Innovative Technology Implementation in Hotels

Recently, Hospitality Net asked their Digital Marketing in Hospitality panel how hotels could use AI to shift bookings from OTAs to their direct channels. You might find this answer interesting: In the near term, the biggest opportunities AI provides for driving direct revenue revolve around creating richer, more personalized experiences at each stage of the guest journey. Hotel marketers can use AI to better segment potential guests based on behaviors and deliver content and offers — at scale — that match those segments’ intent. Increasingly, you can let the AI select and orchestrate campaign messages, images, and offers that align with the needs of potential guests, and drive conversion. Similarly, these tools can provide intelligent rate displays and offer attractive upsell opportunities to guests to improve the revenue you achieve during each stay. Real-time guest service during the booking process, including chat, can help improve that experience and increase conversion rate.  Of course, the guest journey doesn’t end at time of booking. Again, savvy hotel commercial teams are beginning to put AI to work to upsell and cross-sell on-property experiences during the pre-arrival and on-property stages of the guest journey to drive greater share of wallet. And, of course, intelligent, automated post-stay campaigns are beginning to produce results in driving repeat bookings from past guests.  In the longer term, we’ve not yet seen how universal access to AI assistants will shape guest behavior. These tools are likely to shift the way guests interact with information and experiences every bit as much as the internet, mobile, and social media have. We should expect to see new marketing and distribution channels that make it easy for us to reach guests directly — and new gatekeepers who seek to insert themselves into that process. Every silver lining comes wrapped in its own cloud.  Regardless, these benefits come with a cost. Hoteliers must take a serious look at their existing tech stack and team skills to ensure they’re ready to put these tools to work. Take a look at the partners you work with. Do they make it easy to connect with new sales and marketing partners? Do they have a well-articulated vision for how they’ll incorporate AI into their products? Have they begun to deliver on that vision? If so, you’re in great shape. If not, it may be time to start looking at alternatives.  And, finally, don’t ignore your people. Does your team have the skills, the resources, and the vision needed to adapt to a changing customer and technology landscape? You will want to give them the support they need to quickly adjust as guest behaviors — and those of your competitors — evolve. The hoteliers who are able to learn the fastest, and put those learnings to use, are the ones most likely to succeed at driving more direct business as AI becomes more common. And there’s nothing artificial about that. #AI #hospitalitymarketing

I asked a boutique hotel owner how their 67-room property consistently outperforms 300+ room chains in the same district with 48% higher guest lifetime value. Their answer completely shattered my assumptions about competitive disadvantage... 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐖𝐢-𝐅𝐢 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝. While large properties treat internet access as a basic utility, this owner discovered their greatest guest engagement opportunity was hiding in a moment every traveler experiences but most hotels completely waste. The conventional "network name and password" approach has been transformed into their most effective revenue multiplier. Three Wi-Fi psychology tactics that turned connection frustration into profit acceleration: • 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭 - Password becomes "AskAboutOurRooftopDinner2024" forcing guests to engage front desk, creating natural upsell conversations that feel helpful, not pushy • 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩 - Different passwords for different guest types ("VIPConciergeServices" vs "LocalFoodieSecrets") making amenities feel personally curated rather than universally available • 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 - Passwords like "Guests5StarOurBreakfast" subtly reinforce positive experiences other visitors have had, influencing current guest behavior through implied social proof A struggling 45-room property I consulted implemented this system across their digital touchpoints. Within three months, their ancillary revenue jumped 55% because frustrated "what's the Wi-Fi password?" interactions became enthusiastic "tell me about that rooftop experience" conversations. The breakthrough insight? Every guest asks for Wi-Fi access, but only properties thinking beyond connectivity capitalize on this guaranteed interaction moment. Most intriguing result: Guest reviews started mentioning "helpful staff who introduced us to experiences we never would have discovered" instead of complaints about slow internet or complicated passwords. 𝐈𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢-𝐅𝐢 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬? #HospitalityPsychology #GuestEngagement #RevenueOptimization #BoutiqueHotels #UpsellStrategy #HotelInnovation

🏨 How do you unify technology across 113 hotels—ranging from Holiday Inn Express in rural UK to luxury icons like Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa and Fairmont Monte Carlo? That’s the challenge facing L+R Hotels, one of the world’s largest privately held owner-operators. On this week's episode of Hotel Tech Insider, Joe Pettigrew, Group CCO at L+R Hotels, explains how his team is tackling it—and what it reveals about where hotel technology is heading next. ✅ Why 40+ systems per opening forced a full PMS, RMS, and CRS consolidation. ✅ How L+R scrapped the 20-year-old USALI segmentation model for something more modern. ✅ Why AI will soon decide which 3 hotels travelers see first. ✅ The core tools driving strategy: Oracle Opera Cloud (PMS), Duetto (RMS), Hospitality Solutions SynXis (CRS), and benchmarking platforms like CoStar Group, Amadeus, and Lighthouse. This isn’t theory—it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how a global portfolio is making hard choices on segmentation, tech stacks, and the future of payments. #HotelTechnology #HospitalityInnovation #RevenueManagement #HotelLeadership

