MIAMI, Florida—Hapi and Revinate released The Future of Hotel Data report, which examines how hotels manage data today, the challenges they face, and what’s needed to deliver the personalized experiences guests expect.
The research shows that while hotels are eager to access data to enhance guest experiences and drive revenue, fragmented systems, inaccurate information, and limited integration remain major barriers. While the majority of hotel professionals work with data daily, nearly half (49 percent) struggle to access the data needed for critical revenue and operational decisions. Further, 40 percent cite disconnected systems as their biggest obstacle. Poor data quality emerged as the top barrier to personalization, with nearly one in five hoteliers reporting it prevents tailored guest experiences, putting guest satisfaction, loyalty, and upsell opportunities at risk.
The report also explores how AI and automation are poised to change hospitality through dynamic pricing, real-time personalization, and operational efficiency. However, for AI and automation innovations to succeed, there’s a need for standardized, integrated, and trustworthy data foundations.
“Data is the foundation for every company, but most hotels still struggle to access and connect it effectively. Hotels are sitting on vast amounts of underutilized data, and disconnected systems and poor data quality are holding them back from creating the personalized, frictionless experiences guests expect today,” said Luis Segredo, Hapi co-founder and chief executive officer. “This report shows there’s a clear path forward: integrate systems, improve data accuracy, and embrace AI to unlock real-time insights. Hotels that can remove these technology barriers will operate more efficiently, drive loyalty, boost revenue, and ultimately gain a competitive edge in a tight market.”
Key Report Findings:
- Limited Access to Data: 49 percent of hoteliers struggle to access data, limiting their ability to make informed decisions that drive revenue and operational improvements.
- Top Data Barriers: 40 percent cite disconnected systems as their biggest obstacle, preventing seamless information flow across departments and hindering unified guest profiles. Other data challenges included inaccurate data (17.96 percent), disconnect between departments (13.77 percent), duplicate data (8.38 percent), lack of timely data (7.19 percent), and disconnect between properties (7.19 percent).
- Personalization Challenges: The inability to deliver personalized guest experiences was seen as a major point of contention. Nearly 1 in 5 (19.4 percent) identified personalization as one of the top areas impacted by data accuracy issues. A further 16.6 percent noted difficulty in identifying personalization opportunities.
- Data Accuracy Issues: Beyond personalization, communication lag times and service delays (18.8 percent) were also identified as top personalization challenges, followed by ineffective marketing campaigns (18.2 percent). Data quality issues also hinder broader strategic efforts with 1 in 10 citing challenges rolling out enterprise-level initiatives, and 14.8 percent struggling to fully understand the needs of guests.
- CRM and Loyalty Systems: 46.11 percent identified CRM and loyalty systems as priority areas for data quality improvements, which are seen as critical to strengthening guest relationships and increasing lifetime value. Other areas of improvement include sales, prospecting, and upselling (17.37 percent), operations (9.58 percent), and customer service (7.19 percent).
Future Opportunities
- Guest CRM & Loyalty Personalization: Nearly half of hoteliers identified CRM and loyalty systems as top areas of data quality improvements
- System Integration & Usability: Fragmented systems slow down operations and limit data insight. Hotels that invest in integrated, user-friendly platforms can unlock real-time insights and reduce manual work
- AI for Personalization & Efficiency: AI can help enhance personalization, streamline operations, and automate decision-making. Hotels envision using AI to deliver real-time offers, optimize marketing, and improve service, but there are still concerns around trust and the human touch.
- Dynamic Pricing & Automation: Real-time data powers AI-driven pricing adjustments and operational automation. By identifying repetitive tasks and surfacing timely opportunities to upsell or engage guests, hotels can boost efficiency, conversion rates, and profitability.
“Clean, connected data is the key to truly understanding the needs of guests, driving amazing marketing campaigns, and delivering direct booking revenue,” said Bryson Koehler, Revinate chief executive officer. “Looking ahead, hotels that transform fragmented data into connected data systems will be able to leverage guest intelligence data and gain a significant advantage. With the right technology, they can personalize every interaction, shift share to direct channels, and drive profitability in ways that weren’t possible before. The future belongs to hotels that harness their data to operate smarter, delight guests, and grow revenue.”
