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At global real asset manager CapitaLand Investment (CLI), innovation is grounded in a fundamental belief: that the effort placed on harnessing technology must be tied to specific goals, and it must produce tangible and impactful results. CLI’s innovation strategy has a dual purpose – to identify opportunities for CLI’s operations, and address challenges faced by the company and the wider industry.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a key component of CLI’s digital transformation drive and has already resulted in the development of several groundbreaking solutions.

Spearheading the AI charge at CLI is Wong Hwee Lim, Head of Digital International, who said, “We are progressing well in our company-wide AI adoption journey, and the opportunities ahead are immense. By strategically embedding AI and advanced technologies across our business functions, we are not only improving operational efficiency but also redefining customer experiences in ways that were previously unimaginable. AI is a key enabler in our digital transformation, and we are committed to unlocking its full potential."

One area where this vision is already taking shape is within CLI’s wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), which has been actively harnessing AI and digital innovation across its sales, loyalty and marketing functions. We take a closer look at its efforts.

Digitalising Ascott’s Sales Platform with AI and the Cloud

Ascott is driven by a vision to be the preferred hospitality company, enriching global living with heartfelt experiences. With a portfolio of over 990 properties across 230 cities in over 40 countries, Ascott’s presence spans Asia Pacific, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the USA.

Ascott specialises in managing and franchising a wide range of lodging options, including serviced residences, hotels, resorts, social living properties and branded residences, catering to the varying needs and preferences of global travellers. Through the Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) loyalty programme, members enjoy exclusive privileges and curated experiences, enhancing every aspect of their travel journey.

Ascott has modernised its corporate sales systems to better engage its prospects and customers. Powered by a global, cloud-based customer relationship management platform, the sales team now benefits from enterprise analytics, automated room rate management and emerging AI capabilities for smarter, faster decision making. The platform also enables more effective tracking of sales projects, lead nurturing and streamlined negotiations.

With a robust pipeline of corporate and group booking enquiries, AI presents a valuable opportunity to boost Ascott’s sales performance by:

• Prioritising high-value leads to improve win rates and accelerate deal closures;
• Enhancing forecasting with data-driven insights on booking trends; and
• Identifying revenue risks in real time for timely, informed action.

By enabling more personalised, data-driven interactions with customers and partners, there is a clear opportunity for AI to increase Ascott’s productivity, sales and lead conversions, while also reducing customer attrition.

Strengthening Guest Loyalty and Relations with AI

Since its launch in 2019, the ASR programme has seen strong growth, playing a key role in building guest loyalty.

Through the integrated DiscoverASR ecosystem, guests can easily book their stays via a dedicated website and mobile app – part of a seamless digital journey that processed more than 400,000 direct bookings in 2024, with numbers projected to exceed 500,000 in 2025 as membership and business continue to expand.

Ascott’s technology platforms are designed to meet the expectations of today’s digitally savvy travellers, offering a seamless, connected experience. Guests can enjoy features that include trip planning and booking, fully digital check-in and check-out (subject to local regulations), mobile-enabled service requests and room key access.

To further elevate the experience, Ascott launched Cubby, a generative AI-powered web chatbot. Cubby assists guests with travel planning, offers destination recommendations and helps complete bookings – adding a layer of intelligent, on-demand support to the guest journey.

Looking Ahead

In March 2025, CapitaLand Group signed agreements to collaborate with Microsoft and Singapore Business Federation to accelerate business transformation through AI, cloud computing and digitalisation solutions. The technology- and innovation-focused agreements mark a significant milestone as the Group celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025.

CLI is also advancing in its mission of rolling out 100 business unit-led AI-driven projects in 2025. To date, more than 20 in-house developed ideas have been implemented within the organisation.

Future initiatives include exploring new AI-centric applications and other technologies to enhance customer engagement and improve operational efficiencies, as well as AI-powered training and development initiatives to equip CapitaLand’s global talent pool and business ecosystem with advanced skills for productivity, growth and innovation.

Quah Ley Hoon, Group Chief Corporate Officer at CLI, said: “We view AI as a transformative technology that has the power to revolutionise industries, including real estate. We will continue to leverage AI to strengthen our business model, enhance the value of our assets, and drive long-term growth through machine learning and intelligent systems, while ensuring the responsible use of technology. AI will be pivotal in how we shape our future with operational efficiencies and create value for our stakeholders.”