You know how everyone's talking about AI these days? Well, Ira Vouk's recent article published in the Summer 2024 issue of TechFin takes a fascinating look at how AI is completely transforming the hotel industry. But here's the interesting part – it's not just another piece of tech hotels can buy. Instead, it's becoming part of everything they already use.
Think about it like this: AI is showing up everywhere in hotels, from the moment you book your room to long after you've checked out. Remember those chatbots that pop up when you're booking a hotel? That's AI. Those smart room assistants that let you control the lights with your voice? AI again. Even the system that decides how much your room should cost on any given night – yep, you guessed it, AI.
What's really cool is how AI is working behind the scenes too. It's helping schedule hotel staff, predicting when equipment needs maintenance (before it breaks!), and even automating those tedious accounting tasks that nobody wants to do. It's like having an incredibly smart assistant that never needs coffee breaks.
The marketing side is pretty impressive too. AI is reading through all those online reviews (much faster than any human could), creating personalized offers, and even helping write those hotel descriptions you see online. And get this – some AI systems can even spot if your hotel room is being sold cheaper on other websites!
Here's what we find really mind-blowing: Ira mentions that in just two years, the number of ways hotels are using AI has absolutely exploded. It's like the industry woke up and suddenly realized, “Hey, we can use this for pretty much everything!”
The takeaway is clear: AI has moved far beyond being just a buzzword or future possibility in the hotel industry. It's becoming a fundamental part of how modern hotels operate and compete.
Just as hotels today couldn't function without internet connectivity or property management systems, AI is rapidly becoming another essential tool in delivering efficient operations and exceptional guest experiences.
A very helpful diagram that explains the current hotel technology map can be downloaded from iravouk.com/hoteltechmap/
