Saro Spadaro on the Business Decisions That Will Shape AI’s Role in Hospitality

Artificial intelligence is changing how hotels can plan their operations, manage resources and connect with travelers. Yet the real opportunity may lie less in automating every task and more in helping hospitality professionals make better decisions.

For Saro Spadaro, an Italian entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in Caribbean hospitality and real estate, AI offers practical possibilities in areas that guests rarely see: equipment maintenance, food preparation, housekeeping supplies and operational planning.

His perspective reflects a career that combines hotel management, financial responsibility and real estate development in Sint Maarten.

Rather than viewing technology as a replacement for hospitality professionals, Saro Spadaro sees its potential in supporting the people responsible for running hotels and serving guests.

Why Saro Spadaro Focuses on Hotel Operations

Much of the discussion about artificial intelligence in hospitality centers on guest-facing tools, including automated assistance and personalized travel recommendations.

But hotel performance also depends on the work taking place behind the scenes.

Maintenance teams must keep equipment functioning. Kitchens need to anticipate demand. Housekeeping departments must organize their schedules and supplies. Managers have to coordinate these activities while maintaining service standards and controlling costs.

Each department produces information that could help improve planning.

Saro Spadaro believes AI can become valuable when it helps hotel teams interpret that information and identify opportunities to work more efficiently.

The key is to start with a specific operational need.

A new technology does not automatically improve a business. Its usefulness depends on whether it helps employees solve problems, avoid unnecessary expenditure or provide a more reliable service.

Predictive Maintenance and More Reliable Hotel Operations

Maintenance is one of the areas where artificial intelligence could provide practical support.

Hotels depend on systems such as air conditioning, refrigeration and other essential equipment. When something breaks down unexpectedly, it can disrupt operations and affect the guest experience.

Predictive maintenance offers a different approach.

By analyzing equipment performance data, specialized systems may help identify warning signs before a failure occurs.

Maintenance teams can then assess whether inspections or repairs should be scheduled.

Saro Spadaro has highlighted predictive maintenance as a promising application of AI in the hospitality sector.

The objective is not to replace technicians. It is to give them additional information that can help prioritize their work and reduce avoidable disruptions.

Results will depend on the quality of the available data, the suitability of the technology and the decisions made by maintenance professionals.

Food Preparation, Housekeeping and Resource Efficiency

Food preparation is another area where accurate forecasting can make a difference.

Hotel kitchens must balance availability and choice with the need to avoid unnecessary preparation.

When demand is difficult to estimate, teams may prepare more food than guests require or find themselves adjusting production at short notice.

AI-assisted forecasting could help kitchens analyze demand patterns and plan quantities more accurately.

Saro Spadaro has also identified opportunities to improve the management of cleaning and laundry supplies.

Hotels use these products every day, and purchasing decisions must account for changing occupancy, service requirements and operational needs.

Better analysis could help managers anticipate consumption, organize purchases and identify inefficiencies.

These applications connect financial management with responsible resource use.

Reducing unnecessary consumption can be beneficial, but efficiency must never come at the expense of cleanliness, safety or guest comfort.

For Saro Spadaro, the value of AI lies in its ability to support better planning. Any actual savings or reductions in waste would need to be measured after implementation.

A Career Built Around Hospitality and Business Management

Saro Spadaro's interest in operational efficiency is closely connected to his professional experience.

He graduated from Bocconi University in Milan in 1999 with a degree in Business Administration, specializing in the Management of International Corporations.

His career in Sint Maarten had already begun.

In May 1996, Saro Spadaro was appointed Managing Director of Resort of the World N.V., operating as Sonesta Resorts Sint Maarten. In May 2003, he became the company's President and CEO.

His responsibilities included overall company management, business development strategy and finance.

His career also includes a Managing Director role at St. Maarten Resort Hotel & Casino N.V., operating as Great Bay Beach Hotel & Casino, from 1997 to 2017.

Beginning in 1999, he held management responsibilities at MADCO N.V., associated with Royal Islander Club La Plage, and Strathclyde Hotel Holdings Corporation N.V., associated with Royal Islander Club La Terrasse.

