Skift Take
Hotel executives admit they're late to the party when it comes to adopting technology. Now, they're trying to figure out the basics and adopt innovations all at the same time.
Hotel executives are the first to admit they've been behind the curve with new technology. The problem now is that travelers expect the tech in a hotel to be as good or better than what they have at home.
Catching up was the topic of a panel at HITEC in Toronto this week with executives from Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Accor, Fairmont, and more.
“I think we're making progress, but we're forced with our backs to the wall,” said Michael Levie, founding partner of Netherlands-based hotel chain CitizenM. “It’s a little bit embarrassing that we're so late to the game, and there's a lot of catching up to do.”
Many hotels still have cable television and telephones in their rooms, for example, but consumer needs have flown past that.
Tariq Valani, senior vice president of Global Support Services for Accor and global senior vice president of Technology for Fairmon