Before a guest checks in, orders a coffee or books a table, there is a good chance they have already asked an AI for advice.
Across Asia-Pacific, 64% of travellers now use AI tools while planning or during their trips, according to Booking.com's Travel Trends 2026 research. Over half say AI helps them spend less time planning.¹
This changes the job of every hotel, restaurant and café. Guests expect fast answers and clear information. At the same time, many teams are short of staff and costs keep rising. Technology sits in the middle of both problems.
The good news is that hospitality tech is moving past the hype. The question is no longer "Should we use AI?" It is "Where does it really help, and how do we make it work?"
From Testing to Everyday Use
Most businesses have already started. In Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' 2026 Owner Trends Report, a survey of 325 hotel owners in North America and the Caribbean, 98% said they had begun using AI.²
But starting is not the same as scaling. Only 32% said AI was part of most of their operations. And 73% wanted to do more but felt unsure where to begin.²
Restaurants are at an earlier stage. The US National Restaurant Association's 2026 report found that 26% of operators use AI-related tools, and only 6% use AI for customer orders.³ Yet eight in ten operators say technology gives them a competitive advantage.⁴
Budgets are following. Canary Technologies surveyed 404 hotel IT decision-makers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. 85% plan to put more than 5% of their IT budget into AI over the next 12 months. More than half (58%) will put in over 10%.⁵
In simple terms, the test phase is ending. The next phase is about technology that works every day, on every shift.
Why Asia-Pacific Is Moving Fast
Asia-Pacific is one of the most active regions for hospitality software. Grand View Research values the regional market for hotel and hospitality management software at USD 978.8 million in 2025. It expects the market to reach USD 2.3 billion by 2033, growing 11.9% a year.⁶ This covers property management, reservations, point-of-sale, revenue management and guest relationship tools.
In Thailand, the pressure behind this growth is easy to see. In the August 2026 Hotel Business Operator Sentiment Index by the Thai Hotels Association and the Bank of Thailand, more hotels reported staff shortages than in July. The gaps were mainly hurting service quality.⁷
Hotel operators also asked for help with lower energy costs and more systematic staff training.⁷
Fewer people. Higher costs. Guests who want answers now. This is why technology that saves time for teams is moving to the top of the list.
Five Technologies to Watch
- AI that answers guests, day and night
Guest messaging is where many businesses start. In the Canary survey, 58% of hotel IT leaders named guest communications as the area where AI will have the most impact this year.⁵
The big hotel groups are going further. In September 2026, Accor launched ALL Concierge, an AI travel companion that helps guests from the first search to booking, during the stay and after checkout. Guests can switch to a human agent at any time.⁸
For a region with many languages and many guest markets, this matters. A good messaging tool can answer common questions at 2am, in the guest's own language, and pass the complex requests to your team.
- Being found by AI, not only by search
Guests are starting their search with AI assistants. That means your business needs to be easy for AI to find and understand.
Alix Boulnois, Chief Commercial, Digital and Tech Officer at Accor, says it directly: "Brands must be built for AI discovery."⁸
But AI does not close the sale on its own. Laura Houldsworth, Managing Director Asia Pacific at Booking.com, notes that in Asia, "booking behaviour remains rooted in trust and practicality."¹
Her point is important for smaller operators. AI can bring a guest to your door. Clear prices, real reviews and accurate details are what turn that visit into a booking.
- Faster ordering and payment
For restaurants and cafés, the most useful tech is often the simplest. US operators say on-premises ordering and payment, such as handheld tablets and kiosks, had the biggest impact of any technology in the past two to three years.⁴ Six in ten plan to invest in customer experience technology in 2026.⁴
Faster ordering means shorter queues, fewer mistakes and more time for staff to talk with guests.
- Tools for the team, not just the guest
The next wave of technology is built for staff. Among hotel owners already using AI, 64% use it for operational efficiency. Energy efficiency and revenue management are also common uses.²
Accor shows the same direction. Alongside its guest tool, it launched The Butler, an AI assistant that gives hotel teams quick answers and guidance to help guests.⁸
Think scheduling, stock control, housekeeping plans and energy management. For operators who want to lower energy bills, smart energy controls and connected kitchen equipment are practical places to start.
- Systems that talk to each other
The biggest barrier is often not the technology itself. Hotel IT leaders name data and privacy, system integration, limited training time and a lack of technical skills as their top challenges.⁵ Owners also report difficulty connecting AI tools to older systems.²
So the next big step may not be a new gadget. It may be connecting your property system, point-of-sale, booking tools and stock records so data flows once, not five times.
What Hospitality Businesses Should Do Differently
You do not need a large budget to start. You need a clear plan.
- Start with a problem, not a product. Pick one pain point, such as slow replies to guests or long queues at lunch. Choose tools that fix that first.
- Clean up your information. Keep rates, menus, photos and opening hours the same on your website, booking platforms, maps and social media. AI tools can only share what they can find.
