SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 April 2026 - The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the wholly owned lodging business unit of CapitaLand Investment (CLI), today announced a decisive push into AI-ready infrastructure to position itself at the forefront of agentic commerce, as intelligent agents increasingly take over how travellers plan and book their stays. Three strategic collaborations with Accenture, Amadeus and EHL Hospitality Business School will advance this AI-ready transformation across digital architecture, distribution and people capabilities. As one of the global hospitality companies frontrunning to invest in agentic AI, Ascott seeks to accumulate data, operating experience and process efficiencies that would compound over time.
Ascott is building the technology infrastructure and people capabilities to lead in agentic commerce. Pictured at the Ascott Global Conference 2026 panel "Man versus Machine: When AI Agents Become the First Audience, How Will Ascott Convince Software Before Humans?" are (from left) Tan Bee Leng, Chief Commercial Officer, Ascott; Emily Weiss, Senior Managing Director and Global Travel Industry Lead, Accenture; Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer, Ascott; Professor David Bardolet, Associate Dean, APAC and Professor of Strategy, EHL; and Paul Wilson, Vice President, Hospitality, Asia Pacific, Amadeus.
Mr Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer, Ascott, said: "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."
Ms Tan Bee Leng, Chief Commercial Officer, Ascott, said: "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."
Ascott's move into agentic commerce is grounded in AI capabilities already delivering impact. Since the launch of Cubby in 2023, the digital concierge has supported more than 900,000 guest enquiries, autonomously handling most routine interactions and contributing to booking outcomes. Beyond guest engagement, Ascott has continually invested in AI-enabled capabilities across marketing, revenue management, loyalty and sales. The company has identified and even redesigned cross-functional workflows supported by AI — such as sales enablement and prospecting, pricing and discounting, lead-to-deal conversion, and marketing content creation.
Cubby, Ascott's AI-powered digital concierge, already assists guests with itinerary planning, destination discovery and property recommendations on DiscoverASR.com. With Ascott's new agentic foundation layer in place, Cubby is set to evolve from travel companion to personal travel agent, moving from conversation to orchestration by anticipating guest needs and acting on them before they have to ask.
Ascott has also been strengthening the content ecosystem that shapes how its properties are found and recommended by AI‑powered search and generative engines. By focusing on meaningful guest interactions that translate into positive reviews and digital advocacy, Ascott is improving the discoverability of its properties in an increasingly AI‑led travel environment. As it builds towards agentic commerce, Ascott is tracking clear outcomes, including stronger booking values, greater efficiency, faster time‑to‑market and improved AI visibility.
Preparing for Agent-Enabled Travel with Accenture
Ascott is working with Accenture, a leading solutions and services company that helps the world's leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI. Together, the companies will design the foundational architecture required for a next-generation AI-enabled travel ecosystem, with responsible AI practices and data privacy built in by design. This foundation layer will help create value at speed through enabling seamless communication across Ascott's core systems, including its central reservation, property management, customer relationship management and loyalty platforms. Ascott will be pilot testing a range of next-generation capabilities, including model context protocol frameworks, large language model (LLM)-enabled applications and early-stage unified commerce concepts. The goal is to facilitate machine-mediated interactions which do not require workarounds as they become more prevalent.
The new tech infrastructure will prepare Ascott to deploy a standardised agentic layer across different guest interfaces, such as LLM chats, messaging apps and its own direct booking platforms. Accenture is contributing to the commerce and personalisation vision that sits atop this foundation – one where Cubby could evolve from travel companion to personal travel agent. Moving from conversation to orchestration, agentic Cubby could compare options, plan itineraries and complete bookings on behalf of guests. This would give rise to a new era of personalisation, where Cubby does not just respond to guests, but anticipates their needs and acts before they have to ask.
Ms Emily Weiss, Senior Managing Director and Global Travel Industry Lead, 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."
