AI Isn't the Future of Hospitality—It's the Now. And You're Already Behind.
AI is already here—and the smartest players are moving fast.
Across the industry, AI is being used right now to reduce guest wait times, automate reporting, personalize marketing, and relieve overburdened teams. The gap between early adopters and hesitant observers is growing wider by the day—not because AI is only accessible to the big players, but because many operators still believe it's either too complex, too costly, or too far off.
But let's be clear: AI is no longer a nice-to-have. It's the new baseline.
Why AI Hesitation Persists
Hospitality is, at its core, a people-driven industry. So it's no surprise that many leaders are cautious about a technology often portrayed as cold, robotic, or impersonal.
Two myths persist:
1. AI is for tech teams, not hotel professionals.
2. AI will replace the human touch.
But neither is true.
In reality, the best AI implementations enhance hospitality, not replace it. Used well, AI gives your team more time to be human. It removes repetitive tasks. It accelerates decision-making. It empowers staff to focus on what matters most: the guest experience.
What Forward-Looking Leaders Are Doing Differently
The most effective hotel operators aren't betting the house on untested technologies. They're starting small—with targeted, strategic AI use cases that yield fast wins and real-world impact.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
Revenue and operations teams using AI to analyze pace reports and forecast staffing needs
Front desk and guest services integrating AI tools to respond instantly to common questions
Marketing teams leveraging AI for campaign personalization and content generation
Executives and owners using AI insights to make smarter portfolio decisions
This isn't about turning hotels into robots. It's about equipping every department with tools that work at the speed of the industry.
What's Holding the Industry Back?
From my work training hotel groups and mentoring hospitality leaders, the hesitation usually comes down to three things:
Lack of clarity: 'Where do I start?'
Overwhelm: 'How do I choose the right tools?'
Cultural resistance: 'Will this replace jobs?'
And here's the honest answer: if AI is done to your people, it will fail. But if it's done with them, it becomes a superpower.
That's why education is the real unlock. And that's where the industry needs to catch up—not in technology, but in mindset.
AI as a Team Member, Not a Threat
AI isn't just about efficiency—it's about empowerment.
When hospitality professionals understand how AI can support them (rather than replace them), something shifts. They start experimenting. They start applying it to the problems they face every day—guest complaints, slow responses, staffing gaps.
One hotel group I worked with reduced guest response time by 60%—not by replacing staff, but by giving their team an AI-powered assistant trained to speak in their brand voice. Another improved forecasting accuracy across properties by integrating AI into their reporting flows.
These aren't science fiction stories. They're the new standard for operational excellence.
From Curiosity to Confidence: What Comes Next
If you're a hotel owner, brand leader, or educator reading this, here's the takeaway: your teams don't need more hype. They need hands-on, hospitality-relevant guidance.
That means:
Training teams in how to use AI responsibly and practically
Building a culture where experimentation is safe and supported
Embedding AI literacy into leadership development programs
Learning from peers and sharing success stories openly
We recently hosted a live session with hospitality professionals across operations, HR, and tech on exactly this topic: 'The Secret to Loyal Hospitality Teams? AI + Magnetic Culture'
This Industry Was Built on Innovation. Let's Not Be Late to This One.
Hospitality has always been about responding to change—guest expectations, market conditions, technology shifts.
AI is not the end of that story. It's the next chapter.
But here's the thing: you don't have to go it alone. You don't have to be the expert. You just have to start—intentionally, responsibly, and with the right partners and mindset.
Because the future isn't waiting. And neither is your competition.
About the Author
Sannette Coetzee is the founder of Acolar AI, a boutique consultancy helping hospitality leaders adopt AI with clarity, confidence, and a people-first mindset. A former transformation leader at Visa and PayPal, she now serves as a fractional Chief AI Officer to hotel groups and teaches executive workshops on AI strategy, leadership, and innovation.
Sannette Coetzee
CEO of Acolar AI
Acolar AI
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