The Platform Problem
Control is shifting.
Welcome to Issue No. 012 of Sojourn. An independent publication delivering strategic interpretation for leaders shaping the future of travel and hospitality.
Interpretation: Hotels still think they’re competing with other hotels. Increasingly, they’re competing with the platforms that decide whether they’re seen at all. For decades, hospitality controlled the experience layer. Now platforms control the discovery layer. And discovery is where preference forms.
From operator to interface: AI ‘assistants’ don’t design hotels. They shape the starting point of demand, and major hotel groups are already preparing for this shift. Marriott recently confirmed (Skift) work with Google’s upcoming agentic AI travel booking tool, suggesting that search and planning may soon become primary distribution interfaces instead of property websites. It is also working with OpenAI on its ChatGPT ad pilot program in the U.S., which was also announced this week.
What’s really shifting: Distribution used to mean placement. Now it means dependency. When discovery is mediated by algorithms, hotels don’t just compete on quality. They compete on visibility inside systems they don’t own. And visibility is ‘rented’.
Why this matters now: As AI planning becomes more common and platforms gather more attention, hospitality is increasingly filtered through someone else’s interface. That doesn’t mean brands lose control, but it does change where influence begins. The hotels that hold their ground won’t rely only on rankings or visibility. They’ll build recognition before the search. Preference before the platform. Platforms organize options. Strong brands shape desire.
Bottom line: The future advantage in hospitality may not be better rooms. It may be reducing reliance on platforms that decide who gets seen.