Revenue Management & Channel Opt

As hospitality evolves, hotels must streamline operations, harness data more effectively, and enhance efficiency to stay competitive. The Property Management System (PMS) is at the core of hotel management, an essential tool connecting various hotel functions. As more business shifts online and seamless digital experiences become the expectation, PMSs must integrate with internal and external systems, including POS, front desk, and housekeeping. Yet, most PMSs were built for a different era, making it difficult to support the growing web of integrations required in today’s digital-first environment.

A lot has been said about communication breakdowns in hospitality. But the truth is, it’s rarely just about miscommunication. It’s about disconnection—from purpose, from process, from each other. And it shows up in the details: missed handoffs, shifts left uncovered, a new hire struggling alone on their first weekend shift.

In a recent podcast on dojo.live, I spoke about the game-changing role of a unified data layer in staying competitive, especially in an era driven by AI and other emerging technologies.

For many hotel owners, entering into a hotel management agreement (HMA) is one of the most consequential decisions they will make. While these contracts define the operational relationship between the owner and the operator, their long-term financial, strategic, and legal implications are often underestimated.

At the EHL Open Innovation Summit, we spoke with Will Guillaume Foussier, CEO of AceUp, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping revenue strategies in hospitality and why coaching remains one of the most powerful drivers of lasting change. Will introduced his IDEAL framework, a structured model that connects individual growth with team alignment and organizational transformation.

At the EHL Open Innovation Summit, we had the opportunity to speak with Ásta Kristín Sigurjónsdóttir, CEO of the Iceland Tourism Cluster, and Milena S. Nikolova, Ph.D., Chief Behavior Officer and Co-founder of BehaviorSMART. Our conversation explored how artificial intelligence might transform the way we plan and experience travel, how technology must be used with behavioral insight to enhance rather than diminish hospitality, and why the industry must rethink success in terms of community well-being—not just business outcomes.

The hospitality industry is at a crossroads. A growing labor shortage, shifting workforce expectations, and changing perceptions of hospitality careers have created challenges in attracting and retaining talent. Many workers face barriers to career advancement, including financial limitations, educational barriers, and limited access to professional development opportunities.

Imagine a hotel company that doesn’t rely on a Frankenstein-esque business model cobbled together from a franchise, a management company, and a brand – each with their own agenda, their own KPIs, and absolutely zero alignment. Imagine instead a sleek, modern, hospitality-first, customer-centric organization that actually makes sense.

Across the hospitality industry, technology budgets continue to grow — and hotel sales is no exception. But there’s a troubling pattern I keep seeing: decisions are being made based on long feature lists instead of a simple question — “Will this actually help us sell better?”

AI is not just a buzzword in hospitality anymore; it is a game-changer. But here’s the catch: implementing AI the right way is more than plugging in a chatbot or automating a few emails. For hotels, it demands a holistic transformation, one rooted in thoughtful infrastructure, human empowerment, and strategic clarity.