6 AI trends hotels should pay attention to in 2026

Let’s start with the obvious. AI is everywhere right now.

Over the past couple of years, it has become a constant talking point in hospitality, often without clearly showing how it fits into the day-to-day reality of running a hotel. But 2026 feels different. Guests are already using AI to find places to stay, compare options, and ask questions before they ever land on a hotel website. At the same time, hotel teams are under pressure to do more with fewer hours, tighter budgets, and higher expectations across the board.

In that context, chasing every new tool or feature isn’t helpful. The better question is this: what will genuinely make life easier for your team, and reduce friction for your guests over the next year?

Here are six AI trends that are already taking shape and will matter most for hotels in 2026. 

1. AI is becoming a discovery channel for hotels

Guests are no longer just searching for hotels. They are asking questions through tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, and letting AI narrow down the options before they ever visit a hotel website.

Platforms like Google Maps are adding smarter conversational and navigational AI features that help travellers explore places and make decisions with natural language interactions, not just typed search terms.

At the same time, Booking.com’s Global AI Sentiment Report shows that travellers are increasingly familiar with and curious about AI in travel planning and decision-making.

For hotels, visibility now depends on how clearly AI systems can understand your property. Accurate descriptions, consistent amenities, up-to-date photos, and verified listings all matter. If AI struggles to understand what your hotel offers, it is far less likely to recommend it.

2. Fast, clear messaging is now a guest expectation

Guests increasingly expect quick answers before and during their stay.

Research shared by Skift and Oracle Hospitality shows that automated and assisted messaging is now among the tools travellers expect from hotels. That doesn’t mean guests want to talk to a bot for everything. All they’re looking for is quick, straightforward answers. Arrival details, parking information, late check-in instructions, and simple changes handled without friction.

For many hotels, this kind of automation is experienced through the tools they already connect with, rather than something they need to build or manage themselves. AI-assisted messaging works best when it takes care of routine questions and leaves space for real people to step in when it actually matters. Used this way, automation supports the human side of hospitality rather than replacing it.

3. Energy optimisation is delivering real, measurable results

Some of the most effective uses of AI are behind the scenes.

Energy costs remain a major pressure for hotels, and AI-driven building management systems are becoming more accessible. The UK Green Building Council highlights autonomous control of heating, ventilation, and lighting as one of the most effective ways to cut waste without compromising comfort.

Large hotel groups like Travelodge have publicly shared how data-led energy optimisation has helped reduce energy use at scale, and newer systems are increasingly available to older properties through sensors and retrofits.

For many hotels, this is one of the most practical and measurable AI investments heading into 2026.

4. Food waste reduction is becoming data driven

Food waste is both a cost issue and a sustainability challenge, and AI is helping hotels make smarter decisions.

Hotels are using AI-powered kitchen tools to track what’s prepared, what’s served, and what’s thrown away. Companies like Winnow deployed in partnership with major hotel groups have reported significant waste reductions and improved sustainability reporting.

For hotels with food and beverage operations, this is a rare example of AI delivering financial and environmental benefits at the same time.

5. Accessibility is emerging as a meaningful AI use case

Accessibility used to be treated as a requirement. Increasingly, it’s also shaping how guests choose where to stay.

For example, Hilton’s partnership with Be My Eyes helps guests with visual impairments get live assistance via AI, enhancing inclusivity in practical ways.

At the same time, AI can improve accessibility online through clearer descriptions, better translations, and more accurate information about facilities, helping guests feel confident before they even arrive.

6. Trust matters more than how clever AI sounds

Across consumer research on AI in travel, one theme stands out: people are curious, but cautious.

Booking.com’s Global AI Sentiment Report reveals travellers want AI to help them plan and discover, but many are uneasy about handing over decisions without human oversight.

In 2026, the hotels that benefit most from AI will not be the ones chasing the flashiest features. They will be the ones choosing tools they understand, trust, and can rely on during busy periods.

AI works best when it strengthens human judgement, not when it replaces it.

A final thought

At Sirvoy, we see AI as something that should quietly strengthen hotels, not overwhelm them. The goal isn’t to chase the latest trends, but to help hotels stay confident in their systems, make clearer decisions and keep hospitality human.

As AI continues to shape how guests discover and interact with hotels, having the right systems in place matters. The most useful technology is the kind that works quietly in the background without adding complexity or reacting to every new trend.

In the end, it should give you more confidence in your day-to-day, not more decisions to second guess.