Hotel AI: 82% of properties set to accelerate in 2026

82% plan to ramp up AI

In its report Navigating AI: Hospitality Shifts From Exploration to Execution, Canary Technologies says the industry is moving beyond trials into execution. Conducted in early 2026 among more than 400 decision‑makers responsible for technology purchasing at hotels, groups and management companies worldwide, the study highlights three signals: 71% view AI’s impact as significant or transformative; 82% expect usage to increase over the next 12 months; and 85% plan to allocate at least 5% of their IT budget to AI tools.

The study also points to adoption that is already tangible: 51% of respondents say they are piloting or have deployed solutions. The most advanced use cases focus on guest interaction, with 45% of hotels running AI‑powered webchat agents and 92% that have adopted or plan to adopt AI‑assisted guest messaging. Reported outcomes among adopters are concrete: time savings for teams, higher guest satisfaction, greater workflow automation and stronger capture of ancillary revenues. The report illustrates these trends with large‑scale rollouts at international groups.

These intuitive AI use cases mirror hotels’ investment priorities. IT budgets are targeting guest experience (52%) and operational efficiency (52%) ahead of revenue growth (51%) and cost reduction (45%). Momentum is clear: nearly seven in ten hoteliers expect to increase IT spending by at least 10% this year. According to the study, AI is becoming a foundational layer in the hotel tech stack, with expected effects on discoverability, personalisation and the share of direct bookings.

A paradigm shift — for those who can afford it

While rising adoption will surprise few, the study suggests a deeper shift. Historically, many hotel IT budgets were framed as maintenance, a cost centre to be minimised. The responses here point to a change of mindset: technology and AI are increasingly viewed as growth drivers.

“AI has quickly become a foundational technology for the hospitality industry,” said Catherine Donaldson, Director of Marketing. “Hoteliers gaining an edge today aren’t just considering AI, they’re building strategies and moving quickly to adopt it. The data shows that hotels using AI are driving more revenue, gaining operational efficiencies and improving guest satisfaction.”

Even so, adoption remains uneven. Asia‑Pacific leads Europe and North America: 62% of APAC respondents are piloting or have adopted AI and 93% allocate more than 5% of their IT budget to these technologies. Obstacles persist elsewhere, notably data security and privacy (43%), integration challenges (40%) and staff training (38%). The gap is also stark by segment: luxury shows the broadest deployments, while budget properties, under pressure to protect margins, see only 32% of respondents using AI today.