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For years hotels were adapted to SEO, OTAs and metasearch engines. Today the scenario is radically different because artificial intelligence is already inside the hotel reserve funnel. The battle for control of distribution begins. How do we win it?
The AI has already entered the reserve funnel
Assistants like Claude or Gemini start to be the new planners or travel. Faced with this reality, it was to be expected that the giants would move token.
Booking.com is investing massively in creating a conversational AI assistant that will seek to be the only point of contact between travelers and reservations, using 28 years of data to build a wall between hotels and their guests.
Faced with this reality, the giants are already moving token. Booking.com is investing massively in creating a conversational AI assistant that will seek to be the only point of contact between travelers and reservations.
No individual hotel can compete against the innovation of a giant. So far. Protocols such as MCP point to a future where AI will be shared infrastructure, allowing hotels, technology providers and even rivals to develop connected systems that truly benefit the customer.
The choice is simple: continue to build with static technology, or adopt open standards and give the hotel industry the transformation that is urgent.
Conclusion: We can Win at OTAs supporting us en the ia. The question is: Are we going to stay out?
On neobookings We have been working hard for a long time to understand and apply these changes., because we know that joining efforts is the only way to move forward. Otherwise, we will lose what is perhaps the most decisive battle against the OTAs.
The key is in the combination of technology with the Expertise Human: Standardized automation + extraordinary talent. In this article we explain it step by step.
Travelers, who previously searched between portals and crossing information from one side and the other, now do Conversational questions (for example: “Find a boutique hotel in Barcelona for less than €200”), and get Complete answers without clicking on any web.
How does this change work? AI does the work for the guest. Find, interpret and recommend hotels and close the transaction: payment execution and confirmation of the stay.
So you don't get lost in technicalities, we explain it to you. Currently, there are three reserve models per AI:
- API model (Perplexity, Google Gemini):The AI connects directly through an application programming interface. Fast and reliable, but requires technical integration.
- Web Model (ChatGPT):AI navigates as a user, opening websites and portals. It does not need special integration, but it is slower and more error-prone.
- MCP model (model context protocol):A “universal plug” for AI. Allows any application to open a standard door and any AI model enters, asks for, or sends data in natural language, as if it were a conversation.
The extraordinary power of the MCP model
Presented by Anthropic in 2024 and adopted by Openai, Microsoft and Google, this model is the solution that makes it possible An integration between multiple technologies and exposes them to the world of LLMs. The MCP model is the solution that enables integration between multiple technologies, allowing backup engines, PMS, CRM, Channel Manager, to connect in "Plug N Play" mode as data aggregators to an orchestrator AI agent.
Thanks to protocols such as MCP, hotels and chains will have to build standardized ecosystems through MCP, relying on technology partners. Imagine Neobookings, Cloudbeds, Opera, Mews and other providers by adopting the same MCP protocols to unify data and operations.
Hotels and chains, together with their technological partners, we will have to build standardized ecosystems, focused on the disappearance of traditional web interfaces.
But here is the differentiating secret: while AI automates reservations and distribution, people become more valuable than ever.
When technology handles repetitive tasks, human teams can focus on what really matters: exceptional customer support, personalized support, creative problem solving, and memorable experiences that no AI can replicate.
Where AI ends, human value begins
But it is not only about the speed and power of the tools, but the contribution of an unmatched differential: while the AI automates Reserves, distribution and decisions, the human team Contribute more value than ever.
By leaving the repetitive in the hands of technology, people can focus on a Exceptional customer service, the creative problem solving and activation of Memorable experiences what No AI can replicate.
“Ultimately, it all comes down to finding the right balance: strategically leveraging AI for efficiency while conserving the impact of a more empathetic service that only human interaction can offer.” (Forbes, “Ai or the Human Touch? Striking a Balance in Customer Retention”, 07/14/2025)
The battle for control of distribution.A clear action plan for your hotels or chain:
- keep aBasic presence in Google and Otasas backup.
- Build a direct reservation structure in AI-enabled environments.
- demand interoperabilityand participate in the definition ofOpen standardsbased on MCP.
as summarizedBinu Mathews (ids next):“Open standards are the key to unlocking a better and more accessible path for AI to find and reserve each property.”
The opportunity is clear and unique: joining technologically to lead direct distribution or remain fragmented and invisible to giants.