UPBOND Inc. to Launch "Pre-check-in x AI Agent" Service for Foreign Tourists at APA Hotels Starting April 8.

UPBOND Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shun Mizuoka), as part of its travel experience platform business developed jointly with Cosmos Initia Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Ryotaro Kotomo), will launch an advanced service "Pre-check-in x AI Agent" for the rapidly increasing number of inbound tourists at APA Hotels, starting from April 8, 2026.

■ Background and Purpose of Introduction

With the rapid increase in inbound demand, hotel operators are facing challenges such as the burden of multilingual support at the front desk and increased check-in waiting times due to procedures like passport information registration and identity verification. On the other hand, inbound guests themselves often feel inconvenience and stress in various situations, such as gathering information about dining, sightseeing, and activities during their stay, and selecting and booking experiences that suit them. This initiative aims to comprehensively solve these issues for both hotel operators and inbound guests by utilizing the latest Web3 and AI technologies.

By enabling inbound guests to register necessary accommodation information in advance, it streamlines the check-in process at the hotel and establishes continuous digital communication with guests through SNS from the pre-stay (pre-travel) stage. Instead of ending check-in as a mere "procedure," an AI proactively assists guests on their familiar SNS. By providing consistent support from an early stage, such as resolving questions about the hotel and recommending information about the hotel's surroundings tailored to each guest, we offer a stress-free and high-value experience that is seamless from pre-travel to during-travel.

■ Key Features of the Launched Service

1. "Pre-check-in" Completed on Your Smartphone

Inbound guests can pre-register their passport information, including a facial photo, from their own smartphones. The system automatically reads the necessary text information from the passport image captured by the smartphone, allowing guests to complete pre-check-in easily and smoothly without the hassle of manual input. On the day of check-in, the procedure is completed just by presenting a QR code, significantly reducing waiting time at the front desk. This provides an efficient check-in process for hotel operators and a stress-free, smooth entry experience for inbound guests. (This feature utilizes and is optimized for APA Hotel based on a joint patent with ValueCommerce Co., Ltd.)

2. "AI Agent" for Seamless Travel Support

On the SNS (WhatsApp) that inbound guests are accustomed to using, an AI agent provides multilingual support for their stay.