.In this episode of Captive Conversations, I sit down with Charlton Santana, founder of HeyGuest, to explore how messaging, automation, and AI are quietly rewriting the rules of hospitality.

From working front-of-house to building a platform used by hotels and short-term rentals, Charlton shares how he turned guest frustrations into a product that serves teams and guests equally.

We talk about:

💬 Why messaging is becoming the new front desk

🤖 How AI removes repetition — not humanity

🧠 The danger of “data wallpaper” and forgotten feedback

✨ Why your loyal guests should be your focus group

🌍 Benchmarking innovation outside the hospitality bubble

Quote to remember:

If you’re in hotels or hospitality tech and want to evolve how you communicate, this one is full of real, actionable insight.

🎙️ Follow Captive Conversations for more honest talks with the people building the future of hospitality.

“Guests don’t want another app — they just want an answer, fast.”