English author Douglas Adams, famous for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (and contributing to a Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch), was a technology enthusiast. In a (very contemporary, even to this day) essay titled "How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Internet," published in The Sunday Times in 1999, Adams proposed rules for our relationship with technology. According to him, anything that exists when you're born is normal, anything invented between the ages of 15 and 35 is exciting and innovative, and anything invented after 35 is unnatural.

In our industry, the average age of a hotel general manager is 44 years old, so, for most of us, new technologies often seem unnatural. However, it's crucial to maintain an open mindset regarding tech, as we never know who will be the VHS or the Betamax of hospitality...

What is your prediction?

Adam Mogelonsky
Adam Mogelonsky
Partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd.
Dave Berkus
Dave Berkus
Managing Partner at Wayfare Ventures LLC

Hey! I'm 82.  It's all in the mind.  At any age, it takes 10% of a person's time to keep up with, and become comfortable with new technology.  

Martin Soler
Martin Soler
Partner at Soler & Associates

I don't think there will be a revolution. But I think the biggest shift will be operational and back of house. Easier payments, easier check-in, easier invoice management, more optimized housekeeping and internal efficiencies. Replacing a lot of mundane human tasks. Smart hotels will convert that to more staff available for better service. Not so smart hotels will convert that to cost cutting and reduced service thus competing squarely with rentals but for less space. There is a chance to use tech to democratize luxury service down to the mid-level hotels. Empowered with AI tools, staff will be able to help guests in a whole new level.

Max Starkov
Max Starkov
Hospitality & Online Travel Tech Consultant
Michael Toedt
Michael Toedt
CEO and Founder, dailypoint
Mark Fancourt
Mark Fancourt
Co-Founder at TRAVHOTECH
Laura Calin
Laura Calin
VP, Strategy and Solutions Management at Oracle Hospitality
Stanislav  Ivanov
Stanislav Ivanov
Founder and Editor-in-chief of ROBONOMICS: The Journal of the Automated Economy
Juanjo  Rodriguez
Juanjo Rodriguez
Founder, The Hotels Network
Simone Puorto
Simone Puorto
Founder | CEO | Futurist
Uli Pillau
Uli Pillau
Founder and CEO of apaleo

Related article by Uli Pillau

Tristan Gadsby
Tristan Gadsby
CEO and founder, Alliants

Related article by Tristan Gadsby

Nicole Dehler
Nicole Dehler
Vice President of Product Management at StayNTouch
Prince  Thampi
Prince Thampi
Founder & CEO, Hudini

In my view, it will be a series of technologies that will drive innovation in the hospitality industry in 2023. I think the biggest change that we will see in hotels that’s technology driven, will be the disappearance of the check-in desk. I say technologies here as opposed to technology, as this requires the hospitality tech stack to be open and interoperable, delivered over a choice of channels, and deployed with the right security and infrastructure considerations to ensure a fast and secure experience for travellers. The hotel check-in and check-out process has for (too) long been a bottleneck in the ability to deliver a smooth and seamless guest experience, but with the right mindset and openness to change traditional processes as well as the right technologies, this is possible.