Hotels are moving beyond exploring AI solutions and into implementation, according to a Canary Technologies' Navigating AI: Hospitality Shifts From Exploration to Execution. The global research study examined how hoteliers view artificial intelligence's impact and adoption across the industry based on insights from hospitality IT decision-makers.
Hoteliers expert a big impact from AI and are making notable investments in the technology. According to the study, 71 percent of hospitality professionals say AI is having a significant or transformative impact on the industry. Meanwhile, 85 percent expect to allocate at least 5 percent of their IT budget to AI tools this year.
The findings also highlight AI's expanding role across the hotel technology stack, with 82 percent of respondents reporting they expect AI usage to increase across their organization within the next year.
"AI has quickly become a foundational technology for the hospitality industry," Catherine Donaldson, director of marketing, said in a statement. "Hoteliers gaining an edge today aren't just considering AI, they're building strategies and moving quickly to adopt it. The data shows that hotels using AI are driving more revenue, gaining operational efficiencies and improving guest satisfaction."
Hoteliers using AI report wide ranging benefits, the most common of which include saving staff time, higher guest satisfaction, automated workflows and increased revenue. These outcomes demonstrate that AI is delivering real operational value while helping hotels create more personalized guest experiences.
In addition to presenting industry data, the report provides analysis and insights, learnings from early adopters and a structured framework to help hotel leaders successfully implement AI in their organizations.
The report is based on a global survey conducted in early 2026 of over 400 professionals responsible for technology purchasing decisions at hotels, management companies and brands. It represents a range of hotel sizes and classes from across North America, EMEA and APAC.
Download the report here to learn more.