Balancing technology with a human touch in hospitality: a new newsletter from Mapal

Technology is creeping up everywhere. 

From the ability to turn on your thermostat remotely, so you return to a cosy, warm home after going out to dinner on a cold winter night, to asking a customer support chatbot questions about a tool or service in real time, to ordering your McDonald’s from a giant screen instead of at the counter. Even in hospitality, an industry that is centred around and fuelled by people, automation is increasingly hard to avoid. But the hospitality industry is no stranger to technology.

Nowadays, we tend to think of technology as purely digital, but it’s really the broader application of science, engineering, and creative thinking. 

The hospitality industry has long been adopters of technology from moving to digital POS systems from analogue cash registers, upgrades in refrigeration and cooling systems to help food stay fresher for longer, and even the adoption of Kevlar and the implementation of non-stick cooking surfaces. 

Hospitality has always been a tech-forward industry. But it’s also a human centred industry, and the real beauty is finding the balance between the two. 

More digital-centric technology – and the rise of AI specifically – in hospitality has brought the industry leaps and bounds over the last few years. According to the 2024 Hospitality Tech Report, 80% of hospitality businesses in the UK have increased their digital investments since 2022.

However, the UK isn’t the only market seeing this kind of investment and growth. A market research report done by TechNavio forecasted that the French hospitality industry will grow by $2.99 billion from 2023-2029, with investment in technology, sustainability, and a focus on authentic guest experiences being leading drivers.

When it comes to AI specifically, Spain is turning out to be an early adopter. According to a 2025 survey done by Banco de Espana, 60% of Spanish firms are piloting or experimenting with AI, 34% are up to a moderate usage of AI, and 6% are intensively using AI, with the hotel sector leading adoption for hospitality. 

Efficiency is a key component to success in hospitality, and AI has become a huge driver for efficiency in recent years. AI has been adopted to help with scheduling and rota creation, to help track inventory and waste, and even track customer and brand sentiment, though that only scratches the surface. 

While AI can do amazing things in hospitality, with its ever-growing presence comes the fear that the humans in the industry will start to be replaced themselves. 

It’s no secret that cutting costs is a huge focus for owners and operators alike, and AI can certainly help with that. But, it’s important to remember when implementing AI into your business that maintaining a balance between AI-driven efficiency and genuine human hospitality is the sweet spot to achieve. 

AI should be viewed as a tool to enhance—not replace—personal interactions, allowing staff to focus on creating memorable guest experiences. 

So how can you do that? That’s where this newsletter comes in. 

This newsletter aims to explore that balance of technology and human touch in hospitality focusing on topics like implementation opportunities and reducing fear around new technology, selecting the rights tools for your business, preparing for the adoption of AI with your staff, and using AI to enhance training and onboarding. As well as more specific areas where AI can be implemented like recruitment and retention, trend forecasting, sentiment analysis and more while also exploring how AI impacts those areas. 

When it comes to AI, much like with your teams, the possibilities are almost endless. And we’re here to help you navigate that journey.