Singapore – The Ascott Limited, the lodging arm of CapitaLand Investment, has outlined plans to expand its AI-ready infrastructure to support the growing role of automated agents in travel planning and booking. The initiative centres on partnerships with Accenture, Amadeus and EHL Hospitality Business School, aimed at strengthening its technology architecture, distribution capabilities and workforce readiness.
The company is positioning itself to adapt to changes in how travellers interact with digital platforms, as AI-driven systems increasingly influence decision-making. Its approach focuses on building integrated systems that enable data sharing across reservations, property management, customer relationship management and loyalty platforms, while incorporating responsible AI practices and data protection measures.
Pilot programmes will explore applications such as large language model-enabled tools and unified commerce frameworks to support machine-mediated interactions.
“Instead of waiting to see how agentic AI plays out in travel, we are building the infrastructure to shape how it does,” Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Ascott, commented.
“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 judgment that turns a stay into a memory.”
Ascott has already introduced AI-driven tools across its operations, including its digital concierge, Cubby, which has handled a significant volume of guest enquiries and contributed to booking processes. The platform is expected to evolve further, with capabilities to anticipate traveller preferences, recommend options and complete transactions autonomously. The company is also enhancing its digital content and customer engagement strategies to improve visibility within AI-powered search and recommendation systems.
The company is also working with Accenture to design the foundational digital architecture required for an AI-enabled travel ecosystem. This includes developing interoperable systems that support seamless communication across core platforms and enable new forms of automated, agent-led transactions.
“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,” Emily Weiss, Senior Managing Director and Global Travel Industry Lead at Accenture, stated.
“With Ascott, we are collaborating to build that foundation, positioning Cubby to move from travel companion to booking agent.”
In distribution, Ascott is implementing the Amadeus Central Reservations System to support more flexible inventory management. The system will allow properties to be marketed using detailed attributes rather than fixed room categories, enabling more tailored matching of accommodation options to guest preferences and improving efficiency in bringing offers to market.
“Attribute-based shopping is where distribution is heading, and Ascott understands that better than most,” Paul Wilson, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Hospitality at Amadeus, shared.
“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.”
Alongside technology investments, Ascott is developing workforce capabilities to support its transformation. Through collaboration with EHL, training programmes are being introduced to equip employees with skills to operate in an AI-enabled environment while maintaining service standards.
The initiative aims to balance automation with human-led hospitality, ensuring that operational efficiencies are complemented by personalised guest experiences.
