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Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Using AI for a Personalized Approach to Elevate Hotel Services and Guest Loyalty

The hospitality industry is undergoing a powerful transformation, shaped by the rise of artificial intelligence and the growing demand for highly personalized guest experiences. According to a recent Boston Consulting Group survey, 80 percent of consumers worldwide now expect tailored interactions. This shift is not about replacing people with machines. It is about using technology to create smarter, more intuitive service that exceeds expectations, strengthens loyalty, and supports long-term business success.

Jason Bryant
By Jason Bryant, Vice President Strategic Growth Initiative, Oracle Hospitality
Development Pipeline

ibis Styles Dakar Opens as the Trendy New Address in the Heart of the Senegalese Capital

Dakar's hotel scene welcomes a playful new personality with the debut of ibis Styles Dakar, a boldly reimagined address that brings design-forward hospitality to the heart of Senegal's capital. Following the transformation of the former ibis address, this vibrant new destination redefines affordable stays with creative energy, unique interiors, and a spirit that invites guests to live freely and explore widely.

ibis Styles
Dakar, Senegal
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Shaping Tomorrow’s Hotel: Smart and Human-Centered Innovation at Caro Hotel

I believe the hospitality industry is standing at a pivotal moment, with both the opportunity and the responsibility to shape what comes next. This future will not be defined by technology alone but by the clarity of vision we bring as hoteliers and professionals. As innovation accelerates, it is our purpose, empathy, and intent that will determine whether these tools help us build a more resilient, human centered industry or simply add to the noise.

Juan Sánchez-Villar
By Juan Sánchez-Villar, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Caro Hotel
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From Guest Sentiment to Ecosystem Health: The KPIs That Will Shape Hospitality’s Future

If we want KPIs to reflect meaningful progress—not just numbers in a dashboard—we need to start at the top. That means rethinking how we incentivize leadership. Most hotel bonus structures are still tied exclusively to revenue. But what if hitting sustainability KPIs—like reducing waste, engaging local communities, or improving staff well-being—was also rewarded?

Amy Wald
View by Amy Wald, Founder and President, Greenluxe Inc.
Willy Legrand
By Willy Legrand
Expert Views (14)
Maribel Esparcia Pérez
Maribel Esparcia Pérez, COO, Honest Operations

Hotels have focused their attention on utility-related metrics. As a result, the measurement of hotel consumption data and KPIs feels like a tick-box exercise. However, when it comes to social metrics—such as well-being, employee retention, education, human rights, or the suppliers audited to ensure compliance with the company's code of conduct—these indicators are crucial.

Adam Maclennan
Adam Maclennan, Senior Managing Director, Head of UK & Ireland, PKF hospitality group

Share price and value are correlated to current and expected future profits, which can depend on decisions from governments with short term priorities who legislate for GDP growth as a solution to most of their problems. We should be pushing for a lasting global commitment to change the collective vision of success, and to accept that success shouldn't be measured in purely economic terms.

Melinda Ratkai
Melinda Ratkai, Dr. Professor of Hospitality Business, Hotelschool The Hague

What do KPIs, certificates, and ESG ratings have in common? They're all tools we use to measure impact and performance. But can one metric, or even one system, capture everything at once? Probably not. As we navigate ESG reporting, the challenge isn't just what to measure, but how much, how specifically, and how meaningfully.

View all Answers
Press Release General Management

Valor Hospitality Partners signs three deals in Namibia, expanding its continental footprint

Valor Hospitality Partners, a global leader in full-service hospitality solutions, today announced the signing of three new hotel management contracts in Namibia. This follows an announcement earlier this week of two new properties in West Africa that’s been added to its portfolio on the continent, signed at the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) in Cape Town this week.

Valor Hospitality
Namibia
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

How Ready Is Europe’s Hotel Industry for AI? Insights from a Multi-Country Survey

Talk to any hotel executive today and artificial intelligence is almost guaranteed to be part of the conversation. From predictive analytics to personalised guest messaging, AI is widely seen as the next frontier in hospitality innovation. But how far have we really come, and where is the line between aspiration and implementation? To answer that, we surveyed over 1,000 hotels across Europe. What we found was a mixed picture, one that reveals both strong belief in AI’s potential and the practical barriers still holding many hotels back.

Roland ScheggMichael Fux
By Roland Schegg and Michael Fux
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Why Hospitality Net Leads B2B in Hospitality

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Hospitality Net
Development Pipeline

IHG Strengthens Presence in West Africa with signing of Crowne Plaza Lagos Ikeja

IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world's leading hospitality companies, has announced the signing of Crowne Plaza Lagos Ikeja, a 119-rooms hotel scheduled to open in early 2028 under a franchise agreement with Watercress Hotel International Limited and to be operated by Valor Hospitality Partners, a global leader in integrated hotel management and operations solutions, and one of IHG's trusted partners. The signing represents a strategic milestone in IHG's expansion across the African continent and reinforces its commitment to strengthening its presence in key cities.

Crowne Plaza
Ikeja, Nigeria
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Next-gen Operational Intelligence = Operations + Business Intelligence + AI

Operational Intelligence in hospitality has come a long way. Business Intelligence platforms helped pave the path by giving property leaders visibility into key metrics through dashboards and web portals. But while these tools showed what was happening, they often stopped short of explaining why. That missing piece is now within reach. Thanks to recent advances in artificial intelligence, we are entering a new phase of Operational Intelligence. Property teams can now access real-time insights, uncover root causes, and take smarter actions to drive profitability and performance.

