What the paper studied
This study introduces a conceptual framework aimed at helping hospitality organizations prepare for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). It draws on established theories like the resource-based view, diffusion of innovation, and dynamic capabilities to identify the organizational capacities necessary for AI readiness. The framework also outlines a five-phase cycle that organizations can follow to build and sustain AI preparedness. The authors reflect on literature, industry reports, and crisis/security risk preparedness in hospitality to develop this comprehensive model.
Key findings
- AI integration is expected to cause significant innovation disruption in hospitality, requiring strategic organizational preparation.
- The framework identifies three fundamental capacities and four operational capacities essential for AI preparedness.
- It proposes a five-phase cycle: discovery, awareness, response, management, and mitigation.
- Large hospitality organizations, due to their complexity and scale, should focus more on response, management, and mitigation phases, emphasizing governance and sustainable AI integration.
- Smaller or independent operators face financial and resource constraints but benefit from agility and flexibility, allowing quicker progress in awareness and management phases, especially through workforce training.
- AI preparedness is context-dependent and should be approached strategically rather than through reactive or one-size-fits-all solutions.
Why it matters for hospitality
AI technologies are rapidly transforming hospitality operations, guest experiences, and competitive dynamics. Without proper organizational readiness, hotels and related businesses risk inefficient adoption, wasted resources, or failure to capitalize on AI benefits. This framework provides a structured approach for hospitality leaders to assess their current AI readiness, identify gaps, and implement targeted strategies. Recognizing differences between large and small operators ensures that AI integration efforts are realistic and effective across diverse hospitality contexts.
Practical takeaways
- Use the five-phase cycle to evaluate where your organization currently stands in AI preparedness and plan next steps accordingly.
- Develop both fundamental capacities (e.g., strategic vision, governance) and operational capacities (e.g., IT infrastructure, workforce skills) to support AI initiatives.
- Large hotel groups should prioritize establishing strong AI governance and sustainable integration across departments.
- Smaller hotels should leverage their agility to accelerate workforce training and customer experience enhancements related to AI.
- Avoid reactive or uniform approaches; tailor AI adoption strategies to your organization's size, resources, and structure.
- Consider AI preparedness as an ongoing, internally driven transformation that aligns technology adoption with workforce readiness and organizational goals.