1. From human decisions to intelligent agents
Panelists agreed that the industry has not yet reached the “magic button” stage where machines decide everything, but the shift toward agent-to-agent conversations is inevitable. Soon, bots will negotiate rates, availability, and conditions without human intervention.
The obstacle is that today’s systems are still binary — “accept or reject this rate” — whereas the future will demand incremental decision-making based on multiple attributes. The first step is non-negotiable: master the data. Structure, control, and constant updates are the backbone of any AI-driven innovation.
2. Price as a ranking factor
Price remains the decisive ranking criterion, especially on small screens or within chat-based interactions. AI could amplify this reliance on price, but it may also weigh other factors like flexibility and inclusions more consistently than humans do.
Yet, if two offers are identical down to the cent with no differentiating attributes, the machine will struggle to choose. This highlighted again the urgency for hotels to enrich their data.
3. The limits of personalization
As one participant remarked:
“We can recommend, but we can never replace human choice.”
4. Generational shifts and changing contexts
- Gen Z often prefers self-service via mobile.
- Gen X and older travelers still value personal interaction.
A business traveler arriving late at night may only want to skip reception and go straight to their room, while a leisure guest may appreciate conversation. The takeaway: hotels should design for intent and affinity, not fixed profiles.
5. Content, languages, and the cost of acquisition
A practical challenge emerged around content. Several panelists admitted that in some cases, acquiring a booking through an OTA is actually cheaper than through the direct channel, given the cost of acquisition.
Why? Because OTAs understood first that “every language is a demand.” While many hotel websites stop at 8–12 languages, Booking.com and Expedia already operate in more than 150, using AI to scale translations.
Each language missing from a hotel’s website redirects demand to OTAs. Moreover, AI now interprets FAQs, policies, and attributes — if hotels don’t provide them, OTAs dominate visibility.
6. Regulation, transparency, and reputation
The roundtable also tackled regulation and trust. In Google Search, we distinguish between organic and sponsored results — but will we know what’s behind a personalized AI recommendation?
Concerns also surfaced around reviews. Fake feedback is widespread, and AI models are already scanning millions of opinions. Hoteliers questioned how to influence or correct an algorithm once it decides which reviews matter.
7. From data to storytelling
Several participants emphasized that the future will require more than structured data: hotels must learn to tell their story in ways AI can amplify.
The vision: digital platforms — whether OTAs or brand websites — evolving into travel magazines, capable of narrating a hotel’s uniqueness while supported by structured attributes.
8. AI as a driver of efficiency
AI is not just about guest-facing innovation. It also delivers operational gains. By replacing manual reporting with automated systems and real-time alerts, revenue managers can focus on decision-making and manage more properties with fewer errors.
The result: greater profitability, fewer mistakes, and more strategic bandwidth for hotel teams.
9. Who will capture the value?
On a broader level, the conversation turned to economics. Many agreed that the bulk of value will flow to whoever controls the consumer entry point.
- Today, Google occupies that role.
- Tomorrow, it could be Apple with Siri, OpenAI with ChatGPT, or another emerging platform.
Some predicted radical consolidation, similar to what happened with travel agencies decades ago. Others saw the potential for total disintermediation, where users or hotel groups develop their own bots.
What united all perspectives: Search is changing faster than ever, and hotels must prepare for a multi-entry world — mobile, voice, cars, chat, and beyond.
10. Experiential travel and Tourism 3.0
The conversation also explored the rise of experiential travel: microtours, farm stays, and immersive activities like “be a farmer for a day.”
In this space, AI functions less as a creator of demand and more as a demand aggregator — connecting scattered offerings and packaging them into bookable products.
11. Three immediate priorities for hoteliers
The session closed with three clear, actionable takeaways:
- Inventory and structure attributes at property and room level.
- Strengthen content with clarity, comparability, and multilingual reach.
- Automate processes to improve efficiency and scalability.
Closing thought
The HPI New York roundtable concluded with a shared perspective: artificial intelligence is no longer a distant possibility but an immediate force reshaping hotel distribution. The winners will not necessarily be the largest players, but those who understand that in the new landscape, whoever controls the data will control the story.
