Last September, Marriott Hotels launched Marriott Hotels TestBED programme in the MEA region, following a debut in Europe in 2016.

The programme gives regional entrepreneurs an exciting opportunity to turn their innovations into a reality, whilst providing Marriott Hotels with the chance to further revolutionise the hotel experience in the Middle East and Africa.

Twistar, a smart customer feedback device that analyses the guest’s actions and voice for real-time insights, is one of three participating startups in the Marriott Hotels TestBED programme in the MEA region.The startup received various training and will be part of 10-week acceleration programme to pilot its product in a Marriott Hotel property in the UAE.

“Twistar is a new type of  IoT device that helps businesses make a deeper and more meaningful connections with their customers,” said Nick Marshall, cofounder and CEO.

The acceleration phase is expected to be completed by February 6. Afterwards, and based on the result each of the selected startups achieves within the hotels, Marriott Hotels will be deciding whether to continue partnering with any of them for a longer term relationship, and to implement their inventions within the chain’s hotel amenities.