Hotel Innovation. Milan · London Forward deployed engineering for hospitality. Inside your operation, on the stack you already own.
N° 02 / Forward deployed
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An engineer inside
your operation.
Not another subscription.

Forward deployed engineering for hotels

AI for hotels, hotel automation and integrations, built on site on the PMS and systems you already own. Milan & London.

We work on site, next to your teams, on the systems you already own.

From spec to a working MVP in as little as one day.

Then we integrate deeper, embed it in the business, train your team and hand over.

Easy for your team to maintain and enhance once we hand it over.

Book the free 30-min call How it works

Start with a free 30-min spec call — no commitment, no charge.

Built inside Belmond, Waldorf Astoria, Hilton.

forward deployed · in short hotel innovation
  • whereon site, next to your teams
  • builds onthe tech stack you already own
  • shipsworking software, not decks
  • owned byyou, from day one
  • hands overwhen your team can maintain it
§ What it is

What is forward deployed engineering?
The engineer comes to the operation.

A forward deployed engineer works where the problem lives: at the front desk, in the back office, in housekeeping. We look at what your teams actually do every day, build on the systems you already own, and train them to understand, use and own the result.

01
Consultancy

Recommendations and a deck. Someone else still has to build it.

02
Another software vendor

Another tool, another login, another monthly invoice for software you underuse.

03
Remote build

Built from a brief, far from the operation. Handed over to a team that never saw it come together.

04
Forward deployed.

On site, on your stack, with your team. Code, accounts, data and documentation stay yours.

§ How it works

The same MVP process.
Run from inside the operation.

Spec call (free) Fixed-price build You own everything.

Same fixed-price terms as every engagement. The difference is where the work happens: inside the operation, with the team that will use it.

step 01
Spec.

A spec call. You describe the problem. We write a one page spec together: inputs, outputs, who uses it, what done looks like, which systems it has to touch. You sign it off or walk away. No charge.

day 0 · free
step 02
Agree the days.

From the signed spec we quote a fixed number of build days, up front, in writing. You approve that number before anything starts. No change orders once we begin. No extras.

fixed quote · no surprises
step 03
Build on site.

We work at the property, next to the people who will use it: front desk, back office, housekeeping. Questions get answered in the room, not in an email thread. You watch it come together on your own systems.

on site · live build
step 04
Live on your stack.

Released into the real operation, on your accounts and your infrastructure. Your team uses it while we are still there to fix what the first days reveal. Code, documentation and data stay yours.

your stack · your accounts
step 05
Embed, train, hand over.

If it earns its place, we stay for the phased rollout: deeper integration, more properties, training. We leave when your team can maintain and enhance it on its own. If not, you keep what was built.

optional · your call
Have a problem in mind? Let's talk ↗

§ Terms

01
Fixed price, no surprises

Flat day rate. Pre-agreed scope. No extras, no expenses, no change orders.

* final quote depends on complexity, days and resources involved.

02
You own everything

Code, accounts, data, documentation. Handed over on your infrastructure. Nothing stays with us.

03
Zero lock-in

Project-based. No subscription, no retainer, no obligation to continue after the MVP ships.

§ Where we deploy

AI and hotel automation
for every corner of the operation.

Anywhere a manager is doing in spreadsheets what software should be doing. Anywhere a human is scrubbing reservations, checking bookings manually, printing lists, or spending hours on data entry.

See examples by department ↗
Not the right fit if
  • You need off-the-shelf software with vendor support.
  • You want someone to manage your tech stack long-term on retainer.
  • You’re looking for the cheapest option.

Building a travel or hospitality tech startup?

Advisory for startups ↗
§ Founder

Fabio.
The bridge between what your hotel needs and how it gets built.

Fabio Maggioni, founder of Hotel Innovation

Fabio Maggioni, Founder

Built at the intersection of hotel operations and technology.

Most consultants sit on one side, operations or technology. I work across both. My experience spans operations, commercial strategy, RFQ processes, systems architecture and development, integrations, and end-to-end delivery, from vendor selection through to implementation and executive-level alignment.

Background includes leading hospitality groups such as Belmond, Waldorf Astoria, Hilton and IWG. Now running Hotel Innovation: an independent team focused on building solutions that work in reality, are owned by the teams using them, and deliver impact from day one.

Connect on LinkedIn ↗
Based
Milan · London · on-site anywhere
Languages
Italian · English
§ FAQ

Questions hotels
ask first.

What is forward deployed engineering?

A forward deployed engineer works inside your operation, not from a distance. We work next to your teams, build AI and automation on the systems you already own, and stay until your team can maintain and enhance what we built.

Forward deployed engineer vs consultant: what is the difference?

A consultant gives you recommendations and a deck. A forward deployed engineer builds working software, on site, on your stack. You see it come together, not a status deck two weeks out.

Forward deployed engineer vs software vendor?

A vendor adds another tool, another login and another monthly invoice. We connect what you already have, with no additional subscriptions. Code, accounts, data and documentation stay yours.

How much does it cost?

The spec call is free. The build is a fixed number of days at a flat day rate, quoted in writing before anything starts. No extras, no expenses, no change orders. The final quote depends on complexity, days and resources involved.

How fast can you start?

We can be on the operation the week after the spec call. As little as one day from clean spec to a working MVP, more when integrations need work.

Which hotel departments do you work with?

Operations and guest experience, reservations and front desk, revenue, sales and marketing, housekeeping, F&B, engineering and maintenance, finance, HR and people.

Where do you work?

From Milan and London, on-site anywhere. In Italian and English.

§ A conversation · no commitment

Tell us what you're
trying to build.

A conversation about your operation.

You walk us through the operating problem. We listen carefully, ask the questions that matter, and come back quickly with an honest read, whether it’s worth building, integrating, or leaving alone. If there’s something to pursue, we schedule a second call.

Before we talk — a few things worth thinking about
  1. What are the frictions your team runs into every day?
  2. Which task eats most of your managers’ time?
  3. What would you change first if you could?
  4. Which systems are you paying for but barely using?
  5. What does good, six months from now, look like?
Get in touch

Drop us a line.

Email fabio@hotelinnovation.it or use the form below.