In hospitality, it can feel like the to-do list never ends: check-ins, rate updates, room assignments, and a mountain of manual tasks that eat up valuable time. Too often, these routines keep hotels from focusing on what really matters.<\/p>\n\n\n
Add in labor shortages, rising expectations, and more complex distribution channels, and it\u2019s clear: doing everything by hand no longer works. That\u2019s where automation steps in.<\/p>\n
Done right, hotel automation acts as your team\u2019s sidekick, taking care of the repetitive work so staff can focus on the high-impact moments that move the business forward. In this article, we\u2019ll break down the basics of automation and how it can streamline hotel operations in 2025.<\/p>\n
\n Hotel automation is the use of machines and computers to conduct tasks typically performed manually by employees to increase productivity and reduce<\/span> operating costs<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n While automation has been used in hotels in some form or another for decades \u2013 think of washing machines, dishwashers, and even elevators \u2013 computer automation can be traced back to the introduction of the hotel <\/span>property management system (PMS)<\/span><\/a> in the 1980s. Today, hotel automation tools are used to perform or augment an increasing number of tasks, from distribution to revenue management and guest communication. <\/div>\n\n \n\n<\/span><\/p>\n The hospitality industry has been slow to innovate. Up until a few years ago, hotels had been hesitant to adopt emerging technologies built to automate and streamline operations. When the pandemic hit in 2020, property owners were forced to adopt technology to meet traveler demand for contactless services and offset staffing shortages. In fact, at the <\/span>International Hospitality Investment Forum in Berlin<\/span><\/a>, the hotel industry was lauded for turning from \u201ctechnology laggard to innovator.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Over the years, technology providers have introduced a wide range of functionality to help hotels automate all aspects of operations. While savvy operators are moving to solutions built with automation capabilities in mind, some are still hesitant to adopt new technology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In this snippet of The Turndown Podcast, Luka Berger, Founder and CEO of<\/span> Flexkeeping<\/span><\/a>, shares his opinion on why the hospitality industry still resists new technology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \n What is hotel automation?<\/h2>\n
The rise of automation<\/h2>\n