April 21

The Return of the “Lobby Boy” — Reimagined for 2031

Porto proposes the HXO role to blend human touch with AI automation, preserving emotional connection in increasingly tech-driven hotels.

By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited

The Return of the “Lobby Boy” — Reimagined for 2031

Photo by Pertlink Limited

In a recent podcast, “The Future Will Be AI-Driven. So What Really Matters?”, techno-philosopher Simone Porto revisits the “Lobby Boy” from The Grand Budapest Hotel — an ever-present yet invisible figure anticipating every guest’s need.

As AI takes hold across hospitality, the role evolves.

By 2031, we will introduce the HXO — Experience Orchestrator: a human layer designed to restore what automation removes. While AI drives efficiency, the HXO delivers nuance, emotion, and meaning — the personality behind the property.

In a frictionless world, presence becomes the differentiator.

The Lobby Boy didn’t disappear.
He evolved.

Technology Human Resources Operations & Strategy Artificial Intelligence Guest Experience Human Resources Hotel Operations