These hotel tech execs all believe there are big opportunities for AI, but they also believe that marketers are promoting it in ways that don't make sense.
Microsoft sees a future where everyone has a personal AI assistant and a digital ID, and travel companies with permission can tap into that data to create personalized experiences.
There were dozens of people waiting in line to speak with Dan Blanchard after his hour-long HITEC presentation, half of which was an audience Q&A. He has learned a lot over his four years as chief tech officer for IHG, and people were clearly interested in hearing about it.
Maybe hotels should focus first on the basics, like getting on the cloud and ditching cable TV. But having fun products like robots is, at the very least, good for marketing.
Hotel executives admit they're late to the party when it comes to adopting technology. Now, they're trying to figure out the basics and adopt innovations all at the same time.