LAS VEGAS – BirchStreet Systems, a leading hospitality operations platform, has announced the release of a survey report demonstrating why embedded payments represent the future of hotel accounts payable processes. Developed in collaboration with Hotel Management magazine, “Hotel AP in 2025” leverages feedback from hoteliers to uncover the industry’s leading finance and accounting challenges, while outlining how technology is transforming accounts payable into a driver of profitability and streamlined efficiency.
Conducted among key hotel finance decision-makers across ownership, operations and C-suite levels, the new survey report highlights a hospitality sector at a crossroads and under increasing pressure. Faced with rising costs, fraud risks and a growing number of deadlines, hotels are re-evaluating legacy systems and manual processes. Priorities are now centering on solutions capable of optimizing data accuracy, saving time and minimizing costs through automation, while providing actionable insights that yield higher profit margins and enhanced productivity.
Key trends uncovered by the report include:
- Ensuring control is top of mind – 64.5% of AP leaders keep payments in-house for greater oversight, yet many overlook how embedded solutions can actually strengthen visibility and vendor relationships.
- Cost efficiency is key – Rebate capture and reduced processing costs are top 2025 business goals, with many hoteliers seeking solutions that deliver measurable ROI.
- Automation is a strategic imperative – 37.5% cited lack of automation as a major challenge with current systems, underscoring the need for streamlined, digitized processes to boost scalability.
- Security cannot be ignored – with 65% of B2B fraud occurring via checks, hotels are prioritizing digital payments to protect sensitive financial and guest data.
“Hotel finance leaders are loudly and clearly stating that the traditional way of managing AP is no longer sustainable in an industry where efficiency, cost control and security are absolutely critical,” said Phil Beck, GM Payments at BirchStreet Systems. “This newly published report provides a blueprint for how hotels can modernize payment processes and gain the visibility they are seeking, so they can shift their attention to delivering the best possible guest experiences and ensuring maximum profitability.”
The report further underscores how embedded payments are reshaping financial operations in hospitality by integrating directly into the procure-to-pay workflow, eliminating manual inefficiencies, and empowering hoteliers with data-driven financial control.
To download a full copy of BirchStreet’s latest survey report, please click here.
For more information on BirchStreet Systems and its range of procurement-based solutions, please visit www.birchstreetsystems.com.
About BirchStreet Systems
Founded in 2002, BirchStreet is the leading global provider of enterprise procure-to-pay solutions for the hospitality sector. BirchStreet’s software platform provides leading global hospitality brands with a full suite of procurement applications, including eProcurement software, accounts payable automation, invoice management, inventory management, recipe management, supplier payments, and reporting and analytics. BirchStreet’s customers leverage the company’s solutions to access a broad network of suppliers and manage billions of dollars of spend annually across a wide variety of categories, including food and beverage, operating supplies, maintenance services and capital projects. For more information, please visit www.birchstreetsystems.com.
Andrea Mane
ProVision Partners
