AI should not replace people. It should help them reach their next level.
Gökhan Herkiloğlu, founder of SmartHospitality.AI
The founder
Gökhan Herkiloğlu has spent more than 25 years leading food and beverage in luxury hotels and chef-led restaurants. He now works on SmartHospitality.AI full time.
At The Peninsula Istanbul he was General Manager of Gallada and Topside, which he opened with chef Fatih Tutak.
He has lived and worked in Miami, Singapore, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Qatar and Dubai, in operations held to Michelin-level service expectations.
OI is built around the moments that work depends on. The briefing before service. The question at the table that has to be answered correctly the first time. The checklist before the doors open. The new colleague on day one.
- The Peninsula IstanbulGeneral Manager of Gallada and Topside, opened with chef Fatih Tutak
- The St. Regis DubaiJ&G Steakhouse by Jean-Georges
- Resorts World Sentosa, SingaporeBoth Joël Robuchon restaurants
- Grosvenor House DubaiFood and beverage
- Renaissance Harbour View, Hong KongFood and beverage
- ZanzibarPre-opening work
Miami · Singapore · Barcelona · Hong Kong · Qatar · Dubai
What OI stands for
OI stands for Operational Intelligence: a tool for people who already know how to do the job. It keeps them informed, keeps the operation honest, and leaves the judgement with them.
The manager approves.
OI drafts; people decide. Nothing reaches staff without a manager’s approval, and every change is kept as a new version.
Honest before fluent.
OI gives staff what the kitchen recorded. When the kitchen has not recorded something, OI says so and sends staff to the kitchen; “not recorded” is never treated as “free”.
Records, not scores.
The week’s summary shows what was published, read and checked, outlet by outlet. It is a record of the work, not a ranking of people.
The operation’s own words.
Your job titles, your house terms, your SOPs and your menus, read as they are and answered in the language the question was asked in.
What OI does today
Everything below is live. Features that are still being built are listed separately, with their dates.
OI Assistant
liveAnswers staff only from approved information, in the language they ask in.
Knowledge Library
liveDishes, drinks, fact sheets, rules, promotions, SOPs and house terms. Approved and versioned.
Drop it as it is
liveMenus, lists, SOPs and price forms read as they are; one draft card per item.
Daily Briefing
liveFour lines from the manager, the rest added by OI; translated; read marks.
Shifts and stations
liveShift plan, leave requests and swaps; tables and tasks for people on the plan.
Staff Voice
liveThe team writes to management without names; OI rewrites each message plainly, and managers answer each theme. First part live since October 2026.
Reservations
liveKept by the hostess or pulled every 15 minutes from your own system. Names deleted at day end.
Checklists
liveGiven to a named person, with photos and server time stamps, checked by the manager. Works offline.
Announcements and calendar
liveAnnouncements with read counts, an Operational Calendar and the week’s summary.
Hospitality Academy
liveTrainings and quizzes from your own cards; a First 5 Days plan for every newcomer.
Phone and desktop
liveOI answers in the language your team asks in. Screens and approved content are in the languages the hotel chooses: English and Turkish today, and each further language, Arabic included, is added in about two weeks.
Coming, December 2026 to January 2027
Not available yet. Listed so you can plan; they are not part of today’s product.
Insights
comingThe topics staff ask about, as team totals.
Phone notifications
comingAs web notifications, from December.
Audit Readiness
comingAgainst Forbes Travel Guide standards.
Talk to Gökhan.
Twenty minutes about your operation. If OI fits, a free pilot follows: one outlet, 60 days.