Why clearly defined standards are the foundation for the ethical, effective implementation of AI-powered operational solutions.
Today, companies everywhere are racing to integrate artificial intelligence into their operations believing that it will help them offer faster service, predictive insights that will enable more effective strategic decision-making, and reduced labor costs.
But there’s a critical oversight that will quietly unravel their ambitions: AI can’t help a business deliver on its brand promise if that promise hasn’t been precisely defined.
In other words, AI can’t know you until you know yourself.
Standards: The Original Operating System
Before we talk about algorithms, let’s talk about alignment.
Every hospitality business runs on a set of internal (and external) standards – including rules, procedures, rituals and cultural touch-points – which define how work gets done and how guests are treated. Standards are the heart and soul of a brand manifested for your guests.
Well-implemented standards will be invisible to hotel guests; however, when standards aren’t clearly defined, the result will be a less cohesive, less enjoyable experience for guests, despite everything looking “good” on the surface.
Here’s an example…
Recently, I walked into a hotel that described itself as “elegant and luxurious.” The flowers were beautiful and the marble floors were spotless, but the bell staff never made eye-contact, and the check-in process took more than 20 minutes. Nothing was wrong, per se, but everything felt… off. Overall, it did not match up with the expectations I had of what an elegant and luxurious hotel experience would feel like.
So, what was wrong?
The (lack of) standards were!
Unfortunately, many hotels have let their brand standards fade into the background, buried in PDFs, trapped in binders or informally passed down through word-of-mouth, from employee to employee.
While still far from ideal, when humans effectively interpret the nuance of a brand, the output remains intentional. But AI doesn’t intuit; it obeys. So, when standards are undocumented, vague, or contradictory, AI doesn’t just falter; it risks misrepresenting the very essence of your brand.
AI Without Context Is Just Code
There’s a tendency to view AI as a plug-and-play fix, which will automatically solve every problem immediately. But optimization requires a goal. Speed alone is not excellence. Automation without clarity can amplify inconsistency.
- What does a “clean” hotel room mean to a five-star spa vs. an express airport hotel?
- How should an AI chatbot respond to a complaint at a luxury resort vs. an elite member of a budget chain?
- These questions only have answers when standards exist to define them.
Hospitality: Where Standards are the Product
In hospitality, standards aren’t just internal metrics; they’re also fundamental in shaping the guest experience. The way each guest is greeted, the cadence of service during a massage and the sequence of a turndown service… each of these small moments adds up to something much bigger in the minds of your guests: trust and satisfaction.
When AI is used to automate inspections, guide staff behavior or forecast guest needs, it’s only effective if the AI knows how the ideal guest experience should look – not only the mechanics of it, but the tone, the timing and the intention. AI can only make good recommendations if your brand has identified and communicated what is “right” and “wrong,” as it applies to your expectations.
That’s the job of standards.
The Ethical Stakes Are Real
Without standards, AI doesn’t just make operational errors; it risks making ethical ones as well. Consider potential bias in hiring, discriminatory loan approvals or customer service systems that escalate issues disproportionately. These aren’t just bugs; they’re the product of systems trained without context, without nuance and without an internal compass.
It’s your job as the user of the AI solution to provide that internal compass through your specific brand standards. Not just the technical specs but also your brand’s values, rules of engagement and specific procedural guidelines for fairness, empathy and escalation.
Without the appropriate context, AI will only offer tone-deaf responses, unethical behavior or automation that feels deeply inhuman – a lose/lose for both hotels and guests.
Rediscovering Your Identity
Perhaps the greatest gift AI is offering hoteliers today is the chance to ask:
- Who are we, really?
- What do we stand for?
- What do we want our guests to remember about their stay with us?
- And do the systems that we have in place reflect that?
For many hotels, the truth is uncomfortable. Their standards were last updated years ago or worse, never written down at all.
Instead of keeping it locked in managements’ heads, hoteliers need to embrace intelligent systems that capture that intelligence, refine it to translate the brand’s identity into operational clarity, and make it accessible, both to humans and machines.
Then, and only then, can you invite AI into the room. At that point, AI becomes less of a magic trick and more of a multiplier of operational efficiency and ROI.
Because the future of intelligent hospitality doesn’t start with artificial intelligence; it starts with self-awareness.
Adam Tuttle is the Co-Founder & CEO of Yipy
Yipy is the leading standards management software for the hospitality industry. It replaces outdated pen-and-paper methods with a centralized digital platform for defining, accessing, and tracking hotel service standards. Yipy's powerful performance tracking and insightful analytics enable informed decision-making, ensuring consistent service delivery and enhanced guest experiences. Ideal for luxury properties and small to midsize management companies, Yipy integrates seamlessly into daily operations, providing immediate feedback and enabling quick adjustments. With Yipy, hotels achieve higher brand scores and operational excellence through a modern, efficient approach to standards management. For more information, visit yipy.io.
