Post-crises, only those hoteliers will succeed who a) understand that we are dealing with exceedingly tech-savvy customers who are even more tech-demanding compared to just a year ago - the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation by as much as 7 years (McKinsey), and b) invest in technology to ensure contactless guest experience and improve operational efficiencies via automation, AI, IoT and robotization to lower labor costs, now consuming as much as 87% of RevPAR (CBRE).

One clear result of the coronavirus pandemic is an accelerated shift of consumer behaviour towards mobile-first experiences. This shift began years ago with the release of mobile email and phone technology that came with ubiquitous internet access.

Introducing FETCH My Order (FETCH) - the seamless and safe way to order food in quarantine. With new rules now in place, travellers who arrive in England from countries at high risk from new coronavirus variants will be forced to quarantine in hotels, meaning safety for staff and occupants has never been more vital.

My top 5: 1). Session specific: As these will be online, make the sessions very specific. So not “what will be the future of hotel wireless infrastructure” but “what will WIFI 6 mean for your hotel guests and the three things you need to know”.

I am a firm believer that hoteliers should stay focused on their core competencies to prosper in today's complex, hyper-dynamic environment. Unfortunately, technology is not and has never been one of hotelier's core competencies.

A great question to pose and one that I will take a slightly different view on. Yes, it is obvious that Google is moving deeper into the travel space, but let's not forget their track record of monetizing consumer-led products and services is not exactly stellar.