EHL Innovation Rewind: Michael Levie on Middleware, Microdata and the Jam Session Spirit of CitizenM
Which technology or innovation do you think will have the most impact in our industry over the next 5 to 10 years?
In the digital age, everyone is trying to get their digital connect with their customer and focus on AI. But what I have found is that our legacy systems are not capable of dealing with the golden profile of guests appropriately. Digital and AI applications will be transformative, but we can only get there if we clean up our tech architecture. Middleware will play a major role. Moving systems to the cloud is not enough. Our industry has insufficient data in general and lousy data on our guests. We are not unlocking the power of micro data and general data, and until we do that, we cannot properly support our digital, commercial, and revenue strategies.
Is there anything CitizenM did or does that should become an industry standard, and is there something that should remain unique to your DNA?
CitizenM is about inclusion. All our constituencies are part of it and excited about our brand. The key component is human interest and human connection. That is the essence of hospitality. Our product is extremely consistent and recognizable, but the service is what brings comfort and kindness. People feel at home. That is not proprietary to us. Many companies express it in their own way. I do not think anything should become an industry standard. I do not believe in that. Let everyone have their own DNA. I am just proud of what we have accomplished.
How would you describe the unique rhythm or flow of CitizenM, and how does that contribute to the guest and team experience?
It is like a jam session. A jam session still involves instruments that need to be played well. You need to be trained and experienced. But there is freedom for everyone to contribute. We all want to belong to something, to contribute, and to be recognized for our contribution. That is true for guests, employees, suppliers, partners. Everyone finds their own piece of the music. If you do not play an instrument, sing or tap or whatever. It is very inclusive. Yet there are strict rails. That combination is what makes it work and what makes it beautiful.
Now that CitizenM is under the Marriott umbrella, how do you keep the rebel DNA intact?
Marriott is a big company with a strong culture and values. When I say Marriott family, I do not just mean those with the Marriott last name. Their teams believe in the values. Each child in the family is different. Maybe we are a different child. But they respect that. Kids grow up. We took CitizenM as far as we could as owner-operators. Now the brand is in safe hands and will take on new dimensions. They respect what we have built. Being a rebel is not about being rebellious. It is about being curious. Be humble. Be agile. Be collaborative. We are very excited for this next stage, and yes, we will stay ourselves.
About the EHL Open Innovation Summit 2025
This interview was recorded during the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, where Hospitality Net joined as official media partner.
The event brought together a global mix of thinkers and doers to explore the future of hospitality, food, and travel through open innovation. What made it special was the mix of ideas, formats, and people. It was not only about tech or talks. It was also about people showing up, working together, and sharing energy in real time.
Key Figures
385 participants
48 speakers and contributors from more than 20 countries
7 innovation challenges collectively addressed
45 sessions
25 student volunteers
15 F&B startups letting us taste the future
1.5 days of connection, learning, and co-creation
Key Insights from the Summit
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hospitality Net
2 days ago
- Hospitality Net
BCD Travel's report reveals business travelers' satisfaction with hotels and other accommodation
UTRECHT, The Netherlands – BCD Travel recently surveyed 1,035 business travelers worldwide to explore their choice of hotels and other types of accommodation, as well as their booking behavior and experiences during business trips. Accommodation preferences Most travelers opt for midscale (3-star) or upscale (4-star) hotels when traveling for business. Hotel location (77%) plays a major role in selecting a hotel, along with employer policy (56%) and cost (53%). Travelers who occasionally stay in apartments say this type of accommodation is more convenient for longer stays, providing more space and the option to prepare meals and do laundry. Searching, booking and paying Over three-quarters of business travelers use their company's online booking tool (OBT) to search for accommodation, while a third turn to hotel websites or apps. When booking, 84% use their company's OBT, one in five book directly via supplier websites, while one in 10 call the hotel. Three-quarters pay with a corporate credit card. Virtual cards are used rarely. Three-quarters of travelers say their employer sets hotel rate limits, one in 10 report no limits and 18% don't know if their employer sets rate limits. A high-performing hotel program is never static. It's a dynamic strategy shaped by continuous rate monitoring, traveler insights and agile adjustments. By embracing dynamic sourcing, travel managers can respond in real time to shifting needs and market conditions, creating programs that deliver savings, earn traveler trust and drive adoption. Teri Miller, executive vice president, Global Client Team at BCD Traveler behavior Personal preferences strongly influence hotel choices: 77% prefer chain hotels with familiar service standards and 73%stay at the same hotel when visiting a destination repeatedly. Wi-Fi and breakfast are the most frequently used hotel services. Other popular amenities include on-site restaurants and bars, parking facilities, fitness centers and flexible check-in/check-out. Travelers also value wellbeing-related features, such as complimentary bottled water, gyms, pools, spas and healthy food options. Travelers favor hotels