Overview
- The h2c study released Oct. 1 found 91% of surveyed hotel chains use AI while only 28% have an organization-wide AI strategy led by senior leadership.
- Most chains report practical wins in automation and productivity with about 70% noting efficiency gains, yet only 13% report measurable financial returns from AI projects.
- Respondents identified limited in-house expertise, fragmented system integration and poor data governance as the main barriers with 56% citing skills gaps, 38% integration problems and 28% data access or governance issues.
- Hotels rely heavily on external tools for day-to-day AI use, with public products like ChatGPT making up 60% of use, and 70% of chains expect AI-powered booking channels or agents to boost direct reservations even though 33% have taken no action to improve AI discoverability.
- Industry commentary warns centralizing sensitive guest data raises GDPR and cyber risks and that rapid automation could harm guest experience and entry-level jobs, leading some chains to start fixing data structures and real-time availability links.