Today, travelers are using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to find hotels. These tools give suggestions based on data from the internet—not ads or paid listings.
This means how your hotel looks online, what people say about you, and where your hotel is mentioned all affect how AI recommends you.
For hoteliers, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. If you understand how AI works, you can get more visibility and bookings.
This guide explains how AI hotel discovery works and what you can do to make your hotel show up in AI searches.
What Is AI Hotel Discovery?
AI hotel discovery is how AI tools help travelers find hotels. These tools don’t just show ads—they look at data from OTAs, your hotel website, guest reviews, social media, and more.
Top AI Tools Travelers Use
A recent study shows that 98% of hotel results in AI are from these three tools.
Why AI Is Important for Hoteliers
AI doesn’t work like Google Ads or paid promotions. It reads content, guest reviews, and data from across the internet. So, your hotel’s digital presence is key.
If AI can’t find or understand your hotel’s data, you may miss out on bookings—even if you’re a great property.
What AI Looks for When Showing Hotels
AI tools look at many things to decide which hotels to show. Here are the most important ones for hotel owners:
1. Your OTA Presence
In a study, 55% of hotels shown in AI tools were taken directly from OTAs.
Make sure your OTA listings (like on Booking.com, Expedia, etc.) are correct and full of details.
2. Guest Reviews Matter a Lot
AI tools read guest reviews to understand if your hotel gives a good experience.
Ask happy guests to leave reviews. Use reputation management tools to respond to feedback and improve your scores.
3. Strong Hotel Identity
AI likes hotels that are clearly defined. If your hotel is known as a “budget hotel near the city center” or “eco-resort in the hills,” AI can understand and recommend you better.
Tips:
- Make your message clear on your website and OTA profiles.
- Use the same descriptions everywhere.
4. Digital Presence on Other Platforms
AI picks hotels that appear across different platforms—not just OTAs. This includes videos, blogs, social media, and forums.
Hotels that show up in many places are seen as more trustworthy by AI tools.
5. Real-Time and Structured Data
AI uses structured data—details like your room types, prices, and amenities written in a format AI can read.
Make sure your website has:
- Up-to-date pricing and room details
- Fast load speed and mobile-friendly design
- Correct use of tools like schema markup
How AI Changes the Guest Booking Journey
Before, guests searched for hotels, compared them, then booked. Now with AI, that process is faster:
- Guests ask AI a question
- AI suggests a hotel
- Guests click and book directly
This means AI might be your first point of contact with a guest—even before they visit your website.
Steps Hoteliers Can Take to Improve AI Visibility
How Hotelogix Helps Hotels Get Discovered by AI
With Hotelogix’s Unified Frontdesk and Central Reservation Office, you can:
- Sync your hotel’s prices and availability across over 100 OTAs
- Avoid double bookings or wrong info online
- Keep all platforms updated automatically
It also supports real-time OTA management, which is important because AI tools rely on live, accurate data.
In AI discovery, the cleaner and clearer your hotel’s information is, the better your chances of being recommended.
Using Hotelogix helps your hotel stay visible, bookable, and trustworthy in today’s digital world.
Example: Onefam Paralelo’s Success with AI
Onefam Paralelo, a boutique hotel in Barcelona, was shown often in AI tools because of:
- High guest ratings (over 75/100 sentiment score)
- Good mentions in blogs and videos
- Clear identity as a social hostel for young travelers
They saw more direct bookings and relied less on paid ads.
What’s Coming Next in AI Hotel Search
New tools like Connect AI by Lighthouse now allow travelers to chat with AI and get live hotel suggestions, including pricing and booking links.
Very soon, guests may book hotels completely through AI tools without ever visiting your website or OTA listing.
90-Day Plan to Improve AI Visibility
Final Thoughts: Get Ready for AI Bookings
AI is changing how people book hotels. It’s like a digital front desk—recommending places, answering questions, and sending guests your way.
To win in this new travel space, make sure your hotel is easy to find, easy to trust, and easy to book.
Start now. Get your hotel ready for the future of bookings with AI.