that help them earn and maximize loyalty points, especially in North America where as many as 99% are members of a hotel loyalty program. Overall, eight in 10 participate in at least one program and many are enrolled in two or more. Two-thirds often or always choose hotels aligned with their loyalty programs. Three-quarters say their employer allows them to keep points earned from business stays, while 21% are unsure. Challenges While seven in 10 are satisfied with their company's hotel policy and preferred suppliers, there's still room for improvement. Common issues include slow Wi-Fi, breakfast not being included in the rate, outdated rooms and uncomfortable beds. A third report no challenges during the booking process. Among those who do, the biggest challenge is insufficient rate limits set by employers. Safety remains a concern. Three in 10 say they didn't feel safe in their hotel location and seven in 10 double-lock their doors when in their rooms. Sustainability Half of travelers rarely or never consider environmental factors when booking hotels. Four in 10 don't take any sustainability elements into account at all. Only one in five look for features like eco-certification, reduced single-use plastics, low carbon emissions, water-saving measures or limited housekeeping. Hotels may not be the primary driver of carbon emissions in a travel program, but they're still an essential part of a holistic sustainability strategy. Travelers often don't consider sustainability when shopping for hotels because most booking tools lack strong sustainability guidance in that category. We advise clients to embed sustainability into their annual hotel sourcing exercise and then clearly communicate expectations and targets back to travelers to help them make better choices. April Bridgeman, senior vice president of Hotel Solutions Click here to view the full survey report, including tips on how BCD's total booking and trip management platform TripSource® and BCD's consulting division Advito can help companies in building smarter, more sustainable hotel programs. With hotel sourcing season underway, the Connections with BCD Travel podcast is sharing expert insights into smarter hotel sourcing strategies. The August 14 episode will offer a timely discussion to help negotiate better rates for hotels in 2026. About BCD Travel BCD Travel helps companies travel smart and achieve more. We drive program adoption, cost savings and talent retention through digital experiences that simplify business travel. Our 15,000+ dedicated team members service clients in 170+ countries as we shape a sustainable future for business travel. BCD's leading meetings and events management and global consultancy services complete our comprehensive suite of solutions for all aspects of corporate travel. In 2023, BCD achieved US$20.3 billion in sales. For more information, visit Janneke Kraanen Manager, PR & Content Creation
Hospitality Net
4 days ago
- Hospitality Net
The Lesson Behind Delta's AI Pricing Drama: Transparent, Not Personalized
As AI continues to redefine the boundaries of business optimization, a growing debate has emerged around the ethics of AI-driven pricing. The recent controversy surrounding Delta Airlines' CEO and the suggestion of 'personalized pricing' has rightly triggered public backlash. It also opens an important industry-wide conversation: how should AI be used in pricing and where do we draw the line? Personalized pricing—where different people are charged different prices for the same product or service based on personal data—is more than controversial. It's exploitative. Why This Moment Matters There's a growing risk that public perception will start to treat all AI-powered pricing as suspect, simply because some approaches cross ethical lines or are misunderstood. That would be a mistake and a missed opportunity. Personalized pricing based on individual data points is just one (problematic) branch of AI pricing. We need to distinguish between exploitative personalization and market-driven dynamic pricing, before the entire category becomes unfairly discredited. AI has the potential to make pricing smarter, fairer, and more adaptive but only if we're clear about how it's being used. The Ethical Line: Personalized Pricing vs Market-Based Pricing Personalized pricing might sound innovative, but it crosses a dangerous line. By using personal data—like customer profiles, demographics, or income proxies—AI systems can charge people different amounts for the same service based solely on who they are. This erodes trust, undermines fairness, and introduces bias that's hard to detect, let alone correct. Worse, it treats the individual as a target for extraction, not a participant in a fair transaction. But AI doesn't need to work this way. There is a better path: pricing that adapts to changing market conditions, not personal identity. This is where Causal AI comes in. Enter Causal AI: Learning From Demand Causal AI represents a new class of machine learning that focuses not just on correlations but on cause and effect. In pricing, this means understanding how market-level demand changes in response to different pricing strategies. Instead of asking, What is this individual likely to pay?, dynamic AI-pricing asks What is this particular room on this night worth? It's similar to how the market dictates the price of gold, it's only worth what the market is willing to pay at a moment in time, but the entire market gets the same price at the same moment. This shift is profound and powerful because 1) It enables dynamic pricing that adjusts in real time to demand conditions. 