At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we sat down with Natalie Kimball, Vice President of Strategic Accounts for Americas and EMEA at Shiji Group, to explore the evolving role of hotel content management, data accuracy, and distribution, particularly in the complex Chinese market. Natalie also shared her candid views on AI in hospitality, the importance of operational control, and the risk of losing the entry-level roles that built today’s industry leaders.
How are hotels using guest portals and Iceportal Content today?
Natalie explained that hotels are demanding more comprehensive content solutions than just image management. With Iceportal Content, they can now manage descriptions, cancellation policies, taxes, and more, all essential content attributes. This shift reflects an industry need to control all non-rate data in one place. Crucially, Natalie stressed that the real “source of truth” is often the person working the desk when something changes, such as a pool closure or kitchen fire, which underscores the need for live, flexible content updates.
What makes Iceportal Content and Horizon Distribution unique in the Chinese market?
Shiji Group has rebranded its switch product as Horizon Distribution, adding a transparent marketplace model specifically tailored for China. Unlike most providers, Shiji offers direct access to Chinese brick-and-mortar travel agencies through a dedicated agent booking portal, something most Western hotels struggle to reach due to language and platform barriers. The tool allows hotels to turn specific channels on or off and includes integrated payment solutions, addressing the complexity of transactions in the Chinese market.
Why is correct data more important than AI?
Natalie was clear: AI cannot work without good data. She likened current hospitality tech to being held together by duct tape and glue. If essential data, like whether the pool is open, is incorrect or outdated, even the most advanced AI-generated experiences will lead to guest frustration. Through Iceportal Content, Shiji is creating real-time content corrections using signals like TripAdvisor reviews, enabling hotels to notify demand partners and guests proactively.
What does“control” mean for hoteliers?
Natalie defines control as giving hotels the flexibility to either engage directly with their systems and marketplaces or allow automation to take over. Whether a property wants to manage content hands-on or take a reactive approach, having the ability to choose is essential. For Shiji, it is about supporting that spectrum of involvement, rather than forcing one model over another.
What is your perspective on AI replacing jobs in hospitality?
While acknowledging the power of AI, Natalie warned against erasing the industry’s entry-level roles. She began her own career with hotel data entry and rate parity checks, jobs that helped her learn the business from the ground up. Eliminating these roles would make it harder for newcomers to enter and grow in the industry. Some automation is useful, but human experience, relationships, and hustle still matter.
Key Takeaways
- Hotels need holistic content solutions beyond images, accurate data on policies, amenities, and availability is critical
- Iceportal Content enables real-time content updates and cross-platform consistency
- Shiji’s Horizon Distribution offers direct access to Chinese travel agents and payment infrastructure
- AI cannot fix bad data, guest disappointment often stems from outdated or missing content
- Entry-level roles are essential to hospitality’s career pipeline and should not be entirely replaced by automation
- Operational control means letting hotels choose how involved they want to be, hands-on or automated
About Shiji Group
Shiji is a global technology company dedicated to providing innovative solutions for the hospitality industry, ensuring seamless operations for hoteliers day and night. Built on the Shiji Platform—the only truly global hotel technology platform—Shiji’s cloud-based solutions include property management system, point-of-sale, guest engagement, distribution, payments, and data intelligence for over 91,000 hotels worldwide, including the largest hotel chains. With more than 5,000 employees across the world, Shiji is a trusted partner for the world’s leading hoteliers, delivering technology that works as continuously as the industry itself. That’s why the best hotels run on Shiji—day and night. While its primary focus is on hospitality, Shiji also serves select customers in food service, retail, and entertainment in certain regions. For more information, visit shijigroup.com.
