in January 2026, we introduced two AI-powered capabilities across our booking platforms: the AI hotel finder and AI-powered chat support. Both were designed around a single principle — the booking experience should feel effortless, regardless of an attendee's language, location, or familiarity with the event destination.

two months in, the early data confirms the impact. But the tools themselves are only part of the story. Behind what users see, we are building the infrastructure to take AI from an assistive layer to an operational part of how bnetwork works.

finding the right hotel, in your own words

our booking platforms already offer smart filters that allow attendees to address their priorities efficiently — walking distance, price range, traveller rating and distinctive options like our sustainable filter, which highlights hotels with CSR programmes and eco-certifications. These filters work well for attendees who know exactly what they are looking for.

but not every attendee knows how to translate a set of preferences into the right combination of filters. The AI hotel finder removes that step entirely: attendees can describe what they are looking for in their own words — "a quiet hotel within walking distance of the venue, with a gym, for under €200 a night" — in any language. The system interprets the request, maps it to structured search criteria, and returns the most relevant results.

the difference is immediate. The search experience becomes faster, more intuitive, and accessible to attendees regardless of the language they speak or how familiar they are with the event destination.

for event organisers, the benefit is equally practical: when the search experience is easier, attendees are more likely to find and book within the secure environment of the official accommodation booking platform, improving room pickup rates and driving stronger revenue performance from contracted hotel allocations.

support that speaks every language

booking-related questions do not follow office hours. Cancellation policies, date changes, breakfast inclusion, accessibility needs — these queries arise at any time, from any time zone, and often in languages that traditional support teams cannot always cover instantly.

our AI-powered chat support addresses this directly. Available 24/7 in any language, the assistant helps attendees with the most common booking questions: clarifying conditions, comparing options, understanding policies. It can also help find accommodation based on dates, location, budget, and preferences — functioning as a second entry point to the search experience, without switching tabs or navigating away from the page. Attendees can also access additional services through the chat, including meeting rooms, venues, and transportation options.

when a request is too complex or specific for the AI to resolve, the conversation is seamlessly handed to our support team. The result is a support experience that combines speed and availability with the human judgement that more nuanced situations require.

early results

since launch, the impact on the attendee experience has been measurable:

• search time has decreased by up to 85%, from 30–60 seconds to 5–10 seconds, through AI-driven smart filtering
• between 40% and 60% of all incoming enquiries are now resolved by the AI assistant without human intervention.
• for the remaining cases, the seamless handoff to our support team ensures continuity — no repetition, no friction.

both tools are being refined continuously based on real user behaviour and feedback. We are tracking how attendees phrase their searches, where they hesitate, what the AI resolves well, and where it falls short. Every interaction informs the next iteration.

what comes next

the AI hotel finder and chat support are now part of the live user experience across our booking platforms. That puts us beyond experimentation — but we see these as the beginning, not the destination.

behind the scenes, we are redesigning internal processes to support the next generation of AI capabilities: systems that can not only respond to questions but reason through decisions and execute actions within our workflows. This involves structuring our data for machine-level interpretation, clarifying the business rules that govern each stage of the accommodation journey, and modularising operations so that intelligent agents can eventually handle more complex tasks.

this work is less visible than a new feature launch, but it is strategically foundational. It positions bnetwork to move from AI-assisted tools toward AI-integrated operations — a shift that we believe will define how the events industry manages accommodation in the years ahead.

our goal has not changed: make accommodation management effortless. Less time searching, less friction in support, more time experiencing exceptional events.

"these tools are the visible part of a much larger investment. We are not just adding AI features to our platforms — we are preparing our systems and processes so that intelligent agents can eventually operate within them. That is the difference between using AI and building with it, and it is where we believe the real value lies for our clients and their attendees." — Rémi Pautut, Chief Technology Officer and Bruce Gonzalvez, Chief Product Officer.

learn more about our booking platforms and technology by visiting the accommodation specialist section of our website.