Guest Post: Best‑in‑Class vs All‑in‑One: Choosing the stack that fits your hotel

Michael McCartan, VP EMEA of IDeaS Revenue Solutions weighs up the best approach

For many years, the hospitality sector has worked on the assumption that all-in-one technology platforms offer the clearest route to operational cohesion. The promise of a single supplier, a unified platform and a reduction in administrative burden have long appealed to teams under pressure to maintain consistency with limited resources. It is understandable that many operators have equated consolidation with control.

The latest study from Stayntouch, NYU and IDeaS indicates that this assumption is beginning to shift. The research reveals a measured but notable change in sentiment. Almost one in three all-in-one users intend to transition to an environment of integrated ‘Best-in-Class’ specialized solutions (RMS, PMS, CRS etc) within the next one to two years, while only 14 percent of best-in-class users expect to move in the opposite direction. 

Satisfaction scores support this direction of travel. Users of best-in-class platforms report stronger outcomes across the PMS, RMS and operational performance more broadly, and they are significantly less inclined to consider a replacement. Although the study does not suggest a blanket rejection of all-in-one systems, it does illustrate a careful reassessment of the balance between simplicity and the level of capability required to support more advanced commercial objectives.

The findings highlight that all-in-one platforms remain valuable, particularly for smaller properties with relatively simple revenue and operational needs. Many of these organisations adopt unified systems because they provide a manageable point of entry. Training is relatively straightforward, implementation demands are modest and the overall structure aligns with the scale of the team. For these businesses, operational steadiness is often prioritised ahead of broader technological ambition.

The expectations - and needs - for hotel technology are strongly influenced by the size of the property used by them.  The study shows that larger hotels demonstrate a marked preference for best-in-class environments. This preference is driven by the need for deeper functionality, increased configuration control and the ability to integrate specialist tools that support more developed commercial decision-making. What often begins as a search for simplicity gradually becomes a requirement for capability. 

The wider question concerns the implications for future technology strategy. The movement towards best-in-class systems reflects a broader recognition that advancing commercial practice requires deeper capability. Hotels increasingly seek tools that provide a clear interpretive layer, support better decisions and respond to changing demand with minimal delay. They also want solutions that grow with the business rather than platforms that require reconsideration whenever the organisation progresses to a new stage of maturity.

For technology providers, the message is clear. Operators no longer view ease of use and commercial precision as competing objectives. The market is signalling a requirement for solutions that combine ease of use, depth of features, and  dependable interoperability. The next generation of platforms will need to demonstrate technical strength together with the ability to operate effectively within a wider ecosystem that values clarity, flexibility and accuracy.

Against this backdrop, recent developments in artificial intelligence indicate that these assumptions may evolve. The latest H2C report shows rapid AI adoption, yet limited strategic direction and ongoing data challenges. Seventy-eight percent of hotel chains are already using AI, and eighty-nine percent are planning to implement additional applications in the next twelve to twenty-four months, but many still lack a clear roadmap for how these tools will support their broader commercial and technology strategy. This has confined the impact of more advanced tools and sustained the view that best-in-class environments are primarily suited to larger, more mature operations.

Agentic AI has the potential to change this. By combining established mathematical AI with the ability to interpret information and act upon it, agentic AI can simplify configuration, reduce dependence on–or amplify the effectiveness of–specialist expertise and enable quicker commercial responses. In practical terms, this can make best-in-class capability more accessible to smaller and leaner teams.

The strategic question for operators is therefore broadening. It is no longer solely about consolidation versus modularity, but about which partners can apply AI in ways that preserve clarity, strengthen decision-making and support ongoing commercial maturity. As AI lowers the complexity barrier, best-in-class solutions are likely to become a realistic option for a wider range of properties. Now is the time for hoteliers to take stock of their technology stack and roadmap, challenge long-held assumptions about all-in-one convenience and ensure that future investment decisions actively support their full commercial potential.