Let’s be honest: the rules of travel discovery are being rewritten, and most of the industry hasn’t caught up.

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Today, travelers don’t “search.” They ask. They speak to AI — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Siri, you name it — and get direct, personal answers. There’s no scroll, no second page. It’s one answer. One moment. One shot to be seen. Visibility today requires more than playing the old SEO game. Hoteliers must show up in the places travelers are already asking and make sure their story is ready to be told.

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We’ve built Cloudbeds to help hoteliers grow their business on their own terms, and that means showing up where travelers are asking. To do that effectively, we need to understand how discovery is changing. This is the first global study on how generative AI recommends hotels and what it takes to be part of the answer.

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But this shift is about more than visibility. It’s about liberating hoteliers from the systems that trap them – the broken tools, the rigid tech, the invisible barriers. With AI, we have a real chance to change that.

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We made this guide to help you lead, not just catch up. Because in this new era of AI-driven hospitality, those who act early will shape what comes next. Let’s build that future — together.

• The state of search
• The research
• The data
• The takeaways