Modern travellers have new expectations for their stay – and technology is at the heart of meeting them. In an AI-powered hotel, everything from the check-in process to how rooms at the hotel are priced is being reimagined for speed, convenience, and personal touch. By embracing tools like generative AI, smart automation, and data-driven platforms, hoteliers can enhance the guest experience for all guests, boost revenues through targeted upsell offers (yes, even that extra breakfast), improve occupancy rates, and build lasting loyalty.
Take a moment to recall the last time you arrived at a hotel. Did you enjoy waiting in a queue to hand over your ID and credit card? Likely not – and most travellers agree. Contactless check-in – whether via a mobile app or kiosk – has moved from novelty to expectation.
For hotels, enabling self-service check-in is a win-win. Guests gain autonomy (no more waiting under harsh lobby lights after a long journey), and staff are relieved of repetitive tasks. Even more compelling, when guests use these tools, they’re three times more likely to purchase an upsell, generating ~70% more revenue per check-in compared to a traditional front desk.
Just as importantly, technology frees up human staff for what truly matters. Rather than typing in passport numbers, front desk teams can welcome guests more personally or handle special requests. When routine interactions are automated, staff have time for the thoughtful touches – offering a local tip, a warm welcome drink, or simply being available to chat. These gestures turn a good stay into a great one.
Driving revenue in hospitality is no longer just about selling more rooms – it’s about selling more to each guest in personalised, unobtrusive ways. Technology and AI have unlocked new opportunities to upsell services and optimise the pricing of rooms, helping hotels capture additional revenue while actually delighting guests.
One low-hanging fruit is the classic breakfast upsell. With the right tech, hotels can send a friendly message the night before: “Fancy a hot breakfast tomorrow? Add it to your stay for £15.” Guests appreciate the offer, and hotels convert what might have been an unused restaurant seat into extra income. The same goes for late check-outs, parking, spa treatments, or room upgrades – when presented at the right time, these add-ons feel helpful rather than pushy.
Beyond individual offers, AI is tackling the bigger revenue puzzle: how to price rooms optimally every single day to boost occupancy and increase RevPAR. AI-driven systems analyse billions of data points – from local events to competitor rates – to forecast exactly how much to charge for a room. The result? Hotels can avoid leaving money on the table in high-demand periods and avoid empty rooms during slumps by adjusting prices proactively.
By combining AI-driven pricing with personalised upselling, hotels are ensuring that every room and service is sold to the right guest, at the right time, for the right price.
In the past, hotel loyalty was synonymous with points programs and the occasional freebie. While points still have their place, today’s travellers crave something more immediate: a personalised experience. Guests are far more likely to return to a hotel if they feel remembered and understood, rather than merely rewarded with generic points.
Imagine a guest arrives and the staff already knows their preferred check-in time, that they like extra pillows, and that they drink decaf coffee. These details can be captured from past stays or asked in a pre-arrival survey. The payoff for using them is huge: almost 80% of guests say personalised amenities are a key reason they’d return to a hotel.
AI is a powerful ally in scaling personalisation. Guest intelligence tools can scan a profile and provide staff with a quick summary: “Prefers quiet rooms, used the gym daily, interested in wine tasting.” Equipped with these tips, hotels can wow customers with relevant offers. The result is higher guest satisfaction and higher spend – because the offers actually match their interests. Over time, this attentiveness builds trust and loyalty.
High-tech innovations in hotels must remember one core principle: hospitality is for everyone. As we adopt AI and digital platforms, ensuring accessibility is paramount.
Consider travellers with visual impairments. New tools, from AI-powered smartphone assistance to accessible digital key and mobile check-in, give guests independence to navigate the property with confidence. Multilingual support is another form of accessibility: modern platforms can offer proactive multilingual messaging, ensuring guests receive information in their preferred language.
By removing barriers – whether visual, hearing, mobility, or language – hotels send a powerful message: every guest is valued and catered to.
The evolution of hotel technology – from AI chatbots to intelligent pricing systems – all points to a more frictionless, personalised, and profitable hospitality model. But the goal isn’t to turn hotels into cold, automated factories. On the contrary, it’s to amplify the human touch by reallocating staff time to where it matters most.
Guests crave flexibility, personalisation, and control – and they reward the hotels that deliver with higher spend and loyalty. Waiting in a queue is no longer acceptable. By removing friction and leveraging technology from arrival to check-out, hotels can focus on the moments that truly matter: a warm smile, a thoughtful recommendation, a room that feels like home.
Now is the time to explore how these innovations could apply to your own operations – and how your hotel can become the kind of place that guests can’t wait to return to.