Radisson’s AI Tool Cuts Proposal Time from Weeks to Minutes, ETHRWorld
Iñigo Capell, Global Chief People and Resources Officer at Radisson Hotel GroupA hotel architect visits a property, photographs its interiors, returns to the office and begins preparing floor plans, design renderings and cost estimates. The proposal may take two to three weeks to complete before it is presented to the hotel owner.
At Radisson Hotel Group, this process is being reimagined with artificial intelligence (AI). The hospitality bellwether said its AI-powered tool, Pandora, can help generate a design proposal in as little as four minutes, allowing architects to present visualisations and cost estimates during the same meeting in which they assess a property.
The work that in the past would have taken two, three weeks now takes four minutes.Iñigo Capell, Global Chief People and Resources Officer at Radisson Hotel Group
The change is significant for a team that, according to Capell, comprises around 50 architects handling more than 1,000 project pitches annually. Instead of spending days developing renderings and budgets, architects can use the tool to demonstrate design possibilities to owners and refine proposals in real time.
For Radisson, the experiment reflects a broader question facing hotel operators: how can technology help teams work faster while preserving the personal interactions that remain central to hospitality?
AI moves from the back office to the business conversation
Pandora brings AI into a part of hotel development where visualisation, speed and commercial discussions intersect.
According to Capell, architects can take photographs of a property using an iPad and use the tool to generate designs aligned with the company’s standards, along with renderings and cost estimates. What previously involved multiple stages of work between a site visit and a follow-up presentation can, the company claims, now happen during the initial meeting.
Capell believes the change will allow architects to focus on work that adds greater value.
Now these 50 architects have much more time to do really added value, to discuss with the owner, to make all the fine tuning.Iñigo Capell, Global Chief People and Resources Officer at Radisson Hotel Group
The potential benefit goes beyond saving preparation time. Architects can discuss options with owners while they are still at the property, make changes to proposals and spend more time on the commercial and creative aspects of the assignment.
For a business managing a large and expanding hotel portfolio, the ability to handle project discussions more quickly could also help teams manage demand more efficiently.
Radisson Hotel Group’s 2025 Responsible Business Report states that the company had more than 1,580 hotels in operation and under development across over 100 countries. It reported revenue of €1.416 billion and a workforce of more than 75,000 team members.
The scale of the business provides the backdrop for its technology initiatives, although the available figures do not establish that AI has contributed to revenue growth.
From task automation to employee productivity
The design tool is one example of how Radisson is exploring productivity gains through technology. Capell has also cited improvements in information technology or IT development and property-support activities, estimating productivity improvements of at least 50 percent in certain areas. He also referred to a 20–25 percent improvement across some combined IT spending areas discussed during the podcast conversation.
These are estimates shared by the executive, rather than independently verified results. Nevertheless, they point to the productivity opportunity hotel groups see in applying AI to repetitive processes, information handling and the preparation of business outputs.
The implications for employees depend on how organisations use the time released by technology. In the case of Pandora, architects could take on more proposals, spend longer working with hotel owners or concentrate on design decisions that require human judgement.
Capell also pushed back against the idea that technology would necessarily lead to large-scale job reductions.
I don’t feel. I think we will need more people looking at the eyes of our guests.Iñigo Capell, Global Chief People and Resources Officer at Radisson Hotel Group; on whether AI would kill jobs
His view is that technology can change the nature of work, allowing employees to spend less time on routine tasks and more on activities that require human interaction and judgement.
Digital tools are changing hotel operations
Alongside its AI initiatives, Radisson has been expanding the use of digital tools across its hotel network.
Its 2025 Responsible Business Report says the Radisson Operations App was being used in 588 hotels, while the ‘STAY e-concierge’ app was available in 63 hotels. The operations platform is designed to digitise communications and processes, while the guest-facing application helps make hotel services and information accessible digitally.
The company’s 2024 report also cited operational benefits from these initiatives. It reported that the operations platform saved an average of 8,000 sheets of paper per hotel annually by reducing calls and printouts. The ‘STAY e-concierge’ was reported to save around two kilograms of paper per available room each year by replacing printed collateral.
These are examples of digitalisation rather than AI-specific gains, but they illustrate how technology can change everyday processes across a hotel network. Together with tools such as Pandora, they form part of a wider shift towards reducing manual work and making information and services more accessible.
Bringing the human element back to hospitality
For Capell, technology’s role is not limited to improving back-office productivity. He also sees scope for AI-enabled tools to change how frontline employees interact with guests.
At hotel reception desks, employees often spend time entering information into systems and completing administrative tasks. Capell envisages a future in which AI and connected devices reduce this manual effort, allowing staff to devote more attention to guests.
Radisson’s global HR chief wants to turn internal mobility into a talent-supply model
From cross-functional career moves to six-month general manager shadowing, Radisson Hotel Group is seeking to make internal talent a more dependable source of leadership and business capabilities.
Describing a possible future check-in experience, he said employees could greet returning guests, recognise their loyalty to the brand and suggest services suited to their preferences. “And you will be looking at the eyes. No need to type,” he said.
The vision is to use technology to make interactions more personal, rather than allow digital processes to replace the human element of hospitality. Employees could spend less time navigating systems and more time understanding guest preferences, responding to requests and delivering personalised service.
Achieving that shift will depend on how hotel workflows and employee responsibilities evolve. The opportunity lies in using automation to support the service experience, while leaving employees to handle interactions where human judgement and empathy matter.
ETHRWorld take: The next phase of hotel work
Radisson’s Pandora tool offers a glimpse of how AI could change the pace of work in hospitality, from preparing design proposals to supporting employees in their daily tasks.
The company’s reported reduction in proposal preparation time, alongside its wider adoption of digital operations tools, points to an emerging model in which technology takes on more repetitive work while employees concentrate on decisions, relationships and service.
For hotel operators, the opportunity is to translate faster processes into better use of employee time, more responsive business operations and stronger guest experiences. For employees, the change could mean a shift in the nature of work rather than simply a change in its speed.
As AI moves into more functions, the question for the hospitality sector will be how effectively companies combine these tools with the judgement and personal attention that define the guest experience. At Radisson, Pandora’s reported four-minute proposal is one example of that transition.
- Published On Oct 12, 2026 at 07:00 AM IST
