For GuestCentric’s Latest in Travel podcast series in 2024, I had the privilege to engage with various experts across the travel, hospitality, and tech sectors, uncovering critical insights for the industry’s future. Drawing from their deep operational experience and technology expertise, these professionals highlighted opportunities for advancements that can elevate service quality, boost efficiency, and drive growth in the hotel sector. Below are the most impactful takeaways from the interviews conducted, outlining strategies to help hotels flourish in 2025 and beyond.
Fostering Efficiency Through Technology
With Alex Barros from BeSafe Group
For hotels, agility is essential in meeting evolving guest demands. Alex Barros delves into the role of AI in streamlining operations, from automating guest interactions to reducing manual tasks. He emphasizes how tools like ChatGPT have transformed guest communication, allowing hotels to provide faster, multilingual responses and anticipate needs more accurately. Leveraging AI can significantly cut down the time required for marketing tasks, ultimately boosting overall efficiency. Hotels that embrace these AI tools are set to outperform competitors who stick to traditional methods.
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Up-skilling Teams to Leverage Tech Innovations
With Carmen O’Brien from SiteMinder
As technology rapidly evolves, Carmen O’Brien stresses the importance of developing a tech-savvy workforce that’s ready to adapt. Successful teams are those who remain curious, problem-solve effectively, and are encouraged to take ownership. Building an environment that empowers employees to experiment and use their strengths ensures they can keep pace with technological advancements. In this way, hotels can swiftly respond to shifting goals and guest expectations, making the most of new opportunities that tech innovation brings.
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Deepening Customer Relationships Through Meaningful Conversations
With John McAuliffe from Purpose & Promise
John McAuliffe emphasizes that surveys and reviews only scratch the surface of understanding guests. To truly connect, hotels need to engage in direct conversations with their customers, especially when it comes to high-consideration purchases. By exploring the full decision-making journey of potential guests—starting from their initial search to booking—a hotel can gain crucial insights into what drives choices and how to fine-tune marketing strategies. This approach enables a more personalized experience, boosting both guest satisfaction and loyalty.
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What makes Hotels Stand Out from the Crowd
With Maria Yacoub from Great Hotels of the World
In a competitive landscape, Maria Yacoub suggests that independent hotels should focus on authentic guest experiences and personalized service. First impressions matter, but maintaining attentive and intuitive service throughout the stay is crucial. Small gestures—like local treats or thoughtful welcome notes—can make guests feel seen and valued. This goes beyond technology-driven personalization; it’s about hotel staff having the discernment to read guest moods and adapt accordingly. Such personalized touches are what set independent hotels apart from larger chains.
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Choosing the Right Technology for Hotel Growth
With Mark Fancourt from TRAVHOTECH
Mark offers guidance on selecting the most effective technology for hotels. While it’s possible to manage processes manually, the real challenge lies in collecting and analyzing data to stay competitive. He stresses the importance of investing in platforms that connect information across departments, like CRM systems, which provide a holistic view of customer behavior. A thorough, long-term technology plan can streamline operations and position hotels to compete with industry giants, making it crucial to assess current systems and prioritize future investments.
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Smart Hotel Pricing Strategies for Unexpected Peak Demand
With Michael McCartan from IDeaS
Traditional pricing models relying on historical data often fall short when demand spikes unexpectedly. Michael McCartan advises adopting real-time data analysis tools to respond effectively to sudden changes, like a surprise concert or event. Automated systems that adjust prices dynamically allow hotels to capture demand as it unfolds, ensuring they don’t miss revenue opportunities. McCartan emphasizes that quick adaptation is key, as every action influences guest behavior. Implementing a responsive pricing strategy will enable hotels to stay ahead of fluctuating market trends.
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Steps Hotels Can Take Towards a More Sustainable Future
With Linde Borger & Edwin Schaerlaeckens from Hotels for Trees
As the industry strives for a more sustainability, Linde and Edwin emphasize the importance of involving guests in their initiatives. Programs like Hotels for Trees give guests a direct sense of the impact of their choices, such as opting out of daily housekeeping to support reforestation. Another standout initiative, Orbisk, leverages AI and image recognition to minimize food waste by analyzing what gets discarded and when. This data empowers chefs to make informed adjustments, reducing waste. Linde and Edwin recommend that hotels choose a clear sustainability goal and ensure that it’s consistently communicated across all channels. Aligning the entire business around this objective is key to authentic engagement and impactful results.
