EVT Hotels & Resorts has launched an app within ChatGPT, giving travellers the ability to search for hotels, explore room types, access property details, and begin the booking process - all through conversational AI. Announced on 23 June 2026, the launch is backed by a dedicated property data hub built to provide AI platforms with structured, machine-readable information, a sign of how hotel discovery is shifting from search ranking to AI-generated recommendation.
A data foundation for AI platforms
EVT's new property data hub serves as a dedicated source of structured, machine-readable hotel data. Designed specifically for AI systems, it allows platforms like ChatGPT to accurately understand room configurations, amenities, and property features, then surface that information in conversational responses. The investment moves beyond traditional search engine optimisation, targeting the reasoning layer inside AI models.
The reasoning behind the recommendation
Andrew Turner, EVT Group general manager of technology and digital, said the way travellers discover hotels is changing fast. "AI-powered search and conversational experiences are becoming an important part of the customer journey, and we see a significant opportunity to ensure our brands and properties are represented accurately and effectively in these environments." He added that for years the industry fixated on search result rankings. "The emerging question is why an AI model would recommend a particular hotel in the first place. That requires a different approach to content, data and digital visibility, and we're investing accordingly."
For hospitality and events professionals, this shift demands a new approach to content strategy. Understanding how AI models evaluate and recommend properties is becoming essential. Resources like AI for Hospitality & Events provide context on these discovery channels.
Why this matters for hospitality and events professionals
EVT's initiative underscores that hotels and venues can no longer treat their digital presence as a static brochure. AI assistants increasingly act as gatekeepers between travellers and properties. Without structured data, a hotel risks being invisible in conversational search results. The practical response: audit property content for machine readability, invest in data feeds tailored for AI platforms, and treat AI recommendation engines as a direct distribution channel. The question is no longer just about ranking on a search page - it's about being the property an AI model chooses to mention.
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