Hotel Tech Insider

HotelTechReport

The HotelTechInsider podcast interviews the top leaders at the convergence of hotels, travel and technology. Guests include founders, executives, top hoteliers and industry organization leadership. Find all of the episodes at hoteltechreport.com

  1. COO of Nuvho on Automating Hotel Revenue Strategy

    −5 D

    COO of Nuvho on Automating Hotel Revenue Strategy

    What if the biggest mistake hotels make with technology isn’t adopting it too slowly—but using it to reinforce outdated assumptions about how guests want to interact with your property? In this episode, Matt Dybing, Co-Founder and COO of Nuvho, shares a candid look at how leading operators are using automation, revenue systems, and smarter distribution strategies to outperform competitors. Nuvho advises nearly 200 hotels across Australia and the UK, ranging from small regional properties to world-class luxury boutiques. With a unique vantage point across hundreds of tech stacks and revenue strategies, Matt brings a practical operator’s perspective on what actually drives performance - not just what vendors promise. Why “luxury equals human interaction” is often wrong: Matt challenges a common hospitality assumption: that removing friction with automation hurts the guest experience. Instead, he argues that luxury today is about choice—letting guests decide whether they want a frictionless mobile check-in or a high-touch arrival.How top hotels use OTAs strategically instead of fighting them: Rather than avoiding OTAs, Matt explains how smart operators optimize listings to rank on page one, where nearly all bookings occur—then convert that visibility into direct bookings using better booking engines and websites.A real example of technology-driven turnaround: Hear how a struggling luxury lodge increased revenue by 50% and returned to profitability after implementing automated revenue management, proactive marketing, and improved financial visibility—demonstrating how technology works best when paired with the right operational philosophy.Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with the operators and innovators shaping the future of hospitality technology.

    18 min
  2. President of Plusgrade on Agent-Ready Hotel Revenue

    23 FEB.

    President of Plusgrade on Agent-Ready Hotel Revenue

    What if 70% of your guests are willing to upgrade—but your pricing strategy is leaving that revenue on the table? In this episode, Erik Tengen, President of Hospitality at Plusgrade and former co-founder of Oaky, explains why the future of hotel profitability isn’t RevPAR—it’s total revenue, frictionless upselling, and becoming “agent-ready." Experienced hotel operators, GMs, commercial leaders, and ownership groups focused on driving profit—not just topline revenue—in an increasingly AI-driven distribution landscape. Erik brings a rare combination of entrepreneurial grit and global scale. After building Oaky into one of hospitality’s leading upsell platforms and selling it to Plusgrade—a global leader in ancillary revenue across airlines, cruise, and rail—he now oversees hospitality strategy for one of the most advanced ancillary monetization engines in travel. His vantage point spans independent hotels to major global brands actively modernizing their tech stacks. • Why TrevPAR Beats RevPAR in 2026 and Beyond Erik breaks down the industry’s post-COVID shift toward total revenue management and explains why pairing a Revenue Management System with dynamic upselling technology unlocks meaningful profit growth across parking, F&B, spa, upgrades, and more. • Dynamic Pricing Isn’t Just for Rooms Flat pricing for parking, late checkout, or room upgrades? That’s profit leakage. Learn the core data inputs required to dynamically price ancillaries—inventory, forecasted occupancy, and scarcity—and how to operationalize this without overwhelming your team. • “Commercial Empathy” as a Competitive Moat A surprising insight: personalization isn’t about more data—it’s about small, meaningful actions that remove friction at micro-moments across the guest journey. Erik explains why “big data is useless without small actions” and shares real-world examples of hotels training frontline staff to turn service moments into revenue opportunities. • What It Means to Be Agent-Ready With agentic AI poised to transform how travelers search and book, Erik outlines why structured data and open APIs will matter more than flashy AI features. Vendors—not hotels—must become agent-ready, but operators need to choose partners that are. • Scaling Upselling Without Nickel-and-Diming Guests The episode dives into seamless fulfillment—from PMS integrations to housekeeping workflows—and how top-performing brands debundle strategically without eroding guest trust. If you’re serious about driving profitable travel and future-proofing your hotel’s tech strategy, subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider, share this episode with your commercial team, and follow along for more operator-level insights from the leaders shaping hospitality’s next chapter.

    28 min
  3. CEO of QDI USA on OTA-to-Direct Booking Plays

    9 FEB.

    CEO of QDI USA on OTA-to-Direct Booking Plays

    What if your busiest check-in nights didn’t require a front-desk line at all—even when most guests booked through OTAs? In this episode, Fabio Passos, Owner & CEO of QDI USA Developments (a multi-property operator with hotels across Florida and Brazil) breaks down the practical playbook he’s used to modernize arrivals, improve security, and squeeze more signal out of property data—without waiting for a brand to catch up. Key Takeaways: How to eliminate peak-arrival bottlenecks with mobile keys + self-service check-in (including the exact pre-arrival cadence: timed emails, app adoption, and how to handle ID/vehicle info requirements without clogging the desk).How to keep security tight when guests bypass the front desk: Fabio shares the operational counterweights—staff training plus “smart camera” monitoring for common loopholes (like propped stairwell doors) so automation doesn’t mean losing control.How to turn messaging into a direct channel—then scale it with AI: A surprisingly simple WhatsApp-led approach starts human-first, captures demand, and then gets trained into an AI agent to handle volume without needing staff online 24/7.Fabio’s operator mindset spans two very different markets (Florida + Brazil), and he brings a distribution-aware view of tech—specifically solving for OTA-heavy demand where brand-only mobile keys don’t help. He also shares a practical “aha” moment using ChatGPT to consolidate multi-hotel financials and dashboards from CSV exports—an unusually pragmatic, owner-level use case that goes beyond the typical “AI for marketing” talk. If you’re looking for tactics you can test this quarter—share this episode with your ops lead or GM, and subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more operator-grade playbooks on using technology to run leaner, safer, higher-performing hotels.

    25 min
  4. Linchris Hotel Corporation on Rewriting Hotel Marketing Playbooks

    26 JAN.

    Linchris Hotel Corporation on Rewriting Hotel Marketing Playbooks

    What if the fastest way to improve service, upsells, and loyalty isn’t adding staff—but redesigning how guests communicate with your hotel? In this episode, Greg Nawrocki, Director of Online Marketing at Linchris Hotel Corporation (30+ hotels across urban, resort, branded, and independent properties), delivers a rare, operator-level breakdown of how modern hotel marketing actually works in the wild—where technology has to prove ROI and still feel human. Key Takeaways: How to operationalize SMS at scale without losing hospitality: Greg shares how some Linchris properties see 50–80% guest adoption of text messaging, and exactly where SMS outperforms email before, during, and after the stay.Turning “old-school” marketing into measurable channels: Learn how Linchris tracks ROI on billboards, newspapers, and drive-market advertising using Google Analytics, geo lift, and direct URL behavior.Smarter segmentation using PMS-connected data: Practical examples of how email + PMS data enables targeting top spenders, low-value guests, OTA bookers, and drive markets—with real tactics to increase direct bookings and repeat stays. Greg doesn’t talk in abstractions. He explains how to phrase messages differently by property type, why influencer marketing often fails (and when it works), and how independent hotels can compete with global brands by orchestrating tech vendors—not stacking them. If you’re rethinking how technology fits into hospitality—not replacing it—this episode is a must-listen. Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider, share this episode with your leadership team, and explore more operator-led insights at HotelTechReport.com

    27 min
  5. CCO of CIC Hospitality on Using Tech to Scale a Complex Hotel Portfolio

    13 JAN.

    CCO of CIC Hospitality on Using Tech to Scale a Complex Hotel Portfolio

    How do you scale hotel operations across brands, countries, and systems - without losing control or culture?  In this episode of Hotel Tech Insider, we sit down with Øyvind Bøhm Frisak, Chief Commercial Officer at CIC Hospitality, to unpack how a fast-growing Nordic hotel operator is using AI, data, and unconventional guest-facing tech to drive efficiency, improve service, and prepare teams for the future.  This conversation is especially relevant for hotel owners, operators, GMs, and commercial leaders managing multi-property portfolios, complex tech stacks, or brand-franchise environments—and anyone navigating the real-world impact of AI on hotel operations and staffing. Key takeaways from this episode: How CIC Hospitality standardizes performance across 30+ hotels using multiple PMS platforms, a centralized data lake, and consistent KPIs to enable scalable growth.Where AI actually delivers value today—from cutting guest response times from 24 hours to minutes, to freeing revenue managers to focus on strategy instead of manual pricing.Why guest-facing innovation doesn’t have to mean less human service, including lessons learned from deploying hologram reception and centralized service teams.Along the way, Øyvind shares candid insights on AI adoption, tech stack integration, revenue management evolution, guest communication automation, and preparing hotel teams for change—without fear-mongering or hype. 👉 Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with hotel leaders shaping the future of hospitality technology. If you found this episode useful, share it with a colleague or visit HotelTechReport.com for deeper research, reviews, and industry insights.

    20 min
  6. CEO of TrustYou on AI Agents and Hotel CDPs

    2025-12-29

    CEO of TrustYou on AI Agents and Hotel CDPs

    Guest reviews aren’t just social proof anymore—they’re quietly becoming the backbone of pricing power, AI-driven discovery, and automated guest communication. In this episode of Hotel Tech Insider, Ben Jost, Founder and CEO of TrustYou, shares how nearly two decades of working with the world’s largest hotel brands has shaped his view on where reputation management is headed next—and why many hoteliers are still underestimating its impact. Ben walks through TrustYou’s evolution from an early consumer review startup to the world’s leading guest feedback and reputation intelligence platform, including its acquisition by Recruit Holdings (Indeed, Glassdoor) and subsequent management buyout. That journey set the foundation for what TrustYou is building today: a unified platform that combines guest feedback, transactional data, and AI agents into a continuous, two-way conversation with guests across every channel. For experienced hoteliers, the insights are practical and sharp. Ben explains why even small improvements in review scores can directly unlock higher ADR, how reputation management has become the long-term counterpart to revenue management, and why up to 50% of a hotel’s total reviews can now come from its own first-party surveys. He also breaks down a major shift already underway: guests are no longer asking simple yes-or-no questions like “Does the hotel have a pool?”—they’re asking AI long-tail questions that reward hotels with rich, structured review content and strong brand voice. The conversation goes further into what’s surprising many industry veterans: CDPs, guest messaging, and chatbots are collapsing into a single AI-driven conversation layer that can answer questions, personalize responses using PMS data, and soon execute tasks like upgrades and add-ons in real time. Ben makes the case that the hotel tech stack is about to shrink—not grow—and that the hotels who adapt early will have a structural advantage in both direct bookings and guest satisfaction. If you want to understand how guest feedback, AI agents, and hotel data are converging—and what that means for pricing, distribution, and operations—this episode is essential listening. Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with the leaders shaping the future of hospitality, and share this episode with anyone who still thinks reviews are just about responding on OTAs.

    28 min
  7. GWT Hotels' Revenue Leader on Total P&L Ownership

    2025-12-15

    GWT Hotels' Revenue Leader on Total P&L Ownership

    What if removing your front desk—and doubling down on the right integrations—was the key to keeping your hotel profitable after COVID? In this episode of Hotel Tech Insider, Roberto Pacaccio, Revenue & Expense Manager at GWT Hotels, shares how a five-property independent hotel group in San Francisco survived near-shutdown, rebuilt its operating model, and lowered its breakeven point by rethinking technology from the ground up. How GWT Hotels eliminated traditional front desks without sacrificing service: Roberto breaks down the exact tech stack—including PMS, digital keys, guest messaging, and centralized support—that allows four independent hotels to operate front-desk-free while still offering 24/7 guest assistance.Why integration matters more than “best-of-breed” tools: Learn how choosing tightly integrated systems (PMS + digital keys + messaging + dynamic pricing) reduced staff workload, training complexity, and operational errors—and why fragmented tools nearly derailed adoption early on.The revenue lesson most hoteliers miss: lowering breakeven beats chasing ADR:  Roberto explains how automation and labor-light operations materially lowered per-room breakeven costs—and how dynamic pricing rules tied to occupancy replaced manual rate shopping entirely.GWT Hotels didn’t modernize to “innovate”—they modernized to survive. From replacing physical metal keys to centralizing five hotels under one operational hub, this episode offers a rare, honest look at what tech adoption actually looks like for small independent hotels with no margin for error. If you’re rethinking how your hotel operates in a labor-constrained world, this episode is a must-listen. Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more real-world insights from hoteliers who’ve actually done the work—and share this episode with a peer who’s questioning whether their current tech stack is holding them back.

    26 min
  8. Hotel Oderberger's Director on Building Her Tech Stack from Scratch

    2025-12-02

    Hotel Oderberger's Director on Building Her Tech Stack from Scratch

    What happens when a boutique hotel director builds a fully personalized “signature tech stack” from the ground up—and proves you don’t need to be a tech native to run one of the most digitally advanced 70-key properties in Berlin? In this episode, Tini Diekmann, Hotel Director at the acclaimed Hotel Oderberger, reveals the real-world tools, workflows, and mindsets that transformed her operations.  This episode is designed for experienced hoteliers, GMs, and department heads who have lived through multiple system overhauls, survived legacy tech, and are looking for practical, proven strategies to modernize their operations without the chaos. Takeaways: • How a boutique hotel built a high-performing, revenue-focused tech stack—piece by piece. Learn how Tini turned a self-built legacy PMS into a fully integrated ecosystem using Mews, SiteMinder, RoomPriceGenie, TrustYou, and more. • Surprising operational wins you wouldn’t expect. Discover why installing a guest tablet actually slashed heating costs—thanks to a three-way integration between the PMS, in-room devices, and IoT-connected radiators. • A realistic blueprint for evaluating, selecting, and phasing in new tools. Tini explains why you should never implement more than one or two solutions per year, how to measure ROI, when to cut a tool, and how to keep staff empowered (not overwhelmed) throughout the transition. • AI in guest communication that actually works. Hear why their call volume collapsed overnight after adopting a chatbot—and how AI email responses now handle 98% of inquiries while maintaining brand tone and reducing workload.

    27 min
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Om

The HotelTechInsider podcast interviews the top leaders at the convergence of hotels, travel and technology. Guests include founders, executives, top hoteliers and industry organization leadership. Find all of the episodes at hoteltechreport.com

Information

  • Skapad av
    HotelTechReport
  • Aktiva år
    2019 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    74
  • Åldersgräns
    Barnvänligt
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Hotel Tech Insider. All rights reserved.
  • Programmets webbplats
    Hotel Tech Insider

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