Matt Schwartz
By Matt Schwartz, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Sage
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Best Check-in? ¶No Check-in!

It’s 2025. You can fly across the Atlantic, binge watch a series at 30,000 feet, call a ride with a tap, and unlock your front door with your phone. But step into many hotels and suddenly it’s like the future hit pause at the front desk. The check-in process, still clunky, still manual, still weirdly sacred, somehow remains frozen in time. And the most ironic part? We keep calling it “hospitality.”

Dr. Andreas Krobath
By Dr. Andreas Krobath, Founder & CEO, Absolute Future IT & Marketing GmbH
Development Pipeline

IHG Hotels & Resorts to Bring Holiday Inn Brand to Senegal, Marking Strategic Expansion in West Africa

IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world's leading hospitality companies, has announced the signing of a franchise agreement with Senegindia SA to bring Holiday Inn SD City Dakar in Senegal. Scheduled to open in 2027, the 150-rooms hotel will mark an important step in IHG's growth strategy in West Africa. Valor Hospitality Partners, one of IHG's trusted hospitality partners, will manage the property, continuing their strong expansion in the region.

Holiday Inn
Dakar Region, Senegal
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Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Doing More With Less: The New Reality For Hotel Profitability

Labour shortages and global uncertainty are putting serious strain on hotel operations. Margins are tighter, expectations are higher, and operators are being asked to deliver more with fewer resources. In this environment, technology is no longer a nice to have. It is essential. From automation to integration, the right tools can help you streamline operations, improve the guest experience, and protect your bottom line. Here is a practical look at what to do and what to avoid when using tech to ease the pressure and run a smarter, more efficient property.

Sandrine Zechbauer
By Sandrine Zechbauer, Chief Marketing Officer, RMS
Development Pipeline

G Wellness Company Limited Partners with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to Launch the First Internationally Branded Hotel in Banjul, The Gambia

G Wellness Company Limited, a subsidiary of MP Trading Group, is proud to announce its strategic partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company, to debut the first internationally branded resort in Banjul, The Gambia, under the globally recognized Ramada by Wyndham brand.

Ramada by Wyndham
Banjul, Gambia
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Strategic Foresight: Getting Ahead in Hospitality Talent Tech

Thinking about technology in hospitality, I often reflect on how it used to feel like something separate, an add-on. Today it is woven into everything we do, especially in something as crucial as managing our talent. And with artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI tools, grabbing headlines, we are entering a new era in how we think about and handle our people strategies.

Georges El Hajal
By Georges El Hajal, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Consulting-Dō: The Way of the Ethical Consultant ¶(A Manifesto)

Believe it or not, this isn’t another late night monologue about AI sentience or the metaverse melting our brains. This one is about something simpler and, honestly, more urgent. It is about consulting, what it is, what it is not, and why it is time we stopped treating it like an Instagram filter for our careers. Somewhere between rooftop selfies and recycled slide decks, the core of this job got lost. So whether you are thinking of becoming a consultant or about to hire one, consider this your cheat sheet. No fluff, no pitch, just the truth.

Simone Puorto
By Simone Puorto, Head of Emerging Trends and Strategic Innovation, Hospitality Net
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

The Next Service Era: Hospitality Boosting Through Automation and Digitalization

Hospitality is undergoing a fundamental transformation - driven not only by digitalization and artificial intelligence, but by a new understanding of what human-centered service means in a tech-enabled world. Based on insights from the FutureHotel Innovation Network at Fraunhofer IAO, this article explores how hotels are shifting from standardized procedures toward more adaptive, emotionally intelligent service models. Automation is not replacing humans - it’s freeing them to do what they do best: create genuine, meaningful guest experiences. In this new era, technology doesn’t undermine hospitality’s human core; it enables its renaissance.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vanessa Borkmann
By Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vanessa Borkmann, Research Director and Head of the FutureHotel Innovation Network, Fraunhofer IAO
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Agentic AI – The Single Biggest Impact Of AI On Hospitality

Hospitality is on the edge of its next great transformation, and this time it is not mobile driving the change. It is AI. Just look at the numbers. In April 2025, ChatGPT recorded over five billion visits, while traffic to Google declined. This shift marks more than a trend. It signals a complete rethinking of how travel is researched, planned, and booked. And at the center of it all is Agentic AI, the technology that may soon redefine the entire guest journey, from inspiration to reservation.

Max Starkov
By Max Starkov, Hospitality & travel technologist and digital strategist, Hospitality Net
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

The United Nations of Hotel Tech (A Cautionary Tale in Three Acts)

Let’s be honest. Hotel tech is a mess. Not a quirky, fix-it-with-duct-tape mess, but a full-on, integration-induced identity crisis. Every time a vendor tries to connect to a PMS, a developer cries. The industry has spent years chasing standards, frameworks, and white papers, only to end up with a Frankenstein stack of systems that barely speak to each other. And for what? So we can proudly say we built a digital house of cards that collapses the moment someone updates an API?

Ira Vouk
By Ira Vouk, Hospitality Tech and AI Consultant, Hospitality 2.0 Consulting
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Why the Future of Hospitality Excellence Will Be Defined by Digital

Luxury in hospitality is no longer defined by marble floors or high thread count sheets. It is measured by how seamlessly your digital ecosystem meets guest expectations. The modern traveler is not impressed by a fruit basket or a bathroom phone. They are looking for instant connectivity, intuitive digital touchpoints, and a smooth journey from booking to check out. In this new era, your hotel’s ability to deliver digitally is not a bonus. It is the baseline.

Terence Ronson
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited