The Hotel Technology Maturity Curve and the Shift Toward Best-in-Class Systems | By Priya Rajamani

Hotel technology rarely stands still. As hotel businesses grow, their needs change, and the systems that once felt like an adequate fit can start to feel limiting. What supports a single property does not always scale cleanly across a portfolio. Over time, technology decisions tend to follow a maturity curve shaped by size, operational complexity, and long-term ambitions.

That pattern is clear in a recent study Stayntouch conducted in partnership with the NYU Jonathan Tisch Center of Hospitality and IDeaS. Titled 2026 Hotel Tech Outlook: Best-in-Class vs. All-in-One Systems, the study surveyed more than 300 hotel professionals across independent properties, growing brands, and a wide range of operational and leadership roles. One of its clearest takeaways is that as hotels scale, priorities shift, smaller properties often favor simplicity and speed, while larger properties and brands increasingly look for flexibility, depth, and systems that can evolve with the business. Among independent hotels with more than 100 rooms, 68 percent reported adopting Best-in-Class systems to better support growth.

As brands expand, this shift often shows up most clearly around the Property Management System. Rather than relying on technology designed to cover every possible function, hotel leaders are increasingly choosing purpose-built tools that perform exceptionally well in specific areas.

Early Technology Choices Prioritize Simplicity

For startups and smaller brands, early technology decisions are usually about momentum. Teams are lean, resources are limited, and the priority is getting systems live quickly without introducing unnecessary complexity. Platforms that bundle core capabilities like property management, payments, reservations, and reporting make it easier to get up and running.

Fewer vendors mean fewer integrations to manage, simpler training, and a single support relationship. For many hotels at this stage, that tradeoff makes sense. The goal is stability and efficiency, not deep customization. Technology needs to work reliably in the background while teams focus on guests and day-to-day operations.

Where Growth Changes the Equation

As hotels grow, the cracks in these early setups become more visible. Flexibility is often the first issue. Standardized workflows and reporting structures can struggle to keep up with evolving brand standards, more nuanced revenue strategies, or personalized guest experiences across multiple properties.

Operational risk also increases as more functions depend on a single system. When disruptions occur, the impact can ripple across departments. The study highlights how this shows up on property. Among respondents planning to move away from their current platforms, booking errors topped the list of concerns, followed closely by missed guest preferences, check-in and check-out delays, and rate consistency issues. Each of these directly affects both staff efficiency and guest satisfaction.

Training and support can compound the problem. While ease of use remains the top factor hoteliers consider when evaluating new technology, only 34 percent of respondents planning to switch said they were satisfied with their current training and support experience. As operations become more complex, gaps in enablement can limit adoption and reduce confidence in the system itself.

Why Growing Brands Embrace Best-in-Class

To regain flexibility and control, many growing hotel groups move toward Best-in-Class technology strategies. Rather than relying on one platform to do everything, this approach allows hotels to select specialized systems that excel in areas like property management, revenue optimization, guest engagement, and accounting.

That specialization shows up in satisfaction. According to the study, users of Best-in-Class systems report higher satisfaction with both their PMS and RMS, as well as stronger confidence in overall functionality and vendor relationships. These hotels are not just buying software, they are choosing partners that can support their operational goals over time.

Open APIs and integration flexibility play a major role here. Best-in-Class ecosystems allow hotels to connect systems, share data seamlessly, and adapt their tech stack as needs evolve. This modularity supports scale without forcing hotels into rigid, all-or-nothing decisions.

As one respondent from a mostly independent chain of two to ten properties put it, early-stage businesses choose technology to get things done. Growing companies eventually reach a point where they need tools that help them do things better.

Conclusion

The technology that helps a hotel launch is rarely the same technology that helps it scale. As portfolios grow and expectations rise, systems need to become more adaptable, more specialized, and better connected.

The findings from the 2026 Hotel Tech Outlook reflect a clear shift in how hotel leaders think about technology as their businesses mature. Increasingly, success depends on platforms that can grow alongside the operation, support smarter decisions, and keep pace with change rather than slow it down.