Artificial intelligence is dominating conversations across hospitality. From chatbots to digital concierges, the industry is exploring how AI can improve guest experiences and drive operational efficiencies.
But the biggest opportunity isn't AI itself.
It's creating the connected guest journeys, trusted data and frictionless buying experiences that allow AI to deliver meaningful commercial value.
Having spent over a decade working with some of the UK's largest supermarkets and online retailers before joining hospitality, the parallels are striking. Once you've invested in getting a customer through the door, the priority becomes maximising the value of that opportunity.
Retailers have spent the last 20 years investing in data and technology to create personalised shopping experiences that deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time. Hotels are now reaching that same point.
With rooms typically accounting for around 50–60% of revenue, maximising every other sales opportunity is no longer optional.
Remove friction, unlock revenue
One of the biggest barriers to growth isn't a lack of experiences, it's how those experiences are presented.
Guests may book a room online but never discover the spa, restaurant or activities because those systems operate independently or aren't presented as part of one connected journey. Missing imagery, incomplete descriptions and disconnected booking systems all create unnecessary friction that reduces conversion.
Hotels don't need to invent new experiences. Most already have restaurants, spas, wellness facilities, golf and activities that guests value. The opportunity lies in merchandising them more effectively, allowing guests to discover, book and pay for everything they need in one seamless journey.
AI is only as good as the data behind it
Personalisation starts with well-organised, high-quality data.
Great data, powerful analytics and sophisticated technology only create value when they're in the hands of the people and systems that can act on them. Marketing teams need to interrogate data to build and optimise campaigns, websites should respond dynamically to guest behaviour, and AI agents should be able to surface insights instantly wherever hotel teams are working.
The same applies to understanding guests.
Hotels need to move beyond booking data to behavioural insight - understanding not just what guests booked, but how they experienced their stay. Did they dine in the restaurant? Visit the spa? Book activities? Return six months later?
When those touchpoints are connected, hotels can understand lifetime value, personalise future communications and make better commercial decisions.
