Despite headlines declaring that ‘agentic booking is here,’ today’s AI tools still offer assisted, not fully automated, travel purchases. Google is developing agentic capabilities, but true end-to-end booking remains at least a year away.
Google Cracks Down on Misleading Hotel Prices (Finally!)
Google’s new Meta Price Accuracy rules now require hotel rates shown in search to exactly match the bookable price, fees included, or risk being penalized or removed, tightening the metasearch ecosystem and cracking down on misleading listings.
The browser wars just got agentic
The browser wars are back, this time with AI. OpenAI’s Atlas and Perplexity’s Comet aren’t just browsers; they’re assistants that read your screen, handle tasks, and reshape how we search and work online.
OTAs Just Took Over the Chat
OTA inventories are now powering hotel searches directly inside ChatGPT and Perplexity’s Comet browser, putting Booking.com and Expedia at the top of the AI planning funnel and pushing hotels even further from direct discovery.
Minority Report or Big Bang Theory?
Meta drops new smart glasses, I cave instantly, translation’s cool, gestures are wild, and yes… I look like a total glasshole.
Tick Tock… There Go Your Direct Bookings
TikTok dives into travel: creators can now tag hotels, earn booking commissions, and close sales via Booking.com, all without leaving the app.
Is Google Chrome the next Netscape?
Netscape, IE, Chrome… and now Comet. AI browsers like Comet and ChatGPT are turning search into conversation, and hotels not in the chat may vanish.
Vibe Coding Isn’t Just for Coders — It’s Coming for Everything
Vibe coding” is here, describe what you want, and AI builds it. I used it to prototype our new Hawaiʻi Hotel Hui site. No code, just prompts.
LLMs Are the New Influencers
As GenAI becomes a top source for consumer recommendations, hotels face a new challenge: optimizing for AI discoverability, not just search, as LLMs increasingly shape travel decisions.
Google Is Rewriting Hotel Search. Are You Ready?
Google’s new AI Mode is set to reshape hotel search, shifting travelers from links to AI-driven booking, meaning your property won’t surface unless your content, rates, and site are fully AI-ready.
