What was the most significant technology challenge you were forced to overcome in 2025?
Integrating complex, fragmented systems, protecting against sophisticated cybersecurity threats, and implementing AI without sacrificing the human element. The rapid pace of technological innovation meant we had to constantly adapt and make strategic choices about which technologies to adopt, a challenge made more difficult by a potential lack of employee and customer adoption.
What are your top three technology priorities in 2026?
Continuing integration of key AI tools in 3 main arenas broadly classed as back of house administrative, front of house operational, and digital commerce including business intelligence, revenue management, website schema enhancements. All of these fundamental tasks enhance our commercial ability while maintaining the human touch, which remains essential to the hospitality industry.
What emerging technology will find a place in hotels in 2026, and why?
AI-powered systems, integrated cloud-based PMS, smart rooms, and omnichannel guest platforms in place, driven by a need for greater personalization, operational efficiency, and revenue growth. The "why" behind this is to move from reactive to proactive service, using data and automation to create seamless, personalized guest experiences while improving backend operations through unified systems.
How has the pandemic affected the speed in which the hotel industry adapts to new technology?
Greatly. The need for safety and social distance forced all guest facing services to adapt and many of these adaptions are ubiquitous in our industry. The include contactless solutions, QR codes, robotics, digital check-in/keys, agentic AI (bots), advanced revenue management algorithms, generative search optimization, smart room technologies, cloud based software. The utility of the "smartphone" has become the backbone of social and commercial interactions.
What are some of the biggest mistakes hotels make when integrating technology?
Being too fast to adapt new technologies can often lead to misfires and lost opportunities. Once agreed upon, some of the biggest mistakes hotels make when integrating new technology include inadequate employee training, poor integration with existing systems, neglecting to define clear objectives, and failing to consider the guest experience or a scalable solution. They also often underestimate the importance of cybersecurity, the need for robust infrastructure upgrades, and the necessity of marketing the new technology to guests.
In 10 words or fewer, what is your overall hospitality industry outlook for 2026?
Fragmented by region and segment, flat YOY growth yet with cautious optimism for the upside.
This article was originally published in the January edition of Hotel Management magazine. Subscribe here.