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IT for properties that can’t go dark in peak season.

Guests judge you by the Wi-Fi, the booking experience and whether their card details stay safe. You get networks that cover the whole property, booking and payment systems locked down, and AI that takes the repetitive work off the front desk.

  • Hotels, motels and inns
  • Campgrounds and RV parks
  • Marinas and yacht clubs
  • Bed and breakfasts
  • Short-term rental hosts and managers
  • Event and wedding venues

What makes hospitality IT different

A property runs on a reservation or property management system, a booking engine, listings on Airbnb, Booking.com or Expedia, card payments, door locks or gates, cameras and guest Wi-Fi. Each piece usually came from a different vendor, they often share one flat network, and they’re managed by whoever is on shift.

Attackers know it. Booking-platform phishing has become one of the industry’s signature scams: a fake guest message or platform notice steals a staff login, and then the attacker messages your real guests from your real account asking them to “verify” their card. Microsoft reported one campaign aimed at hospitality businesses that began in December 2024 and was still running months later.

Campgrounds, RV parks and marinas add their own twist: Wi-Fi spread across acres or docks that guests review you on, seasonal staff who come and go, and a short season with no room for downtime. I’m based in Southeast Michigan and travel to properties across the state for the right project.

Rules you may answer to

Hospitality isn’t heavily regulated for data, but cards, pricing and your platforms all come with rules.

PCI DSS 4.0.1
Deposits, cards kept on file for incidentals, and reservations taken by phone all bring the payment card rules into scope. Card authorization forms sent by email are one of the most common gaps.
FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees
Since May 12, 2025, anyone offering short-term lodging or live-event tickets must show the total price, including mandatory fees such as resort, cleaning or service fees, up front. That covers your website, booking engine and ads.
Michigan breach notification law
Guest names, contact details, ID scans and payment information are personal information under Michigan law, and exposing them triggers notice obligations.
Platform and brand standards
Booking platforms, franchise brands and payment processors set their own security requirements, and an account takeover can get a listing suspended.

Where properties get hurt, and how I close the gap

Properties are attacked hardest when they’re busiest and least able to deal with it. Here’s where they get hurt, with the numbers behind it and what I do about each.

  1. 82%of North American hotels had a successful cyberattack during the summer 2024 travel season

    Peak season is attack season

    More than half, 58%, were targeted five or more times, and 12% of hotel leaders believed a single attack could shut a property down. Attackers time it for when you’re full and short-staffed.

    What I doPatching, backups and monitoring finished before the season starts, a tested plan for running the front desk if systems go down, and one person to call when something breaks on a Saturday.

    Source: VikingCloud, 2025 State of Hospitality Cyber Report, via Hotel Business

  2. 48%of hotel IT and security leaders weren’t confident their staff could spot AI-driven attacks and deepfakes

    Hijacked booking accounts

    A message from a “guest” or a fake platform notice gets a staff member to log in or open a file. The attacker then has your booking account, your guest list and a trusted channel to every upcoming guest.

    What I doIndividual logins with multi-factor sign-in on every booking platform and your property management system, a rule to never log in from a link in a message, and training built around the fake guest messages properties actually receive.

    Source: VikingCloud, 2025 State of Hospitality Cyber Report, via SecurityInfoWatch

  3. 79%of ransomware attacks began with an identity-based approach, such as phishing or stolen credentials

    Shared logins and seasonal staff

    Front desks share one password, seasonal staff keep their access after they leave, and the same login opens email, reservations and payments. One stolen password unlocks all of it.

    What I doIndividual accounts for every staff member, access matched to the job, a checklist for removing access the day someone leaves, and a password manager the whole team actually uses.

    Source: Sophos, State of Ransomware 2026 (all industries)

  4. 72%of hotel IT and security leaders put payment and point-of-sale systems at the top of their guest-facing risk list, ahead of guest Wi-Fi at 56%

    Cards on file for deposits and incidentals

    Card numbers still end up in reservation systems, emailed authorization forms and notes fields, and peak season brings more of them.

    What I doTokenized payments so card numbers never sit in your systems, a secure link in place of emailed authorization forms, and the right PCI questionnaire filed accurately.

    Source: VikingCloud, 2025 State of Hospitality Cyber Report

  5. ~65,000rental scams reported to the FTC since 2020, with about $65 million lost

    Fake listings using your property

    About half of recent reports started with a fake ad on Facebook. Scammers copy your photos, post your cabin, site or rental at a lower price and collect deposits, and your name is on the angry review.

    What I doRegular checks for copies of your listings, a clear “book only here” message on your site and listings, and payments accepted only through your official booking channels.

    Source: Banker & Tradesman, on the FTC’s rental scam data (December 2025)

Related services: Network security & cybersecurity · Managed IT services · Website design & web apps · AI consulting & integration · Staff training

Where AI helps, and where it needs guardrails

AI can answer the same questions guests ask every day, draft review replies and keep listings fresh. It shouldn’t ever see a card number or a guest’s ID.

