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Imagine checking into a hotel where AI caters to your every need effortlessly. From booking your room to ordering a drink, your requests are fulfilled in mere seconds, creating an experience where being pampered is taken to an entirely new level. Well, stop imagining, because that’s almost a reality.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping industries, and at the Future Hospitality Summit, it was the buzzword on everyone’s lips. Hospitality giants are now jumping on the AI bandwagon, crafting bold new strategies to infuse this cutting-edge technology into their operations.
From enhancing guest experiences with AI-powered concierge services to optimizing behind-the-scenes logistics, the future of hospitality is set to be more innovative than ever. 

With the AI revolution still developing, people still have questions about how this emerging tech could change the hospitality industry. 

In this interview, James Hacon, Managing Partner of Think Hospitality, who has collaborated with hotel brands, asset owners, and developers across more than 50 companies in 30 countries, sheds light on how AI could revolutionize the hospitality industry. 

Hacon explains how this transformative technology has the potential to elevate guest experiences, streamline operations, and unlock new levels of efficiency, painting a picture of a future where AI drives innovation and growth in the sector.

How is AI Being Utilised in the Food and Beverage Sections of Hotels?

AI is already playing a significant role in transforming food and beverage (F&B) operations within hotels. Many F&B software providers have integrated AI into their solutions, covering everything from scheduling and purchasing to reservations and CRM systems. But the innovation doesn’t stop there—AI is making its way into the kitchen. Commercial kitchens are increasingly using AI to simplify and automate cooking processes. For instance, AI-enabled ovens can now recognize the dishes loaded into them, automatically linking to the correct recipes and adjusting cooking times, reducing the need for manual intervention and lowering skill barriers.

In terms of culinary development, AI is helping chefs and bartenders ideate, research, and refine their recipes through chat-based solutions. On the marketing and concept creation side, AI-powered tools are becoming indispensable, allowing teams to bring ideas to life more efficiently.

Can You Provide Examples of AI-Driven Innovations That Have Improved Kitchen Operations or Guest Dining Experiences?

In research for a recent client, we saw AI technology that can assess the external temperature of a steak and calculate its size to ensure it’s cooked precisely to the guest's preference. Another example is a system that interfaces with CCTV and EPOS, providing live data to support operations. However implantation of this technology is limited by the slower adoption and expense of wearable tech, like watches or glasses.

Some restaurants are already deploying AI-driven solutions that enhance the dining experience, such as music and lighting systems that adjust automatically based on venue capacity and ambient levels. This powerful combination of AI and IoT sensor technology doesn’t just simplify operations; it directly enhances the guest experience, with the bonus of driving commercial gains. A few pioneering restaurant groups are even using AI in combination with behavioral science to apply psychological nudging through aroma, music, lighting, and layout—techniques that have long been used in Las Vegas and Macau casinos.

How do you see AI transforming guest experiences and hotel management in the long term?

AI's influence isn’t limited to F&B. Across hotel operations, AI is revolutionizing the guest experience with technologies like visual recognition for guest identification, automated baggage handling, and frictionless check-ins and payments. AI-driven chatbots, accessed via WhatsApp or hotel apps, are growing in popularity, helping reduce the need for traditional switchboard services. In wellness areas, the advances are remarkable—AI is being integrated with various sensors and testing tools to deliver personalized wellness outcomes, reshaping the traditional hotel spa experience.

In finance and administration, AI is already delivering cost savings by automating tasks and connecting systems more efficiently. The real value of AI in these areas lies in its ability to optimize back-office operations, providing a clearer path for hotels to invest in enhancing the guest experience.

What do you envision as the future role of AI in the hospitality sector over the next decade?

AI will undoubtedly drive significant productivity gains by automating many of the manual tasks that burden hospitality operations today. This could lead to a reduction in the number of people required to manage daily operations, freeing up resources to offer better pay and focus on high-touch roles where human interaction truly matters.

However, the adoption of guest-facing technology varies depending on the type of occasion and the hotel’s price point. Guests at budget and mid-market hotels are more open to using tech-driven solutions for convenience, while luxury and lifestyle properties will continue to rely on the human touch for more experience-focused occasions. Still, even in these high-end environments, AI can enhance service invisibly—something that luxury brands must balance carefully to avoid undermining the personalized service their guests expect.

I predict that AI and automation adoption in other sectors will actually see hospitality gain a bigger potential talent pool and one of the last bastions of human-based contact, which will become a sought-after line of work when the world becomes more digitized and less personal.

In what ways can AI be beneficial for hotel residents, particularly in terms of personalized services and convenience?

AI has enormous potential to deliver personalized service and convenience to hotel residents, creating a more seamless and enjoyable stay. Imagine pulling up to a hotel in a self-driving car that has already alerted the hotel to your arrival. Your personal concierge is waiting to greet you, and instead of checking in, you’re whisked directly to the bar, where your favorite drink is waiting. Your room unlocks automatically via facial recognition, and AI in the kitchen customizes your meal to suit your current dietary needs based on data from your wearable device. At the spa, there’s no need for paperwork—the AI already knows your preferences and health data, allowing for a fully tailored experience.

While this may sound futuristic, much of this technology already exists. The question is how much guests are willing to trade their privacy for an enhanced, personalized service.

For guests who prefer human interaction, how do you balance the use of AI with maintaining a personal touch?

For guests who prefer human interaction, it’s essential to strike a balance between using AI to enhance service and maintaining the personal touch that defines hospitality. The key is to ensure AI complements rather than replaces human interaction. Teams will need to be trained to use AI-driven insights without sacrificing genuine, heartfelt service. It’s crucial that staff receive the right information at the right moment to resolve issues, rather than overreact, ensuring a positive guest experience.

I’ve seen instances where this balance wasn’t maintained, such as with a restaurant client who implemented live tablet-based feedback alerts for managers. While the system helped identify issues in real-time, poor handling of the alerts led to awkward interactions and demotivated teams. The lesson is clear: AI should be used to empower staff, not overwhelm them.

Hospitality is, and always will be, a people-centric industry. AI cannot replace the warmth of human interactions or the intuition required for excellent service. But by automating repetitive tasks and enhancing operational efficiency, AI allows hospitality staff to focus on what truly matters: delivering a memorable and personalized guest experience. For now, most roles in hospitality remain secure, with AI taking on the more monotonous tasks, enabling teams to engage more meaningfully with guests. We may well see a splitting of the industry more distinctly as convenience focused food and drink become it’s own sector, while hospitality becomes almost entirely focused on experience.