Nishan Silva is a globally experienced hospitality leader, currently serving as Regional General Manager at Accor Hotels in the UAE. With over 25 years of international experience across eight countries and three major hotel brands, he’s renowned for blending cutting-edge AI and data science into hotel operations while maintaining a human touch.

We interviewed Nishan to dive deeper into the AI system he helped develop, one of the first of its kind in the hospitality industry.

One Single Location

The main objectives of shared services are to centralise core support functions in a single location for economic efficiency, maximise scalability, develop a forward-looking business model and grow future leaders for Accor Hotels. Shared services act as a co-primary strategic business leader alongside the hotel General Manager by ensuring the implementation of Accor Hotels’ brand service concepts and corporate initiatives. The goal is to drive a holistic hospitality experience, increase revenue and grow market share.

Our shared services model helps us operate with both efficiency and consistency. It centralises expertise in critical functions like human resources, finance, procurement, sales, reservations, revenue and marketing so each hotel benefits from a depth of knowledge that would be hard to maintain individually. For example, we have one expert team supporting all hotels. That allows General Managers to focus more on guest experience and operational excellence, while the support functions handle systems and structure in the background. It also helps when implementing innovations across the portfolio. When we introduce a new process or technology, like our Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Analytics Ecosystem, it can be integrated at scale quickly and consistently.

Keeping The Balance

The biggest challenge is keeping the balance between operational efficiency and brand personality. With fifteen hotels, it is easy to default to uniformity for the sake of speed. But we are in hospitality and what works in a resort in Ras Al Khaimah may not resonate in a business hotel in Dubai Creek. Each property has its own story to tell and guest profile to serve. I make it a priority to empower the general managers with enough autonomy to maintain their hotel’s individuality. We provide the systems and structure through shared services while allowing the creativity and culture to be built locally. That way, the guest feels something authentic no matter where they stay and the brand remains strong across every touchpoint.

A First For Hospitality

It started from a very practical frustration. I noticed how much time our teams spent on repetitive administrative tasks. Whether it was tracking probation periods, updating contracts, or chasing compliance reports, it was hours of work that could have been spent focusing on people, guests and strategy. I’ve always believed technology should support people, not replace them and I saw an opportunity to use automation to eliminate the kind of work that drains energy and adds little value. That was the initial spark, how can we give our teams their time back so they can focus on what actually matters in hospitality?

Idea To Reality

We took a very focused, test-driven approach. We started by mapping out one small but high-impact process in HR: managing probation periods and contract renewals. Then we worked with our internal HR team and a few external consultants who specialise in RPA—Robotic Process Automation. We built a basic prototype, tested it in one hotel and learned from the feedback. Once we saw that it worked and more importantly, that the team trusted it, we scaled it to the rest of the cluster. It wasn’t about launching a massive platform from day one. It was about solving a real problem, proving the value and expanding from there.

Built For Automation

ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and CoPilot are designed for generating content and having conversations based on prompts. They’re powerful tools for creative thinking, writing, or brainstorming. What we’ve developed isn’t built for conversation, it’s built for automation and decision support. Our AI uses structured data from hotel systems to trigger specific actions, generate alerts and reduce manual work in back-of-house functions. It’s more task-oriented and fully integrated into our business processes.

Day-to-day Use

The most common use is in human resources. Our AI tool automatically monitors when employees are nearing the end of their probation period, checks eligibility, prepares renewal documents and sends alerts to managers. Previously, this process was tracked manually across spreadsheets and calendars. It was prone to error and took up hours every week.

In finance, the AI supports by running checks for unusual transactions and variances. Instead of relying only on manual reports, we now have a system that flags inconsistencies for further review.

Time For Strategic Thinking

It has completely shifted their focus. Take HR for example, rather than spending time updating files, sending reminders, or manually processing renewals, they’re now thinking more strategically. They can focus on training programs, employee engagement and future workforce planning.

Procurement has also evolved. The AI now helps generate and manage contracts across all properties. It creates documents, sends reminders for renewals, flags compliance or supply issues, distributes them to suppliers and even follows up on payment status. What used to involve several emails, spreadsheets and manual tracking is now streamlined and consistent. That frees up the procurement team to focus on building better supplier partnerships and finding more sustainable sourcing strategies.

And finally, our signature procure-to-pay (P2P) automation is a major development, one of the first in our industry.

Mixed Reactions

The initial response was mixed, which is normal with any new technology. Some team members were hesitant and unsure if it would be reliable or just add more work. But after using it and seeing how much time it saves, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The team feels like they have more breathing room and can focus on guests and strategic projects. The repetitive admin and endless reports they used to prepare are no longer weighing them down. That shift in mindset has been one of the most powerful outcomes.

Any Big Updates?

We’re launching a Predictive Maintenance and Energy Optimisation initiative across our hotel portfolio. This project uses machine learning to forecast equipment failures and optimise energy usage based on occupancy, weather and operational patterns. The goal is to reduce downtime, cut energy costs and enhance sustainability across all properties.

Rapid Fire Round

What would you say to hotel leaders still unsure about using AI?
AI isn’t here to replace people, it’s here to help them work smarter. Think better forecasting, fewer equipment failures, lower energy costs. It’s not a leap; it’s the next step. And it’s already happening.

Which team picked it up the fastest?
HR and Finance. Less paperwork, less admin. Once they saw the benefit, they became the biggest champions, peer-to-peer advocacy made all the difference.

If your AI system had a personality, what would it be?
Precise. Quietly efficient. Always two steps ahead. It spots patterns, gives insights, and keeps things running smoother than ever.

What’s one thing AI should never touch in hospitality?
Human connection. The warmth of a welcome, the empathy of a great host, that’s irreplaceable. Tech can enhance service, but the heart of hospitality must always stay human.

Read More>> https://www.nishansilva.com/