TIME Hotels accelerates AI strategy for 2026 | News
TIME Hotels has announced a strategic focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced digital transformation as a key pillar of its 2026 growth strategy, supporting operational scalability, improving guest experiences and advancing its ambitious international expansion pipeline.
As the company continues to expand across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, which includes an existing property portfolio of 17 hotels, and a further 5,000 keys and 12 properties in the pipeline, the group is investing in AI-powered and data-driven technologies to ensure consistent service delivery across all markets and brands.
Over the next five years, the group will prioritize end-to-end digitalization across the entire guest journey, creating a seamless, connected experience from booking to departure. This includes expanding mobile-first, AI-powered and self-service capabilities to meet evolving guest expectations, alongside continued investments in direct booking platforms through improved user experience and smarter conversion tools.
In addition, TIME Hotels is strengthening cybersecurity and data management frameworks to protect information and maintain trust, while implementing IoT-driven solutions that improve operational efficiency, optimize energy management and support long-term sustainability goals.
Within this framework, AI and data analytics will play a practical, operationally led role across the TIME Hotels portfolio, delivering tangible value in several key areas, including real-time guest personalization, improved service consistency across multiple hotels, stronger revenue and distribution decisions, and more effective operational planning.
Automated pre-arrival communications, during-stay notifications and post-stay feedback management will help create a smoother and more responsive guest journey, while on-site teams can focus on guest interactions and personalized care.
Mohamed Awadalla, CEO of TIME Hotels
Mohamed Awadalla, CEO of TIME Hotels, said: “As a mid-sized hospitality group operating in multiple markets, the company views AI as a tool to support stronger decision making, improve consistency and deepen guest engagement, rather than as a replacement for human services.
“Collectively, these technologies act as enablers, improving operational performance, sharpening commercial strategy and ensuring the guest experience remains intuitive, personalized and consistently aligned with the values that define TIME Hotels. As we move into 2026, AI and data analytics will play an increasingly important role in helping us grow smarter and operate more efficiently across multiple markets.
The company continues to leverage technology as a driving force behind its business model, integrating property management systems, CRM, loyalty platforms, reservations and guest-facing touchpoints. These initiatives, including partnerships with Shiji Group and Amadeus, have combined to accelerate growth while underscoring the company’s people-centric focus.
The collaboration with Shiji has led to the introduction of a unified cloud-based real estate management system, significantly strengthening operational control and improving service accuracy across the organization. The platform has enabled faster, more efficient check-in and check-out processes, centralized guest profiles to support more personalized service and streamlined back-office functions to reduce operational complexity.
TIME Hotels has further strengthened its digital ecosystem by implementing Amadeus GMS as a CRM and loyalty solution, improving guest lifecycle management through personalization and automated, data-driven engagement across all touchpoints. This is complemented by an upgraded booking engine and website, designed to provide an easy-to-use, mobile-optimized direct booking experience.
“By strengthening data integrity and improving our forecasting, analytics and reporting capabilities, we have improved decision-making at both the property and group levels. This integration supports our long-term strategy to build scalable, standardized and truly guest-centric operations, allowing us to continue to grow across multiple markets without compromising the quality, consistency or personalized nature of the experience we deliver,” Awadalla added.
TIME Hotels currently operates 17 hotels in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with more than 3,000 keys, with new hotels in Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Morocco and the Indian Ocean in the pipeline.
The expansion into these countries is supported by the strategic rollout of the group’s growing brand portfolio. These include VIVI by TIME, a bold lifestyle brand; HALO by TIME, a premium luxury offering; and Rotella, TIME Hotels’ luxury concept, designed to offer exclusivity, sophistication and culturally enriched hospitality. The company is also repositioning its residential offering into three different levels, TIME Residences Classic, Executive and Premium, to serve both long- and short-stay guests.
