Travala Enables AI Agents to Book Hotels Using USDC on Base

Travala has introduced a new protocol that enables AI agents to find and reserve hotel accommodations using USDC on Base, while travelers retain control over the process and must authorize the final transaction.

Singapore-based crypto travel company Travala unveiled a new protocol that allows artificial intelligence agents to search for, book, and complete hotel payments using USDC on the Base layer-2 network, expanding the role of agent-driven stablecoin transactions in the travel reservation market.

Travala said in a statement provided to that the Travala Travel MCP is now available through Claude Desktop, while third-party developers can also incorporate the protocol into their own AI-powered travel agents.

The company stated that the system links Travala’s hotel inventory with AI agents through the Model Context Protocol, an open framework designed to connect AI applications with external services. The payment process runs on Coinbase’s x402 protocol on Base, and Travala said the arrangement enables gas-free USDC transfers, almost immediate settlement, and booking fees of roughly $0.01 per transaction.

AI Travel Systems Still Require Human Approval#

However, travelers must still manually approve the final payment, preventing the system from operating in a fully autonomous manner. Even so, it offers more advanced functionality than a standard chatbot that simply suggests travel plans and itineraries.

The rollout arrives as crypto firms push to expand stablecoin utility in machine-to-machine commerce and follows a broader surge in payment infrastructure designed for AI agents. recently reported that x402-connected wallets on Base exceeded 100 million transactions, while Fireblocks, MoonPay, Exodus, and Oobit introduced solutions focused on AI-powered stablecoin payments.

Travala described the rollout as an initial move toward autonomous travel reservations, although travelers continue to maintain final control over payment approvals. The company also said it will provide developers with a 10% Coinbase Wrapped BTC (cbBTC) rebate on eligible stays completed through its AI-powered booking agents.

Travala CEO Juan Otero said that the launch of what he described as the world’s first agentic AI travel protocol signals the end of the traditional checkout button, and he framed it as the beginning of a fully autonomous travel economy.

Travala said the system is built on ERC-7715 session keys, enabling an AI agent to initiate payment requests while final signing authority remains secured within the traveler’s wallet. The company also noted that the protocol can preserve context across searches, bookings, and cancellations within a single chat thread.

Travala Plans Wider Expansion of Its Travel Services#

Travala stated that the protocol spans over 2.2 million hotels, with inventory that includes properties from Marriott, Hilton, and IHG, all of which are supplied through its network of aggregator partners.

The company said it intends to extend the protocol beyond hotel bookings into additional travel services, including flights, while also expecting its Travala (AVA) loyalty token to play a role in supporting future use cases for Travel MCP.

Founded in 2017, Travala competes with crypto-friendly travel services such as Sleap.io and Alternative Airlines, although its latest protocol shifts the focus from traditional crypto checkout systems toward AI-agent-based booking infrastructure. The company also states that payments are accepted in more than 100 cryptocurrencies as well as fiat currencies.