The Hospitality industry has countless shining examples.
Hospitality started with good manners, smooth check-ins, and dinner reservations with a personalized touch. It evolved into how guests feel the moment they walk through the door. Now, it starts even earlier – online, on our phones, before we’ve even arrived.
With so much of our world becoming transactional and reputation-based, a thoughtfully designed, deeply personal experience has never been more valuable than it is today.
Will Guidara (author of Unreasonable Hospitality) built his career on this idea: going beyond what’s expected isn’t just good service – it’s what makes a brand unforgettable. The best hospitality experiences create moments that we want to talk about.
But in this day and age, how do you scale hospitality without losing what makes it human?
The problem with automation? It often makes things feel mechanical.
But AI is reshaping hospitality in ways that guests may not even realize. And that’s on purpose. Behind the scenes, AI is scaling something invisible: Thoughtfulness.
Hotels use AI to predict guest preferences before arrival – favorite drinks, pillow types, room temperatures, and more.
Restaurants personalize dining experiences with data-driven recommendations based on past visits.
Smart-concierge systems enable smaller brands to offer five-star service at scale.
The most successful hospitality brands aren’t replacing humans; they’re leveraging AI to empower staff to focus on what they do best: creating unforgettable experiences.
When things run smoothly, they’re invisible and often taken for granted. It’s when things get bumpy that we take notice.
So when the bartender remembers your drink order, or a host provides a handwritten thank you note, or a chef brings out a surprise appetizer…
There is intention. It’s handled seamlessly, and often by surprise. It’s invisible, with our personal delight in mind.
Because effortless doesn’t happen by accident.
The difference between feeling heard and feeling watched is not to be taken lightly.
We love it when a brand remembers something meaningful about us. But when personalization crosses the line into algorithm-driven eeriness, it becomes a problem.
A thoughtful surprise? Memorable. An ultra-targeted, data-driven interaction that feels invasive? Uncomfortable. The rise of AI has made mass personalization possible, but at what point does efficiency strip away the magic of the moment?
It’s up to us. The humans. We should know when to lean on data or automation, and when to let real human connection take over. And we should all aim to build experiences that feel warm, effortless, and deliberately human – even when they’re not.
There are many operators, portfolios, and technology companies in this space. We love to see it; competition raises the bar.
But while many are evolving, few have taken unique approaches to marrying the latest in tech with a Human touch.
HotelPORT is at the forefront of the hospitality industry, offering advanced AI content and reputation monitoring that helps hotel operators provide guests with the most relevant and reliable, up-to-date property information for increased trust. And more trust = higher booking rates.
me&u (pronounced Me and You) is a platform that helps automate and personalize ordering at restaurants. By learning from customer behavior, me&u helps guests feel like locals, which allows venues to boost average order value, reduce wait times, and deliver more tailored experiences – at scale.
Marriott’s Renaissance Hotels are building community with RENAI, their AI-powered concierge. The technology offers guests insider tips for dining, shopping, and entertainment – curated by locals and furthering community partnerships.
Entertainment is the wildcard of hospitality – not to be left out – and Meow Wolf is a shining example. Beginning as an art collective, they've rapidly evolved into a leader in immersive, narrative-driven experiences that seamlessly blend art, technology, and human interaction.
Meow Wolf brings an organic approach to entertainment that allows guests the freedom to explore at their own pace, alongside optional human concierges that remain an ambient part each environment. The result is a personalized journey from start to finish.
Hospitality isn’t just for F&B, hotels, and entertainment. In today’s world, every business is in the industry. And customers today, in any industry, expect more and more by default. After all we humans desire perfection (or at least the illusion of it).
But more than our needs being met faster or better, we appreciate feeling heard, understood, valued, and respected.
The brands who are winning today understand that we don’t just want efficiency – we want to feel like we matter.
That's hospitality.
Success will rarely be about the most modern technology and automation. The brands that thrive tomorrow will have embraced that mindset, and use tech intelligently – to stay connected, grounded, and most of all...
Human.
