Perhaps we should not read too much into the time difference between online travel brands first unveiling apps for artificial intelligence platforms and the hotel groups.
The answer is about two years, for what it's worth. In early- to mid-2023, Expedia and Kayak announced plugins for ChatGPT. Tripadvisor, Skyscanner and Trip.com soon followed suit in partnership with Microsoft. Then came conversational interfaces for the OTAs existing apps and about a year later, in 2024, AI assistants began to appear.
But hotels aren't technology companies; they exist to provide a stay and, increasingly, an experience.
So fast forward to today and it’s the turn of the hotel companies to show their AI hands. In recent months they’ve been talking up AI initiatives and one or two apps were unveiled.
In recent weeks, the conversation has shifted to their individual competitive advantage with AI, alongside launches of apps on AI platforms.
Wyndham Hotels claimed a first with the launch of a “native ChatGPT hotel app from a major economy and midscale franchisor” in the U.S. Meanwhile Choice Hotels International unveiled Charlie, designed to be a “teammate” guiding employees through the company's core platforms, alongside a number of other AI developments.
The company seems to be focusing on internal initiatives, and it’s not the only hotel group not to launch an app.
AI-ready content
Marriott is working toward conversational search on its website and mobile app, and IHG is charting a similar course. IHG CEO Elie Maalouf said in first quarter 2026 earnings that it’s more important to ready technology and content for AI searches to get “the right visibility with the right content.”
This is the thinking behind IHG’s new content platform, unveiled earlier this year, which highlights hotels' features in multiple language and across formats, including video and virtual reality.
"That’s actually the most important thing. Launching an app store is actually pretty easy. What is the content that it’s pulling? Is your content in the cloud? Is the data structured in the right way to respond? Do you have the new images? Do you have the information? Have you structured it the right way? That’s the real work that is advancing,” Maalouf said.
IHG is also implementing a Salesforce cloud-based CRM tool enabling hotels to offer more personalized experiences and promotions.
Maalouf also said the Salesforce solution will help deepen relationships with IHG One Rewards program members, who currently account for 60% of bookings every night globally.
“It will bolster our top-of-funnel visibility, make us even readier for GenAI booking and searching and driving more customers through our channels. It’ll strengthen our direct channels, strengthen our relationship with our customers and strengthen our performance,” he said.