Hotel Tech Insider

This episode is part of a series created in partnership with Forge (Questex) and The Hospitality Show Miami where Dan will be speaking on November 2nd.

What happens when a hotel management company stops treating AI as a side project and starts building it into the operating model?

In this episode, Dan Fernandez, VP of Digital Marketing at Concord Hospitality, shares how one of North America’s largest third-party hotel operators is approaching AI, digital marketing, and technology adoption across more than 150 hotels and 50 restaurants. Rather than chasing every new tool, Concord has built a structured AI steering committee, created field-level feedback loops, and adopted a disciplined approach to running focused 90-day pilots before scaling what works.

For experienced hoteliers, the conversation goes beyond generic AI predictions and gets into what is actually changing inside hotel operations and commercial strategy today.

In the episode we discuss:

• Build an AI operating model, not just an AI toolkit. Learn how Concord structures its AI steering committee, field committee, and training efforts so GMs, sales leaders, F&B teams, finance, and corporate executives can identify practical use cases without overwhelming hotel teams with more software.

• Pilot narrowly, then scale aggressively. Concord typically tests two AI initiatives at a time over roughly 90 days. Dan explains how that approach helped validate an AI voice agent at a large resort receiving hundreds or thousands of calls across the hotel, spa, golf, marina, and F&B operations before expanding it more broadly.

• Prepare for a major shift in hotel discovery. Dan explains why declining organic website traffic does not necessarily mean declining demand. AI is increasingly narrowing a traveler’s consideration set before they ever reach a hotel website, creating fewer visits but potentially higher-intent traffic. He also discusses how Concord is testing tools designed to improve hotel visibility and information accuracy across large

One of the more surprising insights from the conversation is that Dan believes the hotel marketing channel mix five years from now may look fundamentally different from today’s mix of paid search, social, SEO, email, and traditional distribution channels. His recommendation is less about predicting the winner and more about creating an organization that is constantly testing new channels early enough to learn before the rest of the market catches up.

The episode also covers the growing role of GEO and first-party hotel content in AI search, why soft brands are gaining strategic importance in upper-upscale and luxury development, how paid social is becoming more measurable as a revenue channel, and why hotel technology buyers may be undervaluing one of the least glamorous parts of vendor selection: post-sale customer service.

Dan brings an unusual perspective to the discussion. At Concord, he oversees digital marketing while also working across branding, social media, PR, and broader commercial functions, giving him visibility into both corporate strategy and what actually works at the property level. That operating perspective makes the episode especially useful for hoteliers trying to separate practical AI applications from vendor hype.

Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with hotel executives testing new technology, commercial strategies, and operating models across the industry.

What if buying a hotel no longer meant inheriting fourteen-hour days, outdated systems, and a business that owns you?

In this episode of Hotel Tech Insider, Simona Eicher, CEO and owner of Hotel ÜJA in Switzerland, shares how she and her partner bought an under-digitized independent hotel from a retiring owner and rebuilt it around a more modern operating model.

With a background in McKinsey, software procurement, and venture building, Simona entered hospitality with little traditional hotel experience. She used technology to simplify operations, improve the booking journey, make better commercial decisions, and preserve the human side of hospitality where it matters most.

The results are compelling: more than 80% direct bookings, a 30% increase in ADR, and higher occupancy.

Simona also breaks down the practical lessons behind the transformation, including how she selected and later replaced her PMS, why digital lock and local system integrations became non-negotiable, and where software demos can fail to reveal real-world operational limitations.

More broadly, the episode explores a growing opportunity in independent hospitality. As longtime owners retire and younger family members opt out of the operating model they grew up watching, a new generation of buyers can acquire under-digitized hotels and use modern technology to turn them into more profitable, flexible, and attractive lifestyle assets.

Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more stories from hotel owners using technology to build better businesses.

What happens when an experienced hotel technology leader uses AI to extend what his team can build, analyze, and improve?

In this episode, Bill Legrand, Executive Director of Commercial Applications at VAI Resort in Glendale, Arizona, shares how he has used AI-assisted development to build roughly a dozen internal applications while preparing one of the industry’s most ambitious new resorts for opening. VAI combines hotel operations with a 14,000-person amphitheater, water attractions, and entertainment experiences, creating an unusually complex technology environment.

For experienced hoteliers, the takeaway is not about replacing established hotel systems. It is about using AI as an augmentation layer around the existing tech stack—helping teams build specialized tools faster, connect data more effectively, improve workflows, and solve problems that may not justify a standalone enterprise platform.

