TECH
US, are taking a similar approach, using AI to predict passenger preferences from seating comfort to personalised offers – before travellers even board. The outcome, as De Abreu notes, is consistent:“ Frictionless human experiences powered by intelligent systems.”
Benefits for guests and businesses
For guests, predictive personalisation feels right.“ Preferences are remembered, time is respected, every touchpoint feels designed just for them,” says De Abreu. Guests aren’ t just booking numbers – they’ re recognised, valued and effortlessly understood.
For businesses, the benefits are just as compelling. Predictive personalisation drives loyalty, operational efficiency and incremental revenue. It enables smarter upselling without pressure, and improves staffing and inventory planning.“ It allows teams to focus on genuine connection rather than repetitive admin,” says De Abreu.
Early adopters are already seeing measurable results, from higher ancillary spend in dining and wellness to stronger guest retention and advocacy.“ When done well, it’ s not just technology improving service; it’ s service becoming smarter, faster and more human at scale,” she says.
Innovation and trust
But as De Abreu cautions,“ The line between personalisation and intrusion is thin.” Predictive personalisation only works if guests trust how their data is used. Transparency, consent and governance are essential.
Having worked extensively with data regulations such as FICA, POPIA and GDPR, De Abreu emphasises that the same standards must apply in hospitality. Best practice includes:
• Transparent consent: Clear, plain-language prompts like“ We’ ll use your data to improve your stay – tap to manage.”
• Data minimisation: Collect only what’ s necessary.
• Anonymisation: Use aggregated, non-identifiable data to train AI.
• Right to be forgotten: Allow guests to erase their history with a single tap.
“ Technology should enhance experiences, not feel like surveillance,” De Abreu says.“ The goal: make people feel understood, never observed.”
The road ahead
The future of predictive personalisation is already unfolding.“ We’ re moving from reactive to proactive, and now towards
prescriptive hospitality, where technology doesn’ t just respond to guests but anticipates and shapes experiences in real time,” says De Abreu.
The next frontier? Emotional intelligence in AI – systems that can sense mood, tone and intent by interpreting voice, text and behavioural cues in real time.
“ Not just‘ you booked a spa day’ but‘ you sound stressed … here’ s a 15-minute sound bath before dinner’. The real opportunity, and challenge, is integration: breaking silos so insights flow seamlessly across the guest journey,” she concludes.
In the end, predictive personalisation isn’ t about replacing the human touch – it’ s about amplifying it. By combining empathy with intelligence, the hospitality and F & B sectors can create experiences that are not only efficient and elegant, but truly unforgettable. TT
132 TRADE & TASTE / 2026