- Check how AI sees you. Ask an AI assistant to recommend a hotel or restaurant in your area. See if you appear, and if the details are correct.
- Keep a human in the loop. Let technology handle simple, repeated tasks. Make it easy for guests to reach a real person.
- Ask the right questions before you buy. Does it connect with the systems you already use? Does it follow local data protection rules, such as Thailand's PDPA? Who trains your team?
- Invest in your people. Technology works best when staff understand it and trust it.
Looking Ahead
The best hospitality technology will soon be the kind guests hardly notice. Replies will be faster. Bills will be easier to pay. Rooms and kitchens will use less energy. Staff will spend less time on screens and more time with people.
The businesses that move ahead will not be the ones with the most tools. They will be the ones that pick the right tools, connect them well and give their teams time to do what technology cannot: make guests feel welcome.
Explore What's Next at THAIFEX – HOREC Asia 2027
Choosing technology is easier when you can see it working and ask questions face to face. In the Tech segment at THAIFEX – HOREC Asia, you can compare property management, booking, point-of-sale, guest messaging and energy management systems side by side.
It is a place to test new products, meet suppliers and build a plan that fits your business.
Join us at THAIFEX – HOREC Asia, 2–5 March 2027 | IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok, Thailand
Sources
- 64% of APAC Travelers Now Use AI to Plan Trips. Booking.com's Laura Houldsworth on What That Actually Means, Skift, April 2026 (data: Booking.com Travel Trends 2026, 32,800 respondents in 34 markets)
- Hoteliers are at an AI inflection point. Could big brands help?, Hotel Dive, March 2026 (data: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Owner Trends Report 2026)
- NRA: Over 25% of restaurant operators use AI, Restaurant Dive, February 2026 (data: National Restaurant Association, State of the Restaurant Industry 2026)
- Restaurants want to give customers more tech, Restaurant Business, February 2026 (data: National Restaurant Association, State of the Restaurant Industry 2026)
- Can increased AI investment in 2026 give hoteliers a competitive edge?, Hotel Dive, March 2026 (data: Canary Technologies, Navigating AI: Emerging Trends in Hospitality 2026)
- Asia Pacific Hotel and Hospitality Management Software Market Outlook, 2033, Grand View Research, 2026
- 52% of Thai hoteliers surveyed expect under 32m foreign arrivals in 2026, The Nation Thailand, September 2026 (data: Thai Hotels Association and Bank of Thailand)
- Accor rolls out AI tool to assist guests across full travel journey, Hotel Dive, September 2026
by Chanya Colevas
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Before a guest checks in, orders a coffee or books a table, there is a good chance they have already asked an AI for advice.
Across Asia-Pacific, 64% of travellers now use AI tools while planning or during their trips, according to Booking.com's Travel Trends 2026 research. Over half say AI helps them spend less time planning.¹
This changes the job of every hotel, restaurant and café. Guests expect fast answers and clear information. At the same time, many teams are short of staff and costs keep rising. Technology sits in the middle of both problems.
The good news is that hospitality tech is moving past the hype. The question is no longer "Should we use AI?" It is "Where does it really help, and how do we make it work?"
From Testing to Everyday Use
Most businesses have already started. In Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' 2026 Owner Trends Report, a survey of 325 hotel owners in North America and the Caribbean, 98% said they had begun using AI.²
But starting is not the same as scaling. Only 32% said AI was part of most of their operations. And 73% wanted to do more but felt unsure where to begin.²
Restaurants are at an earlier stage. The US National Restaurant Association's 2026 report found that 26% of operators use AI-related tools, and only 6% use AI for customer orders.³ Yet eight in ten operators say technology gives them a competitive advantage.⁴
Budgets are following. Canary Technologies surveyed 404 hotel IT decision-makers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. 85% plan to put more than 5% of their IT budget into AI over the next 12 months. More than half (58%) will put in over 10%.⁵
In simple terms, the test phase is ending. The next phase is about technology that works every day, on every shift.
Why Asia-Pacific Is Moving Fast
Asia-Pacific is one of the most active regions for hospitality software. Grand View Research values the regional market for hotel and hospitality management software at USD 978.8 million in 2025. It expects the market to reach USD 2.3 billion by 2033, growing 11.9% a year.⁶ This covers property management, reservations, point-of-sale, revenue management and guest relationship tools.
In Thailand, the pressure behind this growth is easy to see. In the August 2026 Hotel Business Operator Sentiment Index by the Thai Hotels Association and the Bank of Thailand, more hotels reported staff shortages than in July. The gaps were mainly hurting service quality.⁷
Hotel operators also asked for help with lower energy costs and more systematic staff training.⁷
Fewer people. Higher costs. Guests who want answers now. This is why technology that saves time for teams is moving to the top of the list.
