Ascott is overhauling its technology infrastructure to prepare for a future in which artificial intelligence (AI) agents make most travel decisions.
The CapitaLand Investment unit says it is working with Accenture, Amadeus and EHL Hospitality Business School to rebuild how its core systems connect, how inventory is presented and how staff are trained.
The push reflects a growing urgency among hospitality companies to ensure their inventory is legible to AI systems that are increasingly acting as intermediaries between travellers and bookings. "Instead of waiting to see how agentic AI plays out in travel, we are building the infrastructure to shape how it does," says Kevin Goh, Ascott’s chief executive officer.
Ascott’s digital concierge Cubby provides an early indication of that direction. Introduced in 2023, it has handled more than 900,000 guest enquiries and already supports booking outcomes by managing routine requests.
The company now wants Cubby to evolve from a customer service tool into something closer to a personal travel agent, one that can compare options, plan itineraries and complete bookings autonomously on a guest's behalf.
Getting there requires more than a software upgrade. Ascott's work with Accenture involves rebuilding the foundational architecture that connects its reservation, property management, customer relationship and loyalty platforms so they can communicate seamlessly with AI systems. The companies will pilot model context protocol frameworks and large language model applications to allow AI agents to interact directly with backend systems without manual workarounds.
At the same time, Ascott is revising how its inventory is defined. Traditional reservation systems rely on fixed room categories, which can limit how effectively automated tools match travellers with options.
To address this, the company is implementing a reservations platform from Amadeus that describes properties using a broader set of attributes. This enables both travellers and software agents to assess options with more context, while giving Ascott greater control over pricing and promotions.
Ascott's chief commercial officer Tan Bee Leng says properties need to be visible “where the real decisions are made — inside algorithms,” adding that information must be machine-readable and optimised for generative engines.
However, she was also direct about the limits of automation: "Technology alone cannot deliver the heartfelt experiences that define an Ascott stay." This is why Ascott is developing training programmes in collaboration with Swiss hospitality school EHL to build a pool of certified internal trainers through its Global Brand Academy. The goal is to keep frontline staff capable of delivering the kind of service that automated systems cannot replicate. The rollout starts with the Ascott brand before extending to Oakwood, Citadines and others.
