Woodmont Lodging’s Michael Blank on How To Integrate Service & Tech Without Losing Soul

Michael Blank, Principal at Woodmont Lodging — with nearly 30 years across operations, consulting, investment banking, and a decade running his own investment firm — tackles the hospitality industry's most critical operational challenge: deploying technology to enhance profitability without sacrificing the human elements that drive guest loyalty. His portfolio experience reveals why most properties fail at tech integration and provides a tactical framework for implementing technology as operational leverage rather than service replacement.

Topics discussed:

• Why the industry remains "woefully behind" in cohesive technology deployment, with most properties using piecemeal, one-off solutions instead of integrated systems that complement human touchpoints.
• How delivering consistent basics combined with strategic human touchpoints that create memorable experiences guests will pay premium rates for.
• A systematic approach to evaluating new hospitality technology, using properties as testing environments to measure impact on three critical metrics: profitability, customer service quality, and employee efficiency.
• Why operators with big company experience often fail when buying from local sellers, requiring demand validation beyond basic market presence.
• Pinpointing hidden capital requirements that branded property improvement plans miss, including HVAC systems, laundry equipment, and technology infrastructure.
• Tactical implementation of gathering spaces that generate energy and repeat visits, such as a fireplace and wood design elements that create destination appeal within franchise constraints.
• Identifying operational inefficiencies and revenue opportunities across multiple properties, moving beyond single-property optimization to institutional-level performance management that drives sustained profitability growth.