Only 10% of Hotels Use AI Structurally, Risk Becoming 'Sleeping Utilities'

Hotels Risk Becoming 'Sleeping Utilities' for Tech Giants

Hotelschool The Hague research shows only 10% of Dutch hotels use AI structurally, warning the industry risks becoming sleeping utilities for tech giants. The AI Power Gap study reveals hotels lag dangerously behind in adopting the technologies that will determine future distribution and guest relationships.

The research positions this as an existential threat rather than an operational efficiency question. If hotels don't control AI touchpoints with guests, tech platforms will insert themselves permanently into the relationship, reducing properties to commodity inventory providers. The 90% not using AI structurally face irrelevance as travelers increasingly interact with AI agents that control booking decisions. Read the research →

The Regenerative Question: Why 40 Years of Sustainability Failed

Dr. Willy Legrand discusses why 40 years of sustainability frameworks have failed to prevent environmental decline and explores regenerative tourism as a transformative alternative. The conversation examines whether tourism can shift from damage reduction to actively strengthening ecosystems and communities.

The regenerative framework challenges fundamental assumptions about tourism's purpose. Sustainability aims to minimize harm. Regenerative tourism asks whether the industry can become a net positive force that restores natural and social systems. The distinction matters because incremental sustainability improvements won't reverse the decline sustainability was meant to prevent. Read the interview →

Hotels Waste Marketing Chasing Demand, Not Creating It

Hotels waste marketing spend chasing demand instead of creating it, allowing OTAs and intermediaries to control traveler decisions from the start. The analysis argues that hotels focus on converting existing search traffic rather than shaping why people travel and where they choose to stay.

The distinction between chasing and creating demand determines who controls distribution. OTAs invest in creating demand through inspiration and planning tools. Hotels optimize for conversion after travelers have already decided. This cedes strategic advantage to whoever shapes initial consideration, leaving hotels competing on price for demand others created. Read the analysis →

Demand-Based Pricing Comes to Meetings and Events

VenueSuite introduced demand-based pricing for meetings and events, applying room revenue management logic to meeting spaces. Early results show increased bookings on lower-demand dates as dynamic pricing shifts utilization patterns similar to how room pricing optimizes occupancy.

The approach treats meeting space as perishable inventory requiring the same revenue optimization as guest rooms. Hotels traditionally price meeting space with fixed rates and discounts negotiated case-by-case. Dynamic pricing automates rate adjustments based on demand signals, capturing higher rates during peak periods while filling shoulder dates with lower rates that still exceed leaving space empty. Read the interview →

Signals

Rosewood launched global parental leave. The hotel group introduced 16-week fully paid gender-neutral parental leave for associates worldwide, taking effect January 2026 and supplementing local benefits where they fall short of the global minimum.

Hotels rethink traditional cable TV. Properties are moving away from aging cable infrastructure toward hospitality-grade streaming platforms that combine live TV with familiar streaming interfaces, reflecting changing guest expectations.

Australian optimism drives hiring. The 2025 Australia Accommodation Barometer surveyed 250 executives, revealing 64% rate past performance as good with plans to hire an average of 7.4 employees per property, signaling growth confidence.