CEO Michael Bennett leads a restructured team built on operator experience, with a clear focus on helping hotels compete in an AI-driven booking landscape

AUSTIN, Texas, May 28, 2026 /CNW/ -- Cendyn, the trusted hospitality partner for marketing and commercial growth, shares its evolved market approach and industry commitment under the leadership of CEO, Michael Bennett who took over the reins in late-2025.

Dawning on a decade with the software company, Bennett's progression to CEO demonstrates his commitment both to the hospitality industry and in providing high-value solutions addressing emerging commercial challenges. His new team is an investment in former hospitality operators and commercial executives who understand the hospitality sector and the complex macro- and micro-economic changes business leaders face.

With the aligned leadership team, Cendyn has restructured its solution delivery with a new customer partnership commitment to more deeply support hospitality teams. Hoteliers need more than software to embrace the technological and commercial shifts that are reshaping hotel digital commerce: they need a partner who understands both the commercial opportunity and the operational reality.

As the hospitality industry hits an inflection point with AI-powered booking channels, autonomous agents, and conversational commerce, hotels must confidently respond to new demand signals in how travelers discover, evaluate, and book hotels. Understanding that its customers are commercial operators first, Cendyn's teams have been equipped to provide proactive account management, commercial consultation, ongoing support and coaching. Cendyn Managed Services closes the service gap with hands-on optimization, strategic commercial guidance, and a partnership model measured by revenue outcomes.

"Having worked with hospitality businesses for over 25 years, I know that the most common frustration from hotel executives is that vendors don't understand what it actually feels like to run a hotel," said Michael Bennett, CEO, Cendyn. "Our new leadership team has sat on both sides of the vendor relationship. They've lived the pressure of RevPAR targets, managed the complexity of distribution, and navigated the gap between what technology promises and what it actually delivers."

"Further, the relationship between hoteliers and SaaS has fundamentally changed," continued Bennett. "We know that experience shapes everything, from how our products are built to how our teams support our customers. That is why we have reoriented the focus of our teams to provide a support culture built on the same principles of hospitality. Success is measured on each of our customers' commercial successes, not on renewals."

"We've been through a real evolution with Cendyn, Roomzzz Aparthotels has grown massively over the course of our relationship and we're in a place of feeling really supported and considered," said Victoria Curley, Head of Commercial at Roomzzz Aparthotels. "We've had the opportunity to have a much more open and structured dialogue around our goals and vision for how we evolve our use of the CRM and our loyalty scheme. That's something we find really invaluable."

"We've been working with Cendyn since 2019, and the relationship has always been strong, but the past year has felt like a step change. There's a clarity of direction from the leadership team that comes through in every interaction, and it's translated into real results. In a market where performance has been genuinely difficult, our direct channel is the one area that continues to grow, and that's a direct reflection of the work Cendyn is doing for us. We truly believe in where this is heading, and everything we've seen over the past year has reinforced that confidence," said Jenna Villalobos, Senior Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer at Outrigger Hospitality Group. 

Our relationship with Cendyn has evolved into a more constructive and collaborative partnership," said Pierre Langelotti, Director, E-Commerce, CRM & Loyalty at ONYX Hospitality Group. "Cendyn's leadership team shows stronger engagement, better communication, and a clearer focus on our priorities. The improved level of support in Asia over the past 12 to 18 months has made a tangible difference to our day-to-day experience reducing friction and allowing us to focus more on the opportunities ahead. As we transition to Cendyn's latest CRM platform, we see this as an important opportunity to further elevate the digital experience we deliver to our guests."

Established in 1996, the Cendyn hospitality product suite continues to evolve to support commercial teams at all stages of the guest journey ensuring hotels are discoverable and bookable across the next generation of AI-powered channels.

For more information, visit Cendyn.com.

About Cendyn 

Cendyn is a global hospitality cloud-based technology company that enables hotels to drive revenue, maximize profitability, and create deeper connections with guests through its integrated solutions.

Serving hoteliers for 30 years, Cendyn drives commercial success for hotels through its Find, Book, Grow promise: find the right guests; drive them to book direct, and grow loyalty and revenue across the spectrum of digital guest interactions.

Cendyn has over 32,000 customers worldwide in more than 150 countries generating more than $20 billion in annual hotel revenue. The company supports its growing customer base from locations across the globe, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India.

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SOURCE Cendyn