How Chemical Cost Savings Fund Revenue Technology Investments With Sue Graves

Susan (Sue) Graves is the Founder and CEO of Experience Alive, a hospitality technology consultancy that helps hotels, restaurants, and convention centers implement sustainable tech solutions to optimize operations and guest experiences. Under her leadership, the company has achieved measurable outcomes, including a 30% increase in sales revenue and a $140 million renovation for a major convention center.

Before founding Experience Alive, Sue held executive roles at Marriott International and directed operational enhancements at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. She is recognized for innovative problem-solving during crises and her practical expertise at every tier of the hospitality industry.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• [3:08] Sue Graves discusses the global challenges with robotics and labor costs due to soaring insurance prices
• [5:56] Crisis-tested strategies from running a hotel during 9/11
• [14:03] How closing operational gaps boosts revenue by 37%
• [20:54] Impact of simplifying processes to reduce friction in hotel operations
• [24:53] Real-world examples of “future tech” solving hotel pain points today
• [26:52] Why identifying the real problem trumps chasing shiny solutions
• [37:30] Sue’s five-step vetting framework to pick winning hotel technologies
• [52:01] How humanoid robots will soon transform hotel operations

In this episode...

Small operational savings can do more than protect a hotel’s margins. When the right costs come down, they can create room for smarter investments in technology, guest experience, and revenue growth, but where should hoteliers start?

For Sue Graves, the key lies in finding savings that can fund the next layer of improvement. She explains that something as simple as switching to ozonated water can cut chemical costs by 30-40%, reduce slip-and-fall risk, and free up labor that is often wasted on repetitive cleaning routines. Those savings can then be redirected into tools such as AI-powered phone support, direct booking technology, and other solutions that enhance service while protecting profitability.

In this episode of The Lights On Podcast, Kin Sio is joined by Sue Graves, Founder and CEO of Experience Alive, to discuss how chemical cost savings can fund revenue technology investments. They discuss reducing operating costs, utilizing AI to recover missed calls, enhancing direct bookings, and creating a flywheel for improved margins. Sue also shares advice on vetting hotel tech vendors.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Kin Sio on LinkedIn
• Lights On
• Susan (Sue) Graves on LinkedIn
• Experience Alive
• Booking.com
• Expedia
• ChatGPT
• Claude
• Perplexity
• Grok
• Bonafide
• olive
• eTip
• BluIP

Quotable Moments:

• “AI is here. It's growing fast, and not necessarily do you have to adopt it immediately.”
• “I think, you know, thinking creatively through these dark times can really help propel a team forward.”
• “I think you just gotta pull the team together and say, this is what it is.”
• “The biggest source of truth needs to be the hotel or the hotel company.”
• “Let's preserve our human capital for human capital needs, addressing emotional situations, critical thinking skills.”

Action Steps:

1. Identify where money is being wasted: Reviewing everyday operating costs can uncover savings that can be redirected toward technology, revenue growth, and guest experience improvements.
2. Ask your team what slows them down: Listening to employees’ daily frustrations can reveal simple process changes that save time, reduce friction, and improve morale.
3. Invest in technology that solves a real problem: Choosing tools based on actual operational needs helps hotels avoid wasted spend and achieve measurable business impact.
4. Use cost savings to fund revenue-driving solutions: Reducing expenses in areas like chemicals, labor, or risk management can create room to invest in AI, direct booking tools, and guest service technology.
5. Vet vendors before committing to new tools: Evaluating security, ease of implementation, employee impact, and guest experience ensures each solution supports long-term hotel performance.

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is sponsored by Lights On.

Lights On helps hotels grow revenue more consistently by managing pricing, distribution, and digital marketing together.

We help hotels identify new revenue opportunities, so they don't leave money on the table. We also manage the full revenue and marketing operation, enabling the on-the-ground team to focus on the guest experience.

If your hotel needs stronger revenue growth, visit lightson.co to learn more.

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