What Travelers Told Marriott About AI and Their Tastes in Hotels
A Marriott-sponsored survey of 22,000 adults across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa points to a clear shift: half of travelers now use AI to plan trips, and many want hotels that match personal passions like traveling with pets and finding lesser-known destinations.
For hospitality teams, this isn't a future trend. It's a playbook for where demand is heading and how to design products, service, and marketing that match it.
Why it matters for hospitality and events teams
Marriott's leadership says these insights are already influencing tech deployment, brand moves, loyalty design, and property development. That tells you where big operators are placing bets-and where independent and regional groups can win by moving faster.
Source context: Marriott International has discussed ongoing tech and product evolution at the corporate level. See its company overview for broader strategy signals: Marriott International.
AI is now a default planning tool
Half of respondents use AI to plan trips. That changes how guests discover hotels, compare options, and expect service to adapt to their intent.
- Make your property "AI-readable": structured amenity data, clear pet policies, accessible room features, parking info, and fees spelled out in plain language.
- Publish traveler-first FAQs and sample itineraries. Large language models surface concise, practical answers-give them content worth pulling.
- Stand up an AI-assisted concierge or chatbot for pre-arrival and in-stay questions. Integrate with PMS and messaging so responses can trigger actual actions.
- Track AI-influenced demand: new "referral" patterns from chatbots, AI meta-agents, or itinerary tools. Treat these like emerging distribution channels.
Passion-led stays: pets and lesser-known destinations
Guests want hotels that reflect what they care about. Two clear signals: pet-friendly travel is mainstream, and curiosity about lesser-known spots is growing.
- Pet clarity sells: publish weight limits, fees, room types, restricted areas, and nearby vets and parks. Offer welcome kits, cleanup stations, and easy outdoor access.
- Promote "second city" and neighborhood stays: craft micro-itineraries, spotlight local makers, and package transit or bike access. Guests need reasons to book off the beaten path.
- Bundle interests: trail maps and gear storage for outdoor travelers, cowork-friendly spaces and strong Wi-Fi for digital workers, quiet rooms for event speakers.
What to upgrade in tech and operations
- Guest data to action: pre-arrival preference capture that informs room assignment, amenities, and F&B notes-without being invasive.
- On-property wayfinding and content: QR or app-based guides for local gems, pet zones, running routes, and late-night dining.
- AI-assisted service: summarize reviews and messages to spot friction points weekly. Fix the top two, measure again.
- Staff enablement: simple prompts and SOPs for AI tools can save hours in guest comms and event proposals. If your team needs training, start with focused, role-based content: AI courses by job.
Loyalty and packaging that reflect interests
- Recognize passions: pet perks, wellness credits, local experience points, or adventure gear partnerships.
- Micro-benefits that matter: guaranteed quiet floors, late checkout windows for event attendees, pre-blocked rooms for guests with pets.
- Earn-and-burn beyond rooms: tours, cowork passes, and transport tie-ins can anchor off-peak demand.
Development and design cues
- Secondary markets: smaller footprints near authentic neighborhoods can outperform if paired with strong local content and transit links.
- Rooms built for use cases: soundproofing for calls, gear storage, pet-wash nooks, flexible lighting, and easy charging everywhere.
- Public spaces with a job: quiet corners for calls, meeting nooks for small groups, and casual event zones that convert quickly.
What to measure next quarter
- AI-influenced bookings: percentage of reservations linked to AI chat, itinerary tools, or bot referrals.
- Conversion on passion pages: pet policy page exits vs. bookings, micro-itinerary views vs. length of stay.
- Ancillary uplift: pet fees, local experience sales, cowork day passes.
- Distribution efficiency: cost per booking by channel as AI discovery grows.
Quick playbook
- Publish clear, structured content: pet policy, accessibility, fees, parking, micro-itineraries.
- Launch an AI-assisted concierge tied to PMS and messaging.
- Design 2-3 passion-led packages for your market (pets, outdoor, wellness, remote work).
- Refit a few rooms and public spaces for specific use cases.
- Set KPIs for AI-driven discovery and passion-led conversion.
The takeaway is simple: travelers are using AI to plan, and they're booking hotels that align with who they are. Make it easy for them to find you, and even easier to feel like they belong when they arrive.
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