Hotels face growing challenges in managing AI booking tools, but outright prohibitions are proving impractical. Operators are instead adopting structured access policies, liability frameworks, and proprietary booking systems to regulate how these automated tools interact with their room inventory.
During the Skift Commerce Summit on November 11 in New York, Tyler Morse of MCR unveiled plans to exclude AI agents from booking at his properties. He argued that these systems make more calculated decisions and lack the spontaneous spending patterns that drive ancillary sales. However, he acknowledged a fundamental obstacle: “Everyone is going to ban the agents,” he said, and then admitted: “I can’t figure out how to do it.” On the same day, United Airlines implemented its own restrictions on AI-powered bots for comparable reasons.
Attempts to block AI agents entirely are ineffective. If one booking channel is closed, automated systems simply reroute through alternative platforms. In Singapore and Japan, Agoda remains accessible via Meta’s Muse, creating a layered commission model where hotels could end up paying twice for the same reservation—once to the online travel agency and again to the intermediary platform.
Rather than erecting barriers, the industry is shifting toward managed access. An analysis of 50 hotel brand websites revealed only 10 that explicitly address AI crawlers in their robots.txt files. The first formal policy proposal came from Citi, which suggested transferring liability for booking errors to “the company that is actually coming with the agent,” rather than placing responsibility on the hotel.
Duffel and Katanox are building direct integrations between property management systems (PMS) and central reservation systems (CRS), positioning hotels as the primary transactional authority. This arrangement allows operators to establish their own terms, including commission structures, upsell guidelines, and refund policies, while maintaining full control over the booking process.
Travelers in Asia are increasingly turning to AI for trip planning. A 2027 Agoda survey of 3,395 travelers across 11 markets found that 53% now use AI tools for itinerary development, though only 7% would allow these systems to finalize bookings. The 7% figure serves as a critical benchmark rather than a green light to disregard the issue. AI agents are already shaping guest shortlists, and without proactive policies, hotels risk losing influence over who secures their rooms.
