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HOTELS FIRE UP THEIR AI GAME AS FIFA 2026 IGNITES BOOKING RUSH

Hotel chains Accor ACCP.PA and Hyatt H.N have launched brand-specific apps on ChatGPT, while Best Western has partnered with TripAdvisor TRIP.O to debut an AI-powered trip planner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, signaling a wave of innovation in the hotel sector's approach to artificial intelligence.

The moves come as hotel companies seek to preserve their advantage in direct bookings and challenge the dominance of online travel agencies such as Booking Holdings BKNG.O and Expedia EXPE.O.

"These launches show the ambition of nearly all hotel chains, not just Hilton HLT.N or Marriott MAR.O, to own the AI booking funnel for their hotels and show that they are undertaking the necessary innovation to do so," said analysts at Bernstein.

Accor's and Hyatt's ChatGPT apps allow users to search for hotels using natural language and voice commands, then redirect them to the company's website for a final selection and payment, helping brands avoid online travel agency (OTA) commission fees.

"We would see this note as mostly positive for Accor and Hyatt, which have long been seen as tech laggards but have beaten peers to an AI product," the brokerage added.

Best Western's partnership with TripAdvisor targets event-based travel, with an itinerary builder for fans attending World Cup matches in North America.

"Event-based travel is a natural use case for an AI trip planning," Bernstein analysts wrote, noting the likelihood of more AI-driven event travel tools emerging.

Bernstein rates Accor, Hyatt, and Marriott "outperform", while it holds a "market-perform" rating for Booking Holdings and Expedia.

"Hotels will be eager to supply inventory directly to AI platforms...to help these platforms disintermediate the OTAs."

(Akriti Shah)

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(Terence Gabriel is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)