AI and automation in the HoReCa sector. Michał Zwyrtek speaks at the “Digital HoReCa” conference

On 25 June 2026, the online conference "Digital HoReCa: Automation and Security" was held, organised by the Polish Institute for Business Development (Polski Instytut Rozwoju Biznesu). The event took the form of a webinar delivered via the ClickMeeting platform. One of the speakers was Michał Zwyrtek, Partner at Zwyrtek Group, who delivered a talk entitled: "Artificial intelligence and automation in the HoReCa sector – strategies for revenue growth, cost optimisation and improving guest experience".

The talk focused on the practical use of modern technologies to support revenue growth, cost optimisation, improved guest experience and the building of lasting competitive advantage in hospitality and food service.

AI and automation as growth tools in HoReCa

The talk opened with a clear thesis: artificial intelligence and automation are not ends in themselves but tools supporting specific business goals. In the HoReCa sector, technology should above all serve revenue growth, improved profitability, reduced operating costs, better guest experiences and faster business decision-making. The key message was that successful AI deployments should be judged by measurable financial outcomes, not by innovation for its own sake.

AI across the whole customer journey

One of the main themes of the talk was the use of artificial intelligence across the entire customer journey – from search and booking, through service during the stay, to loyalty activities. Areas generating real value were discussed: personalising the offer based on data about guest preferences, recommending add-on services tailored to the customer profile, automated communication with the guest before, during and after the sale, handling queries via intelligent chatbots and voice assistants, and post-sale and loyalty activities based on behavioural analysis.

Revenue management, dynamic pricing and intelligent upselling

A significant part of the talk was devoted to the use of artificial intelligence in revenue management. In the HoReCa sector, dynamic price management and offer optimisation have a direct impact on financial performance. Topics discussed included: demand forecasting based on historical data and current trends, dynamic pricing adjusted to seasonality, local events and competitor behaviour, analysis of seasonality and booking patterns, occupancy optimisation through intelligent availability management, intelligent upselling recommending add-on services at the most effective moments, and increasing booking value by matching the offer to the guest profile. The key criterion for AI deployment in this area should be a measurable business effect: revenue, margin, profitability and return on investment.

Automating operational, financial and HR processes

The talk also covered the automation of internal processes in hospitality and food service. In a sector where operational efficiency translates directly into the quality of guest service, back-office optimisation is of key importance. Topics discussed included: document workflow and electronic archiving, automated invoicing and settlements, operational and management reporting, staff scheduling, employee onboarding, AI-supported recruitment, cost control and budgeting, procurement processes and supplier management, and handling operational queries. In the HoReCa sector, where margins are under pressure, automation should be judged not only by convenience but above all by its impact on cost, time and quality of service.

Data as the basis for business decisions

Michał Zwyrtek stressed that data is the foundation of effective management in hospitality and food service. Without reliable data analysis, decisions on pricing, offer and operations are based on intuition rather than facts. Key areas of analysis include: booking data and its structure, data on sales of add-on services, data on guest preferences and behaviour, operational data on resource utilisation, financial and cost data, management reporting for leadership, and profitability analysis of individual segments and channels. Data only has value once it helps decisions be made: what to change in the offer, where to look for savings, how to manage price and how to improve the guest experience.

Security, systems integration and technology selection

An important part of the presentation covered security issues and the criteria for choosing AI solutions. It was noted that deploying technology without adequately preparing processes and data infrastructure carries serious risks. The talk pointed to the need to take into account: the security of guest and employee data, integration with existing hotel and food-service systems, compliance with regulations including GDPR, data quality as a precondition for algorithm effectiveness, accountability for AI-supported decisions, the organisation's real needs rather than technology trends, and the risk of deploying tools without preparing processes. The choice of AI tools should stem from business goals and processes, not from the mere availability of technology.

Change management as a condition for successful transformation

An important element of the talk was change management. Michał Zwyrtek emphasised that the success of digital transformation depends not only on choosing the right technology but above all on properly preparing the organisation. Deploying AI and automation requires redesigning business processes, clearly defining responsibilities, training teams and engaging employees in the new way of working. The key message of the talk was that transformation should begin with business processes and financial goals, and only then move on to selecting technology tools.

Key takeaway: technology should support strategy

The talk concluded with its central thesis: artificial intelligence is not an end in itself. It is a tool supporting the delivery of a company's strategy and the creation of lasting business value. Successful deployments should be judged by measurable financial outcomes: revenue growth, improved profitability, reduced operating costs and return on investment. Only this approach allows lasting competitive advantage to be built in the dynamically changing HoReCa sector.

Summary

We would like to thank the Polish Institute for Business Development for the invitation to take part in the conference, and all participants for their presence and interest in AI, automation and security in the HoReCa sector. We believe that digital transformation in hospitality and food service should begin with business goals, processes and people – and only then move on to the choice of technology.