Hospitality Industry Forms Advisory Board to Guide AI Adoption
The AI Hospitality Alliance announced its inaugural advisory board on June 5, 2026, bringing together 24 executives from hotel chains, technology companies, cloud providers, and academia to help the industry adopt artificial intelligence responsibly.
The board includes leaders from Wyndham Hotels, Choice Hotels International, OpenAI, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Mastercard, and Oracle, along with hotel operators and hospitality technology vendors. Academic representatives come from San Diego State University and Virscend University.
Ira Vouk, founder of the AI Hospitality Alliance, said the board reflects what the moment requires: cross-functional collaboration to ensure the industry evolves thoughtfully as AI reshapes how guests discover, book, and experience travel.
What the Alliance Will Focus On
The organization will work on education and professional development, research, industry standards, governance frameworks, and practical implementation guidance. The goal is to help hospitality businesses prepare for changes in how they discover demand, serve guests, and operate internally.
Keryn McNamara, CIO at Aimbridge Hospitality, said the industry currently lacks shared standards and governance frameworks. She called the Alliance an opportunity to address fragmented tools and ensure responsible AI adoption across the sector.
Greg Land, global industry leader for hospitality at AWS, said hospitality needs an independent standards-setting body similar to what has driven faster adoption in retail.
Board Members
- Carl Winston - Founding Director, Payne School of Hospitality at SDSU
- Michael Mahar - SVP, Head of Commercial Technology, Loyalty & Digital Products, Wyndham Hotels
- Matt Schwartz - Chief Technology Officer, Sage Hospitality
- Tyrone Millard - GTM - Travel & Hospitality, OpenAI
- Keryn McNamara - Chief Information Officer, Aimbridge Hospitality
- Greg Land - Global Industry Leader - Hospitality, Amazon Web Services
- Greg Duff - Principal and Chair of Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Practice, Foster Garvey PC
- Brian Kirkland - CIO | CTO, Choice Hotels International
- Bill Ryan - SVP, Chief Technology Officer, BWH Hotels
- Richard Valtr - Founder, Mews
- Cihan Cobanoglu - Provost, Virscend University
- Ramki Srinivasan - Chief Digital & Information Officer, Great Wolf Lodge
- Sanjay Vakil - Co-Founder & CEO, DirectBooker.ai
- Shane O'Flaherty - Global Director, Travel, Transportation & Hospitality, Microsoft
- John Burns - President, Hospitality Technology Consulting
- Petar Popov - Global VP Partnerships - Travel, Enterprise & Fintech, Mastercard
- Frances Kiradjian - Founder & CEO, Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association
- Laura Calin - SVP, Oracle Consumer Industries
- Gustaaf Schrils - Chief Information Officer, Omni Hotels & Resorts
- Scott Lindeman - Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Data Analytics, Summit Hotel
- Philip von Ditfurth - Founder, apaleo
- Adam Harris - Founder and CEO, Cloudbeds
Why Now
Brian Kirkland, CIO at Choice Hotels International, said the hospitality industry is entering one of its most important technology shifts in decades. AI is already changing how guests choose and book travel, and the industry must respond together rather than in isolation.
Vouk described the moment as a "once-in-a-generation reset," where the fundamental infrastructure of how hospitality discovers demand, serves guests, and operates is being rewritten.
Professionals working in hospitality operations, technology, and strategy can explore AI for Hospitality & Events to understand how these tools apply to their roles. Those involved in strategic decisions may also benefit from AI for Executives & Strategy resources.
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