'PMS is more than technology—it’s about connecting human experiences'
CEOs of Stayntouch and Cloudbeds discuss the future of hotel PMS and its impact on operations
By Vishnu Rageev RDec 11, 2024
ADAM HARRIS, CEO of Cloudbeds, and Jacob Messina, CEO of Stayntouch, discussed the future of property management systems at the Hospitality Show, focusing on their role in connecting human experiences and improving efficiency amid rising costs. The event, produced by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, recently wrapped up its second annual edition at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Panelists Charles Oswald, CEO of Aperture Hotels, and Chris O'Donnell, COO of Atrium Hospitality, with moderator Michael Frenkel, president of Travel Conversations, focused on labor shortages and the need for reliable, intuitive technologies to ensure consistent service.
While technology leaders were optimistic about PMS technology's potential to transform hospitality, Oswald and O'Donnell shifted the focus to the industry’s pressing challenge: labor shortages on both sides of the front desk. They stressed that the most valuable technologies today are reliable and intuitive, placing the responsibility on tech leaders to ensure consistent service.
Improving operational efficiency
When asked how PMS providers help hoteliers control costs, Harris cited data fragmentation as a key issue.
“Most hotels use 20 different systems, creating disconnected data that harms efficiency and revenue,” he said. “This fragmentation complicates staff training, system upgrades, and impacts the bottom line.”
Harris argued that integrated platforms like Cloudbeds transform operations by using unified data and AI to turn interactions into sales opportunities.
“Front desk staff can act as personalized sales reps, identifying upsell opportunities in real time,” he said. “It’s not about cutting costs, but creating smarter operations that enhance the guest experience and profitability.”
Messina agreed, stressing the need for efficient solutions amid rising operational costs.
“Unlike legacy systems that drain IT budgets with outdated infrastructure, our cloud-based platform eliminates costly hardware and includes automatic updates at no extra charge,” he said. “This helps hotels cut costs where it matters most.”
He highlighted Stayntouch’s open-API architecture, enabling seamless integration with systems that support hotel growth strategies. With hospitality labor turnover reaching 75 percent, training and retention costs are a major concern.
“Our intuitive PMS trains staff in just two days, not weeks or months, simplifying hiring from diverse talent pools and allowing a focus on guest service,” he said.
Addressing labor shortages
Messina pointed to labor shortages and the need for seamless guest experiences as key challenges for hoteliers.
“Our cloud-based PMS and automation tools reduce busywork and enable staff-free guest interactions,” he said. “Automation can save up to 69 percent of employee time by handling repetitive tasks like data entry and credit card processing.”
He also addressed “swivel chair systems,” where employees manually transfer data between systems.
“With over 1,200 integrations, we reduce busywork and free up staff to focus on guest service,” Messina explained. “Our guest-facing kiosks enable quick, 30-second check-ins with no staff required, ideal for extended-stay properties and aparthotels.”
Many hoteliers hesitate to replace their core PMS due to concerns about complexity and implementation time.
“Our multi-property management system streamlines this process. Hotels using our templates see a 70 percent reduction in the time it takes to go live with new properties,” Messina said. “From there, they can manage rates and administration from a single location, ensuring consistency.”
Connecting human experiences with data
Harris reinforced that data is more than just numbers—it's about human experiences.
“Fragmented data leads to poor guest experiences because each data point reflects a guest’s journey, preferences, and expectations,” he said. “A modern PMS is about connecting human experiences, not just technology.”
He explained that unifying systems allows hotels to turn data into meaningful insights, enabling personalized, empathetic guest experiences.
“When a guest checks in, their data tells a story. With integrated systems, hotels can tailor every interaction,” Harris said.
The role of integrations
Both Messina and Harris emphasized the importance of flexibility in hotel technology. Messina highlighted Stayntouch’s open-API platform, offering over 1,200 integrations to help hotels customize their tech stack.
“Hoteliers should have the freedom to choose the solutions that best fit their business,” he said.
Harris echoed this, emphasizing that Cloudbeds builds systems designed to work together intelligently.
“Open APIs aren’t just a checkbox for us—they’re a commitment to creating responsive systems that enhance the guest experience,” he said. “The future of hospitality technology isn’t about how many systems you can connect, but how well they work together to create seamless, friction-free experiences that save time and increase revenue.”
The conversation highlighted that while technology evolves, its true value lies in simplifying operations, enhancing guest experiences, and helping hotels navigate today’s dynamic hospitality landscape.
The Hospitality Show 2024 saw 4,800 attendees and 460 exhibitors, a 26 percent increase in attendance and a 43 percent rise in vendor participation. The 2025 edition will be held Oct. 26–28 at the Denver Convention Center.
Spark acquired the 120-key Home2 Suites by Hilton Wayne in Wayne, New Jersey.
Hunter Hotel Advisors facilitated the transaction with DC Hospitality Group affiliates.
The 2020-built hotel is near William Paterson University and less than 20 miles from Manhattan.
SPARK GHC RECENTLY acquired the 120-key Home2 Suites by Hilton Wayne in Wayne, New Jersey, from affiliates of DC Hospitality Group. Hunter Hotel Advisors facilitated the deal for an undisclosed amount.
The 2020-built hotel is less than 20 miles from Manhattan in a commercial corridor with major employers including Driscoll Foods, FedEx Group, Advanced Biotech, St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital, and the Passaic County Administration, Hunter said in a statement. William Paterson University, Willowbrook Mall, and MetLife Stadium are also nearby.
It features an on-site fitness center, business center and indoor pool.
“The Home2 Suites by Hilton Wayne represents the type of asset we target,” said Patel. “Its proximity to major corporate demand generators, higher education institutions, and retail and entertainment venues supports strong performance.”
Hunter’s senior vice presidents, David Perrin and Spencer Davidson, brokered the transaction.
Patel said this is their second transaction with Hunter and praised the process and partnership.
“We look forward to building on the hotel’s recent performance and continuing to deliver guest experiences in the Greater New York City community,” he said.
Northstar Hotels Management recently acquired a 78-key Residence Inn and an 81-key Courtyard near the Jacksonville, Florida, airport.
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Global pipeline hit a record 15,871 projects with 2.4 million rooms in Q2.
The U.S. leads with 6,280 projects; Dallas tops cities with 199.
Nearly 2,900 hotels are expected to open worldwide by the end of 2025.
THE GLOBAL HOTEL pipeline reached 15,871 projects, up 3 percent year-over-year, and 2,436,225 rooms, up 2 percent, according to Lodging Econometrics. Most were upper midscale and upscale, LE reported.
The U.S. leads with 6,280 projects and 737,036 rooms, 40 percent of the global total. Dallas leads cities with 199 projects and 24,497 rooms, the highest on record.
LE’s Q2 2025 Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report showed 6,257 projects with 1,086,245 rooms under construction worldwide, unchanged in project count and down 3 percent in rooms from last year. Projects scheduled to start in the next 12 months totaled 3,870 with 551,188 rooms, down 3 percent in projects but up 1 percent in rooms. Early planning reached 5,744 projects and 798,792 rooms, up 10 percent in projects and 9 percent in rooms year-over-year.
Upper midscale and upscale hotels accounted for 52 percent of the global pipeline, LE said. Upper midscale stood at 4,463 projects and 567,396 rooms, while upscale reached 3,852 projects and 655,674 rooms. Upper upscale totaled 1,807 projects and 385,396 rooms, and luxury totaled 1,267 projects and 245,665 rooms, up 11 percent year-over-year.
In the first half of 2025, 970 hotels with 138,168 rooms opened worldwide. Another 1,884 hotels with 280,079 rooms are scheduled to open before year-end, for a 2025 total of 2,854 hotels and 418,247 rooms. LE projects 2,531 hotels with 382,942 rooms to open in 2026 and 2,554 hotels with 382,282 rooms to open globally in 2027, the first time a forecast has been issued for that year.
HAMA is accepting submissions for its 20th annual student case competition.
The cases reflect a scenario HAMA members faced as owner representatives.
Teams must submit a financial analysis, solution and executive summary.
THE HOSPITALITY ASSET Managers Association is accepting submissions for the 20th Annual HAMA Student Case Competition, in which more than 60 students analyze a management company change scenario and provide recommendations. HAMA, HotStats and Lodging Analytics Research & Consulting are providing the case, based on a scenario HAMA members faced as owner representatives.
