The initiative includes collaborations with Accenture, Amadeus and EHL Hospitality Business School, focusing on digital architecture, distribution systems and workforce capabilities. The move is designed to support the integration of intelligent agents into travel planning and booking processes.
Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Ascott, stated: “Distribution shifts, labour pressures and rising guest expectations are reshaping hospitality. While AI is already helping Ascott make meaningful strides across commercial and operational functions, the bigger opportunity lies in what comes next. Instead of waiting to see how agentic AI plays out in travel, we are building the infrastructure to shape how it does. With more than 1,000 properties across 14 brands in over 230 cities, the opportunity before us is significant. The work we are announcing today covers how our workflows are redesigned, how our inventory reaches guests and how our people are equipped to deliver. AI can power our operations, but only our people can exercise the judgement that turns a stay into a memory. That balance will guide how we continue to invest and operate.”
The company’s approach builds on existing AI applications, including its digital concierge Cubby, launched in 2023, which has supported more than 900,000 guest enquiries. AI is also being applied across marketing, revenue management, sales and content creation, with workflows redesigned to improve efficiency and performance.
Through its collaboration with Accenture, Ascott is developing a foundational digital architecture to enable seamless communication across core systems such as central reservations, property management, customer relationship management and loyalty platforms. The initiative includes pilot testing of large language model-enabled applications and unified commerce concepts.
Emily Weiss, Senior Managing Director and Global Travel Industry Lead at Accenture, said: “Agentic commerce represents the biggest shift in commerce in the last 20 years. In travel specifically, we see this shift taking place across the entire end to end journey; from inspiration and planning to booking and loyalty. Ascott recognised early on that brands who have systems that agents can trust enough to transact with, have the advantage. Therefore, a technology overlay is not sufficient – platforms needed to be re-architected while reimagining how brands present themselves to machines. With Ascott, we are collaborating to build that foundation, positioning Cubby to move from travel companion to booking agent.”
In parallel, Ascott is implementing the Amadeus Central Reservations System, introducing an API-first architecture to enable more flexible inventory management based on room categories and property attributes. This approach aims to support more precise matching of accommodation options to traveller preferences and improve distribution efficiency.
Paul Wilson, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Hospitality at Amadeus, noted: “Ascott operates one of the most diverse hospitality portfolios globally, with deep roots in Asia and growing scale across multiple regions. Attribute-based shopping is where distribution is heading, and Ascott understands that better than most. We are pleased to bring these modern retailing capabilities to our customers as we transform the hospitality industry in partnership with forward-thinking customers like Ascott.”
To support workforce development, Ascott is collaborating with EHL Hospitality Business School to deliver training programmes through its Global Brand Academy. These initiatives aim to equip employees with the skills required to integrate AI into operations while maintaining service standards and brand consistency.
Tan Bee Leng, Chief Commercial Officer of Ascott, added: “In an agent-led travel ecosystem, Ascott properties will have to be visible where the real decisions are made — inside algorithms. Brand and property information must become machine-readable and optimised for generative engines. That requires smarter recommendations, more precise inventory matching and loyalty experiences that recognise our Ascott Star Rewards members at every touchpoint, whether they are searching on their own or through an agent. Our work with Accenture and Amadeus is building exactly that foundation. But technology alone cannot deliver the heartfelt experiences that define an Ascott stay. Our collaboration with EHL is about keeping our people as the human advantage, bringing warmth and genuine care that no AI can fully replicate.”
The initiative reflects a broader shift towards AI-enabled travel ecosystems, with Ascott focusing on strengthening booking value, operational efficiency and time-to-market, while adapting to evolving distribution models and customer expectations.