His professional experience extends beyond hotel operations.

In 2000, he became Managing Director of Monedo N.V., associated with the AquaMarina real estate development. In 2006, he took on the same role at Paradise Bay Resort N.V., associated with BlueMarine.

These positions combined business development, financial management and project management.

Today, Saro Spadaro leads The Maho Group, whose activities encompass hospitality, residential real estate and leisure in Sint Maarten.

This combination of operational and financial responsibilities provides useful context for his approach to new technologies.

A hotel is not simply a collection of services. It is a business in which maintenance, purchasing, staffing and investment decisions influence one another.

Why Human Expertise Still Matters

Artificial intelligence can help analyze information, but it cannot replace every decision involved in running a hotel.

A maintenance alert requires technical assessment. A forecast of food demand must be interpreted by people who understand the hotel's guests and service standards.

Employees also need to respond to situations that cannot always be anticipated by software.

Saro Spadaro believes that AI should strengthen human expertise rather than replace it.

This distinction is particularly important in hospitality, where the quality of an experience often depends on personal attention, communication and professional judgment.

Technology may help staff work with better information and spend less time on avoidable administrative tasks.

However, employees remain responsible for turning that information into appropriate action.

For hotel operators, the challenge is to identify where automation is useful and where human interaction remains essential.

AI-Assisted Travel Search and Hotel Visibility

The influence of artificial intelligence extends beyond hotel operations.

Travelers can now use AI-assisted tools to explore destinations, compare accommodation and research the services offered by different properties.

This creates new considerations for hospitality businesses.

Hotels need accurate, clearly organized digital information about their location, facilities, accommodation options and services.

Saro Spadaro considers AI-assisted travel discovery an important development for the sector.

As travelers adopt new ways of searching for information, hotels need to understand how their properties are described and represented across digital channels.

This does not mean abandoning traditional websites or marketing strategies.

It means recognizing that potential guests may encounter information about a property through several different types of search and recommendation tools.

Clear and reliable content helps travelers understand what a hotel offers, regardless of the platform they use.

The Next Step for AI in Hospitality

Artificial intelligence presents opportunities for hospitality businesses, but those opportunities should be evaluated through practical results.

Can a forecasting tool help maintenance teams plan inspections more effectively? Can kitchen managers prepare quantities that better reflect demand? Can housekeeping departments improve supply planning without compromising service quality?

These are the kinds of questions that connect innovation with everyday business decisions.

Saro Spadaro's perspective is grounded in the relationship between technology, operational efficiency and human expertise.

His experience in hotel management and real estate development provides a broader business context for that approach.

The future of AI in hospitality may ultimately depend less on how much work can be automated and more on whether technology helps professionals manage resources, solve problems and deliver a consistently good guest experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who is Saro Spadaro, and what is his professional background?

Saro Spadaro is an Italian entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in hospitality and real estate in Sint Maarten. He graduated from Bocconi University in Milan in 1999 and has held senior management positions in hotel operations, business development and real estate projects. He leads The Maho Group.

• What leadership roles has Saro Spadaro held at Sonesta Resorts Sint Maarten?

Saro Spadaro was appointed Managing Director of Resort of the World N.V., operating as Sonesta Resorts Sint Maarten, in May 1996. He became President and CEO in May 2003, with responsibilities covering company management, business development strategy and finance.

• How does Saro Spadaro believe AI can improve hotel operations?

Saro Spadaro sees potential in using AI to support predictive maintenance, food preparation planning and the management of cleaning and laundry supplies. These applications could help hotel teams anticipate needs, improve resource allocation and make more informed decisions.

• Why does Saro Spadaro believe human expertise remains essential in hospitality?

Saro Spadaro believes artificial intelligence should support hotel employees rather than replace them. While technology can help analyze data and improve planning, personal service, professional judgment and the ability to respond to individual guests remain essential.

• Why does Saro Spadaro consider AI-assisted travel search important for hotels?

Saro Spadaro recognizes that AI-assisted tools are changing how travelers research destinations and accommodation. He believes hotels should maintain clear, accurate digital information so travelers can understand their properties and services across evolving search platforms.