The European Hotel Managers Association (EHMA) has honoured Mr Andreas Keese, General Manager of Hotel Sacher Wien, with its prestigious “EHMA Best Practices 2025” Award. The accolade recognises an outstanding, guest-centred approach to the theme “How IoT and AI Help Hoteliers Enhance the Guest Experience”, celebrating applied innovation that strengthens service quality while protecting the essence of human hospitality. The award was presented during the 52^nd EHMA Annual General Assembly, held at The Dorchester in London.

EHMA created the Best Practices Award to spotlight innovative initiatives that generate tangible benefits for guests and hotel teams. Mr Keese’s submission stood out for its disciplined, service-led philosophy: technology should sharpen quality, speed and insight, while human responsibility, empathy and tone remain constant. It is a model that resonates strongly with the realities of luxury hospitality in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Commenting on the award, Panos Almyrantis, President of EHMA, National Delegate for Greece & Cyprus, and Chief Growth & Commercial Officer at Ella Resorts in Athens, highlighted the broader significance of this year’s winning project:

“Best Practices is, at its core, about translating innovation into meaningful service — leveraging technology to enhance the guest experience, empower our teams, and preserve the warmth and authenticity that define European hospitality. Andreas Keese has shown, with great clarity, how AI can elevate excellence while fully safeguarding the human touch that remains at the heart of our industry.”