cheese and served in brioche buns. A sure-fire favourite being introduced is the Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata Skillet, a dish with a sensory assortment of textures and flavours with blistered roasted tomatoes, fermented spicy honey, rich and creamy burrata cheese drizzled with chilly basil oil and served with toasted grilled sourdough bread.
Nothing on the menu reads as an imitation of a genre. It feels closer to raw material, reworked.

Behind that instinct is Head Chef Walter Melo, a Mexico City native whose 23 years cooking across Mexico, Texas and Dubai inform what he calls Cocina de Autor, a personal style built on curiosity and restraint in equal measure. Formal training at Mexico’s Colegio Superior de Gastronomía sharpened that instinct early, and years spent across demanding kitchens since have only deepened it. “I cook the way I grew up eating, honest and full of flavour,” said Chef Melo. “This menu is simply that instinct on a plate, nothing dressed up, nothing hiding behind the fire.”

That philosophy shapes the whole dining room, not just what lands on the plate. Rodeo Drive’s live fire cooking takes centre stage in its theatre. Deliberately visible, the Asado Grill is positioned as the heart of the space, so the drama of the flames becomes part of the experience itself. It is a menu built on decades of cooking across cultures, brought together on one plate rather than kept apart.
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