Hospitality is built on a foundation of service -an industry that prizes comfort, human connection, and memorable experiences above all else. Yet, when it comes to technology, hotels often stand accused of lagging behind. Many properties struggle with fragmented, outdated tech stacks that weigh down operations and hinder guest satisfaction. In a recent long-format explored why so many hoteliers feel stuck in legacy systems, and how new innovations—particularly AI—are helping them leapfrog into a more efficient, guest-centric future. Here are some of the conversation’s key takeaways and why they matter now more than ever.

The Legacy Lockdown

Hoteliers often find themselves managing a puzzle of systems—Property Management Systems (PMS), Central Reservations Systems (CRS), Point-of-Sale terminals, phone systems—many of which were installed decades ago. For years, the common refrain was, If it isn’t broken, why fix it? While that mentality saves on headaches in the short run, it leads to long-term friction that stifles growth. Hotels become locked in a cycle where each new system has to be painstakingly retrofitted to the old infrastructure. The result? Operational inefficiencies, lost revenue opportunities, and a subpar guest experience.

Far too often, hoteliers remember painful conversions or broken promises from past technology rollouts. A new system would be touted as “revolutionary,” only for it to disrupt front-of-house procedures and generate more problems than it solved. This institutional “scar tissue” often causes management to default to doing things the way we’ve always done them. In effect, many hotels stay stuck in archaic processes because of fear that an upgrade will be even more disruptive than the status quo.

Yet, in today’s market—where guests expect personalized, connected services, and staff shortages demand more efficient workflows—this risk-aversion is becoming a liability. Hotels that fail to modernize their tech risk alienating younger, tech-savvy travelers and staff. If the industry aims to remain competitive, leadership must decide that waiting isn’t an option.

Overcoming the Inertia: Start With Outcomes

Both Cohen and Welle emphasize that success depends on reframing the conversation away from “features and functions” and toward desired outcomes. Rather than approaching system upgrades with endless bullet points—we need this feature, and we need that interface—hoteliers should begin by answering fundamental business questions:

Starting with outcomes not only keeps attention fixed on what truly matters—it also ensures buy-in from the organization’s key stakeholders. When hoteliers root the conversation in concrete goals, it becomes clearer how modern technology might help achieve them. A front-desk system that supports online check-in, digital keys, or advanced personalization suddenly becomes more compelling when managers and owners see it as the catalyst for increasing ancillary revenue or elevating the guest experience.