Cendyn leads market shift connecting hotel rates to AI search
Partnership with DirectBooker to enable hotels to be discoverable on AI-driven travel search platforms including ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude with MCP
Austin, Texas, USA – November 24, 2025: Cendyn, a global integrated hotel technology and services company, is leading the market shift to AI search in partnership with DirectBooker by enabling hotel direct booking rates to be visible in AI search results.
The launch of Cendyn AI Connect, a new distribution channel within the Cendyn DMP, pushes hotel Availability, Rates, and Inventory (ARI) directly into AI search platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini through a Model Context Protocol (MCP).
With the ever-growing adoption of AI search for travel planning, hotel owners are becoming increasingly aware of the impact AI will have on business. Currently, AI search platforms largely surface OTA listings, leaving hotels unseen at the exact moment travelers are making decisions. AI Connect ensures hotel direct rates and availability can be surfaced organically when travelers engage with AI trip planners, complementing existing hotel digital strategies by reclaiming visibility on emerging channels, without adding marketing overhead.
By utilizing a direct connection for distribution through an MCP – a new open standard designed to let AI models (like ChatGPT or Claude) connect with external tools, data sources, and APIs in a secure and consistent way – Cendyn is making essential hotel information available seamlessly and efficiently to these AI models.
Cendyn is currently inviting hotels to join a select beta group to be at the forefront of innovation and expand their reach in the era of AI travel search. Throughout this beta-phase, Cendyn will start to surface clicks and completed bookings attributed to AI channels as consumers gradually adopt AI search in their travel planning.
“As travelers reshape how they plan and book travel, we need to ensure our customers remain highly visible and are at the forefront of this compelling market shift, while avoiding OTA dependency,” said Michael Bennett, CEO & President at Cendyn. “Many hoteliers understand the importance of early adoption, especially given the existing challenges of maintaining visibility in front of travelers, and competing with OTAs to manage cost of acquisition. While we may be seeing AI-driven search bookings starting small, we know it will shape competitive advantage for years to come.”
“Real travelers care about the best value they can get for their trip,” said Steve Kaufer, Board member, DirectBooker. “This partnership with Cendyn will enable hotels to have a direct line into AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini and be discoverable from the offset – helping to cut out traditional intermediaries. Hoteliers can now embrace the next travel revolution with their best direct rates and availability, visible via our MCP, ready for that moment when their customers are using AI to plan and book their trips.”
The release of AI Connect as an additional channel in the Cendyn DMP means hoteliers will be able to track bookings that originate from AI platforms. With over 32,000 customers worldwide in more than 150 countries, Cendyn generates in excess of $20 billion in annual hotel revenue. AI Connect will ensure no property is left behind as the AI travel landscape evolves.
For more information discover Cendyn AI Connect.
About Cendyn
Cendyn is a global hospitality cloud-based technology company that enables hotels to drive revenue, maximize profitability, and create deeper connections with guests through its integrated solutions.
Serving hoteliers for nearly 30 years, Cendyn drives commercial success for hotels through its Find, Book, Grow promise: find the right guests; drive them to book direct, and grow loyalty and revenue across the spectrum of digital guest interactions.
Cendyn has over 32,000 customers worldwide in more than 150 countries generating more than $20 billion in annual hotel revenue. The company supports its growing customer base from locations across the globe, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India.
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