I surveyed 21 hotel and motel owners about their properties, maintenance expenses, replacement parts, access to supplies, and familiarity with 3D printing.

Universal parts were one of the strongest findings.

Twenty of the 21 respondents said their broken parts were usually universal rather than specifically branded to the hotel. That matters because universal parts are the easiest place to imagine a digital inventory: one model can potentially solve the same problem across many properties.

Maintenance spending is not trivial.

The original Google Forms chart shows respondents spread across four annual spending bands. The largest single group reported spending $5,001 or more each year on maintenance parts and hardware supplies.

Research note: the written project summary says 13 of 21 respondents spent more than $2,500 annually, while the chart categories visually total 14 of 21. The Research page preserves the original chart and flags the discrepancy.

Interest was stronger than familiarity.

Just over half of respondents said they already knew about 3D printing. When asked whether they would consider buying a 3D printer, however, 42.9% answered yes and 52.4% answered maybe. Only a small minority answered no.

That does not prove every hotel should buy a printer. It does suggest that owners are open to the idea if someone can show them a practical use for it.

Technology support may not be the barrier it seems.

More than three-quarters of respondents said they had a family member or employee who could help with technology if needed. For family-operated properties, that can make adoption much more realistic than assuming the owner must become a technical expert alone.