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Academic ResearchJanuary 16, 2026Emerald Insight: Tourism Review

Generative AI in hospitality and tourism: a dual-stakeholder perspective on tourist and workforce experience dynamics

This paper looks at how AI improves short-term rental management using Solarento as an example. AI helps optimize pricing, forecast demand, reduce costs, and improve occupancy and guest experience. However, challenges include reliance on good data, limited transparency, and ethical concerns. The study recommends combining AI with human oversight to ensure balanced, responsible, and effective use in hospitality operations.

Authors

Maria Leonor Ferreira

Article content

This paper explores the practical impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on short-term rental management by analyzing a case study of Solarento, a technology-driven operator in Poland. The study compares Solarento's AI-based approach with two established competitors, Sun & Snow and Downtown Apartments, to highlight differences and advantages.

Data sources include internal company reports, public statistics, market studies, and digital performance dashboards, providing a comprehensive view of operational and financial outcomes. Key findings reveal that AI integration in revenue management and demand forecasting significantly reduces operational costs and shortens vacancy periods.

By using AI models to dynamically adjust pricing based on real-time market demand and guest behavior, Solarento achieves higher occupancy rates and optimized revenue streams. This adaptive pricing strategy also enhances guest satisfaction by offering competitive rates aligned with market conditions.

Operational automation driven by AI streamlines routine tasks such as booking management, guest communication, and maintenance scheduling. This automation reduces manual workload, allowing staff to focus on personalized guest services, which further improves the guest experience.

Additionally, AI tools provide owners with transparent financial reporting and performance insights, increasing their trust and satisfaction with the management process. Despite these benefits, the study identifies challenges associated with AI adoption. Heavy reliance on data quality and availability can limit model effectiveness, while algorithmic opacity raises concerns about decision transparency.

Ethical risks emerge around automation potentially profiling guests or making decisions without human judgment, which could impact fairness and privacy. To address these issues, the paper recommends implementing hybrid management models that combine AI automation with human oversight.

This approach ensures that while AI handles data-driven tasks efficiently, humans remain involved in ethical decision-making and complex problem-solving. For hospitality professionals, this means investing in AI technologies while maintaining skilled staff to monitor and guide AI outputs.

Overall, the research contributes valuable insights for short-term rental operators seeking to leverage AI for competitive advantage. By adopting AI-enabled revenue management, operational automation, and transparent owner reporting, rental businesses can improve profitability and guest satisfaction.

However, careful attention to data governance, ethical considerations, and balanced human-AI collaboration is essential for sustainable success in the evolving hospitality landscape.

Tags

Guest ExperienceReviews & SentimentGenerative AITourism

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