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The Importance of a Unified Commercial Strategy for Hotels
With Andrew Rubinacci from FLYR
In a dynamic hospitality landscape, hotels must be agile in responding to guest needs. Andrew highlights the necessity of a comprehensive commercial strategy that aligns all departments with a shared objective. Departments can no longer operate in isolation—what one does affects another. If you offer a special group rate, everyone knows about it, so it must be financially sustainable. Transparency is crucial, and each team must understand the ripple effects of their actions. He also discusses the importance of unified pricing strategies that cater to guest preferences, exploring opportunities in attribute pricing, where guests pay for added amenities based on their specific needs. Aligning departments ensures a cohesive approach that maximizes both revenue and guest satisfaction.
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Navigating AI’s Role in Online Distribution and other Future Technologies
With Sérgio Serra from GuestCentric
Sérgio explores how emerging technology will transform hospitality, focusing on personalization, AI, and new distribution channels – including social media, video platforms and messaging apps that are rapidly becoming e-commerce tools. He also predicts AI evolving into specialized travel agents, tailoring experiences with the precision guests expect, as well as advancements in digital identity that will give travellers more control over shared data while streamlining the travel process. AI’s role in distribution is already changing how travel companies reach potential guests. In the future, and this shift provides new opportunities. He also stresses that AI, automation, and machine learning will simplify daily operations, freeing hotels to focus on crafting memorable guest experiences.
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Service as a Brand Differentiator for Hotels
With Alan Young from Infor
Alan points out that service quality is a significant differentiator in a crowded market. He advises hotels to specialize and excel in a specific area to stand out. Guests appreciate genuine service, and a hotel’s unique selling point can drive visibility and strengthen direct customer relationships. On the tech side, Alan also discusses the future of data analysis in hotels. AI-driven interfaces will simplify the interpretation of vast data sets. Instead of static reports, hotels will interact directly with intelligent platforms, asking questions and getting real-time, actionable insights. This shift towards conversational analytics will democratize data use, making it accessible to everyone regardless of technical expertise.
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Personalization through First-Party Data
With Roger Miro and Jesús Ramirez from Sojern
Roger and Jesús stress the increasing importance of first-party data for effective guest personalization. As third-party cookies fade, first-party data—directly collected from guests—becomes essential. This approach enables precise segmentation and ensures relevant content delivery. Hotels are encouraged to leverage past guest data to re-engage loyal customers and build look-alike audiences. These efforts help hotels reach potential new guests who share similar preferences, maximizing the effectiveness of targeted marketing strategies.
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Guiding Guests through the Decision-Making Process
With Jason Craparo from Hovr
Amidst the abundance of travel choices, guiding guests through decision-making is vital. Jason underscores the importance of meeting guests where they are, providing the information they need quickly. He emphasizes a seamless and intuitive online experience, ensuring guests don’t face repetitive booking steps. Storytelling plays a crucial role in creating an emotional connection, and word-of-mouth recommendations often stem from authentic, engaging narratives. For hotels, building a cohesive digital presence that mirrors the brand’s unique story can significantly influence guests’ decisions.
Stay tuned for the complete episode coming out in December!
Preparing for 2025 – What’s your Hotel’s next move?
The future of hospitality is set to be defined by how well hotels can leverage technology for more seamless operations and strengthen direct relationships with guests. It’s about anticipating guest needs, streamlining commercial strategies, and using technology to enhance rather than replace the human touch in hospitality. As we move towards 2025, the focus isn’t just on adapting but on making strategic choices that position your hotel for success. So, what priorities will shape your strategy in the year ahead? Let us know in the comments!
About GuestCentric
GuestCentric is a leading provider of cloud-based digital marketing software and services that help extraordinary hoteliers promote their brand, drive direct bookings and connect with customers on all digital platforms. GuestCentric’s all-in-one platform provides hotels with the only unified solution for managing their guests’ online journey: award-winning, high impact websites; an integrated, easy-to-use booking engine; social media marketing and publishing tools; a GDS chain code and a channel manager to offer rooms on Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia, Galileo, Google, Sabre, TripAdvisor and hundreds of other channels. GuestCentric is a proud provider of solutions that maximize direct bookings to hotel groups and independent hotels from collections such as Design Hotels, Great Hotels of the World, Leading Hotels of the World, Relais & Chateaux, Small Luxury Hotels and Small Danish Hotels. GuestCentric is featured on Skift Travel Tech 250, a list of the top 250 travel tech companies shaping the modern-day travel experience.
Melissa Rodrigues
Content Manager
+35 196 157 3854
GuestCentric Systems
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