‘ComfortTech’ top priority for innovation investments across hotel sector

Half of hotels feel pressures to upgrade technology, Hotels.com survey finds

More than half of hotels (56%) say they feel pressure to keep upgrading their technology, according to Hotels.com’s 2025 Hotel Room Innsights survey.

The annual survey of more than 450 properties across the globe showed how hotel room tech has evolved and modernised, from booking to check-out.

The OTA says this has led to ‘a wave of innovation that has hotel rooms getting smarter and guests racing to keep up’.

The survey found that ‘ComfortTech’ is important. It notes how high-tech hotels are investing in practical, comfort-enhancing innovations like smart fans, customisable lighting and smart TVs rather than investing in robots and automation. 

Hotels are also aiming to boost efficiency and sustainability with technology, such as mobile check-in and check-out systems, smart energy systems, water-saving devices, efficient fans and food waste reduction.

Bathrooms are typically the ‘smartest room’, with tech improvements including smart mirrors with weather and news updates, digital water temperature controls and motion-sensor faucets. Japanese style smart toilets, and voice-activated bath filling are also among the innovations being rolled out.

Some of the more futuristic innovations hotels are seeking to roll out include cooking robots, luggage transport, meal delivery and robotic housekeeping, biometric room access, predictive personalisation and AI-powered experiences.

Yet ‘tech confusion’ is also a real concern among guests. The survey found that more than half (52%) of hotels now offer a verbal tech walk-through at check-in to help guests navigate tech-related features like smart lighting, Wi-Fi, and in-room entertainment systems.

Human interaction still matters, the survey suggests, with some 70% of hotels reporting that guests still prefer to speak to a human, especially at check-in and when needing support, highlighting the ‘irreplaceable importance of face-to-face service’. 

Hotels surveyed said they are most interested in adding tech upgrades like AI-powered concierge services, voice-activated room controls, and robot chefs as part of a drive to improve service and personalisation.

As hotels invest in in-room innovation, Hotels.com is updating its software in a bid to make the booking process ‘more intuitive’. This will include automated hotel price alerts which notify guests when rates drop, and an AI search filter to help travellers narrow down options quickly.

“From smart showers to room service-delivering robots, this year’s Innsights survey shows hotels around the world are using tech in ways from functional to novel,” said Melanie Fish, vice president of global public relations at Hotels.com.

“It’s also clear there’s a sweet spot when it comes to smart hotel rooms: intuitive and personalised, but still easy to navigate.”

The survey also acknowledged how ‘not all tech sticks’, with some hotels reporting that they’ve removed automated features like robots at breakfast service or in the lobby.