Today I talk with Florian Montag, the CEO of HotelHero, a platform that helps hotels to buy new tech. He’s also one of the creators of the Smack podcast, where they interview other leaders in the hospitality industry. HotelHero came to life because of a need for hotels to find tech that works for them.It’s still a very current problem. There’s been a very recent shift from on-premise tech to tech that is cloud-based. Where vendors needed to be local in-order to serve their customers' needs, they no longer need to be. They can now use 30+ apps, from guest experience to marketing, but they need help locating the most effective options.Hoteliers will seek changes to their tech stack in order to stay competitive in the industry or address any operational issues they are facing. These could be staff-related, guest-related, or may help them to reduce their costs. If tech offers an opportunity for increased revenue, then hotels are looking to jump on board. Florian breaks down how tech companies can stand out and get in front of hoteliers who are seeking new tech.In this episode we talk about:- Why hotels struggle to find new tech- What makes hotels want to change their tech stack- How tech companies can stand out to hotels Timestamps:0:30 – An intro to Florian, HotelHero and Smack4:35 – Choosing authorities to interview6:00 – How COVID has impacted the podcast/content11:00 – Why do hotels struggle to find new tech?13:53 – What drives hotels to want to change their tech stack?16:00 – What should tech companies do to stand out to hotels?19:50 – The HotelHero index24:00 – Are hotels buying more tech because of COVID?27:05 – Effective tech strategies30:30 – New tech tools that are taking off during COVID Connect with Florian Montag on LinkedIn, or via the chat on HotelHero.tech. Also, tune into his podcast, Smack, for all things hospitality tech.