Connecting to new distribution channels has traditionally meant weeks of paperwork, manual data entry and administrative effort for hoteliers. Expedia Group aims to change that with Autonomous Onboarding, a new capability designed to simplify the process and get properties live and bookable in less than 24 hours. In this interview, Chris Hodges, vice president of global connectivity & partner solutions at Expedia Group, discusses how the technology is reducing barriers to connectivity, creating new opportunities for independent hotels and laying the groundwork for a more intelligent, automated approach to distribution.
Getting a hotel connected to a new distribution channel can involve a lot of time and admin. What made Expedia Group decide it was time to rethink that process, and what does Autonomous Onboarding change for hoteliers?
For a long time, adding a new source of demand meant a manual, multi-week process: separate onboarding, paperwork, and re-entering the same property information across different systems. That hasn’t gone away entirely. In fact, our research tells us that 74% of properties that don’t use connectivity still handle OTA tasks partly or entirely by hand.
We want our solutions to eliminate this layer of friction for our partners and connectivity is clearly part of the answer. 81% of fully connected properties say working with a connectivity provider has reduced friction and manual work. 1 That’s why we’re investing in our connectivity solutions, and Autonomous Onboarding is the latest example. It reduces friction at the very first step by letting a property start onboarding and finish it entirely inside its provider’s software. From there, the technology does the heavy lifting to get the property live and bookable in less than 24 hours.
With Autonomous Onboarding, properties can connect through the software they already use and go live in less than 24 hours. What difference do you think that speed and simplicity will make, especially for smaller or independent hotels?
Speed and simplicity make a new channel far easier to say yes to. A property connects through technology it already uses and can be live in less than 24 hours, so a new connection takes up much less of the team’s time. That time goes back into running and growing the business.
Independent hotels often face resource constraints and limited technical expertise, and our research identified this as a common barrier to adopting connectivity. Autonomous Onboarding takes much of that burden away, and independent property owners get the same access to our connectivity offerings as our chain partners– so the playing field is leveled in a real way. We love working with both.
A lot happens behind the scenes when a property is set up, from transferring rates and room types to checking availability and property details. How does automating that work help hotels get up and running more smoothly?
Automating the setup takes the heaviest part of getting started off the hotel’s plate. Our technology transfers the critical information, including room types, rates and rate plans, photos, amenities, payment setups, availability and other property details. Expedia Group then validates that data so the property can go live quickly. Hotels enter their information once, which makes the first step into distribution smoother from day one. Once onboarded, a property is live across our distribution channels – our consumer brands, our B2B network and our agentic channel partnerships.
Expedia Group worked with five connectivity partners to develop the new capability. How important was that collaboration, and what did you learn from working with partners like HotelRunner, RateGain and Eviivo?
The collaboration was fundamental. We developed the experience with five pilot providers across different markets – HotelRunner, Yanolja Cloud Solution, RoomCloud, RateGain and Eviivo. Their input taught us to build Autonomous Onboarding around the technology and workflows properties already rely on.
Once hotels are connected, they can tap into Expedia Group’s consumer brands, its network of more than 75,000 B2B partners and 200,000 travel advisors, and emerging AI-powered travel experiences. How can hotels make the most of those opportunities once they’re live?
The first step to making the most of them is getting connected quickly, because connectivity opens the door to a significant ecosystem of global demand. Once live, properties can reach travelers through our consumer brands – as you mention – our B2B network of more than 75,000 partners and 200,000 travel advisors, and emerging AI-powered travel partnerships. The scale is considerable – in fact, our platform saw more than one billion average monthly searches and more than 415 million booked room nights in 2025. Autonomous Onboarding simplifies the path into that ecosystem, so properties can start tapping into those opportunities sooner.
Once live, the most important thing hotels can do is to share as much property detail as possible, from room types and rate plans to rich descriptive content and photos. This helps us showcase their offerings across our distribution channels and puts their best attributes in front of more travelers.
You’ve described Autonomous Onboarding as the first step toward a broader vision for Autonomous Distribution. What might the next steps look like, and where else do you see opportunities to take manual work out of hotel distribution?
Yes, Autonomous Onboarding is the first phase of a much broader journey. Our longer-term vision for Autonomous Distribution is to make the full distribution lifecycle simpler and more intelligent. Many hoteliers still update rates, availability, promotions and reservation changes by hand across multiple channels, so there is a lot to automate. We see the journey as Autonomous Onboarding, then Management, then Optimization, with routine tasks like availability updates, reservation processing, reconciliation and payments handled by software.
Over time, the opportunity is to move more repetitive distribution work into software, so hotel teams can spend less time on administrative tasks. The gains go beyond distribution too – our research found that fully connected properties are 1.6 times more likely to report higher occupancy, average daily rate or revenue per available room. Our hope is a bigger lobby and a smaller back office, with teams acting on insights and spending more time focused on their guests.
AI and agentic travel are becoming bigger talking points across the industry. How do you see these developments changing the way travelers find and book hotels, and what should hotel and connectivity partners be doing now to prepare?
AI is becoming an important new way for travelers to discover, plan and ultimately book trips, and it’s accelerating a shift that was already underway, with people planning travel in more places than ever. Our opportunity is to meet travelers wherever they choose to plan, whether that’s within our own brands or on emerging AI platforms, and connect that inspiration to trusted supply, live pricing and availability, and booking technology.
Ultimately, AI should make the journey from inspiration to booking simpler, while giving travelers the choice, transparency and trust they need to book with confidence. That’s why to prepare, hotel and connectivity partners should focus on strong connectivity and high-quality content. As discovery evolves, properties need accurate availability, pricing, and content so their inventory can be surfaced effectively in these new environments.