RealTime Reservation Appoints Hospitality Technology Veteran Jose "JD" Canelos as Senior Vice President, Product

Former Amadeus Hospitality product leader joins RTR to advance its unified guest experience platform following the STAY acquisition

HUNTINGTON, N.Y., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- RealTime Reservation Appoints Hospitality Technology Veteran Jose "JD" Canelos as Senior Vice President, Product

Former Amadeus Hospitality product leader joins RTR to advance its unified guest experience platform following the STAY acquisition

RealTime Reservation (RTR), the industry leader in dynamic hospitality booking technology for onsite activities, amenities, and ancillary revenue management, today announced the appointment of Jose "JD" Canelos as Senior Vice President, Product.

Canelos is a seasoned product and technology executive, bringing with him years of experience in building and scaling hospitality technology platforms, global product organizations, and digital guest experiences. As Senior Vice President, Product, he will lead RTR's product strategy and roadmap, guiding how the company's platform evolves as it serves a growing global customer base.

"JD has spent his career shaping the platforms that some of the world's leading hotel brands depend on every day," said Shawn Tarter, CEO of RTR. "Following our acquisition of STAY, we have a real opportunity to unify the entire guest journey on one platform. JD knows how to turn complex technology portfolios into a clear, cohesive product strategy, and his leadership will be instrumental as we scale."

Canelos joins RTR from Amadeus Hospitality, where he served as Vice President of Product Management. There he led global product teams responsible for a broad portfolio of hotel technology solutions spanning central reservations systems, booking engines, distribution, payments, analytics, guest engagement, loyalty, and property connectivity. In his leadership roles at Amadeus, he oversaw large-scale product organizations and helped shape the strategy and evolution of platforms serving some of the world's leading hotel brands.

Throughout his career, Canelos has focused on transforming complex technology portfolios into cohesive product strategies, bringing together customer needs, commercial opportunities, and technology innovation. His experience includes platform modernization, product integration, AI and emerging technologies, strategic partnerships, and solutions designed to improve both hotel operations and the guest experience.

"Hotels have long had to stitch together disconnected systems to manage what guests do beyond the room," said Canelos. "RTR and STAY are bringing pre-arrival commerce, ancillary revenue, and in-stay engagement together in one platform, and that's exactly where the industry is heading. I'm excited to help build that platform for hotels and resorts around the world."

Earlier in his career, Canelos held product and digital leadership roles across hospitality and other industries, including The Leading Hotels of the World, Centric Digital Consulting, AvePoint, and Aetna.

The appointment follows RTR's recent acquisition of STAY. That deal brought RealTime Reservation's ancillary revenue platform together with STAY's in-stay guest engagement technology to serve more than 2,000 properties across 75+ countries. RTR continues to build out its leadership team to support that growth.

About RealTime Reservation

RealTime Reservation is an institutionally-backed, high-growth hospitality tech company that enables the world's leading hotels and resorts to manage the full guest journey through a unified hospitality platform. From reservations and pre-arrival planning to on-property experiences, RealTime enhances the guest experience, increases ancillary revenue, and streamlines the management of amenities, activities, and services. RealTime also helps hospitality operators deliver seamless digital engagement through branded mobile and web experiences, allowing guests to access services, interact with the property, and transact effortlessly throughout their stay. For more information, visit realtimereservation.com.

Media Contact

Cessie Cerrato, Cessie C. Communications, 1 786-295-0493, [email protected]

SOURCE RealTime Reservation