When Siri starts recommending hotels
Apple’s Gemini-powered assistant brings AI-led discovery into the heart of hotel distribution
Apple’s decision to integrate Google’s Gemini models into next-generation Siri marks a significant shift in how travelers may plan and book trips from their phones. By embedding advanced AI directly into the iPhone experience, Apple and Google are moving closer to the traveler’s moment of intent—often before a browser, OTA, or hotel website is opened. For hoteliers, this raises new questions about how properties are surfaced, compared, and recommended by AI-driven assistants. The development signals a gradual but meaningful change in the distribution landscape rather than an overnight disruption.
Key takeaways
- AI moves closer to booking intent: A Gemini-powered Siri operates at the operating-system level, potentially influencing travel decisions earlier than traditional search engines or booking platforms.
- From links to answers: Instead of listing options, Siri may summarise and compare hotel policies, amenities, locations, and pricing contextually, shaping guest perception before a booking click.
- New competition for visibility: Hotels may increasingly compete to be recommended by AI systems, not just ranked on OTAs or search results pages.
- Data quality becomes critical: Accurate, structured, and up-to-date hotel data will be essential for AI assistants to surface properties correctly and favourably.
- Potential shift away from pure OTA dependency: If Siri can compare options and guide decisions directly, some travelers may rely less on traditional OTA discovery paths.
- Personalisation raises the bar: AI-driven recommendations may favour hotels that clearly signal suitability for specific traveller profiles, trip purposes, and timing.
- Privacy shapes the pace of change: Apple’s emphasis on on-device processing and private cloud infrastructure may slow rollout but also increase user trust and adoption.
Source: Travel + Leisure, Google
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