Hotelier handshake
In a market flooded with promises, awards and endless vendor emails, one signal still cuts through the noise: what other hoteliers actually say. In the latest episode of Matt Talks Hospitality, Matt Welle sits down with Jordan Hollander, Co-founder of Hotel Tech Report, to unpack how hotel technology decisions are really made – and why trust, not features, ultimately determines winners and losers. For hotel owners, general managers and operators navigating complex tech stacks, the conversation offers a timely reality check on how buyer behavior is evolving, and why customer relationships now matter more than ever. Hollander’s journey began with a simple observation that still resonates today. When he and his co-founder first approached hotels, they heard the same complaint repeatedly: GMs were overwhelmed with vendor outreach, and every supplier claimed to be either “number one” or totally unique. His goal became helping hotels anchor their decisions with collective insight. The idea was to make software evaluation a shared, data-backed decision instead of a sales-led gamble. That shift is critical for modern hotels where technology choices impact multiple departments – from operations and revenue to finance and guest experience. The takeaway for hoteliers is clear: the days of choosing tech based on a compelling demo alone are over. Peer validation and real-world performance now shape the shortlist long before procurement begins. Awards are everywhere in hospitality tech, but not all carry the same meaning. What differentiates credible rankings is rigorous verification and industry specificity. Reviews on Hotel Tech Report must come from professional email addresses and verified hotel accounts, ensuring feedback comes from real operators, not anonymous users or vendor manipulation. This authentication creates what he describes as a “trust currency” across the industry. For hoteliers, that currency is powerful. It reduces risk, speeds up internal alignment and gives stakeholders confidence that a decision is grounded in operational reality, not marketing claims. It also reflects a broader shift in how technology is judged. Instead of feature checklists, platforms are increasingly evaluated on momentum, customer enthusiasm and real impact on day-to-day operations. The best-performing technology companies are not just building features; they’re building relationships. Hollander noted that companies which consistently rank highly are those that create energy and trust with their customers, turning them into active stakeholders rather than passive users. For hoteliers, this reframes how software should be evaluated. The question is no longer simply, “Does it have the features we need?” but “Will this partner continue to evolve with us?” Deep integrations, responsive support, reliable uptime and a clear product roadmap all signal a vendor invested in long-term success. However, maintaining that relationship becomes harder as vendors grow. Larger platforms must work harder to preserve customer intimacy while scaling globally. That tension is one of the defining challenges of modern hospitality technology. Despite growing enthusiasm for modern platforms, legacy systems remain deeply entrenched. The reason is less about technology quality and more about human behavior. Switching core systems like PMS or POS requires retraining teams, migrating data and managing operational risk. Even when migration tools and automation make technical switching easier, the people side of change remains complex. For owners and GMs, this highlights an important strategic point: delaying modernization rarely stems from lack of options. More often, it reflects organizational inertia and the perceived risk of disruption. Yet as newer platforms continue to gain traction and positive feedback, the pressure to modernize will only increase. Artificial intelligence is already influencing how hotels research technology, but its impact on final decisions remains limited – for now. While many buyers experiment with AI tools during discovery, inconsistent recommendations and lack of contextual accuracy still push them back toward trusted industry sources and verified reviews. Over time, this will change. As AI models improve and ingest richer, more accurate hospitality data, they will likely become a stronger decision-support layer. In the meantime, hoteliers should treat AI as a supplementary research tool rather than a definitive authority on complex technology investments. Another notable trend is the growing importance of integration depth. Rather than standalone tools, hotels increasingly expect connected ecosystems where data flows seamlessly between PMS, POS, reputation management and CRM platforms. Two-way integrations that return actionable insights directly into operational systems are becoming especially valuable. This shift reflects a broader evolution in hospitality technology: from isolated software tools to interconnected operating environments that enable faster, smarter decision-making across the entire guest journey. Matt and Jordan’s conversation reinforces three practical lessons for hotel leaders: Technology decisions now shape everything from operational efficiency to guest satisfaction and revenue strategy. In a landscape defined by rapid innovation and persistent legacy systems, trust and customer validation have become the most reliable signals of future performance. For hotel owners and general managers, the message is straightforward: the best technology choices are rarely the loudest or most heavily promoted. They are the ones consistently endorsed by peers, deeply integrated into operations and built by partners who earn trust year after year. <iframe width="703" height="395" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/20LoA0fhggs?list=PLkaLcjp3VYOIES-_1Tp8nzzvMcBUMZ_AM" title="How hotels buy new tech, with Jordan Hollander of HTR | Matt Talks Hospitality" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="0"></iframe>Too many vendors, too little clarity
Why authentic reviews carry more weight than awards
The real differentiator: relationships at scale
Why do many hotels still use legacy systems?
The evolving role of AI in hotel tech decisions
Integration quality and ecosystem thinking are rising priorities
What this means for hoteliers making tech decisions today
Watch the full conversation between Matt and Jordan
Organization
Mews
mews.com/en
91 Waterloo Road
London, SE1 8RT
United Kingdom
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