2) It avoids using sensitive personal data, focusing instead on observable patterns in aggregated behavior. And 3) It is explainable, because causal models reveal the 'why' behind pricing decisions, not just the 'what.' In short, causal AI enables pricing strategies that are not only effective, but also ethical and accountable. Transparent Pricing Builds Trust—and Performs Better Causal AI doesn't just avoid the pitfalls of personalization. It offers tangible advantages: Greater transparency : Businesses can clearly articulate how and why prices are changing. : Businesses can clearly articulate how and why prices are changing. Fewer regulatory risks : Avoiding personal data sidesteps many emerging privacy and fairness concerns. : Avoiding personal data sidesteps many emerging privacy and fairness concerns. Better long-term outcomes: When customers trust the pricing process, they're more likely to return—and recommend. Dynamic pricing doesn't have to mean dynamic trust. With causal inference, businesses can adapt intelligently to real-world conditions without alienating their customers. A Call to the Industry This moment, sparked by growing public concern, is a chance for our industry to reset. Let's reject opaque personalization models in favor of methods that align with fairness, transparency, and trust. Let's embrace AI not as a black box that guesses willingness to pay, but as a tool to learn how markets respond to price, and to act accordingly. If we don't make this distinction now, we risk AI pricing being misunderstood and rejected wholesale by consumers, journalists, and policymakers alike. That would be a disservice to the real innovation happening in this space; innovation that can improve outcomes for businesses and customers alike without compromising ethics. Whether you're a hotelier, an airline, a retailer, or a technologist: if you're thinking about how to apply AI to pricing, start with this question: Am I learning from demand? Or am I profiling the customer? The difference matters more than ever. TakeUp ensures pricing is fair for both sides—maximizing what your property is worth in the market while aligning with what markets are willing to pay at any given moment. Visit to learn more. TakeUp is an AI-powered revenue optimization platform built for independent hospitality properties, including boutique hotels, inns, bed & breakfasts, and glamping retreats. By leveraging AI-driven insights and expert revenue strategists, TakeUp helps properties maximize revenue and save time, seamlessly integrating with leading property management systems to drive profitability and operational efficiency. For more information visit Kelly Campbell Marketing Director TakeUp View source
Hospitality Net
6 days ago
- Hospitality Net
Hotel Gabrielli Venezia – Starhotels Collezione Opening 25 August, Presents Its Culinary Offering to the City
Opening summer 2025 and part of Starhotels Collezione, the new Hotel Gabrielli returns as a beacon of lagoon hospitality - respectful of its past and visionary in its outlook, and reimagined for 21st-century travellers. Once an essential stop on the Grand Tour and later a favourite retreat for Orient Express passengers due to its proximity to the Biennale Gardens and the Arsenale, the hotel is poised to once again become a gathering place for art lovers and creatives. With the imminent reopening of Hotel Gabrielli in the heart of the lagoon, following extensive restoration work, Starhotels unveils not only a new beacon for Venetian hospitality but also a refined culinary concept poised to balance authenticity and exploration. Now part of the Starhotels Collezione portfolio, Hotel Gabrielli fully embraces the group's culinary philosophy, championing local culinary traditions through a contemporary sensitivity and profound respect for territorial identity. Here, quality emerges from the commitment to ingredients sourced from local supply chains following the Km Veneto ethos, a value that becomes the essential expression of the connection between origin and innovation. Leading this vision is Executive Chef Mirko Pistorello, a native Venetian born in 1973 with international and Michelin-starred experience. At Gabrielli, Pistorello tells the story of a cuisine rooted in memory, nourished by measured gestures, regional products and the rhythm of the seasons. All of Hotel Gabrielli's dining spaces, conceived as open and fluid spaces have been designed to offer an exceptional all-day dining experience. In tribute to Franz Kafka, once an illustrious guest of the hotel, the restaurant Felice al Gabrielli and K Lounge Bar take centre stage. Felice al Gabrielli, named after Felice Bauer - the writer's beloved muse to whom he wrote many of his most famous letters within these very walls - is an intimate, refined setting that opens onto a quiet internal courtyard enhanced by jute-effect fabrics and native plants, evoking the discreet atmosphere of a winter garden. Here, the refined culinary experience revives the flavours of the past within a contemporary setting. The restaurant's à la carte menu showcases signature dishes by Chef Pistorello, such as Risi e Bisi with Bassano asparagus and pea peel powder, where raw ingredients are crafted across multiple textures and levels - an ode to sustainability and complete ingredient valorisation, with raw and cooked asparagus from Bassano del Grappa combining divinely with the dish. Other highlights include the Millefoglie di gambero in Saor with parsley gel and pine nut mayonnaise, and the unexpectedly reimagined Tira-misù, transformed in both form and texture. K Lounge Bar, with its warm tones and natural materials, forms the heart of Gabrielli, where the food & beverage offering draws inspiration from the flavours of the lagoon. But it's on the sixth floor that the hotel reveals its most scenic soul, with Terrazza Gabrielli: 150 square metres offering a panoramic view of the lagoon, with spectacular vistas of San Giorgio Island. With a vibrant yet understated atmosphere, it offers the perfect setting to savour traditional Venetian cicchetti, signature cocktails meticulously crafted by expert Bar Manager Diego Filippone, all while enjoying sunsets over San Marco and glimpses of the Lido. More than just a service for hotel guests, Gabrielli's culinary offering is designed for the city itself and for those seeking a refined experience in the heart of Venice. The hotel's cuisine becomes a mirror of a broader vision: understated elegance, cultured hospitality and a reverent interpretation of the region it celebrates. Hotel website
