The Real Role of Technology in Hospitality Isn’t What You Think

As hotel systems grow more complex, the real opportunity isn’t in adopting more technology but in using it to become a better, more reliable operator

By Ted Jabara

Technology is accelerating nearly every change happening in our industry today.

From AI-driven revenue management to more efficient operating models, we’re seeing tools that allow us to rethink how our hotels are run. Systems are getting smarter. Data is becoming more actionable. Processes that once required multiple people can now be streamlined or automated.

But technology alone isn’t the answer.

In fact, the more advanced the tools become, the more important the real question becomes: How does technology help us become a better operator?

At the end of the day, this is still a people business. It always will be. The goal isn’t to replace the human element but to enhance it.

At Meyer Jabara Hotels, that belief has fundamentally shaped how we approach technology. We don’t view automation as something we outsource and hope for the best. We see it as a core operational discipline that requires the same level of attention, expertise, and accountability as any other part of the business.

That’s why we made a deliberate decision to bring technology management in-house and take a more hands-on approach across our portfolio.

Moving Beyond ‘Set It and Forget It’
For many years, hotel technology was treated as a necessary utility. You installed systems, contracted with vendors, and relied on third parties to maintain them. As long as the internet worked and the PMS stayed online, you didn’t think much about it.

That model no longer works.

Today’s hotel environment is far more complex. Every property relies on a web of interconnected systems, from property management and reservations to point-of-sale, entertainment platforms, mobile connectivity, and IoT devices. Each of those systems depends on a stable, secure, and high-performing network.

If that foundation isn’t solid, everything above it is at risk.

Our hotels have seen firsthand how technology issues can impact operations. Network disruption isn’t just an IT problem; it affects guest satisfaction, team productivity, and ultimately revenue. When systems don’t communicate properly, the entire operation is impacted.

That’s why we believe technology has to be actively managed, not passively maintained.

Infrastructure Behind the Experience
One of the biggest misconceptions in hospitality is that technology is mostly guest facing. In reality, the most critical work happens behind the scenes.

Our focus starts with the infrastructure. That means designing, procuring, installing, certifying, and continuously monitoring each property’s network environment.

We’re talking about everything that enables connectivity and communication across a hotel: cabling, routers, access points, network segmentation between guest and staff systems, bandwidth management, and the security layers that protect all of it.

This isn’t glamorous work, but it’s essential in the management company environment. And it’s something that few, if any other companies like ours do themselves.

When the network is designed properly, communication flows the way it should. Guests can connect seamlessly. Staff can do their jobs without friction. Systems integrate the way they were intended. And most importantly, the hotel operates as a cohesive unit.

When it’s not, even the best tech tools in the world won’t deliver the results you expect.

Owning the Technology Stack
We take full ownership of the technology environment—not just pieces of it. That includes cybersecurity, data backup and recovery, system monitoring, and help desk support. It also includes understanding how every system within the hotel interacts with one another, from the PMS to VoIP to POS and beyond.

Managing a hotel network is not a simple task. There are dozens of systems running simultaneously, and a system failure in one area can quickly cascade into others. Without the right expertise in place, it’s easy for issues to go undetected until they start impacting operations.

That’s why we’ve built an internal team of hospitality-focused IT professionals who understand not just technology, but how hotels actually operate. There’s a big difference between general IT support and hospitality IT support. Because hotels are 24/7 operations, we must meet real-time guest expectations. We can’t afford downtime, and guests can’t afford slow response times.

By taking a hands-on approach to technology, we’re able to be proactive instead of reactive. We can identify issues before they become problems, maintain system performance, and ensure that every property stays connected to its guests and to the broader organization.

When technology is managed correctly, it becomes more than just infrastructure. It becomes a competitive advantage.

It allows us to operate more efficiently. It supports better decision-making. It enables our teams to spend less time troubleshooting and more time focusing on guests. It also creates consistency across the portfolio. Whether a property is in a pre-opening phase, undergoing a renovation, or operating at full capacity, we can ensure that the technology environment meets the same standards and performs at the same level.

That consistency matters not just for brand compliance, but for the overall quality of the guest experience.

Supporting the People Behind the Technology
One of the most important elements of our approach is the support structure behind it. We’ve built a centralized help desk that operates as an extension of each hotel. From the property’s perspective, it feels like having an in-house expert available at all times.

But what makes the difference is who’s on the other end of that support. Our team isn’t just technically proficient, they understand hospitality. They understand how systems connect, why they matter, and what’s at stake when something goes wrong.

That level of expertise reduces downtime, minimizes disruption, and ultimately saves owners money—not just in service costs, but in avoided lost revenue.

As technology continues to evolve, there’s a natural tendency to focus on what it can replace. But in our view, that’s the wrong lens. The real opportunity is in how technology can support people. How it can remove friction from daily tasks. How it can give teams better information. How it can create more time for meaningful guest interactions.

New tools will continue to emerge. Expectations will continue to rise. And the complexity of operating a hotel will only increase. That’s why it’s so important to step back and ask the right question.

Not “What technology should we adopt next?” But “How does this technology make us a better operator?”

At Meyer Jabara Hotels, that question drives everything we do on the technical side of the business. It’s what led us to take a more hands-on approach. It’s what shapes how we invest in infrastructure and talent. And it’s what ensures that technology remains aligned with our ultimate goal of delivering a better experience for our guests, our teams, and our ownership partners.

In the end, technology isn’t the business, but how we use it just might define us.

About the Author

Ted Jabara is Senior Vice President of Technical Systems for Meyer Jabara Hotels. The highly respected 49-year-old hospitality management company owns and operates a diverse portfolio of 45 branded and boutique hotels and 36 food-and-beverage outlets in 20 states across the United States. Since 2024, Ted began offering IT Services &    Support across the Meyer Jabara Hotels portfolio and beyond. With the goal of enabling guests and staff to communicate at the speed of business or faster, MJH is now in the business of designing, procuring, installing, certifying and monitoring each property’s network infrastructure and ensuring the highest levels of cybersecurity and providing data backup/recovery and helpdesk support. For more information on Meyer Jabara Hotels, visit www.meyerjabarahotels.com.