Search Is Shifting
According to the Adyen Index 2025 (40,000 respondents across 27 countries), 34% of travelers used AI to find travel destinations, up from around 20% a year earlier.
The share is growing but remains small: most bookings still start on Google and booking portals. That is precisely where Google now displays its own AI answers.
Bookings Follow
According to Phocuswright (2025), one-quarter to one-third of travelers would be willing to let an AI assistant handle their booking.
The majority still books traditionally. However, the decision of which hotel makes the shortlist is increasingly made within the AI response.
Why This Is Critical for Hotels
An AI response usually mentions only two to three hotels. Those omitted never make the shortlist in the first place.
Those who are mentioned and maintain a clear website win direct bookings instead of commission-based portal bookings.
What Hotels Should Do Now
1. Measure for which typical guest queries ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Google AI mention your hotel – and who they mention instead.
2. Provide machine-readable facts: Schema.org JSON-LD and llms.txt.
3. Specifically correct false or outdated AI statements.
4. Remeasure monthly to verify if the measures are effective.
Sources
Adyen Index 2025 – Hospitality (08/2025): adyen.com
Phocuswright: From hype to habit (07/2025): phocuswright.com