Investing in the future – Tech solutions & products powering hotel innovation

The hospitality industry is rapidly embracing advanced technologies to enhance guest experiences and streamline operations. One notable innovation is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), which powers chatbots and virtual assistants to handle customer inquiries and personalize services. For instance, AI-driven systems can analyze guest preferences to offer tailored recommendations and anticipate needs, thereby improving satisfaction and efficiency.

Another significant advancement is the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, transforming traditional hotel rooms into smart environments. Guests can take control of the lighting, temperature and entertainment systems in the guestroom through voice commands or mobile apps, creating a personalized and convenient stay. Additionally, IoT-enabled devices facilitate predictive maintenance and energy management, contributing to operational efficiency and sustainability. 

Moreover, the use of 3D printing technology is revolutionizing hotel construction and design. An interesting example is the development of the world’s first 3D-printed hotel in Marfa, TX, where 3D printers constructed unique architectural features that are both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. This approach allows for unprecedented creativity in design and offers potential for more sustainable building practices in the hospitality industry.

AI is everywhere, not just in the hotel industry. In fact, the three previous paragraphs were written by the ChatGPT platform. It is changing the way the hotel industry works through tools that enhance the guest experience and help hotels run more efficiently and profitably. It’s no wonder, then, that AI and its impact on the industry were mentioned prominently by our panel of hotel technology professionals when discussing the biggest technology trends in hospitality.

“AI is the thing that everybody is still exploring, and different approaches are being tried to leverage that technology to be disruptive,” said Brian Kirkland, chief information officer, Choice Hotels International Inc. “The new thing is really generative AI, and how that is going to transform the industry. And a step past that, how agents, leveraging generative AI, can do work for you, make decisions and start to optimize outcomes. We’re seeing a lot more emphasis and outcomes focused on how to drive down costs, how to improve operational efficiencies, how to improve productivity and other use cases where you can control the narrative.”

Aimbridge Hospitality is focusing on machine learning and the ways its systems and applications improve due to collected, analyzed and actioned data, according to Keryn McNamara, the company’s chief information officer.

“One of the best uses of AI and machine learning I’ve seen is with guest messaging platforms,” she added. “Generally speaking, a guest is talking to a chatbot that is connected to a traveler profile and the hotel’s loyalty program. If the guest messaging platform is integrated into the brand app, the chatbot can leverage guest preferences and data, meeting the needs of the guest for some of their initial questions.”

Jason Segebrecht, chief technology officer,  First Hospitality, noted, “In the future, AI will support dynamic pricing, personalized guest experiences, predictive maintenance and workforce optimization. The key to success will be balancing innovation with strict privacy and compliance governance.

Waterford Hotel Group is using AI across its organization, noted Michael Scott, the company’s VP, technology.

“While we started with basic applications like content generation and editing, we’ve quickly scaled its use in areas like research, document analysis, prospecting and lead generation,” he said. “Selecting the right AI tools for each business function has been critical to our success. Looking ahead, AI will continue to accelerate decision-making, personalize guest interactions and enhance internal communication. But even as we adopt new technologies, we remain grounded in the belief that hospitality is about people. Our goal is to use AI to empower teams to move from data collectors to strategic decision-makers.”

Earlier this month, IHG announced that it has unified its global call center operations onto the AI-powered Genesys Cloud. This will  allow AI to handle guest requests, from booking a stay and upgrading a room to requesting extra  pillows.

Move to mobile 

Another trend that was mentioned by the technology leaders is the industry’s focus on connecting to guests through their mobile devices.

“The mobile device has become the hub of everything,” said McNamara. “The guest experience is geared toward being reliant on mobile devices and branded apps that are connected to booking, check-ins, mobile keys, guestroom technology and brand loyalty. In some ways, guests have more control than ever because their travel profiles hold so many details that help to make their stays more customized and frictionless.”

That doesn’t mean hotels have turned away from the service the industry has been built on.

“Since the pandemic, it’s fair to say that within hotel technology, we’ve settled into a hybrid model that brings together the high-touch guest experience with contactless offerings that have emerged in recent years,” she said. “Some hotels will always have the high-touch service as part of their product  because that’s all part of the experience. In other hotels, particularly select-service, there has been a greater adoption of contactless offerings.”

