Overcoming Challenges in Hotel Tech Adoption | with Jacob Messina, CEO of Stayntouch

Описание: In this episode of The Unchecked-In Podcast, Bobby Marhamat sits down with Jacob Messina, CEO of Stayntouch, a cloud-native PMS helping hotels streamline operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

Jacob shares insights from his journey across hospitality—from working in restaurants as a teen, to leading operations at Lowe’s Hotels and MCR Hotels, to now driving innovation in hotel technology. He dives into the real challenges hotel operators face with tech adoption, why independent hotels often outperform big brands in flexibility and guest experience, and how AI and automation can enhance—but not replace—the human touch in hospitality.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
How to approach hotel technology without fear of choosing the “wrong” system
The balance between automation, AI, and personalized guest experiences
Key operational processes that drive the biggest impact on staff and guest satisfaction
Lessons learned from mistakes early in Jacob’s career and how they shaped his leadership
The philosophy behind roadmap planning, prioritizing customer requests, and standardization
Insights on change management and making technology actually work for your team

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Meet Jacob Messina
01:41 Cornell & Hospitality Roots
03:54 Independents vs Big Brands
04:53 How Hotels Make Tech Decisions
05:54 Biggest Screw-Up & 'Untouchables'
07:24 Roadmap Philosophy
09:03 Change Management Tech
10:32 Tech vs Human Touch
11:52 Leadership Superpower
13:18 Fixing Booking & Pre-Arrival
15:09 Vendor Partnerships & UX Wins
18:10 Advice to Young Jacob & Tech Adoption
23:00 Stayntouch & Final Thanks

Links:
Jacob on LinkedIn:   / jacob-messina-b6361311  
Company Website: https://www.stayntouch.com/

Connect with Bobby Marhamat:
Website: https://bobbymarhamat.com/
Facebook:   / bobbymarhamat  
LinkedIn:   / bobbymarhamat  
Instagram:   / bobbyhabanero  

AI Hotel Revenue Management Software | TakeUp
TakeUp: https://takeup.ai/
LinkedIn:   / takeup-ai  
Instagram:   / takeupforhospitality  
Facebook:   / takeupforhospitality  
YouTube:    / @takeup-for-hospitality  

#hoteltechnology #hospitality #podcast #interviews6tvtv

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