Step into the theater. The lights dim. The previews roll. What’s on screen feels familiar—disaster, suspense, a touch of comedy, maybe even a redemption story. Hospitality IT often plays out like the best (and worst) of Hollywood: full of plot twists, rising tension, and the relentless demand for a hero to step in and save the day.
Like any great film, the stakes are high. Instead of cities under siege or explorers lost at sea, the danger is outages, breaches, and guest dissatisfaction. The audience isn’t fictional—it’s your customers. And they expect nothing less than a five-star performance.
Here’s the lineup of challenges playing in today’s hospitality box office.
In hospitality, every guest check-in, loyalty swipe, or mobile payment carries more suspense than a Hitchcock classic. The plotline? Cybercriminals lurking in the shadows, ready to exploit a weak Wi-Fi network or unpatched system. Just when you think the storyline is safe, a twist arrives: ransomware, phishing, or stolen credentials.
The financial stakes are just as dramatic: according to IBM, the average cost of a data breach in the hospitality sector has climbed past $4 million, a budget-busting sequel no operator wants to finance.1 And while industries like manufacturing and consumer goods face staggering levels of bot-driven traffic, hospitality sits closer to the Internet average—about 31 percent—which is still enough to make credential stuffing, scraping, and fake bookings a recurring subplot hoteliers and golf course operators can’t afford to ignore.2
The tension doesn’t stop there. Data protection regulations add a subplot of compliance that rivals the complexity of any courtroom drama. One misstep, and the consequences are both reputational and financial.
Picture it: an aging reservation system sputters under holiday traffic. Wi-Fi falters during a sold-out conference. The PMS crashes in the middle of a busy check-in. It’s the hospitality equivalent of crumbling bridges, sinking ships, or malfunctioning space stations.
The special effects aren’t CGI. They’re frustrated guests, long lines, and staff scrambling with workarounds. For operators, old hardware and software aren’t just outdated props; they’re active hazards, draining budgets and putting the guest experience at risk.
Booking engines, payment processors, CRMs, smart locks—the supporting cast is endless. But every extra app or API integration adds complexity, and one underperformer can derail the whole production.
Every film ensemble has a cast of characters with clashing personalities. Hospitality IT is no different. Booking engines, payment processors, CRMs, point-of-sale systems, smart locks, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors—the supporting cast is enormous.
But unlike a comedy, the punchline here isn’t funny. Every new vendor integration opens a potential backdoor. Coordinating them all can feel like herding actors who never read the same script. Without strong oversight, the show turns chaotic fast.
Today’s guests arrive with more devices than a superhero carries gadgets. Phones, tablets, smartwatches, streaming boxes—they expect them all to work, instantly and flawlessly. Their reviews, like box-office ratings, can make or break your reputation.
One dropped signal or sluggish app, and the hospitality experience quickly shifts from blockbuster to B-movie. The action doesn’t stop when guests leave the lobby. It follows them to the pool, the marina, the restaurant, the conference room, and every touchpoint in between.
In every great story, the hero emerges when the stakes are highest. In hospitality IT, that hero is ESP by NexusTek—the stage manager, stunt double, and special effects crew rolled into one.
ESP delivers the power to:
In hospitality, every guest is the critic, every stay is an opening night, and the spotlight should never fall on your IT problems. With NexusTek behind the scenes, the performance goes off without a hitch—and the reviews keep rolling in.
Ready for your blockbuster ending? Learn more about NexusTek ESP.
Founder, ESP, a NexusTek company
Jason Pullo is a seasoned technology entrepreneur with a passion for transforming the hospitality industry through innovative IT solutions. As Founder and CEO of Enterprise Solutions Providers, he leads the company’s vision and growth, helping hotels navigate everything from new builds and brand transitions to large-scale renovations. Since launching the firm in 2003, Jason has played a key role in the technology strategy behind more than 1,000 hotel acquisitions. His journey began at just 18 years old as an IT manager for a trade show company, and he’s since led major projects like a multimillion-dollar hotel renovation in New York City, delivering guest-centric technology with measurable business impact.