How AI Can Help Hospitality Cut Costs and Maximise Summer ROI?

This year’s Hospitality Roundtable brought together industry leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities in hospitality, focusing on AI adoption, financial efficiencies that can offset the rising labour costs, workforce optimisation, and the evolving role of technology in decision-making. The conversation highlighted trust in AI-driven recommendations, identifying financial inefficiencies, balancing automation with human oversight, and measuring ROI on AI investments.

A key theme of the discussion was trust in AI-driven decision-making. Several participants raised concerns about how AI-generated insights are interpreted and acted upon within hospitality businesses. One attendee, stated, “There’s nervousness around AI. Decision-making tools need to be a partnership with people.” The consensus was that AI must provide explainability and transparency for teams to truly trust and adopt its recommendations.

The discussion also emphasised the importance of identifying where businesses are losing money before implementing AI solutions. Many businesses acknowledged that cost-saving initiatives are often reactive rather than proactive. One participant highlighted a major operational challenge, stating, “we don’t know where they are haemorrhaging money.” This was echoed by others who agreed that AI’s potential impact depends on first understanding financial inefficiencies and ensuring accurate data feeds into any automation.

Optimising sales and pricing strategies was another key discussion point. Participants explored how AI could help in forecasting demand, optimising stock levels, and improving sales margins.

The balance between automation and human decision-making was a recurring concern. While AI-driven processes are becoming more common, participants highlighted the need for human oversight and flexibility in decision-making. One operator shared their experience of AI adoption, explaining, “AI needs to explain itself more—why is it saying X, Y, Z?” This sentiment was echoed by another participant.

The importance of ROI when adopting AI was another recurring theme. “The investment is only worth it if we can measure the return—otherwise, we’re just adding another system without solving the problem.” The group agreed that without measurable returns, AI risks becoming just another technology layer without improving business performance.

Looking ahead, there was broad agreement that AI and automation present significant opportunities for hospitality businesses, but their success depends on clear strategy, strong data governance, and maintaining human oversight. As one participant summarised, “The challenge is making sure AI works with the business, not just being another system.”

For those who couldn’t attend, future discussions will continue to explore these themes, ensuring that hospitality businesses remain at the forefront of technological innovation while maintaining the human touch that defines the industry.