Friction, Wristbands, and Why Best-of-Breed Wins: A Conversation with TRYBE at ITB Berlin

We stopped by the TRYBE stand at ITB Berlin, where Simone Puorto spoke with CEO Ricky Daniels about contactless check-in, the best-of-breed versus all-in-one debate, and what hotels should actually expect from their software providers. TRYBE is an operational platform for spa, leisure and activities, built to enhance back-of-house operations while improving the guest experience at the same time.

A wristband as a digital detox

The conversation started with a bracelet. Ricky was wearing one of TRYBE's new wristbands, part of a contactless check-in feature that is already live at three properties. The idea is straightforward: a guest arrives, checks in at a kiosk without speaking to anyone, links a payment card to their wristband, and from that point on can open lockers, pass through gates and pay for anything on the property with a tap. On exit, they drop the wristband in a box and leave.

What makes it interesting is the framing. Ricky described it as a tech-enabled digital detox. Lock your phone away, put on the wristband, and spend a few hours completely disconnected. In a world where phone anxiety is real and constant, that is not a small thing for a spa or leisure property to offer.

Early results back this up: shorter queues, less manual admin, and higher in-property spend, partly because paying by wristband removes any friction at the point of purchase.

Choice, not mandate

The conversation quickly moved to a question about the two prevailing narratives in hospitality tech: human-first at all costs, or technology-first to remove friction. Simone's take was that the answer should be choice-centric, giving guests the option rather than forcing a process on them. Ricky agreed completely, and said this is reflected directly in how TRYBE is built.

Properties can run TRYBE on a laptop at the front desk for a fully staffed, human-led check-in experience. Or they can deploy the kiosk for contactless. Or both at the same time, which is what many of their properties are doing. The kiosk reduces queue times for guests who want speed, while freeing staff to give proper attention to those who want a conversation. Neither approach is wrong. The flexibility to support both is what matters.

There is also a generational angle. Younger guests are digital-first and expect frictionless everything. Older guests often want more touchpoints and human contact. A product that can only do one of those two things is already leaving guests underserved.

Best-of-breed over all-in-one

TRYBE is six years old and cloud-native from day one, with no legacy infrastructure to manage alongside the modern product. Ricky is clear that TRYBE will never try to become an all-in-one solution. His argument: juggling every element of the hotel ecosystem means constantly dropping something. Specialising in spa, leisure and activities and integrating well with the best solutions in adjacent areas, from PMS to revenue management to restaurant booking, produces a stronger result.

TRYBE exposes 99 percent of its own APIs to customers, not just as documentation to figure out alone, but with proper support and guidance. For hotels with specific or bespoke needs, that open platform means they are never stuck.

What hotels should expect from their software

The broader point Ricky made was about what a software provider actually owes its customers. Not just a product, but a genuine ecosystem. Not just an API, but the support to use it. Not just a roadmap, but the agility to actually move fast when the opportunity is there. Six years in, no legacy debt, a technical co-founding team, and a culture of AI curiosity across every department. That combination, he argued, is the David and Goliath advantage that younger, leaner companies have right now.