Technology: From Gimmick to Game Changer, by Troy Taylor, VP Strategic Partnerships and Marketing, Foodbuy Canada

You know, in days gone by, “automation” meant the TV had a remote control and you didn’t have to get up to change the channel. Now look at us, we’re looking at robots, talking to AI, and digital concierges who are running entire hotels while we stand around holding our smartphones, wondering if we need to upgrade to facial recognition.

In 2025, technology in hospitality has evolved from a novelty to a strategic imperative. Innovation in automation, AI, and digital services is now central to driving revenue, enhancing guest satisfaction, improving operational efficiency, and supporting sustainability. For Canadian hotels competing in a global market, embracing these tools is no longer optional; it’s essential.

THE PRESSURE TO PERFORM

At the 2025 Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) Conference in Ottawa, it was revealed that 68 per cent of Canadian hotels continue to face labour shortages in key operational roles. Hotels simply can’t find enough people to make the beds and serve the toast. At the same time, guest expectations for faster, more personalized service are at an all-time high. This dual pressure makes operational efficiency not just a competitive edge, but a business necessity. I’m all for not having to wait in line to check in. We have all spent enough time at front desks being told, “Your room’s not ready yet, sir,” while being tired from the long trip.

So, yes, maybe that mobile check-in is not just for the tech-savvy.

WHY HOTELS MUST EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY NOW

By leveraging automation, AI, and digital tools, hotels can reduce the burden on front-line staff, eliminate repetitive tasks, and reallocate human resources to high-value, guest-facing roles. It’s not about staff replacement; It’s about guest enhancement.

THE DIGITAL EXPECTATION

Today’s travellers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, expect mobile-first, seamless experiences. Over 70 per cent of travellers prefer hotels offering contactless check-in/out and mobile key access. These guests manage their entire stay from their phones. They don’t want to call down for towels; they want to tap for towels, probably while they’re filming a TikTok about the towels. They expect to unlock their room with their phone like a Tom Cruise movie. For them, digital convenience isn’t a perk; it’s now a baseline expectation.

WHAT GUESTS EXPECT TODAY

Mobile Check-In & Check-Out: Platforms like Mews and Operto allow guests to bypass the front desk, receive digital keys, and unlock rooms via Bluetooth-enabled locks.

Digital Concierge & In-App Services: Guests want to request towels, book spa appointments, or order food without calling or queuing. In-room tablets and mobile apps now offer these services, often integrated with messaging platforms like WhatsApp or Messenger.

AI-Powered Chatbots: Tools like Quicktext, Metaguest.AI, and HiJiffy provide 24/7 multilingual support, handling FAQs, booking changes, amenity requests, and even upselling services. A robot that can chat with me in 20 languages at 3 AM, when I’m jetlagged and want an extra pillow. It wasn’t long ago that guests had to submit a service request. Now we’ve got Metaguest.AI answering every question, and it works!

A recent article in Capital Magazine highlighted that several Vancouver hotels piloting Metaguest.AI saw a 40 per cent reduction in front-desk inquiries and a 20 per cent increase in guest satisfaction scores, with modest gains in upselling revenue. I guess the robot doesn’t roll its eyes at you when you ask for more coffee pods.

REVENUE MANAGEMENT & DYNAMIC PRICING

In the hotel sector, where demand can swing wildly between hockey tournaments, music festivals, and surprise snowstorms, pricing rooms has been part science, part guesswork. But artificial intelligence is taking the guesswork out of the equation and giving hoteliers a powerful new tool to boost revenues.

AI-powered revenue management systems like Duetto, Cloudbeds, and IDeaS are now widely used across Canadian properties. These analyze real-time data, everything from booking pace and competitor pricing to local events and weather forecasts, all to automatically adjust room rates by the hour, not just the day, week or even season.

Take, for example, you are a hotel in downtown Montreal. During the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, an AI system can detect a surge in international flight bookings and hotel searches weeks in advance. It can respond by gradually increasing rates, maximizing revenue without scaring off early bookers resulting in an increase in RevPAR. Nice!