Redefining Hospitality Distribution with Amadeus
Most hotel reservations systems are built around fixed room types and rates. That works well for many portfolios but is less efficient for one as diverse as Ascott's, where serviced residences, hotels, resorts and social living properties each offer a variety of accommodation options with different demand drivers, catering to all lengths of stay and purposes. With AI agents quickly becoming a key interface for travel discovery and planning, it is becoming imperative for reservations systems to be primed for AI agents to effectively evaluate accommodation options and suggest personalised stay experiences.
To address this, Ascott is implementing the Amadeus Central Reservations System (ACRS), developed by Amadeus, a global travel technology leader. Once deployed, with an API-first architecture, ACRS will enable Ascott to define and distribute inventory by both room categories and richer property attributes, giving guests and AI agents access to a complete picture of what each property offers. The result will be a distribution model that activates properties and promotions faster, propagates rate logic more consistently and reduces friction for owners bringing new offers to market. For guests and the AI agents acting on their behalf, it means being matched to stays based on what actually matters to them.
Mr Paul Wilson, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Hospitality, Amadeus, said: "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."
Keeping Talent and Brand at the Core with EHL
Along with robust, integrated data, an essential enabler for implementing AI is the workforce. Ascott is making sure its people, the talent and change-management capabilities to lead the transformation, are keeping pace. As the company expands across a broader range of property types – from serviced residences and limited-service properties to full-service hotels and resorts, building an AI-ready workforce requires a clear talent development strategy. The company's primary objective of this strategy is to design smarter, more productive operations, prioritising high-value engagements rather than scattered initiatives, thereby freeing up its associates to focus more on guests.
Working through Ascott's Global Brand Academy, EHL – a global leader in hospitality education – is developing training programmes to build internal certified trainers at Ascott, giving regional and property teams the skills, models and tools to uphold brand standards and service philosophy. The aim is to grow brand pride, preference and performance from within, so that a shared hospitality mindset holds across the portfolio. And because AI transformation is as much a cultural exercise as it is a technical one, Ascott hopes to equip its associates with the confidence and capabilities they will need to embrace AI. The rollout has started with the Ascott brand, and will be followed by Oakwood, Citadines and others.
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The Ascott Limited
The Ascott Limited (Ascott) is driven by a vision to be the preferred hospitality company, enriching global living with heartfelt experiences. With a portfolio of more than 1,000 properties spanning over 230 cities across more than 40 countries, Ascott's presence spans Asia Pacific, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the USA. Its diverse collection of award-winning brands includes Ascott, Citadines, lyf, Oakwood, Somerset, The Crest Collection, The Unlimited Collection, Fox, Harris, POP!, Preference, Quest, Vertu and Yello.
Ascott specialises in managing and franchising a wide range of lodging options, including serviced residences, hotels, resorts, social living properties and branded residences, catering to the varying needs and preferences of global travellers. Through the Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) loyalty programme, members enjoy exclusive privileges and curated experiences, enhancing every aspect of their travel journey.
As a wholly owned business unit of CapitaLand Investment Limited, Ascott generates fee-related revenue by leveraging its expertise in both lodging management and investment management. It also drives the expansion of funds under management by growing its sponsored CapitaLand Ascott Trust and private funds.
For more information on Ascott and its sustainability programme, please visit www.discoverasr.com/the-ascott-limited. Alternatively, connect with Ascott on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
CapitaLand Investment Limited
Headquartered and listed in Singapore in 2021, CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) is a leading global real asset manager with a strong Asia foothold. As at 31 December 2025, CLI had S$125 billion of funds under management. CLI holds stakes in eight listed real estate investment trusts and business trusts and a suite of private real asset vehicles that invest in demographics, disruption and digitalisation-themed strategies. Its diversified real asset classes include retail, office, lodging, industrial, logistics, business parks, wellness, self-storage, data centres and credit.
CLI aims to scale its fund management, lodging management and commercial management businesses globally and maintain effective capital management. As the investment management arm of CapitaLand Group, CLI has access to the development capabilities of and pipeline investment opportunities from CapitaLand Group's development arm.
CLI is committed to growing in a responsible manner, delivering long-term economic value and contributing to the environmental and social well-being of its communities.
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