The author argues AI won't replace core hotel systems but will transform the analytics layer, eliminate spreadsheet workarounds, and let hotels use AI agents to build custom workflows without waiting on vendors.
Touchstone 1 will showcase Wi-Fi, guestroom entertainment, its FUSION Gateway platform, and security camera solutions at Booth 2421 during HITEC North America 2026 in San Antonio, June 15-18.
Mirko Lalli warns that 80% of AI travel suggestions come from OTAs, leaving most hotels invisible, and argues that 70% of the fix is content strategy, not technology.
UrVenue will exhibit its experience commerce platform at HITEC San Antonio (June 16-18, Booth #538), showcasing tools to manage and monetize non-room inventory and previewing its AI and Model Context Protocol strategy.
Agilysys will lead three sessions at HITEC 2026 in San Antonio covering AI-driven personalization, resort experience merchandising, and data-connected workforce strategy.
TMG's AI Signal Report identifies the top traveler questions asked to AI search engines about a hotel, traces the sources influencing those answers, and offers actionable guidance to improve AI-era digital visibility.
Shiji and FreedomPay are combining Infrasys POS and Astral Payments into a single Android-based mobile device, letting hotel F&B staff handle ordering and payment in one workflow without switching systems.
The author proposes Token Cost Per Guest (TCPG) as a standard metric for hospitality AI spend, drawing parallels with healthcare to argue that metered, per-unit AI cost tracking is essential across all industries.
Bold prediction: The PMS isn't going anywhere by 2030 — but it will look nothing like it does today. It becomes the heart of the hotel, connecting and coordinating most AI tools, agents and decisions running across the property.
The death of the PMS was mooted back in 2014 when I joined hospitality from airlines. 14 years later, we still have PMSes. Their primary all-in-one functions were:- Handle check-in/out- Manage room key cutting- Take payments- Set up the hotel room inventory and types- Assign a price per room- Link to selling channels like OTAs- Manage housekeeping- Manage facilities management/maintenance- Handle on-site eventsSeparate RMSes now do pricing and push rates to PMSes.
The Enterprise PMS will still be around in 2030. Every hotel needs a system of record to manage reservations, inventory, rates, guest profiles, financial transactions, and operational controls. AI doesn't remove that requirement.
The piece argues hotels deploy visible AI features without redesigning underlying operations, creating "AI Theatre" that impresses owners but fails to improve business metrics.
Otelier will demo TruePlan at HITEC 2026 in San Antonio, highlighting new features including Critique, a workflow for contextualizing variances and forecast changes across hotel portfolios.
HSMAI Europe's newly launched AI Advisory Board, chaired by TrustYou's Ben Jost, will produce white papers, case studies and education content covering AI content strategy, direct channels and hotel tech architecture.
Two hospitality tech experts break down why PMS selection is now driven by API openness and integration ecosystems, with practical guidance for independents and multi-property operators.
A Shiji Insights Podcast conversation with Cendyn's Head of Solutions Engineering examines how the PMS is evolving from a transactional platform into the execution layer for guest intelligence and personalization.
Positron Access Solutions announced expanded capacity for its Virtuoso PRO EMS and two new tools, Prelude and Overture, to streamline site surveys and installations for hotel Wi-Fi and IPTV deployments over existing coax infrastructure.
RobosizeME deployed AI-enabled automation for a global hotel loyalty program, cutting point update times from 3-4 days to under 24 hours across thousands of properties and millions of members.
h2c's global AI benchmarking study is open for hotel groups to participate via interview or survey, with a deadline extended to 14 July 2026.
The author introduces TCPG (Token Cost Per Guest) as a discipline for hotel operators to meter AI spending, arguing most deployments fail because costs are invisible inside bundled platform contracts.
TRAVHOTECH's HumAIn Framework proposes a four-layer AI architecture for hospitality, separating data infrastructure, software automation, physical robotics, and human strategic oversight.
Lighthouse's Ernest connects frontier AI models to hotel-specific data, systems, and workflows, offering commercial teams intelligence, recommendations, and automated actions across 500+ hospitality platform integrations.