How to Choose an AI Consultant for Hotels and Resorts: Complete Guide

Choosing the right AI consultant can be the difference between a transformative success and an expensive failure. After working with hotels across Europe and beyond, we’ve seen both outcomes—and the difference almost always comes down to one factor: hospitality specialization.

This guide gives you a practical framework for evaluating AI consultants, the questions you should be asking, and the red flags that signal trouble ahead.

The Golden Rule: Specialization Beats Generalization

Here’s a scenario that plays out more often than it should:

A hotel hires a well-known AI consultancy. The team is brilliant—they’ve built systems for banks, retailers, manufacturers. They spend weeks learning hospitality terminology. They build a technically impressive chatbot. It goes live.

Within days, the chatbot is recommending the “amazing breakfast buffet” at a property that switched to à la carte service two years ago. It’s booking connecting rooms that don’t exist. Guests are frustrated. Staff are embarrassed. The project gets quietly shelved.

The lesson? General AI expertise doesn’t automatically translate to hospitality success.

The 5 Essential Criteria

1. Industry Specialization

What to look for:

• Primary focus on hospitality and tourism
• Understanding of PMS, booking engines, and channel managers
• Experience with seasonal operations and occupancy patterns
• Knowledge of guest journey mapping

Questions to ask:

• “What percentage of your clients are in hospitality?”
• “How many hotels similar to mine have you worked with?”
• “Can you walk me through a typical implementation for a hotel like ours?”

Red flags:

• “Hospitality is similar to other service industries” (it’s not)
• Can’t name specific hotel clients
• No understanding of OTA relationships or direct booking strategies

2. Proven Results

Don’t accept vague claims. Demand specific numbers from comparable properties.

What to look for:

• Case studies from hotels similar to yours
• Specific metrics: hours saved, conversion rates, response times
• Before/after comparisons
• References you can actually contact

Questions to ask:

• “Can you show me results from a property similar to mine?”
• “What was their ROI and payback period?”
• “May I speak with one of your hotel clients?”

Benchmarks from Jengu implementations:

• 40+ hours saved weekly on guest communications
• 20-30% improvement in booking conversions
• Response times dropping from 20 minutes to under 30 seconds
• 100+ language support from a single implementation

3. Technical Expertise

The AI landscape evolves rapidly. Your consultant should be current.

What to look for:

• Experience with modern AI models (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini)
• Integration capabilities with your existing systems
• Understanding of which models suit which use cases
• Data privacy and security expertise

Questions to ask:

• “Which AI models do you recommend for guest communication, and why?”
• “How do you integrate with [your PMS name]?”
• “How do you handle data privacy and GDPR compliance?”
• “What’s your approach to training AI on our specific property?”

4. Implementation Approach

Beware of consultants who propose massive, year-long transformations before delivering any value.

What to look for:

• Phased implementation starting with quick wins
• Clear milestones and deliverables
• Staff training and change management
• Realistic timelines

Ideal timeline:

• Week 1-2: Discovery and opportunity mapping
• Week 3-6: First solution live (typically a chatbot)
• Month 2-3: Core use cases deployed
• Ongoing: Optimization and expansion

Red flags:

• 12-month timeline before any results
• No pilot or proof-of-concept phase
• Limited attention to staff training
• “Set it and forget it” mentality

5. Ongoing Support

AI isn’t a one-time project. It requires continuous optimization.

What to look for:

• Regular performance reviews included
• Proactive optimization recommendations
• Updates as AI technology evolves
• Clear escalation procedures

Questions to ask:

• “What’s included in ongoing support?”
• “How do you handle performance issues?”
• “How often do you review and optimize?”
• “What’s the escalation process if something goes wrong?”

The Selection Process: Step by Step

Week 1-2: Research and Shortlist

1. Identify 5-8 potential consultants
2. Review websites, case studies, and client testimonials
3. Check for hospitality specialization
4. Create a shortlist of 3-4 firms

Week 3: Initial Conversations

1. Schedule discovery calls with shortlisted firms
2. Share your goals and current challenges
3. Ask about their approach and hospitality experience
4. Request proposals and references

Week 4-5: Deep Evaluation

1. Review proposals in detail
2. Contact references—ask specific questions
3. Compare technical approaches
4. Evaluate pricing and value

Week 6: Decision and Kickoff

1. Select your preferred consultant
2. Negotiate terms and scope
3. Finalize contract
4. Begin discovery phase

What to Ask References

When speaking with a consultant’s existing clients, go beyond surface-level questions:

1. “What was your experience working with them day-to-day?”
2. “What specific results did you achieve?”
3. “How well did they understand hospitality operations?”
4. “Were there any surprises during implementation?”
5. “How responsive is their support team?”
6. “Would you choose them again? Why or why not?”

Consultant Types: Pros and Cons

Hospitality Specialists (Like Jengu)

Pros: Deep industry expertise, pre-built solutions, faster implementation, better value Cons: Smaller team size than global consultancies

Best for: Most hotels, resorts, and tourism businesses

Enterprise Consultancies (Accenture, Deloitte)

Pros: Large teams, global presence, brand credibility Cons: Higher costs ($500K+), generalist teams, slower implementation

Best for: Global hotel chains with enterprise budgets

Technology Vendors (Salesforce, Oracle)

Pros: Deep product expertise, integrated technology Cons: Limited to their technology stack, may push products over solutions

Best for: Properties already committed to specific platforms

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Choosing based on brand name alone A famous consultancy doesn’t guarantee hospitality expertise. Check their actual hotel experience.

Mistake 2: Prioritizing cost over specialization The cheapest option often becomes the most expensive when implementation fails or requires extensive rework.

Mistake 3: Skipping the reference check Always speak with existing clients. A 15-minute conversation can save months of frustration.

Mistake 4: Rushing the selection Take the time to evaluate properly. A few extra weeks upfront prevents months of problems later.

Mistake 5: Ignoring staff input Your front desk team and operations managers will be using these systems daily. Include them in the evaluation.

The Bottom Line

The right AI consultant combines:

• Deep hospitality specialization
• Proven results with similar properties
• Current technical expertise
• Phased implementation approach
• Ongoing optimization commitment

For most hotels and resorts, this means choosing a specialist firm like Jengu over generalist consultancies that happen to have an AI practice.

The AI transformation in hospitality is real, and the benefits are substantial. But realizing those benefits requires a partner who truly understands your world.

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Ready to find the right AI partner? Book a free consultation with Jengu to discuss your specific needs and see how we approach hotel AI implementations.