Artificial intelligence platforms are changing how travellers discover hotels, forcing operators to rethink distribution as demand moves earlier in the booking journey, according to Juanjo Rodriguez, Head of Direct Booking and Innovation at Lighthouse.

Platforms such as ChatGPT are scaling quickly, with “around 900 million users” and “50 million users search for travel every month,” creating a new source of demand alongside Google and online travel agencies. Rodriguez said hotels now need to capture travellers before they know where or when they want to book.

The change is behavioural as much as technical. Traditional search relied on users who “knew exactly what you wanted,” whilst AI enables “a proper conversation in which the goal is to learn.” This places AI “at the very beginning of the marketing funnel,” where preferences are still being formed.

Hotels must now ensure their properties appear in AI-generated recommendations, not just search rankings. According to Rodriguez, this means structuring content so AI systems can read and reference hotel descriptions, pricing, and availability accurately.

However, relying too heavily on one platform remains risky. “You have to maintain a variety of healthy channels in order to have a healthy distribution mix,” Rodriguez said. Whilst AI expands reach, it could also create another powerful intermediary if a few platforms dominate discovery.

To adapt, hotels are testing new optimisation methods. “You have GEO for the AI space,” Rodriguez said, referring to efforts to improve visibility in AI responses. Technical standards such as MCP also allow hotel systems to connect with AI platforms, supporting real-time pricing and booking links.

Rodriguez said early adoption is critical. “If you are early and you learn during the process, you end up in a much better position,” he said, adding that “the cost… is very small.”

Hotels that fail to adapt risk losing visibility in AI recommendations, weakening direct traffic and increasing dependence on intermediaries.