Even as global travel demand continues to rise and occupancy rates near pre-pandemic levels, hotels are still struggling to operate at full capacity. According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2025 State of the Hotel Industry report, U.S. hotel occupancy reached 63% in 2024 and is projected to climb slightly to 63.4% in 2025, just below 2019 levels. The CBRE 2025 Global Hotel Outlook echoes this trend, noting that most major markets worldwide are expected to post positive RevPAR growth through 2025 — evidence of a sector that has largely stabilized yet remains under workforce pressure.
At the same time, the Colliers U.S. Hospitality Outlook 2025 highlights that labor costs remain one of the fastest-rising expense categories for hotels, with many operators reporting sustained staffing gaps despite steady demand. The combination of strong performance metrics and continued workforce strain has made technology adoption a strategic priority — not a luxury.
Despite this return in travel demand, staffing levels across the industry remain below pre-pandemic benchmarks. Rising wages, burnout, and high turnover continue to stretch teams thin. As a result, hotels of every size — from boutique properties to international chains — are investing in tools that help their staff work smarter, maintain consistency, and deliver the kind of guest experience that keeps travelers returning.
A Workforce Challenge That Spans the Industry
Staffing shortages touch every corner of hospitality — but the experience looks different for each type of hotel.
For smaller and mid-sized hotels, the challenge is about bandwidth. A single staff member might handle guest communication, check-ins, and concierge tasks all at once, leaving little time for genuine interaction. Many properties are learning that the answer isn’t to add more people, but to give their teams the right digital support to operate efficiently.
Larger hotel groups face a different test: consistency at scale. Managing multiple properties across regions means dealing with turnover, training gaps, and the pressure to deliver a uniform guest experience everywhere. When one location falls behind, it can ripple through brand standards and satisfaction scores.
Across all segments, the industry is recognizing a similar truth — that a smarter, technology-enabled workforce can deliver exceptional service even when teams are lean.
Technology as a Workforce Multiplier
The conversation around hotel technology has evolved. It’s no longer about cost reduction; it’s about helping people work better. Automation and AI are becoming part of the team, supporting employees rather than replacing them.
Digital check-in platforms and pre-arrival forms, for example, take over the repetitive administrative tasks that once dominated the front desk. Guests can upload IDs, complete registration, and handle payments before they even arrive, allowing staff to focus on the welcome rather than the paperwork.
At Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, part of the Accor group, digital transformation has done exactly that. By introducing a connected check-in and upselling platform, the resort was able to streamline front desk operations and generate €25,000 in upsell revenue in just two months. The technology reduced manual workload and gave the team more time to elevate service standards — a balance between automation and luxury that defines modern hospitality.
AI-powered guest communication is another example of how technology amplifies human capability. Instead of fielding the same repetitive questions dozens of times a day, staff can rely on intelligent assistants to handle routine inquiries in multiple languages. When a guest asks about breakfast hours or late checkout, the system responds instantly; when a question requires personal attention, it’s passed seamlessly to a human.
This approach is especially powerful for growing hospitality brands like Edgar Suites in France, which uses AI automation to handle about 80% of guest messages. With fewer repetitive tasks, their lean operations team can focus on high-value moments — greeting guests, ensuring quality, and delivering thoughtful touches that set the brand apart.
Whether it’s a boutique aparthotel or a five-star resort, these examples show that technology can do more than make processes faster — it can create space for genuine hospitality.
From Fragmentation to Centralization
Many hotel operators still juggle disconnected systems for property management, guest communication, and payments. Each platform demands time and training, creating inefficiencies that compound when staffing is tight.
Integrated, cloud-based solutions are changing that dynamic. By unifying guest data and communication across departments — and in the case of larger groups, across entire regions — hotels gain a single, consistent view of their operations. Frontline staff can access key information instantly, while managers and corporate leaders can see where efficiency breaks down and how to fix it.
This level of centralization has another benefit: faster onboarding. When every property works from the same digital foundation, new employees can get up to speed quickly, even moving between locations without having to relearn systems. In an industry known for high turnover, that kind of consistency is invaluable.
Building a Scalable Workforce Strategy
The most successful hotel groups today aren’t just investing in technology; they’re integrating it into their long-term workforce planning.
For smaller hotels, this often means identifying pain points and introducing digital tools that deliver immediate relief — automating check-in, streamlining guest messaging, or simplifying housekeeping coordination.
For global brands, it’s about creating unified systems that make staff training easier, standardize processes, and give leadership visibility into how properties are performing. A centralized tech stack allows hotel executives to see patterns in staffing efficiency, guest satisfaction, and operational bottlenecks across multiple regions — and make decisions faster.
Crucially, technology adoption must come with staff training and communication. Employees need to understand that automation exists to make their jobs easier, not to replace them. When teams are confident in how to use technology, adoption rises naturally — and the result is a smoother, more connected guest experience.
Smarter Systems, Stronger Teams
Hospitality has always been built around people, and that won’t change. But the way those people are supported is evolving. Technology can’t replace the human touch that defines great service, but it can remove barriers that slow it down.
As the AHLA, CBRE, and Colliers reports show, the labor shortage isn’t going away anytime soon. Yet hotels that use technology to build smarter, more scalable teams are finding that they can maintain — and even elevate — the guest experience despite the pressure.
From Sofitel’s streamlined upselling to Edgar Suites’ AI-powered guest communication, the evidence is clear: when technology supports people, not replaces them, hospitality becomes both more efficient and more human.
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About the author
The Duve team comprises hospitality experts specializing in guest experience personalization, operational optimization, and innovative hotel technologies. With deep industry knowledge, they help hospitality providers elevate service, enhance satisfaction, and drive growth.