Hotel Tech Insider

What if the biggest competitive advantage for the next generation of hotel owners is knowing when not to fly a flag?
In this episode, Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit - formerly a managing editor at Bloomberg - joins Hotel Tech Insider to unpack why more hotel owners are questioning the economics of traditional franchise relationships. Her reporting reveals a surprising shift: while actual de-flagging remains relatively limited, the conversation around independence has moved from fringe idea to legitimate strategic option for owners evaluating expiring franchise agreements.
For experienced hoteliers, the episode goes beyond the usual “brand vs. independent” debate and gets into the operational mechanics making independence more viable.
What you’ll learn:
How technology is changing the franchise value equation. Modern PMS platforms, distribution tools, digital marketing, AI, and third-party management companies increasingly allow owners to assemble capabilities that were once difficult to replicate outside a major brand ecosystem.
How to evaluate whether your brand is actually generating enough demand. One franchise attorney Sarah interviewed suggests owners should closely examine how much business the brand and loyalty ecosystem truly deliver—and reconsider affiliation if that contribution doesn’t justify the economics.
What hotel owners need to replace when they deflag. The episode breaks down the practical transition: financing, PMS selection, distribution, branding, digital presence, Google reviews, and customer acquisition. One owner even unlocked an entirely new demand channel through Airbnb after becoming independent.

One of the most surprising insights is that the motivation to leave a franchise isn’t always about eliminating fees. For one owner profiled by Sarah, independence was primarily about gaining control over the product, brand, and guest experience - and using that freedom to grow revenue rather than simply cut costs.
The episode also explores where the major brands still retain meaningful advantages, particularly loyalty programs, and why improved access to financing could further accelerate the independent hotel movement.
For owners approaching a franchise renewal, this conversation offers a practical framework for asking a more important question than “Should I deflag?”: What capabilities does my brand provide today that I could - or could not - recreate myself?

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How do you modernize the technology behind 70 hotels without overwhelming the people responsible for running them?

In this episode, Peter Twachtman, CEO of Lark Hospitality, explains how one of the fastest-growing independent hotel management groups is building a scalable technology and operating model across more than 70 properties in 22 states, Mexico, and Canada.
Lark specializes in independent and branded hotels with fewer than 150 rooms. After growing from roughly 20 hotels and merging with Life House, Peter and his team consolidated the portfolio around a core technology stack that includes Mews, Akia, Toast, and Hotel Investor Apps.
The surprising lesson is that selecting the technology may be the easy part. The harder challenge is determining which data should serve as the source of truth, introducing change at a pace hotel teams can absorb, and remaining willing to replace systems that stop evolving with the business.
In this episode we go through:
How to establish a reliable hotel data foundation. Peter explains why Lark prioritized clean financial, PMS, and point-of-sale data before attempting more advanced analytics or AI applications.
How to manage technology change across a large hotel portfolio. Learn how Lark communicates upcoming initiatives, gathers frontline feedback, adjusts implementation timelines, and prevents technology projects from disrupting hotel operations.
How to evaluate vendors as long-term innovation partners. Peter shares why hotel companies should continuously assess whether their PMS, ERP, POS, loyalty, booking, and guest-journey platforms are keeping pace—and why loyalty to a vendor should not become technology lock-in.
How Lark is approaching AI with both urgency and discipline. The conversation covers internal AI experimentation, data-access guardrails, information security, and the importance of slowing down at the right moments while still taking calculated risks.
Why traditional hotel metrics may no longer be enough. Peter discusses moving beyond RevPAR and cost per occupied room toward more revealing measurements such as revenue per square foot, revenue per guest, and guest lifetime value.
Peter also challenges the common prediction that hotel technology will consolidate into fewer platforms. He believes the opposite may occur: lower barriers to software development could produce even more specialized systems, increasing both innovation and complexity for hotel operators.
Throughout the conversation, Peter makes the case that curiosity, empathy, strong listening skills, and ego-free leadership are essential to successful hotel technology transformation. The best insights often come not from senior leadership, but from the employees closest to the guest and the daily operation.
Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with hotel executives using technology, data, and operating strategy to grow stronger hospitality businesses.

