# Building OS

> The open protocol for hotel distribution in the age of AI agents.

Building OS is a property management platform that makes hotel inventory discoverable by AI agents via CLI, MCP servers, REST APIs, agentic markdown, iCal, and webhooks. Contributing member of ADAPT — Alliance for Direct Accommodation Protocol & Technology (hotelmcp.org).

## The Problem

The hotel industry is trapped in a 5-7 intermediary distribution stack built on legacy XML/SOAP protocols:

Traveler → Metasearch (Google, TripAdvisor, Kayak — CPC fees) → OTAs (Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb — 15-25% commission) → Channel Manager + GDS Switch (SiteMinder, DHISCO — 2-way XML, SaaS fees) → CRS / PMS / RMS (Opera, Mews, Cloudbeds — per-room licensing) → VCC Payments + Merchant (processing fees) → Hotel (keeps ~75%)

This 35-year consolidation produced a Booking Holdings / Expedia duopoly extracting $50B+ annually in commissions. Beyond commissions, OTAs enforce onerous distribution agreement clauses:

- **Rate Parity**: Hotels cannot offer lower rates on their own website or any other channel, eliminating pricing freedom.
- **Last Available Room**: OTAs contractually require access to a hotel's last available room, even at 15-25% commission, preventing hotels from holding inventory for more profitable direct or walk-in bookings.
- **Guest Data Gatekeeping**: OTAs withhold guest email addresses, then use that data to remarket guests to competing properties.

Hotels lose guest data, pricing control, and brand relationship.

## The Solution

Building OS replaces the entire intermediary stack with a direct connection:

Traveler / AI Agent → CLI / MCP / REST API / Markdown → Hotel (under 8% commission, 100% guest data)

## Integration Methods

Building OS is tech-agnostic. All integration methods:

- **CLI**: `building-os search --city memphis --checkin 2026-03-15 --checkout 2026-03-18`
- **CLI rates**: `building-os rates --property the-exchange --json`
- **CLI booking**: `building-os book --property the-exchange --room king-suite --guest "Jane Smith"`
- **MCP Server**: Standard Model Context Protocol with tools: `search_availability()`, `get_rates()`, `get_property()`, `create_booking()`
- **REST API**: JSON/HTTP with OpenAPI spec, OAuth 2.0 — `GET /v1/availability`, `POST /v1/bookings`
- **Agentic Markdown**: `.well-known/hotel.md` — zero-infrastructure AI discovery (like robots.txt for hotel inventory)
- **iCal**: Calendar sync with Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com
- **Webhooks**: Real-time booking notifications
- **JSON-LD / Schema.org**: Structured data for search engines

## What Building OS Manages

Full-cycle PMS for mixed-use properties:

- **STR** (Short-Term Rentals) — Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, direct bookings
- **LTR** (Long-Term Leases) — Month-to-month or term leases, rent ledgers, collections
- **WTW** (Week-to-Week) — Flexible corporate stays and relocations
- **Rehab** — Renovation tracking with pipeline management

PMS features: Reservations, guest profiles, dynamic pricing, housekeeping (Kanban), maintenance (3-tier), channel management, guest messaging, payments, analytics, loyalty, night audit, multi-property, access control, arrivals hub, collections pipeline, lease generation.

## Live Pilot

200+ unit mixed-use building in Downtown Memphis, TN (Exchange Building):
- 19 floors, ~104 STR units, ~55 LTR units, ~39 WTW units
- Dynamic pricing with 14 Memphis event multipliers
- Collision detection (sweep-line algorithm) preventing double-bookings
- Self-service guest kiosk, lobby TV arrivals display, housekeeping board
- UniFi Access integration (automated guest PINs)

## Three Eras of Hotel Distribution

1. **Era 1: GDS & XML (1960s–2010s)** — Sabre, Amadeus, Travelport. Terminal-based. EDIFACT/SOAP/XML protocols. Switch companies (THISCO → Pegasus → DHISCO).
2. **Era 2: Channel Manager + OTA Dominance (2010s–Present)** — Booking.com/Expedia duopoly. Channel managers (SiteMinder, D-EDGE, RateGain). 15-25% commissions. $50B+ extracted annually.
3. **Era 3: AI Agents + MCP Direct (2025–Future)** — MCP announced by Anthropic (Nov 2024). Adopted by OpenAI, Google, Microsoft. Perplexity booking 140K hotels. Google AI Mode launching. Hotels publish MCP servers for direct AI agent booking.

## Alliance

Contributing member of ADAPT — Alliance for Direct Accommodation Protocol & Technology (UNA). An industry coalition advocating for open, direct hotel distribution via MCP and related protocols.
Website: https://www.hotelmcp.org

## BookLocal Movement

When travelers book through OTAs, up to 25 cents of every dollar leaves the community. BookLocal keeps revenue local — with the properties and communities that create the experience.

## Status

- Live pilot running at 200+ unit building in Downtown Memphis, TN
- Early access program open for independent hoteliers and multi-unit STR operators
- Free during early access
- Contact: bek@membnb.com

## Links

- Website: https://www.building-os.io
- Early Access: https://www.building-os.io/#early-access
- ADAPT Alliance: https://www.hotelmcp.org
- MCP Descriptor: https://www.building-os.io/.well-known/mcp.json
- Hotel Markdown: https://www.building-os.io/.well-known/hotel.md
- GitHub: https://github.com/sardoru/building-os-landing

## Contact

Building OS — Built in Memphis, TN
Email: bek@membnb.com
Alliance: ADAPT (hotelmcp.org)