🏎️ Hotel CEO: "Automate or Fall Behind"

Tired of juggling spreadsheets and disconnected systems? Inn‑Flow brings every back-office function—accounting, labor, payroll, procurement, and BI—into one seamless platform built for hotel teams. It’s everything you need to run smarter, faster, and more profitably.

Used by Hilton, Marriott & Radisson portfolios—with results like 20% lower labor costs and 2x faster accounting.

👉 See how Inn‑Flow helps hotel teams save time and drive profit.

The standout theme at HITEC 2025 wasn’t louder tech—it was smarter integration. AI-driven tools are automating rate strategies, speeding up sales proposals, and transforming back-office workflows, all with minimal training or friction. Real innovation this year came from behind-the-scenes systems that streamline operations and quietly boost guest satisfaction and revenue.

🎯 Why it matters: This marks a turning point in hotel tech, moving from flashy demos to embedded intelligence that enhances day-to-day performance. Hotels are aligning departments—sales, marketing, operations—around unified systems that are faster, more prescriptive, and less manual.

🔑 Key takeaway: Owners and operators need to shift focus from buying “more tech” to adopting interoperable tools that reduce workload and directly improve revenue, guest experience, and staff efficiency. The competitive edge now comes from speed (AI-powered sales proposals in minutes), clarity (real-time, prescriptive pricing tools), and cohesion (unified messaging and automation across teams). Read More →

According to EY’s 2025 Loyalty Market Study, 92% of consumers are in at least one loyalty program, but emotional connection is lacking—only 20% feel deeply engaged. For hotels, that’s a red flag. While half of customers use loyalty apps weekly, younger guests expect both in-app alerts and seamless in-person recognition, while older guests stay loyal to a few brands primarily for discounts.

🎯 Why it matters: Hotel loyalty is now table stakes, not a differentiator. Guests increasingly expect mobile-first convenience paired with hyper-personalized offers, like birthday perks or gamified rewards. Brands that fail to stand out risk becoming forgettable amid dozens of programs guests already juggle.

🔑 Key takeaway: Hotel operators should invest in UX upgrades and rethink reward relevance by guest segment. Updating mobile apps with real-time point tracking and curated offers isn’t optional—it’s how you stay on the homescreen. Loyalty isn’t just about points; it’s about recognition and relevance, especially if you're chasing younger, high-frequency travelers. Read More →

At the 2025 NYU Hospitality Investment Forum, hotel executives emphasized the need to control costs and drive demand through tech, labor strategy, and stronger alignment between owners and operators. Remington Hospitality and Apple REIT highlighted cost mitigation through planning and performance-based management incentives, while PM Hotel Group pushed for replacing contract labor with apps for repetitive tasks.

🎯 Why it matters: With labor, insurance, and utility costs squeezing margins, and profits lagging revenue growth, cost control has become top priority. Operators are using structured mitigation plans, performance-based management contracts, and mobile check-in or opt-out housekeeping tools to slash unnecessary labor and overhead. Aligning ownership and management incentives strengthens execution at the property level.

🔑 Key takeaway: Treat cost discipline like a strategic initiative. Hoteliers should: use tech to automate repetitive tasks and reduce labor; implement staged “war‑room” planning for expense controls; and structure owner‑operator agreements that tie fees to performance and satisfaction. Those who synchronize incentives and invest in targeted tech will be best positioned to protect profitability through uncertain times. Read More →

✅ Inn-flow: Simplify hotel financial management with user-friendly software.

✅ Actabl: Turn powerful BI data into actionable insights that maximize profits.

✅ FLYR: Better data analysis for more profitable decision-making.

✅ Otelier: Automate financial data integration for real-time business insights.

✅ ROH: Automate sales and finance to save time and capture more revenue.

✅ Omniboost: Automate financial data integration for real-time business insights.

📲 Resorts World Las Vegas is the first hotel to add room keys to Apple Wallet with no app download needed.

🏨 Canary Technologies raises $80M to scale AI tools following recent partnerships with brands like Wyndham and Best Western. Read more

📺 Marriott launches Marriott Media, a traveler-focused ad network leveraging loyalty and booking data.

🧠 Expedia, Accor CEOs say AI will transform travel from trip planning to on-property experiences.

📱 G6 Hospitality revamps My6 app, improving mobile booking and loyalty features while increasing direct bookings by 14%.

🔑 New study shows 70% of travelers prefer self check-in, signaling growing demand for contactless tech in hotels.

🚗 Coco Robotics raises $80M to grow its autonomous delivery fleet, targeting hotel and resort logistics.

⚡ Marriott, Highgate process 1.2M AI-powered room assignments per second, cutting costs and improving personalization.

🧭 Tripadvisor pivots toward media and planning tools, betting big on travel inspiration and AI.

💼 NYT: AI won’t kill hospitality jobs, but it’s reshaping how hotels hire and train staff.

🤖 AI tools are enhancing, not replacing, human hospitality by streamlining routine tasks and improving personalization.

📈 DoorDash acquires Symbiosys for $175M to deepen in-house ad tech and travel retail reach.

⚖️ European hoteliers from over 25 countries sue Booking.com for billions, alleging anti-competitive commission structures.

⛺ Castle Peak expands Trailborn brand with $315M fundraise, combining design-forward lodging with outdoor experiences.

What if embracing digital transformation could unlock new revenue streams for your hotel? In this episode, Jason Jackson, Vice President of Operational Strategy and Integration at Schulte Hospitality, reveals how innovative technology is reshaping the hospitality landscape.

Key Takeaways:

👉🏼 Check out the interview on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Want to advertise with us?

💌 Sponsor this newsletter (here) or a dedicated eblast (here) to our 100k subscribers

👀  Run a site takeover campaign (here) to drive downloads of your lead magnet

⭐️ Become a premium member, join the best companies in the industry (here)

🎯 Set up a PPC campaign to drive high-intent traffic from our homepage and category pages straight to your website in under 3-minutes (here)