One of the key challenges facing today’s hoteliers is that of high tech vs high touch. Does technology conflict with personalized service? Is it possible to offer both during the same visit? And can hotels that utilize technology in favor of human interaction achieve guest loyalty?

“Smart Data” has become a buzzword in recent years. Businesses across a variety of industries are embracing intelligent data solutions to improve the way they do business, and the travel industry is no exception; in fact, hoteliers who use Smart Data can gain an edge over rival properties, particularly in today’s fiercely competitive recovery market.

The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) is the nation’s largest hotel owners association, representing nearly 20,000 members who own almost one in every two hotels in the United States. With billions of dollars in property assets and hundreds of thousands of employees, AAHOA members are core economic contributors in communities across the country.

Embarrassing reports of lost data surfacing on the dark web are becoming more and more prevalent in the media. As hoteliers we become the custodians of our guests and customers’ data from the time acquired and utilized until that information is archived or permanently deleted. However, what happens when that chain of custody is broken? What happens to the employee data too? More importantly what plans do you as an owner have to prevent a disclosure from surfacing and damaging your reputation?

As we examine and develop new strategies for the changes that we can expect to see in the hospitality industry post-crisis, we are also starting to envision the world beyond the pandemic and to the new normal of radically shifted travel consumer expectations and preferences. The probability of guest technology expectations worldwide significantly changing becomes high as guests prefer a more touchless and fully mobile-enabled hospitality experience post-COVID-19. The future of hospitality has always been mobile–but COVID-19 will accelerate this trend from a nice-to-have to a must-have for hoteliers.