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How ChatGPT chooses which hotels to recommend

Updated By Akkrev

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.

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.

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 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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