Hotelier Perspectives

The $50 room service hamburger wasn’t memorable for its Wagyu beef or truffle aioli. What made it extraordinary was the moment it arrived at 2 a.m., delivered to a jet-lagged executive by John, the room service attendant. With a quiet smile, John said, “I noticed you ordered this same meal during a late arrival last time. I’ve added extra pickles and that spicy sauce you liked.”

In a world increasingly defined by diversity and cultural exchange, the hospitality industry stands as a bridge connecting people from all walks of life. Travelers seek experiences across the globe, and the concept of creating hospitality cohesion in projects spanning several continents and cultures has never been more important.

Food service management is a strategic pillar for both hospitality operations and retail sectors, and as a core subject in hospitality education, it demands ongoing adaptation.

The best way to come to grips with artificial intelligence (AI) for spa and wellness is through the phrase ‘technology-adjacent therapies’. That is, for our industry where human-to-human contact is ever-so-centric to guest satisfaction, it’s not that automation will supplant practitioners but that these contemporary tools will offset the undesirable, repetitive tasks to augment the experience. Hence, hoteliers and managers shouldn’t necessarily look to how AI can boost the guest journey but to their own teams’ experience, otherwise known as the software’s ‘end users’.

Imagine this, a couple books a weekend stay, and instead of a generic confirmation from the hotel, they receive a tip about a hidden sunset spot or a breakfast-in-bed option. Small touches like these can transform a regular visit into a memorable experience, making guests feel more special and making your brand stand out.

The hospitality industry, once defined by luxury, opulence, and aesthetic grandeur, is undergoing a transformation—one that is being shaped by the urgent call for sustainability, conscious travel, and meaningful experiences. In a world grappling with climate change, resource scarcity, and a growing demand for ethical consumption, tomorrow’s hospitality leaders will be those who align profit with purpose and luxury with responsibility.

It’s inevitable that modern advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will impact the hotel industry. While much has been rightfully said about use cases like machine learning (ML) impacting personalized guest offers or microsegmentation and generative AI (genAI) helping with contextual marketing or summarization for staff, for this focused article let’s shift gears from the rooms division into the spa and wellness facilities.

As a candidate for the position of Secretary General of UN Tourism, I am honored to support the important work of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Jamaica and other parts of the world and contribute to this critical effort with learnings from my own experience. I had the hard job of guiding the tourism industry of Greece through the COVID-19 pandemic as Minister of Tourism and we did that by leveraging the power of data and that excites me to share my vision of a UN Tourism Resilience data centre.

In the lead up to the Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia 2025 next month, we asked several industry partners about the opportunities they see for the hospitaliy industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025 and beyond.

Today, AI dominates many conversations across different industries, and AI in hospitality is no exception. It is redefining the notion of a ‘norm’ and what guests expect. The volume of AI-related news continues to grow exponentially, making it difficult to filter through the noise and understand its impact. However, being informed is critical for business success, as the ability to adapt will form a sustainable competitive advantage. Based on recent media insights, the key AI moves in hospitality can be classified into two interrelated areas: customer-facing innovation and backend operational transformations.