Marriott International CEO has described artificial intelligence (AI) as an “opportunity to potentially redefine the customer acquisition paradigm” in the industry.
Speaking during the hotel giant’s fourth quarter and full-year 2025 earnings call, Anthony Capuano said the company was well-positioned to capitalise on generative AI opportunities because of its scale, relationships and customer base.
He went on to highlight the potential of AI for deeper personalization and simplifying the booking process.
“And we’re optimistic about the potential for AI to bring more consumers into the Marriott Bonvoy ecosystem and help strengthen our direct booking channels in a very efficient manner.”
Marriott plans to deploy natural language search across marriott.com and the Bonvoy mobile app in the first half of 2026, Capuano shared. He added that the company is also optimizing its content for AI to make its properties visible “wherever and however consumers are searching.”
Marriott began testing natural language search on its rental product almost two years ago.
The company is also working with Google to help facilitate bookings on through an AI mode travel product. Marriott began collaborating with the search giant on that last November.
It is also working with OpenAI on its ChatGPT ad pilot program in the U.S., which was announced this week.
“With OpenAI, this is really just the early days of their ad pilot program. So what I would say to you is philosophically, we are working very closely and very collaboratively with the subject matter experts, the biggest, most innovative and creative companies in the space, both to learn from them but also to shape or have some word in shaping this evolving distribution landscape.”
Describing where the industry is with AI, Capuano said it “pulling into the players’ parking lot. We’re not even in uniform on the field.”
Touching on Marriott’s wider technology transformation, Capuano said new property management, reservations and loyalty systems are being implemented in “a meaningful number of our hotels around the world” this year.
The company said it plans to invest $1 to $1.1 billion in 2026 with up to 40% of that earmarked for digital tecnology transformation and corporate systems.
Marriott reported Q4 net income of $445 million, down 2% year on year and full year net income of $2.6 billion.
Adjusted EBITDA rose 9% to $1.4 billion in the quarter and was up 8% to $5.4 billion for the year.
The Bonvoy program attracted 43 million new members in 2025 bringing its total to 271 million.