Irish Tech News caught up with ILYAN founder Stephen O'Sullivan at the National Enterprise Awards 2026, held at the Mansion House in Dublin. Stephen was representing Tipperary as one of 31 finalists chosen by their Local Enterprise Office to compete for a share of the €80,000 prize fund and the chance to be named National Enterprise of the Year.
In the interview with Ronan, Stephen spoke about the origins of I Left You A Note, the difficulties and challenges facing hoteliers around public feedback, and how ILYAN was built to address the gap between what guests experience and what hotels actually hear about.
Modern hotels face a particular challenge: guests who have a bad experience during their stay no longer complain to the front desk. Instead, they check out, go home, and write a review — one the hotel cannot respond to before it's already shaping the decision-making of future guests. Stephen estimates that a single bad review can cost a hotel up to €15,000 in lost bookings per month.
I Left You A Note was built to close that gap. A QR code placed throughout the hotel opens a private mobile portal on any phone, instantly, with no app required. Guests can submit feedback, raise service requests, interact with an AI concierge, and access hotel facilities and room service — all in one place. When an issue is raised, AI triages it, creates a service ticket, and routes it automatically to the correct department.
The National Enterprise Awards are now in their 26th year and are a celebration of the very best small businesses from across Ireland, highlighting the work that Local Enterprise Offices are doing with up-and-coming enterprises in every local authority area. The 31 finalists were each chosen by their Local Enterprise Office to represent their county at the awards. ILYAN represented Local Enterprise Office Tipperary.
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