Hotelschool The Hague sounds alarm over ‘AI Power Gap’

Hospitality industry at risk of losing control of guest to Tech giants

While the world talks about AI as the biggest economic shift since the smartphone, the Dutch hospitality industry finds itself in a dangerous split. From new research from Hotelschool The Hague, shows that the sector is structurally lagging behind: only one in ten Dutch hospitality businesses is currently structurally using AI. This is a ‘code red’ for the sector, as economic value is shifting at lightning speed to external tech intermediaries.

From Brands to “Sleeping Utilities”

The report warns of a future in which hotels are relegated to “sleeping utilities”, simple, interchangeable bed suppliers for the algorithms of tech giants. While AI-using companies already account for half of total revenue in the broader economy, in the hospitality sector it is only a quarter. While hotel owners are hesitant, third-party platforms are arming themselves with algorithms to take over the entire guest relationship.

Some notable future prospects named in Hotelschool The Hague's report are:

• The efficiency trap: By 2028, 80% of hotels will have implemented AI assistants, but this provides 0% additional market share on. Efficiency has simply become the new price of market entry; it is a hygiene factor rather than a competitive advantage.
• The human premium: The paradox of 2030 is that more technology actually requires more hospitality. Authenticity is emerging as the only real competitive advantage. Whether it is a boutique hotel or a large chain, offering a demonstrable human connection is no longer the preserve of ‘ultimate luxury’; it is the only way to remain visible in a world full of AI-generated “slop” (marketing noise).
• Five scenarios for the sector: The report outlines extremes ranging from the “Nightmare of No Slack” (in which staff are hunted down to the second by algorithms) to the “Worker-Empowering Path” (in which AI acts as a ‘co-pilot’ removing red tape and giving hospitality back to the employee).

Call for digital sovereignty

The report is not yet another technology forecast, but a strategic roadmap to inform leaders in the hospitality industry on how to prepare for a future in the AI era. “The question is whether we will let the technology wash over us, or take back control through digital sovereignty,” the study states. The report advises industry leaders to explicitly reinvest AI profits in “High-touch” hospitality to remain relevant to the critical guest of the future.

Interested? Read the Outlook Paper 2026 here.