Key insights from the Hospitality CIO Summit EMEA

Last week, hospitality technology leaders came together in Barcelona for 24 hours of candid conversations and valuable insights

Last week, hospitality technology leaders gathered in Barcelona for the first-ever CIO Summit EMEA, hosted by HFTP. Held at the Renaissance Barcelona Hotel, the summit provided a rare, sales-free space for candid dialogue, forward-looking insights, and peer connection. In just 24 hours, the event sparked meaningful conversations about AI, tech strategy, cultural change, and the evolving role of technology leaders in hospitality. Here are the most important takeaways from the event:

Key takeaways

• AI starts with culture, not code: Michael Tessler stressed that AI adoption succeeds only when it’s tied to clear business outcomes. The biggest barriers are cultural, not technical - executive commitment and integration are key.
• Rethinking hospitality through the 'Uber effect': Hotels could shift from owning and operating services to orchestrating curated external experiences. This model enables personalization and new revenue streams without increasing operational burden.
• Enterprise browsers could simplify staff tech: Staff-facing tools are often overly complex. A secure, managed enterprise browser could streamline access, speed up onboarding, and reduce errors—especially for seasonal teams.
• Tech must align with business goals: Stuart Mason of Belmond highlighted the power of cross-team collaboration. His motto: “Automate the predictable and humanise the exceptional.”
• Best-of-breed vs. single vendor: No one-size-fits-all: Choose what fits your unique environment - consider internal capabilities, system complexity, and integration risk. Flexibility comes at the cost of complexity; simplicity may limit future agility.
• Hospitality’s future: From SaaS to AI agents: Uli Pillau and Florian Montag argued that static SaaS stacks are being replaced by dynamic, agent-powered ecosystems. AI agents will operate across systems, with “Model Context Protocols” enabling secure, contextual interaction- signaling a paradigm shift in how hotel tech is architected.

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