The hospitality industry is entering a defining moment. After years of steady digital adoption, hotel leaders are shifting their focus from incremental efficiency to systemic innovation that connects technology, data, and human experience into a unified strategy for growth.
For a long time, progress meant digitizing what already existed: moving manual processes online, automating reports, or simplifying check-ins. In 2025, innovation has taken on a deeper meaning. It is about creating intelligent ecosystems where systems communicate, decisions happen in real time, and every technology investment contributes to profitability, sustainability, and guest satisfaction.
That transition, from fragmented systems to connected intelligence, sits at the center of Innovation Fest 2025, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Infor Hospitality and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The event brings together hotel executives, technology leaders, and strategists to explore how automation, data, and design thinking are reshaping the business of hospitality.
The conversation has shifted from tools to transformation, from automation to augmentation.
From Fragmentation to Connection
Hospitality generates more data than almost any other service industry. Yet, too often, that data sits trapped in silos across systems such as PMS, RMS, POS, and CRM, creating barriers to insight and decision-making.
Recent Infor research shows that 80% of organizations believe their success now depends on how effectively they use and adopt new technologies. Hotels that move from standalone tools to unified data ecosystems are already seeing higher profitability, improved operational agility, and better workforce alignment.
Infor’s cloud architecture, built on AWS, enables this interoperability. It is not about adding more software, but about creating a foundation where data flows freely between operations, finance, and guest experience.
Innovation is systemic, not situational. The best technology is not the newest, it is the most connected.
Automation That Feels Human
Artificial intelligence and automation are transforming nearly every aspect of the guest journey, but the goal is no longer efficiency alone. It is empathy at scale.
At Innovation Fest, a joint proof of concept between Infor and AWS will demonstrate how augmented reality (AR) and facial recognition, using smart glasses, can bridge the gap between human service and digital intelligence.
Imagine a guest recognized instantly on arrival, not because of a manual lookup, but through AI-driven facial recognition that syncs with the property’s CRM, triggering a welcome message and room preferences. Meanwhile, in the background, computer vision monitors inventory and room readiness, helping operations run more smoothly.
This is automation that supports human connection rather than replacing it. It is a model of what happens when AI is used not as a substitute for intuition but as an extension of it.
After all, the best use of automation is not to replace people. It is to give them back the time to be human.
From Department to DNA: Making Innovation Cultural
Perhaps the most significant evolution in hospitality is not technological at all. It is cultural. Innovation is no longer confined to IT departments or project teams; it is becoming a core competency across every role.
During Innovation Fest’s closing conversation, Camille Oostwegel, Managing Director of the Oostwegel Collection, will share how her family’s properties, rooted in Dutch heritage, balance tradition with modernity. Oostwegel’s approach demonstrates that digital transformation does not mean losing authenticity. It means using technology to preserve what makes hospitality meaningful while operating more intelligently behind the scenes.
Technology succeeds when it amplifies authenticity. This mindset shift defines the next generation of hoteliers. The future will reward organizations that treat innovation as a mindset rather than a milestone.
Innovation as Intelligent Collaboration
The partnership between Infor and AWS signals a broader movement across the industry, one defined by collaboration instead of competition. The next phase of hospitality transformation will depend on openness, shared standards, interoperable systems, and partnerships that allow data and intelligence to move freely across brands and platforms.
As hoteliers navigate this change, the role of the technology provider is evolving as well. Providers are no longer just vendors. They are strategic partners helping shape operational design, sustainability frameworks, and guest engagement models.
The Strategic Imperative of Innovation
Today, 75% of hospitality organizations expect productivity to rise by more than 20% in the next three years as they adopt next-generation technology. Yet success will depend on more than investment. It will depend on intelligent adoption guided by a clear strategy and a shared understanding of what innovation truly means.
Innovation is no longer defined by having the most advanced systems. It is defined by how effectively hotels use those systems to anticipate guest needs, drive sustainability, and create new forms of value.
Data has become the new currency. AI is the new operating system. Collaboration is the new competitive advantage. This is the essence of a new model where creativity and computation work together to elevate both the business and the human experience of hospitality.
Innovation Fest 2025
Innovation Fest 2025 represents more than an event. It is a collective step toward a smarter, more human future for hospitality.
If innovation once meant building systems to manage operations, the next era will be about designing ecosystems that learn, adapt, and connect people intelligently.
Be part of the community leading that change.
View full agenda and register today.
About Infor
Infor is a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry. We develop complete solutions for our focus industries. Infor’s mission-critical enterprise applications and services are designed to deliver sustainable operational advantages with security and faster time to value. Over 60,000 organizations in more than 175 countries rely on Infor’s 17,000 employees to help achieve their business goals. As a Koch company, our financial strength, ownership structure, and long-term view empower us to foster enduring, mutually beneficial relationships with our customers. Visit www.infor.com.
Alan Young
VP, Hospitality Strategy, Infor
Infor
