Riviera

Riviera builds AI Employees for Hotels. Our first agent is a hotel phone receptionist that lets hotels spend less time answering phone calls and more time helping customers. Our system handles front-desk inquiries, in-room dining orders, and reservations. It answers every question instantly and in any language, 24/7.

We are solving a problem that older phone systems and IVRs can't: customers hate not being able to talk to someone immediately, but most travel businesses can’t dedicate additional staff to manage phone lines. Voice AI has always seemed out of reach because the technology infrastructure in the travel industry is often fragmented, with reservation systems, loyalty programs, and in-house operations software that weren’t designed with voice AI in mind. Riviera addresses this by integrating seamlessly with existing software providers and using human-sounding voice models that are highly trained on data specific to each business type and department.

Hotels spend hundreds of billions annually on staffing and risk losing potential revenue when phone lines are overwhelmed or callers hang up. By enabling them to handle unlimited calls, day or night, Riviera unlocks additional revenue and eases labor challenges.

High-Level Overview

Riviera is a startup founded in 2024 that builds AI voice agents specifically for hotels, serving hotel operators and their guests. Its product automates guest phone interactions by providing 24/7 multilingual AI employees that answer calls instantly, handle inquiries, take room service orders, make reservations, and redirect calls as needed. This solution addresses the problem of hotels struggling with costly staffing and long guest wait times on calls, which often lead to lost revenue and poor guest experiences. Riviera integrates seamlessly with existing hotel systems like property management and reservations, enabling hotels to reduce staffing costs by 60-80% while improving guest satisfaction through zero hold times and natural conversations[1][2][3].

Origin Story

Riviera was founded in 2024 by Shaun Lane and Daniel Tyshler in San Francisco, CA. The idea emerged from the challenge hotels face in balancing guest communication demands with staffing costs. Traditional front-desk staff spend significant time on routine phone calls, which detracts from delivering high-touch guest services. Riviera’s founders developed AI voice agents trained on each hotel’s unique data to provide a human-like, multilingual phone experience that can handle unlimited calls instantly. Early traction includes rapid hotel onboarding, with most hotels going live within 48-72 hours without operational disruption[1][2].

Core Differentiators

• Product Differentiators: Riviera’s AI voice agents provide instant call pickup with no hold times or robotic menus, offering natural, context-aware conversations that feel human. They support multiple languages and are trained on hotel-specific data for superior understanding.
• Integration: Seamlessly connects with existing hotel phone systems, property management systems (PMS), point-of-sale (POS), and ticketing software without disrupting current operations.
• Cost and Efficiency: Reduces call handling costs by 60-80%, eliminates overtime and night shift expenses, and frees hotel staff to focus on high-value guest interactions.
• Speed and Ease of Use: Hotels can be operational with Riviera’s AI agents within 2-3 days, with zero downtime during setup.
• Support and Customization: Offers enterprise-level support and customization tailored to specific hotel needs[1][2].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Riviera rides the growing trend of AI automation in hospitality, addressing the increasing demand for contactless, efficient guest services and multilingual support in a globalized travel market. The timing is favorable due to rising labor costs, guest expectations for instant communication, and the hospitality industry's push for digital transformation post-pandemic. By automating routine guest communications, Riviera helps hotels optimize labor resources and improve guest satisfaction, influencing the broader ecosystem by setting new standards for AI-driven guest engagement and operational efficiency in hospitality[1][2][3].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Looking ahead, Riviera is positioned to expand its footprint rapidly as hotels increasingly adopt AI solutions to reduce costs and enhance guest experiences. Trends such as AI conversational improvements, deeper system integrations, and multilingual capabilities will shape Riviera’s evolution. Its influence may grow beyond phone interactions into broader AI-driven guest service automation, potentially becoming a critical platform in hotel operations. Continued innovation and scaling could see Riviera become a key player in transforming hospitality communication globally[1][2].