At one Napa Valley hotel, happy hour is becoming a far more personal experience, thanks to technology designed to understand individual taste.
Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa has partnered with Preferabli, an artificial intelligence–driven product and experience recommendation platform, to offer guests taste-based wine suggestions on-property as well as customized itineraries across Napa Valley. Through Preferabli’s Tastefuli app, guests can receive tailored recommendations for wine, spirits and select food pairings during their stay.
As the partnership rolls out, Preferabli executives shared insights into how the technology works and how it is reshaping the guest experience by blending data, expertise and ease of use.
Personalising wine preferences
Preferabli’s platform is designed to help guests discover wines in a way that feels intuitive and personal. Using the company’s patented AI technology, the system builds individual taste profiles and matches them with curated recommendations developed by master sommeliers.
Guests at the Napa Valley Marriott can access Preferabli in several ways, including through a QR code on-site or via a downloadable mobile app, according to Preferabli co-founder and CEO Pam Dillon. The hotel and tech provider are currently rolling out the platform across on-property food and beverage venues.
For example, when dining at the hotel, guests can scan a QR code on the menu to engage with Preferabli’s system. The platform then guides them through wine recommendations that align with their personal preferences, without requiring a login or lengthy setup process.
Preferabli co-founder and chief technology officer Andrew Sussman said the goal is to remove friction from the experience. By scanning the QR code, the platform opens instantly on a guest’s mobile device, making the process quick and accessible. “The goal here is to enhance the guest experience,” he said, by helping guests find wines they genuinely enjoy.
Once on the platform, guests can explore wine options available across the hotel’s menus, filtered by their own tastes. A guest who knows they enjoy a familiar supermarket wine brand, for instance, can receive recommendations for similar wines that are available at the hotel. The platform can also suggest wines designed to pair well with specific menu items, helping guests feel confident in their selections.
Preferabli also offers guided recommendations that mirror the experience of speaking with a wine expert. Guests are prompted with a series of questions, starting with broad preferences such as sparkling, white, rosé or red, and narrowing down to more specific characteristics like body, dryness or fruitiness. Based on these responses, the platform delivers a highly personalised wine suggestion.
Benefits beyond the guest experience
While the technology enhances guest satisfaction, it also provides valuable insights for hotel operators. The data generated through guest interactions allows the hotel to better understand which wines attract the most interest and which products guests are searching for but cannot find.
Sussman said this information can help hotels refine their menus and make informed purchasing decisions. If guests consistently search for certain wine styles or labels that are not currently offered, the hotel can use that data to adjust its selection.
Beyond on-property use, Preferabli’s technology extends into the wider destination. Guests staying at the Napa Valley Marriott can use the platform to build custom food and beverage itineraries across Napa Valley, curated according to their personal tastes. These itineraries may include winery visits and regional experiences aligned with the guest’s preferences.
Experience as the priority
The partnership reflects a broader shift in travel toward experiences that feel meaningful and tailored. Dillon said today’s travelers are looking for experiences that feel relevant to them, rather than generic recommendations.
When products like wine are presented within immersive, personalized experiences, she said, it creates stronger emotional connections. Preferabli’s vision is to combine machine intelligence with human expertise to create experiences that feel both advanced and authentic.
“We’re imagining a world driven by individual preferences, using machine intelligence with human touch,” Dillon said. She added that the platform is designed to expand the idea of personalization, creating interconnected ecosystems that enhance how guests explore destinations.
Looking ahead, Preferabli plans to expand its technology into additional markets across California, as well as international destinations including Mexico and Scotland. As the company grows, it is actively pursuing new hotel partnerships to bring its personalized recommendation platform to more travelers around the world.