Good places to start

  • Answers to common guest questions and pre-arrival messages, in your voice
  • Replies to online reviews, checked before posting
  • Listing descriptions, seasonal promotions and newsletters
  • Housekeeping checklists, opening and closing procedures and staff training
  • Event proposals, timelines and vendor follow-ups

Keep out of AI tools unless approved

  • Card numbers and card authorization forms
  • Guest ID, passport and driver’s license scans
  • Guest lists and personal details in free or personal tools
  • Chatbots that quote prices without the mandatory fees

How a secure AI setup works

Put AI to work on bookings and the front desk

Your reservation history already knows when you’ll be full, and your guests ask the same questions every day. AI can use both: better forecasts and rates, faster answers, and cameras that do more than record.

Occupancy, pricing and staffing forecasts

Your own booking history, seasons and local events used to predict demand, so rates and schedules are set ahead of time instead of the night before.

What it covers

  • Occupancy forecasts by date, season and local event
  • Rate suggestions you approve before anything changes
  • Housekeeping and front-desk schedules matched to arrivals
  • Sites and slips matched to rig and boat length to fit more guests
  • Opening and closing plans for seasonal properties

Best forProperties pricing from last year’s spreadsheet.

  • Higher occupancy
  • Better rates
  • Right-sized staffing

Guest messaging and operations

An assistant that answers the everyday questions in your voice and hands guests to a person when it should, plus help sorting the work behind the scenes.

What it covers

  • Answers to common guest questions day and night, with handoff to staff
  • Pre-arrival, check-in and check-out messages
  • Review summaries that show what guests keep mentioning
  • Maintenance requests triaged and routed
  • Event inquiries captured and first-draft proposals prepared

Best forSmall teams answering the same calls and messages all day.

  • Faster replies
  • Fewer front-desk calls
  • Better reviews

Property camera vision

The cameras you already have at gates, ramps, docks and lots, used to count and alert instead of only recording.

What it covers

  • Vehicle, trailer and boat counts at gates and launch ramps
  • After-hours alerts at docks, gates and storage areas
  • Check-out condition photos compared with check-in for rentals
  • Counts and conditions only: no facial recognition

Best forCampgrounds, marinas and rentals spread over a lot of ground.

  • Fewer disputes
  • Safer property
  • Less walking the grounds

How it gets set up

  • Guest Wi-Fi kept separate from the office, payment devices, cameras and door locks.
  • Card numbers and guest IDs never touch an AI tool.
  • Booking platform and property management integrations use their own accounts with multi-factor sign-in.
  • A person approves rate changes and anything that sets policy for guests.

AI consulting & integration · Agentic operations

Common questions

Can guests and staff share one Wi-Fi network?

They shouldn’t. Guests, the office, payment devices and cameras or door locks each belong on their own network. At campgrounds, RV parks and marinas, the guest network also needs real coverage planning, because Wi-Fi that drops at the far sites or the end of the dock shows up in your reviews.

How do we keep scammers out of our Booking.com or Airbnb account?

Give every staff member their own login, turn on multi-factor sign-in, and never log in from a link in an email or message: go to the platform directly. Check your outgoing messages for anything you didn’t send, and tell guests up front that you’ll never ask them to re-enter card details by message.

Does the FTC fee rule apply to us?

If you offer short-term lodging or sell tickets to live events, very likely. Mandatory fees have to be included in the price you advertise, on your website, booking engine and listings. I can update your site and booking flow to show total prices; confirm the legal details with your attorney.

Do you work with properties outside Metro Detroit?

Yes. Much of the work can be done remotely, and I travel to properties across Michigan, including campgrounds, marinas and resorts up north, for the right project.

Sources

  1. VikingCloud, 2025 State of Hospitality Cyber Report, via Hotel Business
  2. VikingCloud, 2025 State of Hospitality Cyber Report, via SecurityInfoWatch
  3. Sophos, State of Ransomware 2026 (all industries)
  4. VikingCloud, 2025 State of Hospitality Cyber Report
  5. Banker & Tradesman, on the FTC’s rental scam data (December 2025)
  6. FTC, Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees: FAQs
  7. Microsoft Threat Intelligence, Booking.com phishing campaign, via Hospitality Net
  8. PCI Security Standards Council, SAQ A updates
  9. Michigan Identity Theft Protection Act, MCL 445.72 (breach notice)

Figures and rules on this page were checked against these sources on October 27, 2026, using the latest edition available. This page is general information, not legal advice.

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A full house, without the surprises.

Tell me how your property takes bookings and payments and keeps guests online. You’ll get a short list of fixes, starting with the ones that protect your busy season.

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