There’s a moment in every technology cycle when the old thing stops being an option and becomes a liability. For hotel chatbots, that moment has arrived. I’ve spent more than twenty years working in hospitality technology, from property management systems and…
How AI Handles Hotel Guest Enquiries Better Than Staff (24/7 Sales)
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 Turn Hotel Website Visitors Into Paying Guests (Conversion Guide)
Most hotel websites have a traffic problem. Or at least, that’s what hotel owners tend to say when direct bookings are lower than they’d like. “We need more visitors.” “We need better SEO.” “We need to spend more on Google Ads.”…
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…
OTA vs Direct Booking: Which Is More Profitable for Hotels?
I’ve had a version of this conversation hundreds of times over twenty years. A hotel owner tells me that OTAs are “just the cost of doing business,” that the volume makes up for the commission, and that direct bookings are nice…
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…
Best OTAs for Hotels in Thailand: The Costs, The Roles & The Risks
Every OTA Has a Purpose. The Problem Is Letting Them Run the Business. After more than twenty years working in hotel distribution, revenue management, and hospitality technology, I can say with confidence that online travel agencies are one of the most…
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…