Accor has launched a new conversational
AI assistant called ALL Concierge, the company announced Wednesday.
The AI assistant aids with inspiration
and destination search, hotel comparison, booking changes, in-stay questions,
as well as loyalty coaching for how to optimize status and points. The tool is
available in 11 languages through the ALL Accor app, Accor's website and
messaging channels WhatsApp and iMessage.
Other hoteliers have launched their own
website-native, conversational AI tools this year, including Hilton's AI
Planner, Marriott International's Ask Bonvoy and Hyatt Hotels Corp.'s
conversational search tool. The focus of these tools has centered on the
discovery phase of travel, providing destination ideas, property comparisons,
amenities and localized activities before handing a guest over to a separate
booking flow. IHG's conversational website and IHG One Rewards AI tool, beta-launched
in July, has a more direct loyalty link, allowing travelers to book stays using
loyalty points, cash, or a combination of both, inside the same chat.
Accor SVP of data science and AI Nicolas
Maynard said the ALL Concierge "will continue to innovate" and that
next steps include more languages, local experiences and full integration of
loyalty partners beyond Accor.
"We have a lot of partners also that
already are in the all Accor ecosystem, and we have a huge foundation to build
on top of, and that's something that we want to address by the end of the year
and beginning of next year," Maynard said, "gradually making it the
real travel companion and not the hotel companion, but really the full travel
companion."
The ALL Concierge tool does not provide
assistance for meetings and event spaces, Accor chief commercial, digital and
tech officer Alix Boulnois said, "but this is an upcoming one on the
roadmap."