Hospitality technologist · Colombo, Sri Lanka

I make hotels smarter.

A decade at the meeting point of hospitality and technology: AI, intelligent automation, and the commercial systems behind modern hotel business.

Now: Director, Commercial Technology & AI · Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts

Portrait of Nisal de Silva Est. Colombo / works anywhere

On stage

Digital Travel Summit APAC

Booking.com Elevate, Bangkok · industry panels on travel tech and AI

02 / On stage

Speaking & panels

Sharing what actually works when hotels meet technology, from distribution and data to AI on the ground.

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  • Digital Travel Summit APACSpeaker. Travel e-commerce, digital strategy and the systems behind direct bookings.
  • Booking.com Elevate APAC 2023, BangkokThe future of travel through digital trends, data insights and the evolving guest journey.

Open to panels and talks on hospitality technology and AI.

In the classroom

Visiting lecturer since 2017

Teaching digital marketing at SLIM, ICBT and APIDM

03 / Classroom

Teaching & learning

Nearly a decade of teaching the next generation of digital marketers, while never stopping being a student.

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  • Visiting Lecturer, Digital MarketingSLIM, ICBT and APIDM · 2017 to present

Still studying

  • MBA, Business AnalyticsQueen Margaret University · in progress
  • Omnichannel Strategy & ManagementDartmouth College
  • Digital Leadership MicroMastersBoston University
  • Digital Diploma in Professional MarketingChartered Institute of Marketing
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Digital MarketingDigital Marketing Institute, Ireland

The work · Systems & AI

01 / The work

Systems & AI

From hands-on performance marketing to enterprise AI: a career spent building the technology hotels actually run on. Booking engines, CRM and data platforms, intelligent automation, and the analytics that turn guest data into commercial decisions.

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  1. 2025 · Now
    Director, Commercial Technology & AICinnamon Hotels & Resorts

    AI strategy, intelligent automation, martech and commercial platforms for a leading South Asian hotel group.

  2. 2021
    Director, Digital MarketingCinnamon Hotels & Resorts

    Global digital presence, SEO, content and analytics for the brand.

  3. 2018
    Associate Director, Digitaldentsu international

    Performance marketing and analytics leadership for key accounts.

  4. 2014
    Paid digital, from the ground upeMarketingEye

    PPC, SEO and social for global travel clients. Where the obsession started.

Selected builds

  • AI enterprise developments for hospitality
  • Salesforce Marketing Cloud with Data Cloud and Service Cloud
  • SynXis booking engine and payment gateway
  • Brand website rebuild
  • Chinese social ecosystem: Weibo and WeChat

The operating principle

"Be all in, or get all out."

There is no halfway.

The record

Internationally awarded

HSMAI Adrian ×2 · SLIM Digis ×2 · One Under 30, Branding in Asia

04 / The record

Awards & nods

Recognition collected along the way, from PPC craft to campaigns.

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  • 2023
    SLIM Digis 2.3, BronzeBest Leisure & Travel Digital Campaign · "Maldives Go Premium"
  • 2022
    SLIM Digis 2.2, SilverBest Performance Marketing Campaign
  • 2020
    One Under 30, Young Marketer SpotlightBranding in Asia
  • 2016
    HSMAI Adrian Awards, SilverBest PPC Manager
  • 2015
    HSMAI Adrian Awards, BronzeBest PPC Campaign Manager

Off duty

In another life, a game developer.

Building something in hospitality? Let's talk.