AI May Check You In, but Hospitality Is Still for the People, by the People

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MIT Sloan Management Review India will host the Strategy Shift Forum, a gathering of MIT professors, global AI experts, and business leaders, in New Delhi on August 19, to equip Indian leaders with critical insights into navigating the next wave of AI transformation. For more details, speaker announcements, and to request an invitation, visit here.

Some hotel brands carry decades of trust, but even the most familiar names can’t rely on reputation alone. Dilpreet Singh knows that better than most. As Head of Loyalty, CRM and Partnerships at ITC Hotels, he’s working to keep the brand relevant in a world where guests expect more—faster, smarter, and more personal than ever before.

In this wide-ranging conversation with MIT Sloan Management Review India, Singh reflects on how loyalty is no longer about rewards and retention, but about recognition and relevance. He shares how ITC Hotels is using AI not to replace the human touch, but to bring more care, memory and emotion into every interaction.

For Singh, the goal isn’t to chase trends or technology but to stay unmistakably human, with consistency, clarity, and care.

Edited excerpt:

Q: What are the critical challenges legacy hospitality brands face today?

Legacy brands in hospitality, both in India and globally, are at an inflection point. On the one hand, there’s immense goodwill, heritage, and trust built over decades, while on the other hand, we’re operating in a landscape where customer expectations are shifting faster than ever—digitally, emotionally, and experientially.

Guests today expect more than a great stay. They expect intuitive digital touchpoints, real-time responsiveness, personal relevance, and emotional connection. But legacy systems and rigid structures often make it hard to respond with agility. Then there’s the workforce—young talent wants purpose, empowerment, and speed. Traditional top-down cultures don’t always match that energy.

At ITC Hotels, we’ve realized we can’t win by doing more of the same. We had to rethink our loyalty program, not just as a rewards platform but as an emotional value engine. Our new Club ITC structure is rooted in relevance and recognition rather than points. We’ve used data and design thinking to elevate experiences.

The biggest challenge isn’t technology—it’s staying emotionally relevant. Brands that evolve without losing their soul, that blend digital and human beautifully, will earn both retention and advocacy.

Q: How is brand loyalty evolving with AI in hospitality?

Brand loyalty has really changed. It’s no longer about the maximum points or the biggest discounts—it’s all about the “value proposition”. How a guest feels after every interaction matters the most. AI is helping us shift from “look back” loyalty to “look ahead” loyalty. It helps us anticipate, rather than just reward.

AI has allowed us to move from static tiers and generic campaigns to personalized experiences based on real-time behavior. If we know a guest is checking into a property where they’ve celebrated a birthday before, can we recreate something special again without them asking? That’s loyalty today—being remembered, not just rewarded.

AI also helps us listen at scale. But here’s the catch: while AI can suggest the “what” and “when,” it’s the “how” that makes it memorable. The emotional context, the human execution—that’s where loyalty is built. Often we say and hear that AI will replace humans, well I am not sure about other industries, but in hospitality that’s definitely not going to happen as this industry is “for the people” and “by the people”.

Loyalty powered by AI is only meaningful when it adds value, not noise. When guests feel seen and understood—not stalked—they come back, not out of habit, but out of trust and choice.

Q: With AI handling more interactions, how do humans stay relevant?

This is something I feel very strongly about. As AI takes over routine interactions like bookings, FAQs, and confirmations, etc., the real value of human teams actually goes up, not down. Because now, when a human does engage, it must matter.

Our workflows are designed in such a manner that AI handles the mundane, but human touchpoints are reserved for moments that need empathy—delight, disappointment, or decision-making. Like when a frequent guest drops off the radar, the system flags it, but it’s a team member who calls to reconnect. That’s where trust is rebuilt.

Also, when a guest faces friction, no bot can truly soothe the experience. Only a person with emotional intelligence can turn a setback into a loyalty moment. Conversations have the power to turn “complaints into compliments”.

So it’s not AI vs humans; it’s AI and humans working in tandem. One scales efficiency, the other deepens emotion. And in hospitality, emotion is everything.

Q: How do you keep brand personality intact when machines run experiences?

That’s a real risk with automation—you can lose the soul of the brand. But for us, brand personality is non-negotiable. Whether it’s a WhatsApp reminder, an app message, or a face-to-face interaction, it all needs to reflect who we are.

At ITC Hotels, we use “brand filters” in every journey design. Our tone is respectful, elegant, rooted in Indian warmth. So even when AI curates experiences, we train it to stay true to that. Every automation layer is guided by our values—luxury, sustainability, personalization, and care.

We also audit our journeys often. Is the language consistent? Is the offer tone aligned? Is the design language minimal yet warm? That’s how we avoid being robotic even when we automate.

Consistency and authenticity come from intention. AI should be a backstage tool—the guest should always experience the brand, not the algorithm. When done right, technology doesn’t dilute the brand—it deepens it.

Q: How is ITC Hotels using AI to anticipate needs and improve retention?

We’ve started using AI not just to personalize but to preempt. For instance, if a guest frequently books spa services and weekend getaways, and we see a pattern forming around specific dates, we proactively send curated offers around those times. We’re not pushing—we’re enabling.

One big win was with our dining and stay cross-utilization model. Guests who dined regularly but hadn’t stayed recently received targeted staycation offers linked to their dining preferences. That campaign saw a significant lift—not just in bookings, but in satisfaction scores.

AI also helps us route surprise & delight campaigns. High-engagement guests get unexpected perks—early check-ins, customized amenities—before they even ask. This creates emotional stickiness, which is the true currency of retention.

We’ve seen improvement in repeat stay ratios and NPS, especially among digitally profiled members. AI has become a bridge between what guests want and what we can deliver—seamlessly, contextually, and with heart.

Q: How are you ensuring transparency in customer data usage? Is it a challenge or differentiator?

In my view, the new loyalty currency these days is transparency. Today’s guests are savvy, they know when their data is being collected. What they care about is: “What are you doing with it, and how does it help me?” I believe when it comes to data management one of the best framework to follow is a 3C model –

Context – Be aware and make the guest aware of why this data is being collected and how it’s going to be used.

Consent – Take explicit consent to capture and use data post sharing the context.

Connect – Once consent is given, relevance is our responsibility. To build trust, communicate with context, not clutter.

We see transparency not as a hurdle but as a key brand differentiator. Guests appreciate honesty. When they know we’re using their data to serve them better—not to bombard them—they engage more.

In the long run, brands that operate with integrity in how they use data will stand out. Because trust, once lost, is almost impossible to rebuild.

Q: What are the challenges in integrating AI into loyalty and CRM? Advice to peers?

The biggest challenge is not the tech—it’s the mindset. Loyalty, marketing, tech, and operations often sit in silos, each with their own priorities. For AI to work, everyone needs to come together around one core question: “How can we deliver more value to the guest?”. I often say that AI drives AI which means ‘actual intelligence’ drives ‘artificial intelligence’, so unless you know what you are trying to achieve, all technologies fail.

The first step is to harmonize the data first as without that, AI is just noise. Secondly, invest in building belief across teams that AI is here to enable, not replace. Once people see small wins—better targeting, improved engagement—they buy in.

My advice to peers starting this journey would be to build on these two skills that every CRM\loyalty professional should have:

1. Challenging the Status Quo: Nothing is perfect and there’s always a better way to do things. Apply your skillsets to optimize how things are being done and create value out of that.
2. Communicate effectively in accordance to your audience: Not everyone understands technology so stop complicating things by using technical jargons and buzzwords. Simplify things as far as you can.