Turning AI into real business impact for the hospitality & tourism industry.
Strategy, orchestration, and executive guidance for companies that want AI to create revenue and efficiency, not confusion.
Most AI initiatives fail not because of technology, but because of poor aims, weak processes, and lack of ownership.
The AI paradox
Despite massive investment:
- An estimated 95% (*) of AI initiatives fail to deliver measurable revenue or productivity gains
- Most projects stall at pilot stage
- Adoption inside teams remains low
- Leadership loses confidence quickly
This is not a technology problem.
In hospitality and tourism, failure usually comes from:
- Unclear business objectives
- AI treated as a "tool" instead of an operating change
- Fragmented ownership (marketing, IT, ops all disconnected)
- Agencies and vendors driving decisions instead of leadership
(*) "The GenAI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025," by MIT's Project NANDA, analyzed over 300 public AI initiatives and found that approximately 95% of enterprise generative AI pilots fail to deliver a measurable impact on profit and loss (P&L) statements. Only about 5% of integrated AI pilots successfully extract significant, measurable value and reach full-scale production.
Why hospitality is especially exposed
Hospitality is not SaaS.
It is a real-time, people-heavy, margin-sensitive business.
Typical constraints:
- Thin margins
- Legacy systems
- Complex distribution
- High operational variability
- Frontline teams under constant pressure
When AI is introduced without redesigning processes:
- It adds friction instead of removing it
- It creates shadow workflows
- It increases dependency on vendors
AI only works in hospitality when it is designed around operations, not demos.
What Studio Oriente actually does
We are not an agency.
We are not a tool vendor.
We are not a generic AI consultancy.
Studio Oriente acts as a strategic AI & commercial partner to leadership teams.
We help companies:
Decide why AI should be used before deciding how
Link AI initiatives to revenue, cost, or scale
Redesign processes so AI fits the business
Kill projects early when they won't deliver value
Our role is to protect focus, capital, and credibility.
The core principle
"AI is not a product.It is a decision-making and operating system"
If objectives are vague → outcomes are vague.
If processes are broken → AI amplifies the problem.
If ownership is unclear → adoption fails.
Successful AI in hospitality always starts with:
A clear commercial or operational goal
A redesigned workflow
A named owner
A realistic adoption path
Technology comes last.
How we build: like a film production
Every project gets its own team — only for as long as it matters.
We don't run fixed teams for temporary problems.
We assemble the best possible experts for the challenge, then disband the team once the work is done.
We assemble the best possible experts for the challenge, then disband the team once the work is done.
Why this model works
1
Senior expertise, exactly when needed
2
Costs aligned to impact, not headcount
3
Faster execution, zero organizational drag
You pay for outcomes: not for people staying busy.
This is how modern AI and complex projects succeed: clarity over capacity, orchestration over accumulation.
How we work (operator-led)
1
Strategic clarity
We define where AI can actually move the needle — and where it can't.
2
Orchestration
We align leadership, teams, agencies, and vendors around a single operating model.
3
Adoption & accountability
We ensure AI is used in day-to-day reality, not just in presentations.
No hype.
No experimentation theatre.
Only initiatives with a clear reason to exist.
What we offer:
focused engagements
AI Readiness & Opportunity Audit
2–4 weeks
Where AI creates value.
Where it destroys focus.
What to redesign.
What to stop doing.
AI Operating Model & Execution Design
3–6 months
Operator-led implementation.
Vendor-neutral.
Outcome-driven.
Executive AI Advisory
Ongoing
Strategic filter for owners and CEOs.
Avoid costly missteps.
Maintain coherence as AI evolves.
Low volume. High involvement.
AI Readiness & Opportunity Audit
What you get
A clear audit document of current workflows, tools, and decision points
A prioritized opportunity map (what to automate, what to redesign, what to stop)
A decision & KPI tree (what should be decided by humans vs systems)
A short list of viable tools/vendors (by category, not brand-led)
Clear kill / scale criteria for pilots
Who we work with
Operations
Revenue Management
Marketing & Distribution
Customer Service / Call Center
IT / Data (light touch, not architecture-heavy)
Outcome: clarity on where AI actually creates value — and where it doesn't.
Operating Model & Execution Design
What you get
A future-state operating model (roles, workflows, ownership)
Process redesign for high-friction areas (ops, revenue, CX)
Governance model for AI and automation decisions
KPI framework aligned to business outcomes (not activity metrics)
A 90-day execution roadmap
Who we work with
Executive team
Operations & Property Management
Revenue / Commercial
Finance
IT (as enabler, not driver)
Outcome: AI and digital tools embedded into how the company is run, not bolted on.
Executive AI Advisory
Ongoing: A strategic filter for owners and CEOs.
What you get
Continuous strategic review of AI, automation, and digital initiatives
Independent validation of internal proposals and external vendor pitches
Clear framing of AI-related decisions (adopt / postpone / ignore)
Ongoing alignment between AI initiatives and business priorities
Early warning on misaligned, over-engineered, or low-ROI ideas
Periodic strategic checkpoints as AI capabilities and risks evolve
Who we work with
CEO / Owner
COO / Head of Operations
CCO / Commercial or Revenue lead
IT leadership (when strategic clarity is required)
Outcome: Leadership maintains strategic coherence as AI evolves, avoiding costly missteps while focusing time and capital on what truly matters.
Who this is for (and who it isn't)
We work with:
- Owners and CEOs
- Hotel groups and tourism operators
- Agencies that need a senior AI strategy layer
We don't work for:
- Teams looking for tools only
- Companies chasing trends
- Organizations unwilling to redesign processes
Audience: senior-level decision makers.
About Studio Oriente
Studio Oriente was created from real operating experience in hospitality, distribution, marketing, and technology.
We don't sit outside the business. We act as an extension of leadership teams during moments of change.
Our bias: Long-term thinking / Commercial accountability / Operational realism.
Typical outcomes we see
While every project is different, our work typically leads to:
1
Lower manual workload across operations and revenue teams
2
Faster response times in customer service and post-booking
3
Fewer rate, availability, and parity errors
4
Clearer accountability between Ops, Commercial, and Tech
5
Better decision speed with fewer internal debates
These are observed patterns, not promises: results depend on context and execution.
About Rafael del Castillo
Hospitality and travel executive with experience across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Former CMO at Selina Hospitality and Valentin Hotel Company. Former Senior Director at Expedia Inc and former Market Strategy Director at Marriott.
Experience across hospitality, travel platforms, and large-scale commercial operations: from strategy to execution
Speaker and advisor on AI, operations, and decision-making.
Angel Investor and Board Advisor at RentalQuest.
Focus: what works in practice, not what sounds good on stage.
AI is moving fast.
Bad decisions move faster.
Bad decisions move faster.
A short, honest conversation can prevent months of wasted effort.