Hotelier Perspectives

In the lead up to the Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia 2025 next month, we asked several industry partners about the opportunities they see for the hospitaliy industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025 and beyond.

Today, AI dominates many conversations across different industries, and AI in hospitality is no exception. It is redefining the notion of a ‘norm’ and what guests expect. The volume of AI-related news continues to grow exponentially, making it difficult to filter through the noise and understand its impact. However, being informed is critical for business success, as the ability to adapt will form a sustainable competitive advantage. Based on recent media insights, the key AI moves in hospitality can be classified into two interrelated areas: customer-facing innovation and backend operational transformations.

Group business represents a significant revenue stream for many hotels, but accurately forecasting this segment can be a formidable challenge. Unlike transient bookings, which are often driven by individual travelers and shorter lead times, group business involves larger blocks of rooms, longer booking windows, and unique demand patterns. These complexities make it difficult to predict group occupancy and optimize pricing strategies.

In the world of hospitality, everyone talks about data – how much you can collect, how fast you can access it, and how many dashboards you can create. But after two decades of working with the most sophisticated data models, I’ve learned something critical: just having the data isn’t enough.

In a world shaped by unprecedented technological advancement, the hospitality sector finds itself at a fascinating intersection of tradition and transformation. At this crossroads, the food system – a sector shaped by human connection and culture – is undergoing a revolution of its own. As AI, climate change and shifting consumer values redefine the rules of engagement, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the transformation we need will not come from isolated breakthroughs, but from radical collaboration.

What does it mean to be truly guest-centric? For decades or longer, the hospitality industry has talked about guest experience as a top priority. But when you look under the hood of many of the systems and metrics that hoteliers rely on, the focus is on rooms and reservations.

Food has always played a central role in hospitality—but its meaning and impact are rapidly expanding. As outlined in our newly released Food & Wellbeing Trend Report 2025, developed at EHL with a diverse group of global experts, food is no longer just about nourishment or indulgence. It’s about connection, regeneration, and the pursuit of personal and planetary health.

In an era where digital transformation is revolutionizing every industry, the travel sector is at the forefront of an artificial intelligence revolution. No longer are travelers satisfied with generic package deals or standard itineraries. Instead, they seek hyper-personalized experiences customized to their unique preferences, past behaviors, and even subconscious desires. While artificial intelligence promises to make travel more seamless, efficient, and personal, we all should ask - are we trading away spontaneity and human discovery for AI-driven predictions?

“In 2025, nearly half of the hotel guests say they prefer to check out using their smartphones, and 58% believe AI can enhance their hotel stay experience. Hotels that fail to meet these digital expectations risk falling behind," according to Hotel Tech Report. Improving guest satisfaction is at the top of hoteliers’ priority lists in 2025, but only properties that have the technology in place to track, manage, and respond to guest feedback are in a position to actually move the needle on the guest experience. Operators need the ability to track and manage guest feedback while quickly adjusting their operations to respond to their guest’s needs. They need to be aware of long waits at the front desk, missing amenities, or guestrooms in need of extra attention prior to the guests’ check-out. With the right property-management system powering their reputation-management strategy, operators will have everything they need to hold their property to the highest standard.

Pedagogical Peer Coaching (PPC) is a powerful tool for faculty development that offers educators a confidential and supportive space to refine their teaching practices. Through course observations, collaborative discussions and faculty-led learning communities, PPC is a source of continuous improvement without the pressure of formal evaluation or hierarchy. Thanks to fresh perspectives and targeted feedback, this collaborative peer coaching system should be seen as a major asset for steering effective teaching and learning experiences.