Hotels are getting AI wrong, says Mews

A reactive approach to AI risks weakening hotel control over distribution, guest relationships, and long-term profitability

Many hotels are adopting AI tools without a clear strategic direction, focusing on visible features rather than meaningful business impact. According to Mews founder Richard Valtr, much of the industry is reacting to AI trends instead of rethinking how AI should reshape guest relationships, distribution, and revenue strategy. The current wave of AI innovation is exposing a deeper issue: hotels are optimizing interfaces, not outcomes. As AI-driven ecosystems evolve, the real opportunity lies in redefining how hotels create value and capture demand.

Key takeaways

• AI as a checkbox, not a strategy: Many hotels are implementing AI features to keep up with competitors, rather than aligning them with clear commercial objectives or guest value creation.
• Focus on search instead of demand drivers: Hotels are investing in how guests search and book, but not in understanding why guests would choose their brand in an AI-mediated environment.
• Speed matters more than perfection: Hotels that experiment quickly with AI, test use cases, and iterate will be better positioned than those relying on long-term, top-down transformation programs.
• Distribution is becoming fragmented: AI-driven ecosystems may shift power away from centralized platforms toward multiple consumer “identity hubs,” requiring hotels to rethink how they access demand.
• New competitors are emerging: Fintech, mobility, and lifestyle platforms are evolving into decision-making agents, potentially influencing where and how travelers book — often outside traditional hotel channels.
• OTA dominance is not guaranteed: Online travel agencies risk losing ground if they fail to adapt to AI-driven, agent-based booking behaviors, opening space for new intermediaries.
• Operational AI is the real lever: The biggest impact of AI for hotels lies in improving operations and decision-making — from pricing to inventory across all revenue-generating assets.
• From pricing to total revenue strategy: AI will enable hotels to move beyond room rate optimization toward managing the full guest value, including upselling, ancillary revenue, and overall profitability.

Source: Skift

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