Student teams must prepare a financial analysis, a recommended solution and an executive summary for board review, HAMA said in a statement.
“Each year, the education committee looks forward to the solutions that the next generation of hotel asset managers bring, applying their own experiences to issues in ways that reveal new directions,” said Adam Tegge, HAMA Education Committee chair. “This competition demonstrates that the future of hotel asset management is in good hands.”
The two winning teams will each receive a $5,000 prize and an invitation to the spring 2026 HAMA conference in Washington, D.C. HAMA will cover travel and lodging.
Twenty industry executives on the HAMA education committee will evaluate submissions based on presentation quality, the statement said. HAMA mentors volunteer from September through November to assist teams seeking feedback and additional information. Schools will select finalists by Jan. 15, with graduate and undergraduate teams reviewed separately.
The competition has addressed topics in operating and owning hospitality assets and HAMA consulted university professors to update the format for situations students may encounter after graduation, the statement said.
This year’s participants include University of Denver, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Boston University, Florida International University, Michigan State University, Columbia University, Morgan State University, Howard University, New York University and Penn State University.
Stonebridge Cos. added the Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton, to its managed portfolio.
The hotel, opened in 1956 and relaunched in 2017, is owned by Centurion American Development Group.
The property is near Main Street Garden Park, the Arts District and the Dallas World Aquarium.
STONEBRIDGE COS. HAS contracted to manage the Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton in Dallas to its managed portfolio. The hotel, opened in 1956 and relaunched in 2017, is owned by Centurion American Development Group, led by Mehrdad Moayedi.
It has an outdoor pool and more than 26,000 square feet of meeting space, Stonebridge said in a statement. The downtown Dallas property is near Main Street Garden Park, the Arts District, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Deep Ellum, Klyde Warren Park, and the Dallas World Aquarium.
“The Statler is an extraordinary asset with a storied history in Dallas, and we are thrilled to welcome it to our managed portfolio,” said Rob Smith, Stonebridge’s president and CEO. “Its blend of modern hospitality with timeless character makes it a natural fit within our lifestyle collection. We look forward to honoring the property’s legacy while enhancing performance and delivering an elevated guest experience.”
Stonebridge, based in Denver, is a privately held hotel management company founded by Chairman Navin Dimond and led by Smith. The company recently added the 244-room Marriott Saddle Brook in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, to its full-service portfolio.
GSA will keep federal per diem rates the same for FY 2026.
The lodging rate stays $110 and meals allowance $68.
AHLA raised concerns over the impact on government travel.
THE U.S. GENERAL Services Administration will keep standard per diem rates for federal travelers at 2025 levels for fiscal year 2026. The American Hotel and Lodging Association raised concerns that the decision affects government travel, a key economic driver for the hotel industry.
The standard lodging rate remains $110 and the meals and incidental allowance is $68 for fiscal year 2026, unchanged from 2025, GSA said in a statement.
“Government travel is a vital economic driver for the hotel industry and the broader travel economy,” said Rosanna Maietta, AHLA’s president and CEO. “That’s why it’s so important for government per diem rates to keep pace with rising costs across the economy. The GSA’s decision to keep per diem rates flat will place a strain on the hospitality industry as well as government travelers seeking lodging. A strong economy requires a thriving hospitality sector. We will continue to advocate with the GSA and members of Congress for per diem rates that reflect hotels’ rising costs of doing business.”
GSA sets per diem rates to reimburse federal employees’ lodging and meal expenses for official travel within the continental U.S., based on the trailing 12-month ADR for lodging and meals minus 5 percent. This is the first year in five that GSA has not raised the rates.
The federal administration said the decision reflects the federal government’s commitment to using taxpayer funds appropriately and for core mission activities. The steady per diem rates are enabled by the reduction in inflationary pressures from the previous administration.
“GSA's decision ensures cost-effective travel reimbursement while supporting the mission-critical mobility of the federal workforce,” said Larry Allen, associate administrator, GSA Office of Government-wide Policy.
The rate applies to federal travelers and those on government-contracted business for all U.S. locations not designated as “non-standard areas,” which have higher per diems. For fiscal year 2026, GSA will keep the number of non-standard areas at 296, unchanged from 2025.