In this episode we cover:

• See what AI-assisted development looks like in practice. Bill shares how he built tools to extract and centralize data from Salesforce, Marketing Cloud, and Mailchimp, giving his team more control over how that information can be analyzed and used.
• Learn how VAI is turning SOPs into usable AI-ready data. One of the most compelling projects started as an effort to make operating procedures conversationally searchable. Bill quickly discovered that inconsistent source material was the real problem, so he built a system that restructures, standardizes, versions, and improves SOPs before making them available to AI.
• Understand why data quality and judgment matter more than the model. Bill’s key lesson is that AI on poorly structured data can produce answers that sound authoritative but are wrong. Clean, integrated, governed data is what makes AI genuinely useful inside hotel operations.

Bill also discusses how his team implemented Microsoft single sign-on in roughly four hours, how VAI isolates AI development environments for security, why it is experimenting with internal LLMs for confidential information, and how open APIs make it easier to create custom workflows and interfaces around existing hotel technology.

For hotel executives who already understand the fundamentals of the tech stack, this episode offers a practical look at how AI can give internal teams significantly more leverage - without changing the role of the core systems they already rely on.

Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with hotel leaders applying technology in practical ways to improve operations, commercial performance, and decision-making.

What if the biggest opportunity in hotel technology isn’t making your team more efficient - but removing entire workflows from the equation? Kurien Jacob (KJ) of Highgate Technology Ventures argues that nearly every major hotel software category is now vulnerable to AI-driven disruption.

Few people have had a better vantage point on that shift. Before helping lead Highgate Technology Ventures, KJ spent roughly 15 years building Highgate’s revenue management capabilities and ultimately served as Chief Revenue Officer. Today, he evaluates hotel technology from both sides of the table: as an investor looking for scalable businesses and through Highgate’s operating portfolio, where products can be tested against real hotel needs.

Key Takeaways:

• Rethink what “AI-native” actually means. KJ explains why simply adding AI features to an existing SaaS product isn’t enough. The winners will redesign both their products and their own operations around AI, while leveraging the integrations, workflows, and infrastructure they’ve already spent years building.
• Expect major hotel software categories to collapse or converge. From PMS and CRS to RMS, CRM, financial reporting, payments, and distribution, KJ outlines where agentic workflows could eliminate manual steps - and in some cases eliminate the need for entire software layers. One surprising example: if an RMS can intelligently manage pricing and distribution mix, why should hotels still need a separate CRS for rate management?
• Look beyond copilots toward autonomous execution. The most important shift isn’t software helping employees perform tasks faster; it’s software completing the underlying job itself. For experienced operators, that means evaluating technology based on which workflows it can fully execute—from guest check-in and room assignment to revenue posting, reconciliation, marketing personalization, and task management.

The episode also explores what the next hotel tech stack may actually look like. Rather than 20 or 30 disconnected systems, KJ expects the market to consolidate around a smaller number of powerful operating, commercial, financial, and marketing platforms - while still leaving room for a handful of exceptional best-of-breed products.

One of the most unexpected ideas comes from the guest experience side: instead of separate AI tools for voice, messaging, concierge, and service requests, KJ sees the opportunity for a single “brain” that remembers the guest across every interaction - from booking through checkout - and uses that context to orchestrate hotel operations behind the scenes.

For hotel leaders deciding where to invest, what to replace, and which emerging vendors deserve attention, this conversation offers a practical framework: focus less on AI features and more on whether the technology can own and execute a meaningful business outcome.

What if the biggest competitive advantage for the next generation of hotel owners is knowing when not to fly a flag?

In this episode, Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit - formerly a managing editor at Bloomberg - joins Hotel Tech Insider to unpack why more hotel owners are questioning the economics of traditional franchise relationships. Her reporting reveals a surprising shift: while actual de-flagging remains relatively limited, the conversation around independence has moved from fringe idea to legitimate strategic option for owners evaluating expiring franchise agreements.

For experienced hoteliers, the episode goes beyond the usual “brand vs. independent” debate and gets into the operational mechanics making independence more viable.

What you’ll learn:

• How technology is changing the franchise value equation. Modern PMS platforms, distribution tools, digital marketing, AI, and third-party management companies increasingly allow owners to assemble capabilities that were once difficult to replicate outside a major brand ecosystem.
• How to evaluate whether your brand is actually generating enough demand. One franchise attorney Sarah interviewed suggests owners should closely examine how much business the brand and loyalty ecosystem truly deliver—and reconsider affiliation if that contribution doesn’t justify the economics.
• What hotel owners need to replace when they deflag. The episode breaks down the practical transition: financing, PMS selection, distribution, branding, digital presence, Google reviews, and customer acquisition. One owner even unlocked an entirely new demand channel through Airbnb after becoming independent.

One of the most surprising insights is that the motivation to leave a franchise isn’t always about eliminating fees. For one owner profiled by Sarah, independence was primarily about gaining control over the product, brand, and guest experience - and using that freedom to grow revenue rather than simply cut costs.

