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Hotel Yearbook Articles

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
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
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
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
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
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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
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Technology Edition

Wellness Experience Data as a Goldmine for Real Hospitality

It’s easy to think wellness is just another bolt-on, like bath salts or green juice in the minibar. But the truth is, wellness isn’t just a trend. It’s a trillion-dollar shift in how people travel, spend, and stay. And if you are in hospitality, it’s your business to care. Not just in the fluffy “feel good” sense, but in a data-driven, revenue-boosting, loyalty-building kind of way. Because when guests start choosing hotels based on how they feel after check-out, you will want to be the one showing them measurable results.

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
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Hotel Yearbook Article HYB 2025 Sustainability Tech Edition

Sustainable Tech: Pioneering Green Hotel Buildings and Operations

Just coming out of the hottest year on record, the hospitality industry is at a pivotal moment in its sustainability journey. With global climate targets, shifting consumer expectations, and increased regulatory pressure, hotels must accelerate their transition toward greener buildings and operations. 

Inge Huijbrechts
By Inge Huijbrechts, Chief Sustainability and Security Officer, Radisson Hotel Group
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Annual Edition

Top 10 Trends Shaping In-Room Guest Communication in 2025

As we step into 2025, the landscape of in-room guest communication is evolving as rapidly as ever, driven by technological innovations like AI and shifting guest expectations. Hotels are redefining how they connect with their guests, putting more effort into creating a more personalized, engaging, and sustainable guest experience. Here are 10 trends we believe will play a major role in shaping the future of in-room guest communication.

Dilara Develi
By Dilara Develi, Marketing Manager, SuitePad GmbH
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2025 - Annual Edition

Top 10 Hospitality Trends: What Shaped 2024 and What To Expect in¶2025

The beginning of a new year always presents the perfect opportunity to debate which trends faded and which came to fruition over the course of the past year, while looking ahead to identify new ones that are underfoot. This reflection is all the more relevant given that the hospitality industry is highly dynamic, as it swiftly adapts to shifting consumer trends, technological advances and socio-economic changes.

Dr Jean-Philippe WeisskopfPhilippe Masset
By Dr Jean-Philippe Weisskopf and Philippe Masset
Hotel Yearbook Article HYB 2025 Sustainability Tech Edition

A Vision for Hospitality Business Schools: Bridging Technology and Tradition

Hospitality Business Schools’ long tradition in operational excellence and service quality is no longer sufficient to navigate the future of technology-enabled hospitality. While Hospitality Schools successfully trained generations of professionals in living the human-centric nature of hospitality, the industry faces a rapid digital transformation. This transformation creates a unique opportunity for Hospitality Schools to serve as a bridge between the innovative potential of emerging technologies and the deeply rooted social fabric and human touch of personalized hospitality. With a vision to become innovation hubs, Hospitality Business Schools can become crucial players in maneuvering the hospitality sector in a tech-enabled, human-centric era.

Alexander Lennart Schmidt
By Alexander Lennart Schmidt, Professor of Technological Innovation, Hotelschool The Hague