#296: Giving Hoteliers Flexibility to Build Their Ideal Tech Stack | with Philip von Ditfurth & Florian Montag — The Modern Hotelier

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Apaleo co-founder Philip von Ditfurth and SVP Revenue Florian Montag to explore the future of hospitality technology, AI, and open platform architecture.

The conversation dives into why Apaleo chose a composable, API-first approach long before it became an industry trend, how leading hotel brands are leveraging technology to improve both guest experiences and operational efficiency, and what hoteliers need to do today to prepare for the rise of agentic AI.

Philip shares lessons learned from building technology platforms across fragmented industries, while Florian offers a hotelier’s perspective on AI adoption, governance, and the importance of creating a future-ready technology foundation. Together, they discuss why flexibility, open infrastructure, and strategic technology decisions will define the next generation of successful hotel operators.

Key Topics Include:

The power of open APIs and composable hospitality technology
Why AI readiness starts with the right technology foundation
Lessons from innovative hotel brands like citizenM
Building a future-proof hotel tech stack
The balance between guest experience and operational efficiency

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uBwm8n1ExM8

Links:
Philip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-von-ditfurth-1a570/
Florian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fmontag/
Apaleo: https://apaleo.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/296

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Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.