Why Hotel AI Keeps Cutting Costs Instead of Making Money


Skift Take

AI can't sell what hotel systems can't see. Until room-level data, guest behavior, and service pricing live in one connected system, the industry's AI gains will stay stuck on the cost efficiency side of the ledger.

The travel industry has spent the past year talking about AI as a way to cut costs. For hotels, Richard Valtr thinks that's the wrong conversation.

The Mews founder, speaking Wednesday at the Skift Data and AI Summit, argued that hotels are leaving revenue on the table. 

Technology could free front desk staff to sell experiences and loyalty, instead of just dealing with admin. He argued that hotel technology was built around software categories like property management, revenue management, and cus