Hotel CEOs Converge on AI's Role: Better Staff, Not Fewer of Them

The five chief executives shared a stage at a global travel industry forum in New York City in September 2026 and, on the question of artificial intelligence, arrived at nearly the same answer: the technology should make hotel workers better at their jobs. Hilton's Chris Nassetta, Hyatt's Mark Hoplamazian and the heads of Accor, Wyndham and Banyan Group did not debate one another during the session.

Nassetta was the most direct about what AI will not replace. The front desk, he said, is staying even at limited-service properties. "You're never taking all the people out," he said, adding that lodging remains "a business of people serving people."

At future Hampton properties, he argued, staff will arrive at each guest interaction with more information and resolve complaints faster, sometimes understanding the nature of a customer's problem before the customer has finished explaining it.

The agreement stopped at implementation. The executives diverged on how many jobs AI will displace, how organizations should be guided through the transition, and whether hotel brands need a presence everywhere travelers now turn to AI to shop for rooms.

The tools under discussion ranged from voice agents handling guest interactions to a digital counterpart of Hyatt's chief executive. Hoplamazian appeared at the event alongside the other leaders.