New York – – October 07, 2026 -- A global survey of 3,250 travelers finds 89% want either a hybrid stay blending artificial intelligence and human service or AI confined to background tasks, with almost none favoring an AI-led experience, according to data released by hospitality platform Mews.
Guests reject full automation even for routine tasks
Human staff were preferred over AI at all nine touchpoints tested in the study, including arranging taxis -- the most automatable task surveyed -- where 44% of respondents chose a human versus 28% who chose AI.
The preference for human service intensifies as tasks require judgment or trust: 72% of guests want a human for bar and restaurant service, 66% for front desk welcome, and 58% for check-in and key handover. Room service orders showed the closest split, with 50% preferring a human and 23% opting for AI.
59% want AI to absorb repetitive work, not guest-facing roles
59% of respondents said AI should take over repetitive tasks specifically to free hotel staff for building rapport and trust with guests. Separately, 75% said good hospitality depends on human staff regardless of the underlying technology.
67% of guests worry AI could displace hotel staff
Job security concerns featured prominently: 67% of guests said they would worry about staff losing jobs to AI, and 51% disagreed with the idea that they would not care if a hotel cut staff to adopt automation.
"Guests are telling us exactly where they want AI and where they don't," said Richard Valtr, founder of Mews. "The hotels that win this next decade won't be the ones that automate the most."
The survey was conducted in July 2026 across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US.