Tech Stack Chats with Rob Flinter, Regional General Manager, Westmont Hospitality Group
Welcome to Tech Stack Chats by Hospitality Tech 360. In our first edition, we speak with Rob Flinter, Regional General Manager at Westmont Hospitality Group, about the evolving role of tech in hospitality, from system integration challenges to automation opportunities, and why now is the right time for HT360.
I would say technology has influenced our operations in many ways. From the employee side, property management systems (PMSs) are absolutely key. Then there’s customer data and how we’re using that, which is probably the most significant element overall.
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems and revenue management tools are the two major areas for us in that regard. Beyond that, we also look at building technology, what’s happening behind the scenes and how we’re analysing our energy consumption.
Finally, there’s the guest-facing technology. So really, there are three sides to it: employee-focused systems, building operations, and the guest experience.
Would you say there are knowledge gaps when it comes to adopting new tech?
There are significant gaps. Operators often are not the most 'tech-savvy', as we are hospitality professionals and do not have expertise in the technology sector. As an industry, I would not say it is natural for us to be tech-savvy. You might be system-savvy, but with the tech world evolving so rapidly, it is difficult to have comprehensive knowledge across the board and challenging to keep up.
How can operators close the gap?
I have no idea. If I knew the answer to that, I’d be in a great position. I think you’re always trying to keep up with what’s happening in the industry or in related sectors as much as possible, constantly asking yourself: ‘What do I need to know?’, ‘What’s relevant?’, ‘What might help me?’, ‘What might give me some competitive advantage?’
But it is really difficult to do when you also have your day-to-day responsibilities to manage. This is true across the industry. Whether it's food trends or other developments, when you're running a hospitality business, you're constantly trying to stay up to date.
Across the UK, the cost of living is extremely high, and that places significant pressure on businesses in London, particularly in terms of workforce and operating costs. There are also huge pressures on revenue. Our people travelling represents our topline revenue, and cost pressures are probably the highest I have ever seen on so many levels.
Do you see a role for tech to help some of these pressures?
In so many ways, yes. There is definitely a role for technology when it comes to automating certain tasks, particularly those that can help address our challenges with staffing and finding the right person to fill specific roles.
Technology can be used to identify efficiencies in the right areas and to increase productivity. For example, if reception staff are carrying out a manual task, we are exploring how we can automate that process. This would free up their time to spend more with the customer, enhancing the customer experience. This is exactly the kind of area we have been focusing on.
If you could rebuild your tech stack from scratch, what would you do differently?
Everything, although I don’t think I will ever have the opportunity to do so, because so many elements of our technology are legacy systems that are integrated into global distribution systems.
If you could start with the property management system (PMS) and build everything around that, there would be far better integration with other platforms. Speaking as a straightforward operator, it is the lack of integration that frustrates me the most.
Why do you think now is the right time for a dedicated hospitality tech show like HT360?
Technology is becoming so intrinsic to all our lives. The industry is growing at a rapid pace, particularly in terms of the number of products available, so now is a good time to understand that landscape and the breadth of what is out there.
Personally, I need things to be simplified. Tell me what the output is, why I should use it, and how it is going to make my life easier. There are so many products on the market that it becomes difficult to know which ones will genuinely improve my day-to-day work, or someone else’s role, and how easily they can be adopted and integrated into our existing processes.
Meet operators and industry leaders just like Rob at Hospitality Tech360 (HT360), launching 30 March - 01 April 2026 at Excel London as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week.
Sign up to the HT360 community newsletter and be the first to hear when registration for HT360 goes live!