Publicis Group's digital transformation hub, Publicis Sapient, has teamed up with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy to trial a Generative AI-powered search tool that aims to pair travellers with their ideal home and destination based on natural language search.

The search tool leverages the Generative Pre-trained Transformer Large Language Models (GPT LLM) within Azure OpenAI Service. It allows travellers to input as much or as little detail as they wish, and the tool will suggest destinations and identify properties that meet the criteria entered in the search bar or offer close alternatives. The results will also include useful information such as weather and local activities like hiking, sightseeing, or dining.

"Generative AI is set to change the customer experience paradigm and drive new ways for brands to provide value to their customers. The new Gen AI-powered search product for Home & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is going to transform how guests can search and plan for vacations, while further expanding Marriott’s data and AI capabilities," said CEO of Publicis Sapient, Nigel Vaz.

Marriott International Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer, Peggy Fang Roe, said: “Building on our deep focus in understanding how customers think intuitively about finding the right vacation home combined with the power of generative AI changes the game in search for vacation rentals. The long-term collaboration with Publicis Sapient has been instrumental in innovating and building the Homes and Villas by Marriott Bonvoy platform. Together, we are revolutionising search enabling our guests to find the hidden gems within our 140,000 curated homes and villas worldwide.”

The AI search tool is currently being tested as part of Marriott's broader technology transformation to deliver more seamless, personalised, and engaging ways for customers to experience travel. The tool is expected to be widely available on the website first and then on mobile in the coming weeks.