Are we about to see the biggest shift in hotel bookings since the rise of OTAs?
In the last months I’ve been deep-diving into how AI is reshaping travel.
And honestly… the way people find and book accommodations will look completely different in the next 3–7 years.
Here’s what I’m observing:
OTAs won’t disappear — but they’ll transform.
Not list-based marketplaces, but AI travel agents that curate options automatically based on intent, behaviour, and context.
Discovery becomes conversational.
People will simply ask their assistant:
“Find me a quiet, affordable place in Toronto with great bathrooms and coworking nearby.” And bookings will happen through an API, not a website.
OMS, PMS, CRM stop being separate systems.
They merge into an autonomous operating layer that prices, assigns rooms/pods, schedules cleaning, and adapts to guest preferences.
Privacy flips.
Instead of brands storing data, users will own encrypted “preference vaults” and grant temporary access. Personalization becomes permission-based, not creepy.
Standardization wins.
AI prefers predictable, high-quality, modular inventory — it’s easier to price, assign, recommend, and operate at scale.
This is exactly the opportunity we see with Stay Tiny Hotels as we build our new pod model: If you could design hospitality from scratch for an AI-first world… how would you do it?
So here’s my question to the industry:
· How do you think AI will change the way guests find and book accommodations?
· Will OTAs, direct booking, and loyalty still matter?
· If you had the chance to build a new hospitality model today — what would you design differently?
I’d love to hear perspectives from hoteliers, tech founders, OTAs, revenue managers, and travelers themselves.
Let’s open the discussion.
What do you see coming?
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