# How ChatGPT chooses which hotels to recommend

> ChatGPT names a handful of hotels for each question. How it searches, which sources it trusts and why it often links Booking.com instead of the hotel.

_UK and US · Updated 2026-10-27 · Akkrev, https://akkrev.com/ai-seo/how-chatgpt-chooses-hotels/_

When a guest asks ChatGPT for a hotel, it usually searches the web, reads a handful of pages and writes a short answer naming two to five hotels. Understanding that process explains why some hotels appear and others don't.

## What ChatGPT does with a hotel question

1. **Interprets the request.** "Quiet boutique hotel in Edinburgh with parking" becomes a set of criteria: city, area, style, a facility.
2. **Searches.** It looks for pages that match: guides, listings, review pages and hotel websites.
3. **Reads and compares.** It pulls out names and facts that match the criteria.
4. **Answers.** It names a few hotels, says why, and often adds links.

## Why some hotels are named

- **They match the question in words.** If the guest asks for parking, ChatGPT names hotels whose pages and listings say "parking".
- **Several sources agree.** A hotel mentioned in a guide, with consistent reviews and a clear listing, is a safe recommendation.
- **The facts are readable.** Hotels whose rooms and prices sit inside booking widgets or images give ChatGPT less to work with.

## Why it links OTAs

Booking.com and Expedia listings are complete, consistent and easy to read. When a hotel's own site is less clear than its OTA listing, ChatGPT often links the OTA. The hotel gets the guest, but pays commission.

## How to see what ChatGPT says about you

Ask it the questions your guests ask, in a fresh chat, and note which hotels it names and which sites it cites. Do it again next week. Or let our [plans](https://akkrev.com/pricing/) ask ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini and Claude for you every week.

## Questions

### Can I pay ChatGPT to recommend my hotel?

No. There's no paid placement in ChatGPT's organic answers. Hotels are named because of what ChatGPT reads about them.

### Does ChatGPT use Google?

ChatGPT search uses its own crawler and search partners rather than Google's results. Being readable to OpenAI's crawlers matters.

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Akkrev gets hotels, restaurants and cafés recommended by AI assistants. Get started: https://akkrev.com/start/