Hotel Communication Network

About Hotel Communication Network

Hotel Communication Network (HCN), founded in 2008 with headquarters in Ottawa, Canada, operates as a developer of in-room hospitality technology. The company was co-founded by Kevin Bidner, who serves as the CEO. Bidner is a serial entrepreneur who was previously a key partner at 20-20 Technologies, a design software company where he helped achieve a 95% market share. His experience there informed HCN's strategy, which he pioneered from pilot projects in Toronto. Richard Carruthers joined as a founding partner and COO in January 2009, bringing entrepreneurial experience from his time as President of Facet, Inc. and VP at 2020 Technologies.

HCN's core offering is the Navigator Tablet, an interactive in-room device that enables guests to communicate with hotel staff, order room service, manage housekeeping, control smart room features like lighting and temperature, and perform in-room check-outs. The platform also serves as a digital concierge, offering interactive city guides and facilitating requests for amenities. For hotel operators, the technology allows for direct messaging to individual guests or groups, which is particularly useful for event and convention communication. In June 2025, HCN acquired UK-based Crave Interactive, a specialist in digital guest experiences for luxury hotels, significantly expanding its global footprint in the four- and five-star markets. More recently, HCN has integrated a human-like, voice-activated AI concierge into its platform.

The company's business model is centered on a multi-stakeholder monetization strategy, which includes an ad-supported revenue stream that can make the platform available to hotels at a highly subsidized cost and sometimes includes a revenue share. This approach allows hotels to enhance guest services while creating new revenue opportunities through programmatic advertising and direct sales of services and local attractions. HCN's platform is designed to increase in-room dining revenue and optimize housekeeping operations. The company has received recognition for its work, being named one of Canada's Top 20 Moonshot Ventures™ of 2025 by the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO).