From analyzing vendors to shifts toward cloud-based systems to technology governance, the chief information officers and chief technology officers of today’s hotel companies have little time left for innovation.

Leading hotel CIOs and CTOs share what keeps them up at night. From left to right: Anand Rao, Shangri-La; Peter Engel, Marcus Hotels & Resorts; Dan Kornick, Wyndham; and Mike Blake, Hyatt.

　　ATLANTA—From analyzing vendors to shifts toward cloud-based systems to technology governance, the chief information officers and chief technology officers of today’s hotel companies have little time left for innovation.

　　At Hotel Technology Next Generation’s annual North America conference this week, leading CIOs and CTOs gave a glimpse into their daily responsibilities and what keeps them up at night.

　　Innovation

　　While Mike Blake, CIO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, praised the work of his “innovation team,” other brand representatives said they aren’t afforded the resources of entire teams dedicated to innovation.

　　Dan Kornick, senior VP and CIO at Wyndham Hotel Group, said he likes the idea of an innovation team but thinks innovation should be part of a culture rather than the responsibility of a single group.

　　“Everyone should be thinking about ‘What is the right next step?’” he said. “We should be thinking about how to do the next step differently and more efficiently.”

　　However, a number of CIOs said too many cooks in the kitchen can be detrimental. While no idea is a bad idea, some ideas might be too complicated to implement or lack the return on investment required. A big part of the CIO job, the executives said, is keeping expectations in check.

　　“We have to try really hard to say yes to what people want to do, but it’s not always easy making those things happen,” said Peter Engel, CTO at Marcus Hotels & Resorts. “We have to care about governance.”

　　Hyatt’s Blake agreed, saying those who pitch new technologies often don’t understand the complexities behind bringing them to life.

　　“It’s what I call the ‘curse of the easy.’ People think it’s easy to install, easy to put in place,” Blake said. “But when you start putting it together this magic happens and it starts getting hard. I don’t want to be an obstructionist, but we want to make sure, in an effort to make it successful, it has to be integrated.”

　　Marcus Hotels tests new technologies first at its independent properties before rolling them out across its entire 20-hotel portfolio.

　　“We can use those as our skunk work; we can try anything in those hotels,” Engel said. “We take all of the stuff we get from the brands plus what we can do on our own.”

　　Changing the ecosystem

　　The CIOs were asked one thing they would change in their ecosystem regarding how new technology is processed and delivered.

　　Anand Rao, CIO of Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, said he would like the business to “be more profitable,” which was met by laughter from the audience.

　　“Once the money comes, in everything else will come in,” he said.

　　Engel, of Marcus, said one of his biggest frustrations comes from a lack of continued support from partner vendors. Once new technologies are implemented, operators don’t know how to take best advantage of them, he said.

　　“We really need some help optimizing (vendor) solutions,” Engel said. “Just installing and implementing it doesn’t help me. Some help with best practices would be a good trend. And we’re willing to pay for that.”

　　But perhaps the boldest answer came from Blake, of Hyatt, who called out IT leadership at many of today’s leading hotel companies. Blake said the one thing he’d change in his ecosystem is the thought process of his senior advisors, many of whom are either afraid of new technologies or aren’t immersed in emerging technologies being used by today’s younger generation.

　　Because of that conservative approach to trying new things, “We’re only using half the functionality that we’ve got in place,” Blake said.

　　Path to the cloud

　　Another topic hoteliers struggle with is whether cloud-based systems are the right approach for hotel technology. Kornick, of Wyndham, said 4,400 of Wyndham’s properties already are operating on a cloud-based property-management system.

　　“We’re already there; a big part of our core is already there,” he said. “The challenge now is getting the team to understand this is a safe and viable option. It truly is the right option.”

　　Cloud-based solutions are optimal for sharing guest data among many technologies, the experts said. However, Engel echoed a common complaint among owners and third-party managers: brands are unwilling to share much of that data with the actual property operators because it dilutes their value as a brand.

　　“I we wish we could get more access to the data,” he said. “The practical reality is as a franchisee, you can’t get at it.”

　　Moving to the cloud also eases global demands. Hotel companies today are thinking global first, Shangri-La’s Rao said.

　　“The guests are global and the guests are what’s pushing us to innovate,” he said.

　　Rao also said security issues keep him up at night—“what the guests are doing and what the staff is doing and what the government is doing to us,” he said.