HotelRunner Stays Close to Booking.com as AI Raises Connectivity Stakes

HotelRunner said Rıza Kaynak, its Director of Demand Partnerships, has been reappointed to Booking.com’s Connectivity Commercial Advisory Board for the 2026–2028 term.

It is his second consecutive term on the board and continues HotelRunner’s long relationship with Booking.com’s connectivity network.

The board brings together selected technology partners that help shape how hotels and other accommodation providers connect their systems with Booking.com. For HotelRunner, the new term keeps the company involved in discussions about distribution, partner tools, and hotel technology standards.

Why connectivity matters for hotels

Hotel connectivity is the technology that links a property’s internal systems with online travel agencies. It helps hotels update room prices, availability, booking rules, and reservations across platforms without doing everything manually.

Booking.com says channel managers and property management systems help hotels manage reservations and daily operations more efficiently.

Booking.com already named HotelRunner a top partner

The new board term follows another Booking.com recognition for HotelRunner. In April 2026, HotelRunner was named a Premier Plus Connectivity Partner, a top-tier status among Booking.com’s network of more than 600 connectivity partners.

Booking.com says Premier and Premier Plus partners go beyond standard certified connections and work closely with the platform to support accommodation partners.

Booking Holdings expects AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini to become more influential in how travelers search for and book hotels. That makes reliable connectivity more important for accommodation providers, because hotels will need systems that can update prices, availability, and booking data quickly across both traditional OTAs and new AI-driven discovery channels.

Photo by Ahmed Shaikh on Unsplash