New features like the AI Trip Planner, Smart Filters, automated review summaries, and AI-assisted guest communication are all designed to help travellers “find the perfect hotel faster.”
But behind this narrative of technological progress lie important questions:
Who benefits? What does this mean for hotels – especially smaller, independent ones? And what new dependencies are being created?
AI Becomes the Gatekeeper – With Far-Reaching Consequences
Booking.com argues that AI helps travellers “find the right accommodation more quickly.”
That may be true – but from a hotel’s perspective, this means something else entirely:
The algorithm now has more power than ever to decide which hotels are visible and which are not.
Traditionally, ranking was mainly influenced by price, location, availability, and review scores.
With AI, new and far less controllable factors come into play, such as:
- interpreted content
- automatically extracted sentiment from reviews
- semantic image analysis
- “fit” to complex traveller intentions
- AI-generated summaries
In other words:
The platform gains more control over how selectively and strategically hotels are presented to users.
Opportunities – But Not Unconditional Ones
Of course, there are opportunities for hotels. But these opportunities exist within Booking.com’s system, not independent of it.
Opportunities for hotels:
- Better visibility for specialized properties
AI can recognise unique attributes (design, atmosphere, target groups) more effectively – if they are clearly communicated. - More suitable guests
If travellers search with specific needs (“quiet for working,” “great coffee,” “important view”), hotels with a strong positioning benefit. - Operational time savings through automation
AI-generated messages and Q&A responses can ease workload – especially valuable for small teams. - Content becomes a strategic asset
Hotels that articulate their USPs clearly have more differentiation potential.
These opportunities are real – but they come with conditions.
Critical Issues Hotels Cannot Ignore
1. Growing dependence on platform ranking
The more AI influences search results, the less transparent ranking becomes.
Hotels will increasingly struggle to understand:
- why visibility suddenly drops
- why certain room types stop converting
- why conversion decreases without price changes
Transparency was already limited – AI makes the system even harder to interpret.
2. Inequality of resources
Larger hotels with content teams, professional photography, and storytelling expertise will benefit disproportionately.
Smaller, family-run hotels face a structural disadvantage:
Without high-quality content, there is no data base for AI – and thus less visibility.
AI may therefore reinforce existing market inequalities, rather than level the playing field.
3. Distorted representation through AI summaries
AI-generated review summaries and automated highlights are not neutral. They can:
- mis-weight certain themes
- amplify isolated negative comments
- drown out unique strengths
- oversimplify complex feedback
The hotel has limited control over how AI chooses to portray the property.
4. AI as “matchmaker” can influence pricing
As AI matches guests more precisely, new effects emerge:
- certain guest types become “premium segments”
- competition intensifies for the most profitable travellers
- price elasticity can shift
- demand curves become harder to forecast
Revenue management becomes more complex, not easier.
5. Reduced direct pre-arrival guest contact
If AI automates Q&A, generates responses, and filters content, hotels lose opportunities to:
- build trust
- shape guest expectations
- promote upgrades
- stimulate direct bookings
The more Booking.com controls the customer journey,
the less room remains for hotel-owned communication.
What Revenue Managers Must Do Now
AI integration cannot be ignored – hotels need structured preparation.
1. Do not leave content strategy solely to marketing
Content is no longer “just marketing.”
It is a pricing tool and a visibility driver.
Revenue managers should insist on:
- clear USP statements
- complete amenity information
- micro-detailed descriptions (view, light, coffee machine, spatial feeling)
- high-quality, categorised photos
Without precise data, AI works against the hotel, not for it.
2. Manage reviews strategically
AI extracts patterns – fair or unfair.
Revenue managers must:
- analyse AI-detected review themes monthly
- quantify recurring issues
- initiate improvement processes
- showcase positive themes
- proactively address problematic narratives
A single negative detail can become overly prominent through AI summaries.
3. Sharpen target-group positioning
AI matches needs – so the hotel must:
- have a clear guest segmentation strategy
- align pricing and packages accordingly
- use keyword-driven descriptions
- visually reinforce the desired identity
Unclear positioning means AI categorises the hotel randomly – rarely to its advantage.
4. Monitor impacts on demand forecasting
Revenue managers should include new KPIs:
- visibility shifts after AI updates
- conversion regression after content changes
- segment shifts caused by AI matching
- changes in price elasticity
Demand becomes more volatile because it is influenced by algorithmic decision-making.
5. Use AI tools – but critically
Automated replies are helpful, but:
- must be checked regularly
- must not contain incorrect promises
- must fit the property’s tone of voice
Automation is useful – but quality control is essential.
Conclusion: AI Brings Opportunities, but Hotels Need a Counterbalance
Booking.com presents GenAI as a win-win.
For hotels, that is only partly true.
Yes, the right content can increase visibility.
Yes, personalised search may bring more suitable guests.
But at the same time:
- dependency on the algorithm grows
- transparency decreases
- pressure to deliver perfect data increases
- hotels risk becoming more interchangeable
- smaller properties lose competitive ground
The key question is not whether AI is coming – but how hotels maintain control.
The answer lies in revenue management:
- Content + pricing + target groups must be integrated
- Review management must become more strategic
- Visibility becomes a KPI of its own
- Differentiation requires more precision
Hotels that understand this shift and proactively adapt will benefit.
Those that remain passive risk falling behind in an AI-driven marketplace.
