How to check if an AI agent can book your US hotel
USUpdated By Akkrev
A 10-minute test: ask ChatGPT agent, Gemini in Chrome or Claude to book your hotel on your own site, then check where it went and what it quoted.
You can find out in ten minutes whether AI agents can book your hotel direct. You need an agent, a notepad and dates you know are available.
Step 1: give the agent a realistic task
Use ChatGPT in agent mode, Gemini in Chrome, Claude or Perplexity Comet. Type:
Book a king room at [hotel name], [city, state], for two adults for two nights from [date three weeks out], on the hotel’s own website, not Expedia or another booking site. Stop before paying. Tell me the room, the total including all fees, taxes separately, and the cancellation policy.
Step 2: watch what it does
- Where does it go first? Your site, or straight to an OTA?
- What does it click? Homepage widget, “Book Now” button, a separate booking page?
- Where does it hesitate? Cookie notice, CAPTCHA, date picker, room selection?
- How long until it sees a price?
Step 3: check its answer
- Right room type?
- Right total, including any resort, destination or amenity fee?
- Right taxes?
- Right cancellation deadline?
Step 4: try harder requests
- “With a dog”, “with parking”, “for a 20-year-old” (tests policies).
- “Two rooms” (tests multi-room).
- A holiday weekend (tests minimum stays).
What the results mean
- Booked direct, all correct: good. Re-test every few months; agents and sites change.
- Booked an OTA: your direct bookings are leaking to commission.
- Gave up: guests’ agents are going to competitors.
- Booked with wrong details: expect abandoned checkouts, complaints and chargebacks.
Run it more than once
Agents can behave differently on the same site from one run to the next, and your site changes too: new rates, a new pop-up, a vendor update. Run the test:
- With two different agents, for example ChatGPT agent and Gemini in Chrome.
- On two different date ranges, one quiet and one busy.
- Again in a month, and after any website or booking engine change.
What to write down
Keep a simple record for each run:
| Run 1 | Run 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Agent and date | ||
| Ended on your site or an OTA? | ||
| Minutes to a priced room | ||
| Total reported vs real total | ||
| Where it got stuck |
After a few runs, patterns show up: the same pop-up, the same date picker, the same fee that appears late.
Don’t complete the booking
Always tell the agent to stop before paying. You’re testing the path, not making reservations. If you want to see the final step, use a refundable rate on dates you can cancel, and cancel straight away.
Want it done for you?
Our free agent check runs this test with a real agent and emails you what happened, step by step. For UK hotels, see the UK version of this guide.
What this means for AI recommendations
Before checking whether an agent can book you, check whether AI recommends you at all. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok the questions your guests ask and note who they name. Our plans do this for you every week.
Questions
Which AI agent should I use to test my hotel's website?
Use at least two: for example ChatGPT agent and Gemini in Chrome. They handle websites differently, so one passing doesn't guarantee the other will.
How often should a hotel test whether AI agents can book it?
Every month or two, and after any change to the website, booking engine or security settings. Agents and sites both change often.
What if the agent goes straight to Expedia?
Ask it why. Agents often explain, for example that the hotel's site showed a security check or that the OTA had a clearer total. That reason is usually the problem to look at.
Is this test safe to run on my live website?
Yes, as long as the agent stops before paying. It browses your site like a guest would.