Data privacy rules hinder hotel tech innovations

Hotels striving to create a seamless, customized experience hindered by varied data privacy regulations around the globe

A common goal of the hotel industry's implementation of technology is a "frictionless" experience for guests, but several hurdles remain in the way of making that reality, according to experts at the 2023 HITEC Conference.

Key takeaways

• Accor said technologies such as facial recognition could be used for a more seamless check-in process at hotels. But it's not as simple as just deploying new technology;
• The big challenge for owners and operators remains wrangling between various entities in the industry over who owns the data, which he said is now "more valuable than oil;"
• CitizenM says the hurdles the industry faces in creating a better guest experience through technology aren't all external. Many of the issues hoteliers face are created by their own bad habits and over-reliance on a cobbled-together network of legacy systems that hamper adoptions of more advanced tech.

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