AI Trends in the Hospitality Industry 

The recent introduction of AI within the hospitality industry and its impact on how business is conducted, has been undeniably bold. The power of AI comes with endless opportunities to innovate and differentiate, and more and more hotels are adopting different AI-generated technologies to revolutionize how they do business and deliver great experiences. 

We’ve gathered some of the best data to illustrate AI’s adoption forecast, the challenges that come with slow adoption, the benefits of acting quickly, and the opinions of hoteliers and guests concerning the use of AI. 

The Forecast 

AI adoption in the hospitality industry is trending up, and hotels are quickly finding that AI can support multiple processes in different ways. 

• One survey reported that 55% of hoteliers believe that AI will revolutionize the hospitality industry. 
• Another said that 75% of hoteliers agreed that AI-enabled technology can significantly enhance the guest experience across all stages of the guest journey. 
• As a result, the travel and hospitality AI market is projected to exceed the $1.2 billion milestone by 2026. 
• With any type of technological innovation comes certain challenges. In fact, 59% of hoteliers reported thinking that the main challenge in implementing AI is the lack of technical expertise. 

Hoteliers who understand how to make use of AI tools to enhance their hotel operations will become more valuable to their guests and improve their bottom line. Those who don't educate themselves may find themselves falling left behind and in positions where they cannot meet guest expectations. 

Cost Saving, Enhanced Efficiency & Better Reputations 

Through streamlined workflows and automated tasks, tools laced with AI technology can support each segment of a hotel in more ways than one. 

• According to a survey of hoteliers, 51% of hoteliers emphasize increased efficiency as the main benefit of AI. 
• More specifically, in another survey, 37% believe that front office and guest relations will experience the greatest benefits from AI implementation, while 36% believe sales and marketing will experience the most benefits. 

Here are just a few benefits every department can enjoy: 

• Improved customer experience 
• Increased productivity 
• Cost savings  
• Data-driven decision making 
• Increased security 
• Competitive advantage 

The Hotelier's POV 

Most hoteliers are in support of using AI to simplify their workdays. 

• In general, 68% of employees want their employers to utilize more AI technology for that reason. 
• In a survey conducted by Oracle, 82% of hoteliers cited the ability to “capture data to generate actionable insights for improving business processes and driving innovations that further enhance the guest experience” as a top benefit of utilizing an AI technology initiative.  

Guest Expectations 

• It was found that 88% of hoteliers think their guests are ready for AI in hotel operations and communications, and they’re right! With AI being utilized in so many areas of our lives, guests have come to expect a certain standard of technological implementation. 
• According to HotelTechReport.com, 58% of guests feel that AI improves their hotel booking and stay experiences.  
• All things considered, the impact of AI on the hospitality industry has been and continues to be massive. Those who haven’t investigated this innovation are already behind the curve and potentially missing out on all the benefits of implementing AI into their workday.  

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can apply AI at a smaller scale and still reap its benefits.

In fact, AI may be powering more of your tools and processes than you realize, as it can often be the silent hero working behind-the-scenes. For example, Sertifi’s fraud tools come free with every subscription to our credit card authorization solution to automatically verify the cards given to you – and it’s all powered by AI. It’s the perfect example of practical AI application. 

Download our infographic here.