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Cobblestone Hotels Touts Tech Gains at 2026 Conference

The hotel brand is seeing increased adoption of mobile tools and self-service kiosks across its national property portfolio.

Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Hotels

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Cobblestone Hotels is expanding its use of self-service check-in tools to streamline property operations and better manage rising labor costs. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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At its recent 2026 annual conference in San Antonio, Cobblestone Hotels highlighted successful pilot programs for new guest-facing technologies. The brand is looking to streamline operations and offset rising costs for its franchisees through cloud-based systems.

Why it matters

The shift toward automated check-in and retail kiosks reflects an industry-wide effort to manage labor expenses more efficiently. By leaning into self-service, the company aims to reduce front-desk demands without shifting to AI-driven guest services.

The company currently manages between 7,800 and 7,900 guestrooms nationwide. In pilot markets, self-service retail kiosk usage reached 13 percent, while mobile check-out usage grew to 5.6 percent in 2026 from 2.4 percent in 2025.

The players

Cobblestone Hotels

This American hospitality brand specializes in providing lodging services across various markets.

Stayntouch

This company provides cloud-based property-management technology to the global hotel industry.

The details

Cobblestone Hotels has been integrating cloud-based property-management software through a partnership established with Stayntouch in 2024. Despite flat growth in total property numbers, the brand is actively expanding its reach with new locations in states including Ohio, Wisconsin, Alabama, and Colorado.

Timeline

  1. 2024: Cobblestone Hotels partnered with Stayntouch.

  2. 2025: Baseline period for mobile check-in and check-out usage.

  3. October 9, 2026: Cobblestone Hotels held its annual conference in San Antonio.

Travel Outlook

The widespread adoption of cloud-based management systems reflects an industry-wide strategy to prioritize operational efficiency during periods of stagnant growth. This trend mirrors findings in the AHLA's Hotelier Labor and Technology Trend Report regarding how automated tools mitigate rising overhead.

Travelers at participating Cobblestone locations can expect an increasingly digitized check-in and retail experience. Guests should prepare to use mobile apps for room access and self-service kiosks, as these systems become more common across the brand's portfolio.

The takeaway

The increased reliance on self-service technology shows that hotel brands are prioritizing operational efficiency to maintain service levels. Guests may find faster, app-based check-in processes as a standard feature at more locations in the near future.

Further reading

For more context on the state of the hospitality sector, visit the United States Hotels section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Hotel Management.

Live Poll

Do you prefer using self-service kiosks over traditional hotel front-desk check-in?