How to Make Technologies Built for Hotel Giants Accessible to Independents

-Iana Petrova

About the author: Iana Petrova is a hospitality tech strategist and former Chief Product Officer at Bnovo, where she led the digital transformation of 16,000+ independent hotels through scalable, automation-driven SaaS solutions.

The Innovation Gap in Hospitality

Innovation in hospitality is often designed for scale — for the Hiltons, Marriotts, and Hyatts of the world. These hotel giants are the first to implement mobile check-ins, smart locks, and AI-powered guest services. But what about the thousands of independent hotels, countryside lodges, and family-run B&Bs left behind?

While big brands experiment with automation, independents still rely on manual spreadsheets and phone-based bookings. The reason isn’t lack of ambition — it’s lack of access. Tools built for enterprises assume enterprise resources: IT teams, robust budgets, and complex training.

This article explores how to break that cycle — not by simplifying enterprise software, but by rethinking hospitality technology entirely. If we want true transformation, we must start designing for the small — not adapting for it as an afterthought.

Most hospitality technology is built with enterprise clients in mind. The interfaces are dense, onboarding is consultant-driven, and customization often requires developer support. This model may work for chains with centralized IT departments, but it simply doesn’t scale down to a 15-room hotel run by two people.

At Bnovo, I saw this disconnect early. Our target users weren’t CTOs — they were hotel owners who doubled as receptionists, marketers, and accountants. They didn’t have time for multi-week implementations or technical manuals. What they needed was software that “just works.”

That meant removing friction. We designed step-by-step onboarding wizards, built-in templates, and guided interfaces that could be used without prior experience. Every click, prompt, and form was designed around simplicity — not just usability for professionals, but true accessibility for first-time users.

This wasn’t about dumbing down the product. It was about shifting assumptions. We weren’t asking, “What would a tech-savvy user want?” We asked, “What would someone with no IT background need in their busiest hour of the day?”

Once we made that mental switch, everything changed — for us and our customers.

Fragmented Tools vs. Seamless Experience

Many small hotels don’t use a single software platform — they juggle five. A separate tool for bookings, another for payments, another for keyless entry, and yet another for guest registration. None of them “talk” to each other, and hotel staff are left patching workflows with spreadsheets and WhatsApp.

This fragmentation isn’t just inefficient — it’s costly. Mistakes happen. Availability isn’t synced. Guests receive incomplete information. And staff spend hours each week on tasks that should be automatic.

Our response was to connect the full guest journey into one flow: from booking to check-in, payment, and door access — all under one platform. With automation behind the scenes, hotels could offer a smooth, modern experience without hiring tech support.

For small teams, this integration didn’t just improve operations — it gave them their time back.

Closed Ecosystems Block Local Innovation

Many global hospitality platforms are built as closed systems. Their APIs are restricted, integrations are tightly curated, and regional flexibility is often deprioritized. For independent hotels operating outside major urban or Western markets, this means their operational realities are left unsupported.

In many regions, small hotels need to connect with local payment systems, government compliance tools, and regional OTAs. Yet, these are rarely included in the product roadmaps of large tech vendors. The result? Even when small hotels are ready to digitize, the tools they need don’t exist — or don’t fit.

To solve this, we launched an open API platform that enabled third-party developers to create plugins, extensions, and localized features. This openness unlocked a wave of grassroots innovation — tailored, agile, and directly relevant.

For independents, it meant technology could finally adapt to them, not the other way around.

Real-World Validation: Eco-Hotels as Test Beds

To ensure our platform worked beyond theory, we deployed it in three remote eco-hotels — properties without IT staff, stable internet, or standard room types. These locations offered services like sauna rentals, firewood sales, and outdoor event spaces.

We implemented resource-based bookings, dynamic pricing, and fully contactless check-in. Guests could reserve, pay, and enter their rooms without speaking to staff.

These real-world tests validated that even non-standard, low-infrastructure hotels could operate with the same level of automation as large chains — if the tools were designed with their needs in mind.

The results were measurable. Hotels using our platform saw a 40–60% reduction in manual admin time, up to 25% increase in direct bookings, and a notable rise in guest retention, as travelers returned to properties that offered fast, seamless, tech-enabled service.

In rural areas, some properties transitioned from seasonal survival to stable year-round operations. Others expanded to second locations or hired more staff thanks to increased occupancy and revenue control.

What’s Next: Designing for the Bottom, Not the Top
The next wave of innovation must go beyond standalone tools. It’s time to build hospitality infrastructure around three core principles:

1. Universal check-in standards, one guest experience, regardless of brand.
2. Integration with digital ID wallets, enabling seamless access by using Apple Wallet, Google Wallet — not 10 different apps.
3. Invisible automation, where the tech fades into the background and the experience feels natural. The best tech is the one guests don’t notice.

Independents aren’t the weak link — they’re the ideal testing ground for scalable, guest-first innovation.

When technology is built for real-world users — not imagined personas — it unlocks more than efficiency. It unlocks inclusion, growth, and resilience.

Independent hotels deserve tools as powerful as those built for giants — but delivered in a way that fits their reality. If we get that right, we won’t just close the digital gap in hospitality — we’ll raise the standard for everyone.