How ChatGPT Plans to Book Hotels (And Why Your Property Might Be Invisible)

Last month, Sam Altman sat down with economist Tyler Cowen and outlined how ChatGPT will transform hotel booking. Not someday. Now.

Travelers will book based on trust, not paid placement. Transaction fees instead of ad auctions. Real recommendations instead of sponsored results.

If that sounds futuristic, check the calendar.

ChatGPT launched Apps in October 2025. Not a feature update. A new distribution channel that reached 800 million users on day one. As PhocusWire reported, Expedia and Booking.com were first in line. They built Apps that plug their inventory directly into ChatGPT conversations.

According to McKinsey's Remapping Travel with Agentic AI report, AI mentions in major travel companies' annual reports jumped from 4% in 2022 to 35% in 2024. AI-focused travel startups now attract 45% of sector funding, up from just 10% in 2023.

As we outlined in our analysis, this is hotels' iPhone moment. When the App Store launched in 2008, it reached 6 million users. ChatGPT Apps launched to 800 million. That's 133 times larger, on day one.

What Altman actually said

When Cowen mentioned he'd used ChatGPT to find hotels across France and Spain, Altman explained why this behavior is spreading.

ChatGPT would consistently be reported as a user's most trusted technology product from a big tech company, Altman said.

Trust changes behavior. When travelers trust the answer, they book what AI recommends.

Altman contrasted this with search engines where "advertising-based ranking models can sometimes elevate lower-quality hotels simply because they pay for visibility." ChatGPT surfaces hotels "based purely on reviews, relevance, and the user's needs, free from paid placement."

But here's what hotels miss: ChatGPT can't recommend you the way you want unless you control the conversation through a direct App connection.

Apps vs content: Why this isn't SEO 2.0

Here's the critical distinction.

This isn't about optimizing content so ChatGPT can find you. That's hoping AI scrapes the right information and represents you accurately.

That's not control. That's luck.

The App approach is different. When you build a direct connection through MCP protocol, you control:

Your descriptions (not scraped OTA text)
Your imagery (not generic photos)
Your pricing (real-time, accurate, direct)
Your availability (live inventory)
Your booking flow (direct to your site)

When a traveler asks "Find me a boutique hotel in Lisbon with a heated pool and gym for under $300," AI platforms prioritize Apps with structured, verified, real-time data. Scraped content loses. Direct App connections win.

McKinsey's research shows 59% of travel executives credit AI with increased productivity. Yet only 2% of travelers currently let AI book on their behalf.

That 2% is about to explode. And AI will recommend hotels based on who built the best App infrastructure, not who has the best content.

From search to apps

Google took eight years to dominate travel search. ChatGPT did it in two. Hotels that build App connections now will define how AI understands their brand. Those that wait will get reduced to scraped blurbs and generic OTA descriptions.

Once AI platforms form preferred data sources through App partnerships, those preferences harden. Early movers lock in visibility.

The real problem

Imagine a traveler asks ChatGPT to find hotels, compare options, and book. They see two, maybe three recommendations.

If you don't have an App connection, your website doesn't matter. Your brand doesn't matter. You're not ranking lower. You're excluded entirely.

OTAs built Apps first. Hotels that wait are stuck playing catch-up while distribution partners own the conversation.

Three questions every hotelier should ask

Can AI assistants find my property? Try asking ChatGPT or Claude about hotels in your area. If you're not mentioned, that's your signal.
How am I being described? If AI pulls text from OTAs or old listings, you've lost control of your narrative.
Can guests book my propertydirectly through AI? If not, you're already losing bookings to properties with App infrastructure.

What App infrastructure actually means

Think of it as a new engine alongside your website and booking engine:

Your website is for human visitors
Your booking engine handles transactions
Your AI App layer is for intelligent agents representing travelers

It's not marketing technology. It's infrastructure. The way your property talks to AI platforms through structured data channels.

What comes next

Altman's booking vision isn't hypothetical - user behavior is shifting.

He outlined the business model: taking "the same cut that it would take from any other hotel" with "nothing that influenced it, but there's some sort of transaction fee."

The tech is ready. Consumers are ready. The only variable is whether hotels build App infrastructure or hope content optimization is enough.

It's not.

Treat this like SEO 2.0 and you'll enter with the wrong strategy. Treat this like the App Store moment it actually is and you'll build infrastructure that puts you in control.

AI became the new front door. Apps are the key. Build yours before your competitor builds theirs.

Now is the time to build your hotel’s app infrastructure

Lighthouse Connect AI connects your property directly to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and the next wave of AI platforms through MCP protocol. We build the infrastructure so you control the conversation, own your data, and stay competitive.

This isn't content optimization. It's a direct connection infrastructure.

Book a demo to understand the App approach and start building your AI presence with Lighthouse, today.

About Lighthouse

Lighthouse is the leading commercial platform for the travel & hospitality industry.

We transform complexity into confidence by providing actionable market insights, business intelligence, and pricing tools that maximize revenue growth.

We continually innovate to deliver the best platform for hospitality professionals to price more effectively, measure performance more efficiently, and understand the market in new ways.

Trusted by over 70,000 hotels in 185 countries, Lighthouse is the only solution that provides real-time hotel and short-term rental data in a single platform. We strive to deliver the best possible experience with unmatched customer service. We consider our clients as true partners—their success is our success.

For more information about Lighthouse, please visit: https://www.mylighthouse.com.