Hotels urged not to ‘leave employees behind’ with technology

Industry experts have urged hoteliers to put employees first when it comes to developing technology, instead of only focusing on the guest experience.

Pedro Moreira, head of commercial at hospitality process automation company Aphy, told the Independent Hotel Show in London the industry is “extremely guest-centric” in its commitment to technology, sometimes at the cost of “leaving the employee behind”.

He said: “Hospitality relies heavily on its people, its employees, who do thousands of admin tasks. So many solutions are there for the guests, but by putting the employee first, we can make their experience the best it can be.

“Think of all the time that is ‘wasted’ on tasks that take away from mental capacity, such as chasing guests for their payments, checking credit cards, relying on them for payment reconciliation.

“We’re coming to a tipping point. I really don’t see AI [artificial intelligence] and the way we should use tech as a way to replace [people]. It’s about empowering and helping [staff] reconnect back to their jobs.”

Florian Augustin, chief commercial officer at revenue management firm HotelPartner, said technology would enable hoteliers to “focus on guest experience or unlock new revenue opportunities where you need human creativity and personal connection”.

He said the “exponential” growth in tech-led tools could lead to hospitality businesses creating new job titles and hiring chief technology officers.

However, speaking at a separate panel around marketing, Kalindi Juneja, chief executive officer of PoB hotels, warned the use of artificial intelligence in the industry needs to be closely monitored.

“We paid somebody to write some copy for us and it was from ChatGPT, so you’ve got to be really careful it can be used to enhance, not to replace”, she said.