Hoteliers can use the data from guests’ travel profiles to provide the upgraded personalized service they are looking for, noted Kirkland. 

“Guests are expecting hoteliers to remember their history, their preferences, what they did on prior visits and what they want to do when they’re there,” the Choice executive explained. “They’re expecting just a more personalized touch from us to understand our guests—their intentions, their behaviors, their desires—better. We’re focused on investing heavily in our customer data platform to help us better understand our guests as they come to our properties.”

Segebrecht pointed out that “hotels are investing in mobile keys, QR-code ordering, mobile payments and app-based communications to meet these expectations.”

But the mobile phone is not just a tool for enhancing the guest experience. Greg Presnol, VP, operations, Palette Hotels,  noted that the mobile devices “help frontline teams complete tasks faster and with fewer service recovery issues,” adding, “Virtual learning tools give new hires and seasoned team members immediate access to training, updates and expectations.”

On the radar

So, what are the technologies that are on the executives’ radar?

“We’re exploring tools that offer better cross-platform data visualization and labor forecasting, especially platforms that pull from PMS and timekeeping systems to support smarter staffing,” said Presnol. “We’re also evaluating tools that accelerate property onboarding and conversion, making it easier to stand up a full tech stack and train the team within the first month of takeover.”

Segebrecht said that First Hospitality is “evaluating private cloud environments to improve data security and flexibility. Microsoft Fabric is under review for enterprise data integration and real-time analytics.”

He added, “We are also exploring using large language models (LLMs) to enhance guest services and internal operations. Low-code and no-code platforms are a priority for accelerating innovation without heavy IT resource dependency.”

Scott said, “We’re continuously evaluating platforms in AI; HR and payroll; accounting; and business intelligence. Our focus is on tools that drive faster, more accurate work while producing actionable data. Whether it’s automating workflows or uncovering new insights, we’re always looking for ways to improve both process and performance.”

At Choice’s recent MasteryX tech summit, Kirkland talked about quantum computing, which utilizes principles of quantum mechanics to perform operations on data. For the hotel industry, the technology is expected to transform guest experiences and streamline operations.

“When quantum comes, there are things that every company is going to have to pay attention to and do things about,” he said. “In fact, every company should already be paying attention to the RSA cryptosystem and security side of it. Every system that uses RSA for encryption or protection is going to have to change. They’re going to have to leverage post-quantum-enabled algorithms and technologies, or their security is no longer going to work, and people will be able to access anything encrypted that they have. We are already investing in making sure we’re post-quantum ready.”

Aimbridge Hospitality, said McNamara, is investing heavily in data collection and visualization, which “allows us to gain insights which not only lead to better performance, but inform how technology is and should be implemented with consideration to guest preferences and hotel verticals.”

She added, “When we know who our travelers are and what their preferences are—and how those preferences shift based on why they are staying at one of our managed properties—we’re able to enhance the guest experience in tailored ways. Data is key. We are always thinking about how data benefits the brands we work closely with and the owners we serve, and that means providing feedback and insights on what we see as an operator.”

Exciting innovations

When asked about the new technologies they are excited about, the trio of Scott, Presnol and Segebrecht brought the discussion back to AI and its expanding capabilities.

“From optimizing labor models and enhancing guest experiences to saving precious time across departments, we see AI as central to delivering both operational efficiency and exceptional service,” said Scott. “Implementing it at scale across our organization is a top strategic priority.”

Presnol is particularly excited about AI-enhanced business intelligence tools, which “help detect trends and surface risks before they impact performance.” He added, “We’re also interested in next-gen employee engagement platforms—especially ones that support real-time feedback, recognition and learning. With staffing still one of the industry’s biggest challenges, we’re investing in technology that helps our people succeed.”

Segebrecht called AI “the most exciting advancement,” noting, “It enables deep research, operational automation and faster decision-making. It frees teams to focus on strategic work and innovation.”

He added that “integrated analytics platforms are equally promising, eliminating departmental data silos and enabling faster, data-driven decisions. These technologies drive operational efficiency, optimize resource allocation and improve profitability.” 

—Senior Editor Gregg Wallis contributed to this story