Five Technologies to Watch
- AI that answers guests, day and night
Guest messaging is where many businesses start. In the Canary survey, 58% of hotel IT leaders named guest communications as the area where AI will have the most impact this year.⁵
The big hotel groups are going further. In September 2026, Accor launched ALL Concierge, an AI travel companion that helps guests from the first search to booking, during the stay and after checkout. Guests can switch to a human agent at any time.⁸
For a region with many languages and many guest markets, this matters. A good messaging tool can answer common questions at 2am, in the guest's own language, and pass the complex requests to your team.
- Being found by AI, not only by search
Guests are starting their search with AI assistants. That means your business needs to be easy for AI to find and understand.
Alix Boulnois, Chief Commercial, Digital and Tech Officer at Accor, says it directly: "Brands must be built for AI discovery."⁸
But AI does not close the sale on its own. Laura Houldsworth, Managing Director Asia Pacific at Booking.com, notes that in Asia, "booking behaviour remains rooted in trust and practicality."¹
Her point is important for smaller operators. AI can bring a guest to your door. Clear prices, real reviews and accurate details are what turn that visit into a booking.
- Faster ordering and payment
For restaurants and cafés, the most useful tech is often the simplest. US operators say on-premises ordering and payment, such as handheld tablets and kiosks, had the biggest impact of any technology in the past two to three years.⁴ Six in ten plan to invest in customer experience technology in 2026.⁴
Faster ordering means shorter queues, fewer mistakes and more time for staff to talk with guests.
- Tools for the team, not just the guest
The next wave of technology is built for staff. Among hotel owners already using AI, 64% use it for operational efficiency. Energy efficiency and revenue management are also common uses.²
Accor shows the same direction. Alongside its guest tool, it launched The Butler, an AI assistant that gives hotel teams quick answers and guidance to help guests.⁸
Think scheduling, stock control, housekeeping plans and energy management. For operators who want to lower energy bills, smart energy controls and connected kitchen equipment are practical places to start.
- Systems that talk to each other
The biggest barrier is often not the technology itself. Hotel IT leaders name data and privacy, system integration, limited training time and a lack of technical skills as their top challenges.⁵ Owners also report difficulty connecting AI tools to older systems.²
So the next big step may not be a new gadget. It may be connecting your property system, point-of-sale, booking tools and stock records so data flows once, not five times.
What Hospitality Businesses Should Do Differently
You do not need a large budget to start. You need a clear plan.
- Start with a problem, not a product. Pick one pain point, such as slow replies to guests or long queues at lunch. Choose tools that fix that first.
- Clean up your information. Keep rates, menus, photos and opening hours the same on your website, booking platforms, maps and social media. AI tools can only share what they can find.
- Check how AI sees you. Ask an AI assistant to recommend a hotel or restaurant in your area. See if you appear, and if the details are correct.
- Keep a human in the loop. Let technology handle simple, repeated tasks. Make it easy for guests to reach a real person.
- Ask the right questions before you buy. Does it connect with the systems you already use? Does it follow local data protection rules, such as Thailand's PDPA? Who trains your team?
- Invest in your people. Technology works best when staff understand it and trust it.
Looking Ahead
The best hospitality technology will soon be the kind guests hardly notice. Replies will be faster. Bills will be easier to pay. Rooms and kitchens will use less energy. Staff will spend less time on screens and more time with people.
The businesses that move ahead will not be the ones with the most tools. They will be the ones that pick the right tools, connect them well and give their teams time to do what technology cannot: make guests feel welcome.
Explore What's Next at THAIFEX – HOREC Asia 2027
Choosing technology is easier when you can see it working and ask questions face to face. In the Tech segment at THAIFEX – HOREC Asia, you can compare property management, booking, point-of-sale, guest messaging and energy management systems side by side.
It is a place to test new products, meet suppliers and build a plan that fits your business.
Join us at THAIFEX – HOREC Asia, 2–5 March 2027 | IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok, Thailand
Sources
- 64% of APAC Travelers Now Use AI to Plan Trips. Booking.com's Laura Houldsworth on What That Actually Means, Skift, April 2026 (data: Booking.com Travel Trends 2026, 32,800 respondents in 34 markets)
- Hoteliers are at an AI inflection point. Could big brands help?, Hotel Dive, March 2026 (data: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Owner Trends Report 2026)
- NRA: Over 25% of restaurant operators use AI, Restaurant Dive, February 2026 (data: National Restaurant Association, State of the Restaurant Industry 2026)
- Restaurants want to give customers more tech, Restaurant Business, February 2026 (data: National Restaurant Association, State of the Restaurant Industry 2026)
- Can increased AI investment in 2026 give hoteliers a competitive edge?, Hotel Dive, March 2026 (data: Canary Technologies, Navigating AI: Emerging Trends in Hospitality 2026)
- Asia Pacific Hotel and Hospitality Management Software Market Outlook, 2033, Grand View Research, 2026
- 52% of Thai hoteliers surveyed expect under 32m foreign arrivals in 2026, The Nation Thailand, September 2026 (data: Thai Hotels Association and Bank of Thailand)
- Accor rolls out AI tool to assist guests across full travel journey, Hotel Dive, September 2026
