Exclusive Master Class
The Centaur Hotel: Why the Future of Hospitality Is Human + AI
Purpose and Learning Goals:
AI is transforming every part of hospitality—from operations and revenue management to marketing, distribution, and guest engagement. But the biggest question facing the industry isn't where to use AI. It's where human judgment still creates the greatest competitive advantage.
As an NYU professor, Google Higher Education AI Fellow and author of The Power of Perseverance, Richie Karaburun works with the next generation of hospitality leaders while advising organizations on how AI is changing work. His conclusion is simple: the winners won't be companies that replace people with AI—they'll be the ones that pair people and AI to create better decisions, better service and better business outcomes.
Using the "centaur" model—human plus machine working together—this session explores how hospitality organizations can identify the work AI should own, the moments that must remain human, and how to redesign teams around the strengths of both.
Whether you operate hotels, build technology, support distribution or invest in the sector, you'll leave with a practical framework for applying AI without sacrificing the human experiences that define hospitality.
Attendees will learn:
- How to identify which hospitality workflows are best suited for AI—and which require human judgment, creativity and empathy.
- The "centaur" operating model for combining people and AI across operations, revenue management, sales, marketing and guest experience.
- How leading organizations are redefining hiring, training and leadership for an AI-enabled workforce.
- The most common mistakes companies make when implementing AI—from over-automation to losing brand authenticity—and how to avoid them.
- Why the organizations that gain the greatest advantage won't simply automate work—they'll build teams whose expertise is amplified by AI.
