Eli Fuchs, regional director of operations at management company Valor Hospitality Partners, is set to attend Hotec Operations, an annual conference presented by Questex, the parent company of Hotel Management. At the conference—scheduled this year for May 19-21 at the Caribe Royale Orlando—buyers meet one-on-one with hospitality-focused suppliers to learn about new products and services and to keep up-to-date on emerging trends.
Ahead of the conference, Fuchs shared his insights on labor issues, emerging technology and curating experiences for guests.
1. What are you most excited about for your company in 2025 (and beyond)?
Dynamic growth. We have really embraced technology this year where we are focusing on automation to help our general managers get time back in their days.
2. What are some of the biggest operations-related changes you’ve seen in the hotel industry over the past year?
Labor continues to be a struggle. We have tried a variety of options from college job fairs to Indeed directed Job fairs, but recruiting and retention is a struggle. We are currently digging into H2B as a solution.
3. How has your business adjusted to these changes?
Focusing on culture and what our employees want from their jobs. If they would like to develop, we do our best to offer accordingly. We are truly working to appease our staff so that they feel welcomed and energized coming to work.
4. What are some trends you think will have staying power beyond 2025?
Curated experiences. Travelers are becoming less and less interested in the typical cookie cutter experience, so it is imperative that we create unique experiences. This will require hotels to provide out-of-the-box thinking regarding how we can "wow" our guests daily.
5. How are you incorporating new technology, especially AI, into your business?
AP automation and inventory automation are just a few of the AI-driven technology we have introduced already this year.
6. What steps are you taking to improve sustainability in the industry?
We are focused on motion sensors and reducing the amount of water per gallon that our faucets produce.
7. What is the biggest challenge you have overcome over the past year? How did you overcome it?
Economic uncertainty. With the change in administration and our leisure markets have become very tricky with travelers booking last minute and having hesitations to pay seasonal ADRs. We have invested in dynamic marketing strategies, and check rates multiple times daily to ensure our price point is competitive in the market.
8. What is the value of meeting hospitality suppliers one-on-one?
Focus. Many times people can take a virtual call and multitask through a demo.
9. What do you hope to accomplish at Hotec this year?
Hope to find additional software/tech that can assist our company this year.
Hotec Operations will take place May 19-21 at the Caribe Royale Orlando. Applications are open for buyers and suppliers.