AIHA 2026 Member Survey Report
Survey of 100 AIHA members finds hoteliers prioritize practical AI guidance, shared standards, and benchmarking over generic AI commentary, with 78% citing trend leadership as their top engagement driver.
News
RobosizeME’s Sean Anderson: why not all hotel automation should be AI
RobosizeME CRO Sean Anderson explains why the company uses RPA over AI for defined hotel workflows, citing cost, reliability, and compliance as key factors over AI-first approaches.
The Back Hallway
A 23-year-old accountant uncovered $1.4M in vendor fraud at a midsize hotel, exposing how weak purchasing and receiving controls enabled a 12-year scheme by a trusted chief engineer.
By David Lund, The Hotel Financial Coach, David Lund
The Layer That Owns the Guest
A strategic analysis of why AI value in hospitality lies in the application layer around the PMS, not the underlying model, as Microsoft, Amazon, OpenAI, and Anthropic all launch major deployment units.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
Cultural Relevance in Marketing
A Conrad New York Downtown executive outlines how hotels can use destination storytelling, co-created itineraries, multilingual content, and local partnerships to build cultural relevance into their marketing.
Azuma Brand Launch Signals Larger Hotel Category Trends
Adrian Zecha's Azuma Farm Koiwai launch is used as a lens to examine the 50-year structural rise of agriluxury, driven by guest demand for calm and simplicity in an overstimulated world.
By Adam Mogelonsky and Larry Mogelonsky
Hospitality's real question isn't legal. It's cultural.
A CDR World Panel opinion piece argues hospitality leaders must deliberately build cultures that elevate human potential as AI absorbs transactional tasks, citing IKEA's reskilling model as a benchmark.
By Colin Kingsmill and Christina Reti
AI Referral Traffic to Hotel Websites Surged 50%+, Fake AI Infographics Are Distorting Hotel Tech Decisions, U.S. RevPAR Climbed 9.6% on World Cup Demand
Friday closed a strong week with Lighthouse data showing AI referral traffic to hotel websites surging more than 50% after ChatGPT expanded outbound links, a pointed warning that AI-generated hotel tech market maps are distorting purchasing decisions, and CoStar weekly data showing U.S. RevPAR up 9.6% driven by FIFA World Cup demand in Miami and San Francisco. Two HITEC floor conversations with Shiji and Cendyn and a string of Asia Pacific pipeline signings rounded out the session.
Shiji's Natalie Kimball: hotels can't outspend OTAs on AI, but they can still win on experience
We didn't go to HITEC 2026 for the demos. We went for the conversations. We sat down with exhibitors right there on the show floor. No script, no prepared questions, just one starting point: tell us what you do, in plain language. This is where it went with Natalie Kimball, VP of Strategic Account Management for Horizon Distribution and Iceportal Content at Shiji.
Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo: How Heritage Hotels Transform Place into Luxury Value
Using Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo as a case study, the piece argues that heritage hotels compete not on amenities alone but on their ability to turn history, location, and culture into a distinctive, irreplicable guest identity.
We need to talk about fake infographics
AI-generated hotel tech market maps look convincing but contain serious errors, and as presentation quality improves, distinguishing confidence from correctness becomes harder.
By Martin Soler, Partner, Soler & Associates
Keeping an authentic voice when AI can’t read the room
Aparium Hotel Group's SVP of Brand and Marketing argues emotional connection and "reading the room" remain irreplaceable by AI, sharing how lifestyle hotels build authentic, neighborhood-rooted guest experiences.
Karen Stephens, Chief Marketing Officer, Revinate, Inc.
The numbers behind AI's rise as a booking channel for independent hotels
Lighthouse data shows AI referral traffic to hotel websites surged over 50% in weeks after ChatGPT expanded outbound links, with independent hotels best positioned to capture commission-free direct bookings.
By Femke Nollet, Content Specialist, Lighthouse
U.S. hotel results for week ending 27 June
U.S. hotel ADR rose 9.2% and RevPAR climbed 9.6% for the week of 21-27 June 2026, with Miami and San Francisco seeing outsized gains driven by FIFA World Cup matches.
How Hilton Garden Inn Cancun Airport Uses Technology to Personalize the Guest Experience
Hilton Garden Inn Cancun Airport GM Cecilia Betancourt shares how PMS platforms, digital check-in, and connected systems help hotels personalize service without replacing human connection.
What I Saw at HITEC 2026 That Nobody Else Is Talking About
The author argues that HITEC 2026 overlooked a key market gap: back-office AI that reduces overhead and drives margins, while vendors focused almost entirely on guest-facing tools.
Cendyn wants hotels to get ahead of "OTA 2.0"
We didn't go to HITEC 2026 for the demos. We went for the conversations. We sat down with exhibitors right there on the show floor. No script, no prepared questions, just one starting point: tell us what you do, in plain language. This is where it went with Cendyn's CEO Michael Bennett, Chief Marketing Officer Nicki Graham, and EVP of Product Kevin Duncan.
196+ forum Munich: Launch of the Hospitality UPGRADE Award 2026 – Spotlight on the Best Start-ups
The 196+ forum Munich and Hospitality Pioneers launch the 10th Hospitality UPGRADE Award, seeking European start-ups with smart, sustainable hotel solutions, with finals at Hotel Bayerischer Hof on October 7.
How Young Leaders Connect, Grow, and Lead Through HSMAI Europe
HSMAI Europe's Rising Leaders Council and Connecting Future Leaders program offer hospitality professionals aged 35 and under structured pathways to network, develop, and shape the industry across multiple European markets.
The Readiness Gap: Why Hospitality Graduates are Falling at The Final Hurdle
New Regent's University London research finds 80% of hospitality recruiters pass over graduates for lacking work readiness, with soft skills and practical experience cited as the critical gaps.
By Adam Frost, Director of Programme Luxury Hospitality Management, Regent's University London