Let me be precise about what I’m actually claiming in the title of this article, because “better than staff” is a statement that deserves to be made carefully. I’m not arguing that AI is better than a talented, experienced reservations manager…
Chatbots vs Conversational AI: Which Converts More Hotel Bookings?
After more than twenty years in hospitality technology, I’ve developed a fairly reliable way to evaluate whether a hotel’s digital tools are actually working. I don’t start with the technology. I start with the conversion rate. How many website visitors send…
How to Increase Direct Bookings for Hotels by 30% (AI Strategy 2026)
There’s a number that stays with me from my years working across hotel operations in Thailand: 80. As in, 80% of a property’s bookings flowing through OTAs, each one carrying a commission of 15 to 25%. It’s a number I’ve seen…
Why Hotels Lose Bookings to Slow Response Times (And How to Fix It)
I want you to think about the last time you made a significant purchase online and had to wait more than a day to hear back after an enquiry. Whether it was a service, a product, or a booking, the experience…
Digital Transformation for Boutique Hotels in Thailand (Where to Start)
The phrase “digital transformation” does a lot of damage to otherwise sensible conversations about hotel technology. It conjures images of enterprise-scale IT projects, consultants in meeting rooms, multi-year rollouts, and budgets that belong to international hotel chains rather than an eight-room…
How Hotels Attract Chinese & Russian Guests Using AI (Thailand Guide)
There’s a moment that repeats itself across hotels in Thailand with uncomfortable regularity. A Chinese couple arrives at reception. One of them shows a screenshot on their phone, something they’d seen on WeChat or Xiaohongshu, a description of the hotel, the…
Why Phuket Hotels Need AI to Compete in 2026
Phuket is not the destination it was five years ago. That’s not a criticism. It’s a commercial fact that every hotel owner and general manager on the island needs to sit with for a moment. The guest profile has shifted. The…
Hotel Technology in Thailand: The Complete AI Guide for 2026
After more than twenty years working in hotel operations, revenue management, and hospitality technology, across multiple markets, multiple property types, and more tech migrations than I care to count, I’ve grown rather cautious about the word “transformation.” Transformation gets used a…