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HITEC 2026 Recap: AI Gets Real, Hospitality Gets Moving
HITEC 2026 brought the hospitality technology world together in San Antonio for a week full of ideas, momentum, community, and the kind of in-person energy that is hard to replicate anywhere else. With more than 6,100 hospitality professionals attending and hundreds of technology providers exhibiting, the event once again solidified its position as the hospitality industry's premier technology conference. Add in the co-located HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference, and the week felt less like a trade show and more like a convergence of the industry's most influential operators, technologists, commercial leaders, and innovators.
This year, HITEC's biggest themes centered around artificial intelligence, operational efficiency, payments modernization, and the growing role of technology in helping hotel teams do more with less. AI, in particular, has clearly moved beyond the experimentation phase. The conversations weren't about whether AI will impact hospitality – they focused on where, when, and how quickly it will reshape hotel operations.
One of the most anticipated annual events at HITEC remains E20X, HFTP's startup pitch competition that gives emerging hospitality technology companies a chance to present their solutions to industry leaders.
According to Lodging Magazine's event coverage, this year's participants represented a broad cross-section of hospitality innovation, with solutions focused on guest experience, marketing, connectivity, booking technology, operations, and artificial intelligence. The Judges' Choice Award went to StayFull, an AI-native property management platform built around a network of specialized AI agents supervised by a virtual manager named Ava.
Leaders Debate Next Era of Hotel Tech
Artificial intelligence was also front and center during HITEC's executive leadership discussions.
One of the most compelling themes was the idea that AI is becoming an intermediary between travelers and hotel inventory, according to Hotel Management coverage of a panel featuring executives from Aimbridge Hospitality, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, In2 Consulting, and Another Star. Rather than beginning their search on an OTA or brand website, travelers are increasingly start with AI-powered assistants capable of interpreting natural-language requests and presenting personalized recommendations, the panel surmised.
At the same time, panelists argued that loyalty programs, brand relationships, and direct booking strategies will remain critical differentiators. AI may alter how travelers discover hotels, but operators, brands, and owners still need strong technology foundations, trusted data, and compelling guest experiences to remain competitive.
Perhaps the most interesting takeaway was the notion that AI is democratizing capabilities that were once available only to large hotel organizations. Revenue management, marketing analysis, distribution insights, and operational forecasting are becoming more accessible through AI-powered tools, creating new opportunities for independent operators and management companies alike.
Otelier at HITEC 2026
For the Otelier team, HITEC 2026 was one of our most successful and rewarding events to date.
The booth itself generated constant traffic throughout the show, with meetings booked well in advance and a steady stream of conversations happening from the moment the exhibit hall opened until it closed each day. The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, and we were thrilled by the response to the newest version of TruePlan, our budgeting and forecasting platform.
Throughout the week, we demonstrated how TruePlan helps hotel teams simplify budgeting and forecasting through hospitality-specific drivers, predictive models, collaborative workflows, and centralized planning processes. We also highlighted our limited-time HITEC promotion offering two free months of DigiAudit, our night audit compliance solution, for organizations that sign by the end of June.
Another major topic of discussion was Otelier's evolving AI strategy. While AI dominated conversations across HITEC, our focus remains practical innovation. Otelier continues to invest in technologies that help hoteliers centralize trusted data and improve data quality, on which AI can be layered on top. We shared updates on our ongoing work around machine learning, automation, natural-language data interaction, and Agentic AI initiatives designed to improve data health and accelerate product innovation.
Beyond the exhibit floor, we had the opportunity to participate in several meaningful industry conversations. On Monday, Otelier joined hospitality leaders for a private roundtable discussion focused on data, AI, and the future of hotel operations, moderated by HOTELS Magazine. On Tuesday, we partnered with Avalara to host a packed River Walk happy hour that brought together customers, prospects, and industry partners for an evening of networking and discussion overlooking one of San Antonio's most iconic destinations.
Most importantly, HITEC gave us the opportunity to reconnect with customers, strengthen relationships with partners, meet new industry peers, and learn firsthand about the challenges hotel organizations are working to solve. Those conversations remain the most valuable part of every HITEC experience.
Let's Keep the Conversation Going
If we didn't have the opportunity to connect in San Antonio, we'd still love to show you what we've been building.
Whether you're exploring ways to improve budgeting and forecasting, automate back-office processes, gain better visibility into operational performance, or prepare your organization for the next wave of AI-driven innovation, we're here to help.
Book a 30-minute conversation with an Otelier team member and catch up on everything we showcased at HITEC 2026. Or find us at the next event!
