How Shortlist
makes recommendations.

We bring together publicly accessible information from a range of sources, including supplier documentation, independent review platforms, user discussions and product feedback. Where Effective Hospitality has reviewed a product directly, we also draw on time spent in demonstrations, implementation work and detailed assessments against real hospitality scenarios and challenges we have encountered. We separate confirmed facts, public feedback and our own experience so you can see what each part of the assessment is based on.

When EHM has undertaken a direct review, we compile our findings into a full review and display it in the product listing and relevant recommendation reports. This sits alongside a plain-English summary of public feedback, including the benefits users mention most often and the challenges that recur across credible review sources and product discussions. The aim is to provide a balanced view of the product's strengths, limitations and likely operational fit rather than repeat a supplier's sales claims.

Suppliers cannot edit or control their Shortlist listing. There is no supplier login or supplier-facing administration portal: every listing, review and assessment is managed and published by Effective Hospitality. A supplier may contact us if it believes information is inaccurate and has a right to provide a response. We review correction requests against the available evidence rather than accepting changes automatically. Where a supplier has exercised its right to reply, its response will be clearly identified on the relevant listing so readers can distinguish the supplier's position from EHM's assessment and the public evidence.

Hotel technology rarely works in isolation. We compare products with existing systems and with other potential recommendations so we can assess what connects, what information moves between systems and how capable or limited each integration appears to be. This helps us recommend the combination that offers the best overall fit and value, while making clear where a system may need replacing, where an existing product can remain and where compatibility still needs to be confirmed.

We work with many hospitality businesses that are struggling with an existing system or have purchased technology that does not fully meet their needs. Finding a suitable alternative can be confusing, tiring and overwhelming, particularly when there are thousands of products making similar claims. We also regularly find that a product has been sold without enough attention to how the business actually works, or that another system would have been a better fit. EHM began organising its operational knowledge, product research and recurring customer challenges into an internal database. We then used locally hosted AI to help our team search that information and compare realistic options. Shortlist opens this work to hospitality businesses so they can obtain an honest, practical overview for themselves. We believe people should be able to understand how a product is likely to perform over the long term, not rely entirely on a one or two-hour sales demonstration that cannot reflect every part of day-to-day operation. Shortlist reports therefore explain the likely benefits, limitations and compatibility questions, as well as the specific working processes a supplier should demonstrate before a decision is made.

There are thousands of hospitality technology products, and comparing them can mean sitting through a long series of demonstrations before finding a realistic fit. Shortlist is designed to make that search quicker, easier and less painful. It uses the challenges, priorities, operation and existing technology described by the user to narrow the market to a small number of relevant options. The result is a shortlist for further evaluation, not an instruction to purchase a product or a substitute for final checks, demonstrations and contractual due diligence.

Yes. Automated systems can misunderstand a requirement, work from incomplete information or make a mistake. Shortlist is designed to reduce a very large market to a useful group of likely options, while showing limitations, uncertainties and compatibility questions that still need checking. Users should treat the report as informed decision support and verify important capabilities, integrations, costs and contract terms before making a final decision. EHM can provide a human review where additional assurance is needed.

No. Effective Hospitality does not charge suppliers to be listed, to appear more prominently or to be recommended. A product's position and fit score are based on the needs described by the user and the evidence held in the catalogue.

Sometimes. Suppliers may choose to enter into an introduction agreement with Effective Hospitality. Where one is in place, we may receive an introduction fee if an introduction made through Shortlist leads to business. This income helps cover the cost of researching, maintaining and operating the Shortlist platform. Using this model rather than paid placement is a deliberate choice: a supplier cannot purchase a listing position, a better score or a recommendation. The relevant product page and report will disclose when an introduction agreement exists.

No. We never allow a supplier agreement or potential fee to influence a recommendation. Product selection, fit scores and position are determined separately using the user's requirements and the catalogue evidence. Partnership arrangements are handled separately from the team responsible for product research, listings and recommendations. The decision matrix does not store, reference or have access to financial terms. It can only identify whether an agreement exists after the recommendation has been produced, so the correct disclosure and enquiry route can be shown.

The recommendation engine uses operational requirements, product capabilities, integrations, limitations, evidence and fit information. It is deliberately separated from partnership details. Partnership status is held separately and is added only to the public disclosure and enquiry process. It is not available as a scoring, ranking or selection factor.

No. Products with and without an introduction agreement can be included, compared and recommended on the same basis. A commercial relationship does not improve a product's position, and the absence of one does not count against it.

Every product profile and recommendation report includes a commercial disclosure. It will state whether an introduction agreement is currently recorded for that supplier.

It considers the challenges and priorities described in the conversation, the type and scale of the operation, existing systems that must be retained or replaced, required integrations, implementation needs and verified or qualified catalogue evidence. Personal property details that are not needed for matching are kept out of the AI conversation.

No. Shortlist currently runs its recommendation AI locally on the Shortlist server. The conversation content used to understand requirements and prepare the report is not sent to OpenAI, OpenRouter, Gemini or another hosted AI provider. Before text is processed, privacy checks also remove or block personal information that is not needed for the technology assessment. The business or property name entered at the start remains in your browser and is not supplied to the AI model.

You can use the finder and generate a report without giving those details to the AI. EHM receives identifiable contact details only when you deliberately submit an enquiry for further advice, ask for human support based on the report, or request an introduction to a supplier. We use those details to deal with that request. We do not add them to unrelated marketing or mailing lists unless you have separately chosen to receive such communications.

Where a supplier introduction is requested and an introduction arrangement is available, EHM may pass the contact details you submitted, the relevant property or business name, the product you asked about and enough report context to explain the enquiry. This is done so the supplier can respond to that specific expression of interest. Submitting a technology report does not by itself authorise a supplier introduction.

Chat conversations and generated reports are retained so the recommendation can be produced, reviewed and understood, and so EHM can assist if you later ask for advice or support based on that report. Anonymous conversations are normally retained for up to 90 days. If you submit an enquiry, the relevant conversation, report and contact record may be retained for as long as reasonably needed to deal with and follow up that request, meet legal obligations or resolve a complaint.

Yes. Email contact@effectivehospitality.co.uk and tell us what you would like us to locate or delete. We may need to confirm your identity before acting. Data protection rights are not absolute, so a limited record may sometimes need to be retained for a legal obligation or legal claim. Our privacy policy explains your rights and how Shortlist uses information in more detail.