Some hotels are even integrating AI with loyalty programs to offer dynamic rewards based on real-time occupancy and guest value. We used to set rates with a spreadsheet and gut feelings. Now we’ve got a system that thinks faster and more intuitively than we ever can, and it’s paying off.

TECH IS NOT JUST FOR THE FRONT OF HOUSE

Turns out it’s not just the guests getting the digital treatment. Back of house is also getting tech upgrades. Inventory management is vital in the hospitality sector, especially in this volatile market. At Foodbuy, one of the companies we have been working with is Restock, based out of Quebec. Restock’s AI-powered platform transforms foodservice operations by automating inventory, purchasing, and cost management processes. Through direct integration with over 500 food distributors and compatibility with most POS systems, Restock automatically injects purchase data, updates product catalogues, and calculates costs. One key element is the ability to standardize recipes, with easy-to-source nutritional values, plus the ability to scan and load recipes right into the system. Wow!

AI now can watch over your food orders, update costs, predict when you’re going to run out of French fries, and basically is the right hand to the chef, freeing up time to focus on producing fantastic guest experiences. I remember when we just eyeballed it and hoped the truck would show up with enough potatoes. Now we’ve got dashboards, mobile stocktaking, and automated orders – Star Trek, but for bacon burgers.

RISE OF THE ROBOTS

What was once a novelty is quickly becoming a necessity, as the hospitality industry grapples with labour shortages. Across Canada, hotels are deploying robots in a variety of roles, some visible, others quietly working behind the scenes.

At the forefront are concierge and delivery robots, like Relay by Savioke, which has become a familiar sight in hotel corridors. This compact, friendly robot autonomously delivers items like toiletries, snacks, and room service orders directly to guest rooms, freeing up staff for more complex tasks. Others greet guests in the lobby, answer questions about local attractions, and provide personalized recommendations—all with a smile (or at least a friendly LED expression).

Service robots from Sparc Technologies, and a Foodbuy partner, are helping deliver meals and clear tables. These robots navigate crowded dining spaces, reducing wait times and improving efficiency, especially during peak hours or staff shortages.

Housekeeping schedules are also now optimized by AI platforms, predictive maintenance tools flag issues before they become guest complaints, and cleaning robots handle repetitive floor care tasks. These robots aren’t flashy and are in their infancy. But they’re making a big impact on efficiency and consistency.

Leading-edge hotels are taking a hybrid approach, blending robotic efficiency with human empathy. The goal isn’t to replace staff, but to support them, especially in a tight labour market.

OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS: CHANGE IS HARD, BUT OBSOLESCENCE IS HARDER

Of course, not everyone is ready for this. Some still think all this technology is just a gimmick. According to HAC’s 2025 Business Intelligence Report, over 60 per cent of hoteliers feel their tech investments are insufficient, and fewer than 10 per cent report having fully integrated tech ecosystems.

“I’ve been doing this for 40 years!” they say. We have seen what happens when you don’t keep up with your competitors next door. Your guests move on, your staff gets fed up, and you’re stuck wondering where everybody went.

Here’s my sage advice:

◉ Start with mobile and self-service

◉ Optimize revenue with smart tools

◉ Pilot automation where ROI is clear

◉ Enhance personalization

◉ Track and refine daily: Staff training is a key hurdle, as nearly half of digital transformation failures stem from inadequate workforce preparation

Like it or not, the world has changed. Technology isn’t just a shiny new toy anymore, and between you and me, I’d rather my hotel be known as “that cool hotel that runs like clockwork” than “that place that still makes you sign a check-in card with a pen on a string.”

Let the robot handle the repetitive stuff so your people can attend to the guests instead of drowning in spreadsheets. In the end, robots will not replace the human touch; after all, we are in the hospitality business. But they’re certainly lending a helping hand. And in an industry built on service, that might be the most human thing of all.

Those that embrace this shift will benefit from frictionless guest experiences, operational efficiency via automation and cloud-based systems, and revenue growth through real-time data and pricing intelligence.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to ask my AI assistant to book me a front row table and order up a pot of coffee while I’m at it.