Fractional CTO

The Problem

Most hotel groups and large independents have invested significantly in technology, but very few have someone in the business who actually owns the technical decision-making. There are senior leaders across departments, a CEO, revenue directors, marketing heads, but nobody being the glue that pulls all of these systems together into a coherent strategy.

The result is predictable. Vendors are bought into in isolation. Contracts overlap. Data sits in silos that nobody can access. The marketing team cannot be empowered by guest data because no one has connected the dots between the PMS, the CRM, the booking engine, and the loyalty programme. Frustration creeps in. Costs escalate. And the technology that was supposed to create a competitive advantage becomes a source of friction instead.

What a Fractional CTO Actually Does

I sit alongside your leadership team as the strategic technical voice you are missing. This is not about writing code or managing IT support. It is about ensuring that every technology decision in the business is made with full visibility of how it connects to everything else.

The engagement typically begins with a comprehensive tech stack audit. I map every system, every integration, every API connection, every contract. I look at connectivity, data flows, vendor relationships, and where the bottlenecks are. This is not a surface-level review. It goes deep into the architecture of how your hotel actually operates digitally.

From there, I build a technology roadmap that spans 1, 2, and 5 years. This is not a wishlist. It is a prioritised, sequenced plan that aligns your technology investments with your guest experience strategy. That alignment is critical, and it is remarkably rare. Technology strategies and guest experience strategies are almost never developed together, and that disconnect is where most hotel groups lose value.

Board-Level Advisory

I advise ownership structures alongside management companies on how the digital asset becomes a serious strategic consideration when investing in and scaling a portfolio. When you are acquiring properties, repositioning brands, or renegotiating management agreements, the technology stack matters. Who owns the data? What are the integration costs of bringing a new property onto the platform? What is the total cost of ownership across the group? These are questions that need a technical perspective at the table.

The Ongoing Rhythm

After the initial audit and roadmap, the engagement typically settles into an ongoing advisory rhythm. I review the tech stack continuously, bring the latest market developments to the table, share what other groups are doing, identify connectivity opportunities, and flag when the landscape has shifted in ways that affect your strategy.

Think of it as having a technical co-pilot. Someone who is constantly scanning the horizon while you focus on running the business. Someone who can sit in vendor meetings with you and ask the questions that the vendor does not want you to ask. Someone who can translate between what the marketing team needs and what the IT team can deliver.

Who This Is For

I work with hotel groups ranging from 5 to 35 properties, as well as large independents with complex tech stacks. The typical client is someone who has reached a point where they know their technology needs strategic oversight but cannot justify or does not need a full-time CTO. They want control, clarity, and a plan. That is exactly what this delivers.

This is my personal advisory practice, independent of any agency or vendor. My only interest is getting your technology strategy right.