In this episode of Hotel Moment, host Karen Stephens welcomes Mercedes Blanco, Chief Partnerships Officer at The Hotels Network. With nearly two decades of experience in hospitality tech and digital marketing, Mercedes offers valuable perspectives on the evolving hospitality technology landscape.

Together, they discuss:

Mercedes emphasizes the need for hotels to be proactive in their technology adoption rather than reactive, especially when it comes to AI and direct channel management. She also shares insights about creating better collaboration between technology partners to better serve their hotel clients.

Meet Karen and Mercedes at HITEC 2025 this year in Indianapolis! 

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[05:01] Taking control of hotel direct channels - Mercedes expresses concern about hotels failing to control their own channels, particularly those that reflect their voice and identity. She emphasizes the importance of proactively taking ownership of websites, tech partnerships, and AI implementation to stay ahead in the industry rather than facing the same late adoption issues as when the internet first emerged. Mercedes advises hoteliers to understand their tech stack fundamentals, identify their baseline needs, and then build relationships with partners that will serve them long-term.

[10:15] Approaching AI in hospitality - Mercedes discusses the transformative potential of AI in hospitality while addressing common fears. She leads an initiative sharing best practices and trends related to AI in the hotel industry, noting that a common theme among experts is that AI should enhance human capabilities rather than replace them. Mercedes encourages hoteliers to experiment with AI responsibly, pointing out that it can handle repetitive tasks, allowing staff to focus more on delivering genuine human experiences to guests. She reminds listeners that technological advancements throughout history have always created new opportunities and roles even as they changed existing ones.

[13:02] Women in Travel Thrive - Mercedes shares the origin story and mission of Women in Travel Thrive, a nonprofit organization she co-founded to support women in the hospitality industry. The initiative began during the pandemic in 2020 as a one-time movement to help women return to their roles in the industry but evolved into a permanent nonprofit due to overwhelming support. Today, the organization offers free training, coaching sessions, resume writing assistance, and networking opportunities to thousands of members. Mercedes highlights their upcoming "Day of Impact" event to be held in conjunction with HSMAI and HITECH in Indianapolis in June.

00:00 - Intro 
02:36 - Recap of ITB Berlin 
03:40 - Mercedes' journey in hospitality tech 
05:31 - Building an effective hotel tech stack 
08:40 - Bridging the gap between tech and hospitality teams 
10:15 - AI's role in transforming hospitality 
13:02 - Women in Travel Thrive nonprofit organization 
16:07 - Leadership training and professional development 
18:07 - The importance of financial empowerment for women 
18:49 - The future of hospitality tech 
20:21 - Outro