Proprietary Vs. Open Ai: Should Hospitality Embrace Open Standards Like Mcp To Drive Innovation?

Published on September 22, 2025

In nan quickly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI), nan hospitality manufacture finds itself astatine a crossroads. As awesome edifice brands and tech companies title to create proprietary AI tools, a increasing number of manufacture experts are calling for a displacement toward open standards to foster greater collaboration and innovation. The presence of emerging standards for illustration Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) has intensified nan debate, arsenic nan manufacture questions whether nan early of AI should stay locked successful proprietary systems aliases clasp a much open and accessible model.

Proprietary AI: The Appeal of Walled Gardens

Proprietary AI devices are being quickly rolled retired by hospitality brands and exertion companies, each processing their ain customized systems to lick industry-specific challenges. The allure of these custom-built solutions is clear: they committedness a competitive advantage and springiness companies complete power complete their exertion and data. Large players for illustration Marriott, Hilton, and Expedia, pinch entree to extended in-house improvement resources, person been capable to instrumentality proprietary AI devices pinch comparative ease, tailoring solutions to meet their circumstantial needs.

However, nan proprietary model comes pinch important downsides. As much companies build their ain AI systems, walled gardens are being created, wherever data, algorithms, and insights are confined wrong isolated systems. This fragmentation tin lead to integration challenges, wherever different systems neglect to pass pinch each other, slowing nan advancement of innovation. This approach, though effective successful nan short term, risks stifling industry-wide collaboration and creating barriers for smaller players who cannot spend expensive, bespoke AI solutions.

The Case for Open Standards: Collaboration Over Competition

Amid this increasing reliance connected proprietary solutions, a powerful lawsuit is being made for open standards successful AI. Experts reason that adopting standards for illustration MCP could democratize AI technology, making it accessible to a wider scope of hospitality businesses and fostering interoperability crossed nan sector. Open standards supply a communal instauration for AI systems, allowing different technologies and platforms to activity together seamlessly, creating a much integrated ecosystem.

One of nan awesome advocates for unfastened standards successful hospitality is Eric Lutz, nan CEO and co-founder of Alliants, who argues that AI successful hospitality should beryllium shaped by real-world users—from statement unit to general managers—rather than conscionable a fistful of executives aliases ascendant tech vendors. Lutz and others stress that open standards specified arsenic MCP let for nan creation of systems that are not only much flexible and customizable but besides capable to germinate complete time, driven by feedback from those who interact pinch nan exertion connected a regular basis.

Open Standards Enable Flexibility and Innovation

The push for open standards is not conscionable astir technological interoperability but besides astir fostering innovation. With nan accelerated gait of alteration successful nan AI field, a elastic and unfastened attack allows for continuous improvement and nan incorporation of caller features and capabilities. Experts for illustration Tristan Gadsby, co-founder and CEO of Alliants, judge that AI tools should beryllium shaped by divers voices and perspectives, including those from smaller independent hotels and tech startups.

By adopting an open, collaborative model, hotels and technology vendors tin debar nan fragmentation that comes pinch proprietary tools. Rather than each institution trying to create its ain isolated solution, nan manufacture could attraction connected creating shared platforms wherever AI systems tin interact, stock data, and germinate together. This would alteration hospitality businesses of each sizes to use from cutting-edge exertion without being locked into costly, proprietary systems.

The Role of Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is simply a projected unfastened modular that seeks to supply a communal model for really AI agents (like chatbots, virtual assistants, and proposal engines) interact pinch each other. By allowing different AI systems to share data and contextual information, MCP could thief span nan spread betwixt disparate AI tools, making it easier for different brands and platforms to activity together.

George Roukas, a partner astatine Hudson Crossing, explains that creating proprietary protocols successful AI would beryllium akin to processing a caller type of HTTP—an isolated solution that restricts nan maturation of nan full ecosystem. Instead, he argues that nan early of AI successful hospitality lies successful embracing unfastened standards for illustration MCP, which would alteration AI systems to pass much efficaciously and evolve collaboratively. This attack would use some larger companies and smaller players who whitethorn not person nan resources to create their ain proprietary tools.

The Benefits of Open Standards for Smaller Players

For smaller, independent hotels and tech startups, open standards for illustration MCP connection a way to entree nan same high-quality AI devices and systems that nan large players enjoy. Custom-built, proprietary AI tools tin beryllium prohibitively expensive, making it difficult for smaller businesses to compete. By embracing unfastened standards, nan manufacture could level nan playing field, allowing businesses of each sizes to use from AI innovation.

Markus Mueller, co-founder of GauVendi, underscores that nan existent worth of AI successful hospitality lies successful its ability to connect systems and improve collaboration. Open standards guarantee that smaller businesses do not get near down arsenic exertion continues to advance. With MCP and different unfastened standards, nan obstruction to introduction for AI tools would beryllium lowered, enabling much hotels to instrumentality AI-driven solutions without nan request for expensive, proprietary systems.

Overcoming nan Challenges of a Fragmented Industry

The hospitality manufacture has agelong been known for its fragmented systems and closed architectures, which person slowed innovation. As Uli Pillau, laminitis and CEO of Apaleo, points out, nan preamble of AI only highlights these existing weaknesses. Proprietary solutions, while offering short-term advantages, consequence exacerbating nan fragmentation by creating much silos wrong nan industry. The attraction connected closed systems has already led to difficulties pinch data integration, communication, and flexibility.

By embracing open standards, nan manufacture could statesman to dismantle these silos and create much cohesive systems that use everyone. Binu Mathews, head and CEO of IDS Next, argues that AI has nan imaginable to toggle shape nan guest experience, but only if it is allowed to connect seamlessly crossed different platforms. Open standards, specified arsenic MCP, supply nan basal infrastructure for this translator to return place.

Embracing Open Standards for nan Future of Hospitality

As nan statement betwixt proprietary vs. unfastened AI devices continues, it becomes progressively clear that nan future of hospitality lies successful collaboration and openness. The preamble of standards for illustration MCP presents a unsocial opportunity for nan manufacture to move beyond nan walled gardens of proprietary AI solutions and clasp a much inclusive and connected ecosystem. By doing so, nan hospitality assemblage tin guarantee that AI benefits everyone, from large edifice chains to small independent properties.

In nan coming years, nan occurrence of nan hospitality manufacture whitethorn dangle connected really good it tin merge caller technologies into a shared, unfastened ecosystem. The implementation of MCP and different unfastened standards is simply a important measurement successful that direction, providing nan instauration for a much connected, innovative, and accessible early for AI successful hospitality.