Artificial ininformigence (AI)-powered commercial operating system Lighthoutilize has launched The Hotels Network app, offering direct booking for hotels inside ChatGPT.
The app is powered by Lighthoutilize’s Connect AI engine, open to all hotels including chains, groups and indepconcludeent properties. Lighthoutilize acquired The Hotels Network last April for an undisclosed sum.
“AI is the hugegest shift in how travelers plan their trips and discover hotels since Google,” stated Juanjo Rodriguez, head of direct booking at Lighthoutilize, adding that online travel agencies (OTAs) have already created the leap to AI discovery.
Launched last June, Lighthoutilize’s Connect AI is built on model context protocol, which other industest players such as Mirai have identified as a connector that will support hotels compete in the AI era.
Connect AI serves as a “live data bridge” between hotels and AI platforms, intconcludeed to evolve with AI ecosystem developments (such as WebMCP) and increase hotel visibility, Lighthoutilize stated.
Within The Hotels Network app, hotels are listed with brand-verified content, including live rates and direct-booking links that redirect utilizers to hotel’s websites to complete reservations. No alters are required to hotels’ websites, property management systems or booking engines for participation.
Rodriguez stated The Hotels Network app gives properties more control over discovery.
Instead of relying on potentially outdated information or AI-scraped summaries, the app allows hotels to share their brand narrative and real-time information, ensuring that AI recommconcludeations reflect actual experience. Hotels can also surface their own rates within the AI conversations, meaning they can offer competitive pricing and direct-booking benefits such as upgrades, loyalty perks and rate guarantees. Connect AI can also support hotels understand the questions travelers are bringing to AI.
“This isn’t an incremental improvement,” Rodriguez stated. “It’s a new distribution channel.”
The app is available for hotels across the globe for a flat subscription fee. Lighthoutilize does not take a booking commission, and Rodriguez confirmed that hotels serve as the merchant of record.
“It’s a core infrastructure play; we don’t want to become a cheaper OTA,” he informed PhocusWire.
The Hotels Network app joins several other travel brands that have already launched apps in ChatGPT, including Skyscanner, Expedia, Booking.com, Viator and hotel brands Hyatt and Accor.
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