The Digital Race Reshaping Hospitality: Insights from Ulrich Pillau, Co-Founder & CEO of Apaleo
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Ulrich Pillau, Co-Founder and CEO of Apaleo, joins host Jessica Gillingham to explore how digital acceleration, AI integration, and platform openness are redefining what it means to operate in the hospitality space — and why legacy thinking may be the industry’s biggest risk.
Apaleo, the open, API-first property management platform based in Munich, is positioning itself as a core enabler of the next generation of hotel operations. Its platform allows operators and developers to move fast, connect systems, and integrate new technologies — from AI agents to hybrid hospitality models — without waiting for slow vendor timelines or patchwork solutions.
Uli shares how the market is undergoing what Jessica calls a “two-player race”: legacy brands running on decades-old tech versus fast-moving operators building modular, mobile-first stacks from the ground up. The difference? Agility, guest experience, and operational efficiency — especially as AI moves from concept to core.
The conversation dives into:
- Why hospitality’s real tech transformation isn’t about tools — it’s about leadership mindset.
- How digital-first operators are already automating check-in, payments, and back-office workflows for better guest satisfaction and fewer staff touchpoints.
- Why younger travelers increasingly trust AI agents like ChatGPT for travel planning — and what that means for discovery and direct bookings.
- The rise of hybrid hospitality models that blend hotels, co-living, serviced apartments, and even luxury nature cabins — and the tech flexibility required to support them.
- What legacy brands must do to avoid being left behind — and why openness, not just innovation, is the real differentiator.
- How Apaleo is enabling AI-powered, staffless hotels — and why Uli believes we’ll see fully agent-operated properties emerge as early as 2026.
Uli also reflects on the pressures legacy brands face as market dynamics shift — especially in the midscale and economy segments, where operational efficiency is no longer optional. While luxury hotels will always attract premium guests, the rest of the sector must move fast or face consolidation.
As Uli sees it, the future belongs to open systems, interoperable tech, and collaborative developer ecosystems — not locked-in vendors and static platforms. Through Apaleo, he’s betting on a future where hotels can plug in what they need, remove what they don’t, and respond to guest needs in real time, at scale.
Meet the host of Pillow Talk Sessions
Jessica Gillingham is the Founder and CEO of Abode Worldwide, a strategic public relations agency dedicated to elevating the profile of transformative technology solutions in global hospitality, lodging, and rental living. An established industry thought leader, Jessica is a frequent conference speaker and author of Tech-Enabled Hospitality, a new book exploring the innovations shaping the sector.
🎧 Listen to the full episode to hear how Ulrich Pillau and Apaleo are building the infrastructure for AI-powered, digitally native hospitality — where agility, openness, and guest focus aren’t just features. They’re the future.
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Jessica Gillingham
Founder and CEO, Abode Worldwide
Abode Worldwide
