‍ ‍ Integration of Technology in the Service Industry

By Sue Graves, Founding Chair, Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association Innovation & Technology Committee (2023)

Labor shortages were present before the pandemic, and the pandemic exposed them. This white paper examines why hotels and lodging properties can no longer treat technology as optional, and how owners and operators can adopt it to protect service levels, associate safety and asset value.

Key findings:

Hotel supply is growing faster than the workforce. Ohio's four largest markets added 118 hotels and more than 10,000 rooms since 2016. Meanwhile, the state's leisure and hospitality sector lost 123,800 jobs from October 2019 to October 2020.

Technology budgets lag behind. Hotel capital has historically gone to renovations and structural repairs, with little set aside for technology.

Guests now expect transparency. Cleanliness and security are the top areas where guests expect technology to deliver accountability.

The gap is widening. Properties that can't fund technology upgrades risk falling behind, widening the divide between large chains and independent properties.

Where things stand today (2026)

The trends this paper identified have only accelerated.

The labor gap persists. In an AHLA survey of 246 hoteliers in February 2026, more than half of properties reported being understaffed, even though 70% are offering higher wages and 54% have added flexible scheduling.
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Technology budgets have finally shifted. A 2026 study of more than 400 hotel technology decision-makers found 82% expect their AI use to increase over the next 12 months, and nearly seven in ten expect to raise IT spending by at least 10% this year.
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The gap is now between adopting and executing. In a 2026 survey of hotel owners, 98% said they have begun using AI, but only 32% say it is embedded across most of their operations. The top barriers are data privacy and security (46%), the cost of AI tools (42%) and difficulty integrating with legacy systems (40%), which are exactly the problems careful vetting is designed to solve.
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Who should read it: Owners, operators and asset managers evaluating where technology can reduce costs, support associates and increase asset value.

Book a 30-minute call to discuss how these findings apply to your property or portfolio.

Sources: American Hotel & Lodging Association, Front Desk Feedback survey (February 2026); Canary Technologies, Navigating AI: Hospitality Shifts From Exploration to Execution (March 2026); Wyndham Hotels & Resorts owner survey (January 2026).

Book a 30-minute call→ https://calendly.com/suegraves/30m or email → sue@ExperienceAlive.com

Title page of a report or presentation titled 'OHLA Innovation & Technology Committee' with a subtitle 'Integration of Technology in the Service Industry.' The background shows a person writing or drawing at a table, with a focus on hands and writing materials.
Page of a report titled 'OHLA INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE' discussing trends in Ohio's hotel development, healthcare industry, and stability of the industry.
A page from a report titled "OTLA INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE: Integration of Technology in the Service Industry." It contains a table showing nonfarm employment data from 2011 to 2020 for different Ohio metropolitan areas, unemployment rates over these years, and hotel supply additions since 2016. The page also has a section titled "TECHNOLOGY MARKET FOCUS."
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A document page titled 'OHLA INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE' discussing the integration of technology in the service industry, covering topics like market share, competition, and technological trends in lodging, warehousing, hospitals, and post-pandemic environments.
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A page from a document titled 'OHLA Innovation & Technology Committee' discussing technological integration in the service industry, highlighting problems faced, solutions, and industry opportunities.
A document titled 'OHLA INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE' discussing the integration of technology in the service industry, with bullet points about developing use cases, identifying options for pilot projects, and considering types of technology innovation, including a list of sources and references.
A presentation slide from the OHLA Innovation & Technology Committee discussing staffing shortages, hotel value decline in 2020, and a labor unemployment chart.