Why All-in-One Hotel Tech Platforms Are Replacing Best-of-Breed

Should your front desk team waste time switching between systems to find up-to-date guest information—or simply access everything from a single dashboard?

This is no longer a hypothetical question. It’s a daily challenge for hoteliers navigating increasingly complex digital operations. For years, the industry leaned on the “best-of-breed” philosophy—carefully curating top tools for each function. At the time, this offered flexibility and control.

But today, the landscape has changed in hotel tech—and this shift is also extending into other travel tech sectors, including air travel and cruise.

Why All-in-One Systems Are the Future of Hotel Technology

All-in-one hotel technology platforms are emerging as the preferred solution. Not because they’re perfect, but because they deliver what hoteliers now need most: simplicity, speed, and cohesion. One contract, one SLA, one vendor who takes full responsibility. That’s more than convenience—it’s operational peace of mind.

Why Best-of-Breed Is Falling Behind

Best-of-breed solutions once thrived when hotel tech was less crowded. Operators used a core PMS and added specialized tools for revenue management, CRM, booking engines, and more. But these systems often didn’t integrate smoothly.

The result? Fragmented data, rising integration costs, and reduced productivity. A 2025 industry survey found that 73% of hoteliers reported integration issues across multiple tools—creating operational bottlenecks and missed opportunities.

Other industries, such as marketing and HR, have already made the switch. Platforms like HubSpot and Workday replaced complex tech stacks by offering streamlined, unified solutions. So what’s holding hospitality back?

Integration Isn’t Enough Anymore

Integrations are important—but relying on them to hold systems together is risky and inefficient. Today’s hotel operations demand real-time data, seamless automation, and centralized control.

Tasks like personalizing a stay, forecasting labor, or generating performance reports shouldn’t require manual workarounds. Unified platforms are built with shared data models and real-time reporting, reducing tech friction so your team can focus on what matters: delivering outstanding guest experiences.

The Service Edge of Consolidated Hotel Tech

Another overlooked benefit of all-in-one platforms is leverage. When you work with multiple vendors, you’re often a small account on a long client list. Support can be slow and impersonal.

But consolidate with a strategic partner, and that changes. You gain better support, more proactive account management, and a vendor who understands your full ecosystem—not just a slice of it. At Shiji, we’ve seen how platform unification shifts the relationship from transactional to collaborative.

“But Our Current System Works…”

It’s understandable. Change is hard, especially in hospitality where uptime is critical. Many hotels rely on systems that are “good enough.” Staff know the workarounds, and from the guest’s view, things seem fine.

But hidden inefficiencies add up—support costs, data silos, missed loyalty recognition, repeated check-in forms. These moments might go unspoken by guests, but they impact satisfaction and loyalty.

And over time, maintaining those “just fine” systems can cost more than upgrading.

That’s why at Shiji, we help hotels modernize their tech stack gradually and strategically—with minimal disruption to daily operations.

“As a multi-property hotel group, one of our biggest challenges was managing fragmented systems and consolidating guest data across our portfolio… A unified approach not only resolves inefficiencies but also allows us to scale seamlessly as we expand.”
— Ahmad Hafez, Corporate IT Director, Jannah Hotels & Resorts

The Future Is Integrated by Design

As guest expectations grow and margins remain tight, disconnected hotel tech is no longer sustainable. Technology should feel like an extension of your team, not another barrier.

Best-of-breed had its place in hotel tech evolution—but the future is about integration, agility, and experience-first design. Guests don’t see your tech stack. They experience your brand as one seamless journey.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, HITEC 2025, Wolfgang Emperger is the Senior Vice President for Europe, Africa, and UK & Ireland at Shiji Group