What if your front desk could generate millions in incremental revenue - without adding staff or compromising the guest experience? In this episode, Geoffrey Toffetti, CEO of Frontline Performance Group (FPG), shares how his company evolved from a hospitality consulting firm into a SaaS platform now used by nearly 3,000 hotels to improve frontline performance, increase guest satisfaction, and unlock measurable revenue through AI-driven coaching. Geoffrey also makes a bold prediction that may challenge how experienced hotel leaders think about the future of hotel software: AI won't just enhance software - it could replace much of it.
Key Takeaways:
How top-performing hotels create millions in incremental revenue at the front desk. Learn the practical frameworks luxury hotels are using to increase upsells, improve frontline engagement, and achieve ROI as high as 50:1, including why personalized conversations consistently outperform scripted offers.
Why AI coaching - not just AI automation - is the next competitive advantage. Discover how AI can analyze frontline performance data, identify individual coaching opportunities for every employee, and recommend targeted actions that help managers develop stronger teams at scale.
Lessons from leading a hospitality company through massive transformation. Geoffrey shares candid insights from FPG's journey from an on-site consulting business to a SaaS company, including the leadership practices, communication strategies, and experimentation mindset required to successfully navigate disruptive technologies like AI.
A surprising vision for the future of hotel technology. Geoffrey argues that many reporting and business intelligence tools may eventually disappear altogether as AI agents become capable of interrogating hotel data directly and delivering actionable answers without traditional software interfaces.
Whether you oversee revenue management, operations, commercial strategy, or hotel technology, this conversation offers actionable ideas for increasing incremental revenue, developing higher-performing frontline teams, and preparing your organization for the next generation of AI-powered hotel operations.

If you enjoyed this episode of Hotel Tech Insider, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, leave a review, and share this episode with a colleague who's thinking about the future of AI, hotel operations, and commercial performance. For more interviews with the industry's top innovators, visit HotelTechReport.com.
Hotel Tech Insider is a leading global podcast focused exclusively on hotel technology, digital transformation, revenue strategy, AI, operations, guest experience, and hospitality innovation. The show features long-form interviews with industry leaders, hotel executives, and technology founders to help experienced hoteliers stay ahead of the trends shaping the future of hospitality.

What happens when the biggest threat to hotel owners isn't brands, OTAs, or labor costs—but AI? In this episode, Sloan Dean, former CEO of one of the largest hotel management companies in the United States, shares why he believes the hospitality industry's incentives are fundamentally broken, which hotel technologies actually move the needle, and why many operators may be underestimating the disruptive force of AI.

During his tenure as CEO of Remington Hospitality, Sloan Dean helped grow the company from roughly 80 hotels to more than 150 properties generating over $1.6 billion in annual hotel revenue. With a background in engineering, asset management, and hotel operations, Sloan brings a rare perspective that spans ownership, management, technology, and investment.
What we cover in this episode:
• The hotel industry's incentive problem is reaching a breaking point. Sloan explains how value has steadily shifted away from hotel owners toward brands, OTAs, management companies, and increasingly venture-backed software providers—and why that trend may not be sustainable.
• The technology investments that delivered the highest ROI. From labor management systems to revenue management platforms, Sloan shares the specific technologies that generated measurable operational and financial improvements across a portfolio of more than 150 hotels.
• Why AI could radically reshape hotel operations. Most industry leaders view AI as a tool to improve their existing businesses. Sloan argues something more disruptive may happen: AI could fundamentally change who captures value in hospitality and create entirely new operating models that challenge today's incumbents.
• The surprising lesson from leading large-scale digital transformation. Rather than chasing revolutionary technology, Sloan reveals why his first major wins came from fixing basic operational systems and how experienced operators can avoid one of the most common technology adoption mistakes.
• Where robotics will impact hotels first. Sloan outlines why housekeeping, laundry, engineering, and food & beverage may look dramatically different over the next decade—and what owners should be preparing for today.
Whether you're an owner, operator, asset manager, or hotel technology executive, this conversation offers a candid look at where hospitality is heading and what industry veterans should be doing now to stay ahead.

Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more conversations with the leaders shaping the future of hospitality technology, hotel operations, revenue strategy, and guest experience. Share this episode with a colleague and visit Hotel Tech Report for additional insights, research, and technology resources.

What if your hotel ran itself - an “army of AI agents” handling everything from reservations to check-in - while your staff focused entirely on guests?
In this episode, Aejaz Sodawala, CEO of Yanolja Cloud Solution, shares a forward-looking blueprint for how hotel tech is evolving - from fragmented systems to unified, AI-driven platforms powering over 33,000 hotels globally.
Takeaways:
 Why data silos are quietly killing your AI strategy — and how to restructure your tech stack around a shared data layer to unlock real-time decision-making and automation.
 How leading operators are driving 20%+ direct bookings — using integrated booking engines, pricing transparency vs OTAs, and content-driven websites that convert.
 What “agentic PMS” actually means in practice — and how AI agents will replace repetitive roles (reservations, check-in, pricing) to free staff for higher-value guest interaction.

 Aejaz has spent 15+ years scaling hotel tech from on-premise systems to cloud platforms now used in 170+ countries. His perspective cuts through the AI hype: most hotels aren’t ready - not because of tools, but because of fragmented infrastructure. The surprising insight? The winners won’t be those adopting more tools—but those consolidating into fewer, more intelligent platforms.
If you’re rethinking your tech stack or planning your next phase of growth, this episode is required listening. Subscribe to Hotel Tech Insider for more operator-level insights—and share this episode with a colleague who’s still managing disconnected systems.