Hotel Owners the Driving Force Behind Tech Adoption

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for leaner hotel operations and enhanced tech features for both staff and guests.

Panelists in a session of the online Hotel Optimization Conference titled "Technology — Are You With IT?" said the brands used to drive tech investment decisions, but recently franchise owners are taking the lead.

Neal Patel, treasurer of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association and managing partner at Blue Chip Hotels, said that in response to COVID-19, hotels are implementing technologies that some hotel owners thought they'd never need.

"A lot of times, we were driven by the brands," he said. "The brands were telling us, 'You have to do this, you have to do that,' but now the hotel owners are taking initiative, because we know these are unprecedented times and we have to step up and get the guest confidence back."