Hospitality Net Interview: Natalie Kimball on Why Hotels Can’t Outspend OTAs on AI, but Can Still Win on Experience

In a recent Hospitality Net interview at HITEC 2026, Natalie Kimball, VP of Strategic Account Management for Horizon Distribution and Iceportal Content at Shiji, shared a candid perspective on how AI is reshaping hotel distribution.

The conversation highlights a familiar but evolving challenge. Hotels are once again facing a shift in how guests discover and book stays, and much like the early days of OTAs, the balance of power is moving quickly. 

This article follows the original insights from the interview closely, adding context and structure to explore what they mean for hotel strategy today. 

The same distribution battle, now accelerated by AI

One of the most striking points raised in the interview is that this is not a new fight.

According to Natalie Kimball, hotels could be facing a familiar distribution challenge, with AI accelerating the advantage OTAs have built over the past 25 years. 

At the time, many hotels struggled to compete with the scale and marketing spend of OTAs. The result was a shift toward reliance on third parties, often at high commission levels. 

What is different now is the pace. AI-driven discovery is compressing change into a much shorter timeframe, forcing hotels to react faster in an environment where the structural advantages already exist. 

Why OTAs are positioned to lead in AI-driven discovery 

The interview makes a clear case for why OTAs have a head start.

They do not just provide distribution. They have built data ecosystems that capture traveler preferences at scale, including the small details that influence booking decisions.

This matters more in AI environments than in traditional search. Instead of browsing lists, travelers increasingly describe what they want. Platforms that can interpret and match that intent in one step are more likely to win the interaction.

As highlighted in the conversation, OTAs can respond to a request on a single page, while individual hotels often struggle to match that level of relevance or completeness.

The implication is practical. Visibility is no longer only about being present, but about being the most precise answer. 

The growing dependence on structured and accurate content

A key insight from the interview focuses on content.

“You can’t AI your way into correct content,” as emphasized by Natalie Kimball.

This reflects a broader challenge. AI systems rely on existing information, and if a hotel’s data is incomplete or inconsistent, it may not be surfaced at all.

The interview highlights a simple but important scenario. If a detail about a property is missing from its own channels but available on an OTA, that OTA becomes the primary source in the AI response.

This shifts the role of content from marketing asset to core infrastructure. Accuracy, completeness, and consistency directly affect whether a hotel appears in the guest journey.

The risk of losing control over visibility

Another theme emerging from the conversation is control.

Natalie mentioned situations where hotels no longer fully control visibility even for their own name in search results, as OTAs outbid them.

In an AI-driven environment, this risk extends further. Guests may interact with a single interface that aggregates options and presents recommendations without directing them to a hotel’s own channels.

This changes the competitive dynamic. It is no longer only about ranking higher, but about being included at all in the decision-making layer.

Where hotels still have an advantage: the experience itself 

Despite the challenges outlined, the interview does not suggest that hotels are without leverage.

Instead, it points to a clear strategic focus. Hotels may not be able to compete with OTAs on AI investment or data scale, but they still control the product and the guest experience.

Natalie’s advice shared in the conversation is direct. Rather than trying to solve everything at once, hotels should focus on what they can control and deliver it exceptionally well.

This includes:

• Delivering consistent, high-quality guest experiences

• Ensuring operations are reliable and responsive

• Making the core product clear and appealing

In this context, experience becomes not just a differentiator, but a strategic anchor. 

A practical shift in how hotels approach AI

The interview ultimately suggests a shift in mindset.

AI will continue to influence how guests discover and book hotels. That direction is already set. The question is not whether hotels should participate, but how they prioritize their efforts.

Rather than attempting to match the marketing and AI investments of OTAs, the discussion points toward focusing on fundamentals.

• Maintaining accurate and comprehensive content

• Understanding how distribution partners represent the property

• Reinforcing the value of the on-property experience

This approach does not remove dependency on intermediaries, but it strengthens a hotel’s position within that ecosystem.

This is also where Shiji’s Horizon Distribution and Iceportal Content become relevant. Horizon Distribution is working with leading AI partners to help hotels build an ecosystem where their availability, rates, and inventory can be distributed into emerging AI-driven discovery channels. At the same time, Iceportal Content provides the structured content layer that helps ensure hotel information is accurate, complete, and connected in a way that makes properties more discoverable by AI.

Conclusion 

Natalie Kimball’s Hospitality Net interview offers a clear reminder that AI is accelerating a distribution challenge that has been building for decades. 

• OTAs may have the advantage in scale, data, and AI investment, but hotels still have meaningful levers to strengthen their position. 

• Accurate content, connected distribution, and a strong on-property experience are no longer separate priorities; together, they shape whether a hotel can be found, understood, and chosen in an AI-driven discovery environment. 

• For hotels, the goal is not to outspend OTAs, but to become more visible, more accurate, and more compelling wherever guests begin their search. 

Working with trusted technology partners will be essential to connect content, distribution, and AI-driven discovery in a way that supports long-term visibility.