Google's AI Trip Planner Indefinitely Delayed! What This Means for Hotel Marketing Strategies The recent news of Google's indefinite delay of its AI-powered trip planner for Gemini Advanced presents both challenges and opportunities for the hospitality industry. Initially showcased in 2024, this tool promised to revolutionize travel planning by integrating personal details into customizable itineraries. However, its postponement underscores the complexities inherent in developing such advanced AI applications. Despite this setback, the trajectory of AI in travel remains undeniably forward-moving. Travelers are increasingly turning to AI-driven platforms to streamline their journey planning. For instance, Google's Gemini continues to evolve, integrating more deeply with other Google apps and services to enhance personalized travel planning. This growing reliance on AI tools highlights a pivotal shift in consumer behavior, one that hoteliers cannot afford to overlook. The delay of Google's trip planner offers a unique window for hotels to proactively integrate AI solutions into their marketing strategies, thereby enhancing guest experiences and securing a competitive edge. A Strategic Imperative for Hoteliers In light of these developments, it is imperative for hoteliers to: 1. Invest in AI-Powered Personalization: Utilize AI algorithms to analyze guest preferences and behaviors, enabling the delivery of customized recommendations and services that resonate with individual travelers. 2. Enhance Online Visibility: Optimize digital presence to ensure seamless integration with existing AI travel planning tools. Collaborations with platforms like Google's evolving AI services can facilitate personalized itineraries that prominently feature your property. 3. Leverage AI for Operational Efficiency: Implement AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants to handle inquiries, bookings, and customer service, thereby improving response times and guest satisfaction. By proactively adopting AI technologies, hoteliers can not only fill the void left by delayed third-party tools but also position themselves as pioneers in delivering innovative and personalized guest experiences. The future of travel is undeniably intertwined with artificial intelligence; embracing this reality today will pave the way for sustained success in the hospitality industry.

In China, I experienced the future of hospitality — and it rolled right up to my hotel door. Meet the Keenon delivery robot — one of the world’s leading AI-powered service robots transforming how hotels and restaurants operate. Here’s what blew me away 👇🏾 - Keenon robots use LiDAR mapping, AI navigation, and elevator integration to move autonomously between floors — no human escort needed. - They’re already in over 60 countries and more than 600 cities worldwide, from high-end hotels in Shanghai to restaurants in Japan and Europe. - A single robot can reduce repetitive staff tasks by up to 90% while improving delivery speed and guest satisfaction. - The system even calls your room when it arrives — creating seamless, contactless service that feels effortless. This is how technology can enrich experiences, create convenience, and elevate service quality — especially in industries built around human comfort. Keenon is showing the world what’s possible when robotics meets hospitality. And I can’t help but think… the Caribbean could use this same level of innovation to enhance our own tourism and guest experiences. #keenon #HospitalityInnovation #AI #Robotics

AI in Hospitality: Shaping the Future of Guest Experiences For decades, the hotel check-in experience remained the same until AI changed the game. Now, imagine arriving at a hotel where: ✅ Your room temperature adjusts to your preference before you step inside. ✅ The minibar is stocked with your go-to drinks from previous stays. ✅ You receive personalized dining and activity with one click bookings. This isn’t a vision of the future it’s happening right now with AI-driven personalization. 📊 67% of travelers prefer hotels that offer tailored experiences, and hospitality brands leveraging AI are seeing higher guest satisfaction, increased loyalty, and stronger revenue growth. At Applaudo, we’ve partnered with top hospitality leaders to build AI-powered solutions that don’t just enhance guest experiences they redefine industry standards. From seamless check-ins to hyper-personalized services, we help brands lead the future, not follow it. 🔮 Looking ahead, how do you see AI reshaping hospitality in the next five years? 

Hospitality development needs a new playbook. Hotels are risky developments. Complex sites, strict zoning, brand alignment—every decision impacts ROI. The Scott Boulevard Hotel concept (by the team at cove) uses AI-driven #architecture to fundamentally change this equation. The result: a dramatically faster, smarter way to design hospitality projects, unlocking feasibility on challenging sites. Here's why this matters to developers: ◆ Hybrid programming: Flexible, multi-use spaces (hotel, retail, dining, co-working) optimized for higher utilization, aligning guest experience with financial returns. ◆ Predictive site design: Instantly visualize feasibility scenarios, reducing costly revisions, approval delays, and last-minute surprises. ◆ Built-in sustainability: Energy efficiency and operational savings embedded from the start—not tacked on later. ◆ Faster planning: AI-generated layouts adapt instantly to complex zoning, terrain constraints, and brand standards—cutting weeks/months from traditional timelines. Bottom line: #AI isn't replacing developers or designers—it's making their work more strategic, more #profitable, and less risky. This approach represents a new playbook in hospitality development. Those who adopt it early will capture real competitive advantage. 👇 Check out the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/eBw-XFkF

Hotels used to show off luxury with fancy things like chandeliers and doormen. Now, the best hotels are focusing on a new kind of luxury: making your stay as easy as possible using technology you never see. I call this concept the "invisible hotel." It's all about making your stay feel effortless and personal. Instead of waiting in line, you can check in with your phone everywhere. The lights, curtains, and temperature in your room can adjust automatically to how you like them. The hotel remembers what you liked from your last visit. If you asked for extra pillows or a certain drink, they’ll already be in your room the next time you stay. The technology is built into the room so you don't notice it. Think of smart speakers hidden in the walls or TVs that look like mirrors until you turn them on. This tech also helps hotel workers. It can tell them which rooms need to be cleaned first or if something in a room needs to be fixed, so they have more time to help guests with important matters. So, why don't all hotels do this? It's harder than it sounds, it's also expensive, and they have to be careful not to make guests feel like they're being watched. The goal should be simple: to use technology to take care of the small stuff, so your stay is relaxing and feels like it was designed just for you. #HospitalityInnovation #InvisibleHotel #HotelTechnology #GuestExperience #TravelTech #LuxuryRedefined #CXOPartners