World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance claims that AI systems have the potential to reduce energy consumption by up to 30%. This alone could help hotels improve both sustainability and operational efficiency. The latest AI-based platforms can automatically adjust energy usage in real-time based on factors like occupancy levels, guest check-ins and check-outs, and even weather conditions, catering to the 24/7 energy needs of the sector.

'The hospitality industry definitely has unique challenges – first of all, hotels need to maintain consistent comfort for guests while managing fluctuating occupancy and constant energy demand,' said Donatas Karciauskas, CEO of Exergio, a company that creates AI tools for energy performance in buildings. 'AI tools could enable hotels to manage energy far more efficiently by tailoring systems to actual demand in real-time, rather than running at a constant, wasteful level. We’ve seen it happen to all kinds of commercial buildings, and the hospitality sector is no exception.'

Beyond basic energy management, AI platforms can predict maintenance needs, identifying when equipment like HVAC systems or lighting may require servicing before an issue disrupts operations.

'For hotels, any unplanned maintenance can affect guest experience, so predictive maintenance offers a valuable way to keep operations running smoothly while avoiding costly downtime,' Karciauskas added.

While Exergio’s core expertise is in commercial buildings such as offices and shopping centers, the lessons from these projects apply well to the hospitality sector. JLL report recently compared buildings that have the highest energy savings potential, with hotels taking the 6th spot, surpassing offices and retail properties.

Karciauskas shared that in one case in Poznan, Poland, Exergio’s AI-driven platform achieved a 20% reduction in energy waste over nine months in an office building, showcasing how real-time energy optimization can translate to almost €80,000 savings.

Looking ahead, trends in the hospitality industry point towards an increasing reliance on AI-driven solutions for managing energy use. The EHL insights note that sustainability is no longer optional for hotels, with both regulators and consumers expecting higher standards of environmental responsibility.

'As AI continues to advance, we expect that energy management systems will become increasingly sophisticated. We are already developing systems that allow human-AI interaction. It will be easily integrated with other hotel technologies to optimize every aspect of operations – from guest comfort to back-end systems,' Karciauskas concluded. 'AI will become a core tool for hotels seeking to balance sustainability, cost-efficiency, and superior guest experience in the years to come.'