The episode also explores where the major brands still retain meaningful advantages, particularly loyalty programs, and why improved access to financing could further accelerate the independent hotel movement.

For owners approaching a franchise renewal, this conversation offers a practical framework for asking a more important question than “Should I deflag?”: What capabilities does my brand provide today that I could - or could not - recreate myself?

Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with the leaders, operators, and innovators reshaping how hotels compete, operate, and grow.

How do you modernize the technology behind 70 hotels without overwhelming the people responsible for running them?

In this episode, Peter Twachtman, CEO of Lark Hospitality, explains how one of the fastest-growing independent hotel management groups is building a scalable technology and operating model across more than 70 properties in 22 states, Mexico, and Canada.

Lark specializes in independent and branded hotels with fewer than 150 rooms. After growing from roughly 20 hotels and merging with Life House, Peter and his team consolidated the portfolio around a core technology stack that includes Mews, Akia, Toast, and Hotel Investor Apps.

The surprising lesson is that selecting the technology may be the easy part. The harder challenge is determining which data should serve as the source of truth, introducing change at a pace hotel teams can absorb, and remaining willing to replace systems that stop evolving with the business.

In this episode we go through:

• How to establish a reliable hotel data foundation. Peter explains why Lark prioritized clean financial, PMS, and point-of-sale data before attempting more advanced analytics or AI applications.
• How to manage technology change across a large hotel portfolio. Learn how Lark communicates upcoming initiatives, gathers frontline feedback, adjusts implementation timelines, and prevents technology projects from disrupting hotel operations.
• How to evaluate vendors as long-term innovation partners. Peter shares why hotel companies should continuously assess whether their PMS, ERP, POS, loyalty, booking, and guest-journey platforms are keeping pace—and why loyalty to a vendor should not become technology lock-in.
• How Lark is approaching AI with both urgency and discipline. The conversation covers internal AI experimentation, data-access guardrails, information security, and the importance of slowing down at the right moments while still taking calculated risks.
• Why traditional hotel metrics may no longer be enough. Peter discusses moving beyond RevPAR and cost per occupied room toward more revealing measurements such as revenue per square foot, revenue per guest, and guest lifetime value.

Peter also challenges the common prediction that hotel technology will consolidate into fewer platforms. He believes the opposite may occur: lower barriers to software development could produce even more specialized systems, increasing both innovation and complexity for hotel operators.

Throughout the conversation, Peter makes the case that curiosity, empathy, strong listening skills, and ego-free leadership are essential to successful hotel technology transformation. The best insights often come not from senior leadership, but from the employees closest to the guest and the daily operation.

Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with hotel executives using technology, data, and operating strategy to grow stronger hospitality businesses.

What if your front desk could generate millions in incremental revenue - without adding staff or compromising the guest experience? In this episode, Geoffrey Toffetti, CEO of Frontline Performance Group (FPG), shares how his company evolved from a hospitality consulting firm into a SaaS platform now used by nearly 3,000 hotels to improve frontline performance, increase guest satisfaction, and unlock measurable revenue through AI-driven coaching. Geoffrey also makes a bold prediction that may challenge how experienced hotel leaders think about the future of hotel software: AI won't just enhance software - it could replace much of it.

Key Takeaways:

• How top-performing hotels create millions in incremental revenue at the front desk. Learn the practical frameworks luxury hotels are using to increase upsells, improve frontline engagement, and achieve ROI as high as 50:1, including why personalized conversations consistently outperform scripted offers.
• Why AI coaching - not just AI automation - is the next competitive advantage. Discover how AI can analyze frontline performance data, identify individual coaching opportunities for every employee, and recommend targeted actions that help managers develop stronger teams at scale.
• Lessons from leading a hospitality company through massive transformation. Geoffrey shares candid insights from FPG's journey from an on-site consulting business to a SaaS company, including the leadership practices, communication strategies, and experimentation mindset required to successfully navigate disruptive technologies like AI.
• A surprising vision for the future of hotel technology. Geoffrey argues that many reporting and business intelligence tools may eventually disappear altogether as AI agents become capable of interrogating hotel data directly and delivering actionable answers without traditional software interfaces.

Whether you oversee revenue management, operations, commercial strategy, or hotel technology, this conversation offers actionable ideas for increasing incremental revenue, developing higher-performing frontline teams, and preparing your organization for the next generation of AI-powered hotel operations.

If you enjoyed this episode of Hotel Tech Insider, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, leave a review, and share this episode with a colleague who's thinking about the future of AI, hotel operations, and commercial performance. For more interviews with the industry's top innovators, visit HotelTechReport.com.

Hotel Tech Insider is a leading global podcast focused exclusively on hotel technology, digital transformation, revenue strategy, AI, operations, guest experience, and hospitality innovation. The show features long-form interviews with industry leaders, hotel executives, and technology founders to help experienced hoteliers stay ahead of the trends shaping the future of hospitality.

What happens when the biggest threat to hotel owners isn't brands, OTAs, or labor costs—but AI? In this episode, Sloan Dean, former CEO of one of the largest hotel management companies in the United States, shares why he believes the hospitality industry's incentives are fundamentally broken, which hotel technologies actually move the needle, and why many operators may be underestimating the disruptive force of AI.

During his tenure as CEO of Remington Hospitality, Sloan Dean helped grow the company from roughly 80 hotels to more than 150 properties generating over $1.6 billion in annual hotel revenue. With a background in engineering, asset management, and hotel operations, Sloan brings a rare perspective that spans ownership, management, technology, and investment.

What we cover in this episode:

• The hotel industry's incentive problem is reaching a breaking point. Sloan explains how value has steadily shifted away from hotel owners toward brands, OTAs, management companies, and increasingly venture-backed software providers—and why that trend may not be sustainable.

• The technology investments that delivered the highest ROI. From labor management systems to revenue management platforms, Sloan shares the specific technologies that generated measurable operational and financial improvements across a portfolio of more than 150 hotels.

• Why AI could radically reshape hotel operations. Most industry leaders view AI as a tool to improve their existing businesses. Sloan argues something more disruptive may happen: AI could fundamentally change who captures value in hospitality and create entirely new operating models that challenge today's incumbents.

• The surprising lesson from leading large-scale digital transformation. Rather than chasing revolutionary technology, Sloan reveals why his first major wins came from fixing basic operational systems and how experienced operators can avoid one of the most common technology adoption mistakes.

• Where robotics will impact hotels first. Sloan outlines why housekeeping, laundry, engineering, and food & beverage may look dramatically different over the next decade—and what owners should be preparing for today.

Whether you're an owner, operator, asset manager, or hotel technology executive, this conversation offers a candid look at where hospitality is heading and what industry veterans should be doing now to stay ahead.

Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with the leaders shaping the future of hospitality technology, hotel operations, revenue strategy, and guest experience. Share this episode with a colleague and visit Hotel Tech Report for additional insights, research, and technology resources.

What if your hotel ran itself - an “army of AI agents” handling everything from reservations to check-in - while your staff focused entirely on guests?

In this episode, Aejaz Sodawala, CEO of Yanolja Cloud Solution, shares a forward-looking blueprint for how hotel tech is evolving - from fragmented systems to unified, AI-driven platforms powering over 33,000 hotels globally.

Takeaways:

•  Why data silos are quietly killing your AI strategy — and how to restructure your tech stack around a shared data layer to unlock real-time decision-making and automation.
•  How leading operators are driving 20%+ direct bookings — using integrated booking engines, pricing transparency vs OTAs, and content-driven websites that convert.
•  What “agentic PMS” actually means in practice — and how AI agents will replace repetitive roles (reservations, check-in, pricing) to free staff for higher-value guest interaction.

 Aejaz has spent 15+ years scaling hotel tech from on-premise systems to cloud platforms now used in 170+ countries. His perspective cuts through the AI hype: most hotels aren’t ready - not because of tools, but because of fragmented infrastructure. The surprising insight? The winners won’t be those adopting more tools—but those consolidating into fewer, more intelligent platforms.

If you’re rethinking your tech stack or planning your next phase of growth, this episode is required listening. Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more operator-level insights—and share this episode with a colleague who’s still managing disconnected systems.

In this episode, Amano Group Managing Directors share how a 1,300-room urban hotel operator executed a full-stack overhaul—switching PMS, rethinking integrations, and redesigning the guest journey around automation, not tradition.

This isn’t theory. It’s a live case of what happens when you treat your tech stack as infrastructure, not tooling.

Key Takeaways:

• How to rebuild your tech stack around integrations, not vendors. Why Amano replaced nearly every core system—and how they evaluated PMS integrations (not marketplaces) to reduce manual workflows and eliminate operational bottlenecks.
• The operational playbook for removing the front desk. How kiosk + online check-in enabled a full shift to “ground floor staff,” cutting admin work and reallocating labor toward revenue-driving F&B and guest interaction.
• Where automation actually delivers ROI in high-occupancy hotels. Why top-line impact is hard to isolate—and where they did see gains: task speed, error reduction, and process efficiency across housekeeping, CRM, and guest messaging.
• What most hotels get wrong about AI adoption. Amano’s view: AI won’t just optimize workflows—it will fundamentally shift hotel roles from executing tasks to steering systems. The implication is organizational, not just technical.

 Most operators talk about adding tools. Amano rebuilt the system underneath—and made structural changes (like eliminating the front desk) that most hotels won’t seriously consider.

Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for operator-led breakdowns of what’s actually working in hotel tech—and share this episode with a colleague rethinking their stack.