The industry is buzzing about AI as the "invisible employee" that fixes your labor problem and your margin problem in one magic stroke. I've heard this pitch before... about five different technologies over four decades... and the hotels that bought the hype without a plan got burned every single time.
A new NYU/BCG report says 98% of hotels are "using AI" and projects a $2.28 billion market by 2030. The actual question nobody's answering: what happens to these systems at 2 AM when your night auditor is alone?
Unemployment hit 4.3% in February, job-switching premiums are at record lows, and everyone's calling it good news for retention. It's not that simple. The labor market just split into two problems, and most hotel operators are only solving one of them.
