citizenM CEO on the Future of Hotel Tech, AI, and Guest Experience: Lennert de Jong

In this episode, citizenM CEO Lennert de Jong shares his vision with our innovation correspondent, Matthias Hüttebräuker, on how hotel technology, AI, and guest interactions are rapidly evolving. He explains why traditional hotel processes—from front desk check-ins to booking—are ripe for reinvention, detailing how citizenM is using integrated technology and AI to streamline guest experiences and remove friction. Lennert emphasizes the necessity of automating repetitive tasks to empower hospitality staff to focus on human interactions, creating personalized moments that matter. He also discusses the shifts underway in hotel discovery and distribution, driven by generative AI, and predicts significant changes in how guests find and select hotels in the near future.

Also see:

• citizenM CEO: Why We Sold to Marriott (And What's Next) - Lennert de Jong
• The citizenM Founding Story (And What It Teaches Us Today) - Michael Levie
• What I've Learned Building Productive Tech Partnerships - Michael Levie
• AI's Impact On Our Business - Ernest Lee, citizenM
• Resiliency & Preparing for Anything - Ernest Lee, citizenM

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands