We had the pleasure of being invited to speak at the Digital Hospitality Forum in Rome this week, and it was an incredible experience. Special thanks to Giancarlo De Leonardo for organizing the event.
The forum brought together some of the brightest minds and entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tech industries, all focused on a critical question: how is AI reshaping the hospitality landscape?
During our speech, we explored the exciting potential of emerging technologies in the sector, and how hotels can navigate the fear of job displacement due to automation in revenue management.
Here is our vision of the biggest disruptions we expect to see in hotels in the next 5-10 years:
Hyper-personalization is the future: Imagine hotels crafting unique experiences for each guest, not just segments. AI can analyse vast amounts of guest data to identify individual preferences and real-time needs, allowing hotels to tailor offerings and services for significant conversion boosts. However, operational flexibility and staff trained to deliver personalized service alongside technology are crucial for success. Data privacy and technology investments will also hurdles to address. But when done right, hyper-personalization, coupled with the irreplaceable human touch, has the potential to create guest experiences so memorable they will drive loyalty and propel business growth.
The rise of AI-powered booking channels: As Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, along with AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini become more sophisticated, guests may become increasingly comfortable trusting them to handle the booking process entirely. This means hotels will need to find innovative ways to grab the attention of these AI "booking agents." High-quality photos and descriptions that highlight cultural tours, exceptional dining options, or unforgettable spa treatments will be key. The focus needs to shift from functionality to the experiential value a hotel offers.
Subscription-based Revenue Management as a Service (RMaaS) takes centre stage: With AI taking over the tedious data processing tasks, human revenue managers can finally focus on strategic thinking and crafting winning revenue plans. This shift opens the door for RMaaS as it offers access to expert guidance on a flexible, subscription basis, giving hotels access to a wider talent pool with specialized knowledge that might not be readily available locally.
The future revenue manager skillset: Revenue managers will need to act as translators between AI's data analysis and actionable strategies, while also staying fluent in the latest revenue management technology. Adaptability and a broad knowledge base will be essential to navigate the changing hospitality landscape, requiring strong communication skills to explain complex strategies and creativity to solve problems and explore new revenue opportunities.
The future of hospitality is bright for those who embrace AI and human collaboration.
𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄 | 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐙𝐀 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐄 | 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐙𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄
Grazie a tutti gli esperti digital e i professionisti dell'Ho.Re.Ca per aver preso parte alla seconda edizione del #DigitalHospitalityForum.
𝐋'𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥'𝐀𝐈 𝐞̀ 𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐢 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐚, siamo pronti a cogliere tutte le opportunità e a vivere a pieno questa nuova rivoluzione.
Un'avvertenza a chi sta sottovalutando questa novità epocale, 𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐝𝐢 𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨: questo è il momento, perchè nulla sarà più come prima.
Resta aggiornato. 𝐍𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨.