AI and Hotels: Using Technology to Grow Business

Article Summary

For the past year, many people in the travel industry have been talking about Artificial Intelligence, known as AI. They often discuss how AI can help businesses save money. But for hotels, one expert named Richard Valtr thinks this idea is not complete. Richard Valtr is the founder of a company called Mews. He believes hotels are not making as much money as they could be, even with new technology.

Valtr spoke at a recent meeting about data and AI. He explained that AI has a big problem in hotels. AI cannot really help sell things if the hotel's computer systems do not share information. Imagine if details about hotel rooms, what guests usually buy, and prices for different services are all in separate places. If these systems are not connected, AI can only do small tasks, like making some office work faster. It cannot help hotels earn more money because it does not have a full picture of the business.

He also said that the old way of building hotel technology caused this problem. Hotels often have different software for managing rooms, for setting prices, and for customer service. These systems usually do not 'talk' to each other. Valtr thinks that new technology should allow staff, especially those at the front desk, to do more important work. For example, instead of just dealing with paperwork, they could use technology to offer guests special experiences. They could also build stronger relationships with customers so they return often. This way, hotels can use AI not just to save money, but also to greatly increase their earnings and offer better service.

Key Vocabulary

Comprehension Questions

1. What is the main problem Richard Valtr sees with how hotels use AI?

• Hotels are not buying enough AI technology.
• AI systems are too expensive for most hotels.
• Hotels only use AI to save money, not to earn more.
• AI makes hotel staff lose their jobs.

2. According to Valtr, what information needs to be connected for AI to work better in hotels?

• Only room prices and guest names.
• Details about rooms, guest preferences, and service prices.
• Information about other competing hotels.
• Data about the weather and local events.

3. What is one reason why hotel computer systems often do not share information well?

• Hotels do not want to share information with AI.
• The systems were built separately for different tasks.
• It is illegal to connect different hotel systems.
• Hotel staff do not know how to use connected systems.

4. How can connected systems help front desk staff?

• They can stop working and let AI do everything.
• They can spend more time on office paperwork.
• They can focus on selling special services and building guest loyalty.
• They can manage all hotel systems by themselves.

5. What is the overall message of Richard Valtr's idea about AI in hotels?

• AI is not useful for hotels.
• Hotels should stop using old technology.
• Hotels should use AI to make more money, not just save money, by connecting their data.
• Only luxury hotels can benefit from AI.

Discussion Prompts

1. Do you think AI is currently used more for saving money or for making more money in your industry? Please explain.

2. What kind of information in your company's different systems would be useful if they were all connected? How could this help your work?

3. How could technology help you or your team spend less time on routine tasks and more time on important customer interactions or creative work?

Teacher Notes

This lesson focuses on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help hotels grow their business, not just save costs. The article summary provides a clear B1-level overview. Encourage students to discuss the vocabulary in context and share their opinions on AI in their own professional fields. The grammar focus on modals 'can' and 'could' is useful for expressing possibilities and abilities in business discussions. Make sure to check understanding of the new vocabulary and the key ideas from the summary.

Ticket to Class

Do you think AI is currently used more for saving money or for making more money in your industry? Please explain.