Mews Survey Finds 89% of Hotel Guests Prefer AI in Background, Not at Front Desk

Survey Overview

A Mews survey conducted in July 2026 gathered responses from 3,250 travelers across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The research aimed to understand guest attitudes toward using AI in hotels, particularly the balance between automation and human interaction.

Key Findings on AI and Human Roles

The survey found that 89% of guests want either a balanced mix of AI and human-led hospitality or AI to handle only repetitive, background tasks. Only a small minority preferred an entirely AI-led stay. Additionally, 75% of respondents stated that good hospitality depends on human staff, regardless of the technology in use.

When asked about specific hotel tasks, 59% of guests said AI should handle repetitive duties, allowing hotel staff to focus on building rapport and trust with guests. The survey tested preferences across nine guest journey touchpoints, including both automatable and interpersonal tasks.

Guest Preferences at Various Touchpoints

At all nine touchpoints examined, guests preferred human interaction over AI. For arranging taxis, considered a highly automatable task, 44% of respondents preferred a human, while 28% chose AI. For room service orders, preferences were nearly evenly split, with 50% favoring human service and 23% selecting AI.

The preference for human staff increased for tasks requiring judgment, personalization, or trust. For bar and restaurant service, 72% preferred a human, while 66% wanted a human for front desk welcomes, and 58% favored human interaction for check-in and key handover.

Implications for Hotel Operations

The data suggests that guests support automation for routine and administrative tasks but want human staff to remain central in roles involving direct guest interaction. Areas identified for effective AI use include automated check-in and check-out, AI-driven upsells, room personalization, real-time translation, guest messaging for routine questions, and back-end functions such as pricing, housekeeping coordination, and reporting.

According to the survey, hotels that effectively unify guest data across systems are better positioned to use AI for operational efficiency, allowing staff to spend more time with guests rather than on administrative work.

Concerns About AI Replacing Jobs

The survey also addressed concerns about AI’s impact on employment in the hospitality sector. Sixty-seven percent of guests expressed worry about staff losing their jobs to AI. Additionally, 51% disagreed with the statement that they would not care if a hotel reduced staff to adopt AI.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that travelers are not rejecting AI in hospitality outright but are selective about its application. Most guests want AI to support, not replace, human staff. They favor automation for background and repetitive tasks while maintaining human presence for guest-facing roles that require personal interaction and trust. The results suggest hotels should integrate AI in ways that improve operational efficiency without diminishing the human element of hospitality.