The future of AI in UK hotels

The hospitality industry is in the midst of a transformative shift driven by artificial intelligence (AI). As technology continues to evolve, AI is becoming increasingly integral to operations across hotels of all sizes. From streamlining content management to improving the guest journey, AI is enhancing both the efficiency of hotel operations and the overall guest experience. 

With research showing that more than 50% of hotels have already adopted AI tools, the technology is rapidly changing how businesses engage with their guests and manage day-to-day tasks.

One of the primary areas where AI is making an impact is in the streamlining of operational tasks, particularly those related to content management. As hotels juggle multiple systems, from booking engines to brand websites and third-party platforms, updating room descriptions, rate details, and policies can become a time-consuming and error-prone task. 

AI-powered solutions, such as SHR’s AI Assistant, are stepping in to alleviate these challenges. Andrew McGregor, vice president of accommodation at The Access Group (that acquired SHR) says: “One of the persistent and often overlooked challenges in hotel operations is the sheer amount of manual work involved in managing content. Updating room descriptions, rate details, and policies across multiple systems – from booking engines and brand websites to OTAs and CRM platforms – is not only time-consuming, it’s a constant risk for inconsistency and error, especially when multiple languages are involved.”

SHR’s AI Assistant addresses this problem by automatically generating and syncing content across all key guest-facing channels, ensuring everything stays accurate and aligned without the need for constant manual updates. This automated solution eliminates the burden of copy-pasting descriptions and makes it much easier for hotels to manage content in real-time. With AI working in the background, hoteliers can focus on other strategic areas that require more human attention.

Enhancing the guest journey

Beyond content management, AI is also playing a significant role in personalizing the guest journey from booking through to check-out. As the hospitality sector becomes increasingly competitive, delivering a personalized guest experience is no longer just a luxury; it’s a necessity. AI tools are now able to track guest preferences, from room temperature and lighting to dietary restrictions, ensuring a tailored experience upon arrival. 

Will Meadows, VP of experience design at Planday, notes the potential of AI to analyse guest data and create customised experiences. “An exciting feature of AI is its ability to analyze guest data, allowing businesses to offer highly personalized experiences. AI can track things like room temperature and lighting, creating the perfect ambiance for each guest,” he says. “It can record dietary requirements, so these are noted and taken care of from the minute a customer arrives. AI can even take note of past activities/preferences and create recommendations based on these. Hospitality providers can create tailored experiences for each guest like never before, enhancing their visit from the get-go and boosting customer loyalty.”

This ability to predict guest needs and preferences allows hotels to elevate their service offerings and improve guest satisfaction, leading to increased loyalty and return visits. AI is helping hotels not only meet guest expectations but also anticipate and exceed them, providing a seamless, frictionless experience that keeps guests engaged and satisfied.

Pricing and revenue management

AI’s role in revenue management is also becoming more pronounced. Traditionally, revenue management has been a manual, reactive process. However, AI tools are now helping hotels make more informed, real-time pricing decisions based on live data signals and competitor analysis. According to McGregor, in revenue management “can process live demand signals and competitor data to adjust pricing on the fly”. He adds: “In operations, it can forecast occupancy trends to optimise housekeeping schedules or staff rotas. Even in marketing, it can guide when and how to target guests based on their likelihood to convert.”

This real-time data analysis allows hotels to adjust pricing dynamically, ensuring that rooms are priced optimally based on demand. In addition, AI tools are helping hoteliers make smarter decisions by providing insights into occupancy trends, enabling them to optimize staffing and operational efficiency. By leveraging AI to manage pricing, staffing, and marketing, hotels can drive better results while reducing the risk of human error and missed opportunities.

The adoption of AI in hospitality is not limited to large hotel chains; independent and boutique hotels are also taking advantage of these tools. Research from Planday reveals that luxury hotels are at the forefront of AI adoption, with nearly 70% of respondents in this category expecting AI to significantly impact the industry in the coming year. These hotels are dedicating substantial resources to AI, with 67% allocating more than 10% of their budget to AI tools. Smaller hotel chains, due to their agility and smaller teams, are also more likely to adopt AI quickly compared to larger chains, which may face delays due to complex approval processes.

Asif Alidina is the co-founder and CEO of Inntelo AI, who designed the first AI concierge to enhance guest experiences and streamline daily hotel operations. He explains: “Boutiques and independents adopt fastest due to agility, but larger chains are now accelerating adoption, especially as they look for scalable service enhancements.” However, the key to AI success is not the size of the hotel but the organizational readiness. Hotels with cross-functional digital teams, where revenue, marketing, and operations work together, are more likely to see the most value from AI adoption.

The AI concierge has already been adopted by some hotels, including Park Hall Resort & Spa in Lancashire, which improved guest response rates and real operational gains within weeks ever since the implementation. Alidina adds: “We’re also collaborating with Hotelschool The Hague, where students use the system as both staff and guests, validating its impact in real-world and educational environments.”

Major misconceptions and preoccupations

A common concern among hotel staff is the fear that AI will replace human jobs. However, experts in the field are quick to point out that AI is not meant to replace human workers but to augment their capabilities and improve working conditions. Meadows highlights this shift, noting: “It’s not AI robots that will be taking jobs – it will be people who are more efficient by using the technology available to them.” 

Rather than replacing jobs, AI helps to automate repetitive, mundane tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more guest-centric activities. McGregor echoes this sentiment, stating that AI “takes the repetitive work off people’s plates and lets them focus on what they’re best at: creating memorable guest experiences.”

By offloading routine administrative tasks, AI is enabling hotel staff to spend more time interacting with guests and delivering high-quality service. This leads to greater job satisfaction, reduced turnover, and a more engaged workforce. 

With the increased use of AI in managing guest interactions, other increasing concerns about privacy and data security naturally arise. However, AI tools used in hospitality are designed with these issues in mind. As McGregor explains, the biggest challenge in AI adoption is fragmented and outdated data. If a hotel’s guest information is spread across disconnected systems, AI cannot function effectively. 

“Privacy and data security are non-negotiable,” says Alidina. He adds that his company’s AI platform, Inntelo AI, is GDPR-compliant, minimises data collection, and ensures guest data is encrypted and anonymized. The AI model doesn’t expose private data to large language models, which ensures a higher level of guest privacy than many other technologies that track location and other personal data.

So what’s the verdict?

Looking ahead, AI is poised to become a standard feature in hotel operations. As AI continues to mature, its capabilities will expand to include even more strategic applications, including predictive analytics, operational forecasting, and real-time decision-making. According to McGregor: “We’re going to see a major shift in hospitality technology – away from passive systems that wait for the guest to act, toward intelligent tools that guide, support, and personalize the journey in real time.”

AI is quickly becoming a vital tool in the hospitality industry, helping hotels optimise operations, enhance guest experiences, and stay ahead of the competition. As hotels continue to experiment with these tools and integrate them into their systems, those who strategically adopt AI and use it to support human roles will gain a significant competitive edge. 

The key, as McGregor puts it, will be using AI “intelligently – making it work across systems, teams, and touchpoints to deliver hospitality that feels anything but robotic”.