Minor Hotels plans to build major new global data and AI platform

Minor Hotels has unveiled plans to build a new global data and AI platform from the ground up in partnership with Google Cloud, Salesforce, OneTrust and Deloitte, marking a major acceleration of the group’s long-term digital transformation strategy.

The initiative represents one of the most significant technology investments in Minor Hotels’ history. It also marks a deliberate move to lead the hospitality sector in using data and AI to personalise experiences and strengthen direct relationships with guests across its more than 640 properties in operation and committed development worldwide.

At its core is the creation of a single digital platform connecting global guest data, marketing and service operations. This will allow the group to recognise guests more consistently across brands and destinations, personalise communications and offers based on preferences and past stays, while ensuring guest data is managed responsibly, with privacy and governance embedded into the platform from the outset.

Leapfroging traditional technology

The new platform, set for full deployment within 2026, is being developed independently of any legacy systems. This enables Minor Hotels to leapfrog traditional technology by building directly on the latest enterprise‑grade AI capabilities from its technology partners, ensuring it is designed from day one to take advantage of advances in generative AI, intelligent agents and automation.

This clean-sheet approach is expected to significantly compress development timelines compared to traditional transformation programmes, and positions the group to evolve its commercial and service capabilities more quickly as AI technologies continue to mature.

“AI is becoming the front door to travel – and with it, control over demand is shifting,” said Ian Di Tullio, Chief Commercial Officer of Minor Hotels. “The brands that win will not be the most visible, but the most intelligent: those able to respond in real time, own their data and shape the guest relationship directly. At Minor Hotels, we are building that capability at scale, ensuring we don’t just participate in this new landscape, but define our position within it.”

Designing a future‑native platform

The platform will be built on Google Cloud’s AI-optimised technology stack, with BigQuery and Vertex AI serving as the interoperable data and intelligence layer. This will enable Minor Hotels to unify guest data across brands, regions and digital touchpoints. It provides the foundation for a stay defined by ‘continuity’, where a guest's unique preferences are understood and honoured whether checking into an Anantara in Thailand or a Tivoli in Portugal.

Minor Hotels then aims to move beyond simple AI-driven questions and answers to agentic orchestration. The platform will enable the future deployment of Google-made, third-party or custom AI agents grounded in Minor Hotels’ unified data. By tethering the agents to this single source of truth, they will, for instance, be capable of reliably managing bookings, curating itineraries and resolving complex guest requests in real time.

“The future belongs to context-aware AI agents that anticipate needs and execute tasks throughout the travel journey,” said Mark Micallef, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, Google Cloud. “By anchoring its transformation on Google Cloud’s open and secure full-stack architecture, our native integrations with Salesforce and the solution engineering expertise of our partners like Deloitte, Minor Hotels is bypassing the integration hurdles of fragmented traditional clouds and establishing the blueprint for more personalised, proactive and responsive guest experiences.”

Salesforce, a global leader in AI Customer Relationship Management, will power marketing automation and guest communications across the travel journey with Agentforce Marketing. Data 360 will integrate guest preferences from the unified data and help drive precise, real-time segmentation, enabling Minor Hotels to unlock new commercial opportunities while strengthening guest satisfaction and loyalty.

“In the AI era, the margin for error in customer experience has disappeared. Guests expect interactions to be instant, intuitive, and deeply personal,” said Apisit Kuparatana, Country Leader and Managing Director, Salesforce Thailand. “Automation grounded in relevant guest insights can help turn distinct guest touchpoints into a meaningful, connected journey.” 

OneTrust, a leading platform for AI-Ready Governance, will play a central role in ensuring guest data is managed responsibly and in compliance with global privacy regulations. Privacy and consent management are being embedded directly into the platform architecture, enabling Minor Hotels to scale personalisation while maintaining trust and transparency with guests.

“Consent is the foundation of lasting customer relationships and durable data strategies,” said Arran Mulvaney, Regional Director, ASEAN, OneTrust. “With privacy and governance embedded in its platform from the outset, Minor Hotels demonstrates a clear commitment to its guests by making responsible data use a priority, not an afterthought.”

The new platform will support the development of new AI-enabled capabilities designed to enhance both guest engagement and operational efficiency. Intelligent service agents will help contact centre and hotel teams respond more quickly to guest requests, while AI-powered engagement tools will support personalised interactions and smarter recommendations for experiences and upgrades across stays and destinations. As AI continues to reshape how travellers search, discover and book travel, the platform will support Minor Hotels in adapting to emerging AI-led discovery environments, where digital assistants increasingly influence decision-making and conversion.