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US: The co-founder of Sonder, Francis Davidson, has built an AI travel agent called Odessia using the engineering platform LangChain.
Odessia is a travel agent that allows users to book flights, accommodation, and itineraries within a single conversation. It is currently in preview with user feedback encouraged.
According to the website, more than 2,000 luxury hotels and resorts are “coming soon” and will join the platform under the Odessia Collection. Guests staying at these properties will receive “VIP treatment” such as room upgrades, hotel credits, and early/late check in/out.
Davidson said: “One of the problems we identified is that [personal AI] is not connected with real rates and availability, and you get a lot of text back. Travel planning is a very visual thing. So what if we can show you a map, show you images and availability, and help you compare actual options and then take it all the way to booking on platform, with an agent that knows your preferences, that can price shop on your behalf, and that also has extensive knowledge of all the various options that you can have.
“We’ve decided to build this agent to make travel planning fun – so people can go on better trips without having to spend so much time cycling through tabs.
“LangChain has allowed us to accelerate our agent development lifecycle, and the team has been incredibly supportive. Beyond the core technology, which we think is phenomenal, we’ve been happy working with the individuals inside the organisation.”
The launch of Odessia comes just six months after tech-enabled hospitality operator Sonder went into administration in November 2025. Davidson had stepped down as CEO of the company earlier that year.
Highlights:
- Francis Davidson, co-founder of Sonder, has launched AI travel agent Odessia built on LangChain, enabling conversational booking of flights, accommodation and itineraries.
- Odessia is currently in preview and will soon integrate more than 2,000 luxury hotels and resorts under its Odessia Collection offering VIP-style benefits including upgrades and credits.
- The platform allows users to compare real-time availability, pricing and visual options within a single interface designed to streamline travel planning and booking.
- Launch of Odessia follows Sonder entering administration in November 2025, with Davidson having stepped down as CEO earlier that year.
