Which hotel brands and booking platforms does AI recommend most?
We analyzed 150 AI-generated answers across 50 travel prompts to measure brand visibility in AI hotel recommendations. The results reveal a market dominated by OTAs, with Booking.com appearing in nearly 4 out of 10 answers.
Key Findings
Booking.com appears in 39% of AI travel answers
More than any hotel brand — 2x the rate of Hilton or Marriott
OTAs capture 36% of all brand mentions
AI routes travelers to commission-based booking channels, not hotel direct sites
Hilton & Marriott tie at 19.3% each
The big three hotel chains (Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt) account for over half of all hotel chain mentions
Luxury brands appear in under 8% of answers
Four Seasons, St. Regis, and Peninsula lag despite higher ADR — AI prioritizes accessibility over exclusivity
Top 10 Most-Mentioned Brands in AI Travel Answers
Percentage of 150 AI responses where each brand was mentioned
Hotel Chain Rankings
Which hotel brands AI recommends most — and who owns them
| Rank | Brand | Mention Rate | Parent Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hilton | 19.3% | Hilton Worldwide |
| 2 | Marriott | 19.3% | Marriott International |
| 3 | Hyatt | 16.0% | Hyatt Hotels |
| 4 | IHG | 10.0% | InterContinental Hotels Group |
| 5 | Four Seasons | 8.0% | Four Seasons Holdings |
| 6 | Peninsula | 7.3% | The Peninsula Hotels |
| 7 | Ritz-Carlton | 6.7% | Marriott International |
| 8 | Ace Hotel | 5.3% | Ace Hotel Group |
| 9 | St. Regis | 5.3% | Marriott International |
| 10 | Belmond | 4.7% | LVMH |
Where AI Mentions Go by Category
Distribution of 426 total brand mentions across categories
Your AI visibility depends on OTA presence
If Booking.com lists you, AI knows you. If not, you're invisible to AI travel planners.
Loyalty programs drive mentions
Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors appear frequently because AI associates them with clear value propositions.
AI rarely recommends direct booking
When asked about booking strategies, AI leads with OTAs. Hotels need to optimize their own content for AI discovery.
Google Reviews is the underdog to watch
At 3.3% vs TripAdvisor's 11.3%, Google Reviews is growing as Google's AI ecosystem expands.
Methodology
- 150 AI-generated answers across 50 unique travel prompts, with 3 repetitions per prompt
- Prompt types: Destination-specific hotel queries, brand comparisons, booking platform evaluations, loyalty program questions
- Brand tracking: 30 hotel chains, 14 OTAs, 7 vacation rental platforms, 7 travel planning tools, 6 review sites
- Analysis: Brand mention frequency, category distribution, sentiment framing
- Date: April 2026
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