More than half of hotel owners and developers already are using AI in their properties to optimize revenue, including using it for dynamic pricing process and cost estimation, and another 30 percent expect to begin doing so this year, according to a new survey.
Wakefield Research in a survey for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from Nov. 24-Dec. 4, 2025, polled 325 hotel owners and developers in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, all of whom held titles no lower than vice president. Respondents were not exclusive to Wyndham properties.
About 53 percent of respondents indicated they already use AI for revenue optimization.
Almost every respondent indicated they already were using AI in their business in some capacity, with most (63 percent) indicating they use it for operational efficiency, including
AI-managed staffing, invoicing and predictive maintenance. About 54 percent use it for energy efficiency, including adjusting the use of lights and heating and air conditioning when rooms aren’t in use.
Fewer reported they use AI for guest-facing functions. About 11 percent indicated they use it to "enhance the guest experience" via functions like a digital concierge, AI-powered guest text or voice messaging or automated check-in or checkout. About 10 percent use it for in-room guest functions like voice-controlled devices or AI-powered lighting and climate control. And about 9 percent have deployed it for personalized guest offers or communications.
Meanwhile, 42 percent of respondents indicated they had an "extremely optimistic" outlook for the hotel industry in 2026, with another 48 percent calling themselves "somewhat optimistic." Only 8 percent and 1 percent called themselves "somewhat" or "extremely" pessimistic, respectively.
That said, 97 percent indicated they were at least somewhat concerned about the potential effect of economic volatility—9 percent said they were extremely concerned, with 48 percent and 40 percent respectively indicating they were very or somewhat concerned.