Hilton Deploys AI Travel Planner, Joining IHG and Marriott in Shift to Conversational Booking
"The launch of the Hilton AI Planner marks another step forward in our journey to reimagine the travel experience for Hilton guests"
Hilton just launched its AI Planner, a generative AI-powered digital concierge now available in beta testing on hilton.com. The tool uses conversational intelligence to help travelers identify destinations, compare properties across Hilton's global portfolio, and explore amenities through real-time, chat-style interactions.
The launch positions Hilton alongside competitors who deployed similar capabilities earlier. IHG partnered with Google Cloud in April 2024 to build an AI-powered travel planner within its One Rewards mobile app, while Marriott International's Renaissance Hotels and Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy rolled out AI tools on their respective websites in 2023 and 2024.
The Hilton AI Planner is currently available to a limited subset of hilton.com visitors. According to the company, access will expand to all website visitors by March 17, 2026, as the tool continues to evolve through what Hilton describes as a test-and-learn development approach.
The AI concierge responds to open-ended queries with curated recommendations that adapt to traveler preferences.
Users can ask questions like "Where can I stay during peak cherry blossom season?" or "I want to go to the beach somewhere this summer with my family, what do you recommend?" The system then provides travel location options and asks follow-up questions to narrow down choices.
Rather than relying on traditional search filters for dates, locations, and amenities, the tool interprets natural language queries and delivers responses in a conversational format.
The system draws from Hilton's portfolio of more than 9,100 properties with over 1.3 million rooms across 26 brands in 143 countries.
Hilton stated that guest behaviors, direct feedback, and usage patterns will inform continuous improvements to the tool's ability to anticipate traveler needs, streamline booking processes, and personalize recommendations.
The introduction of AI-powered planning tools reflects broader changes in how travelers search for and book accommodations.
Expedia introduced conversational trip planning capabilities in 2023, and in 2025 added functionality allowing Microsoft Copilot to book tickets on users' behalf through Expedia and Vrbo. Booking.com deployed AI-powered features to simplify trip planning in 2024.
Research from Riskified in fall 2025 found that consumers are increasingly comfortable using AI assistants for product research, review summarization, and price comparisons, use cases that align directly with hotel discovery and booking workflows.
"The launch of the Hilton AI Planner marks another step forward in our journey to reimagine the travel experience for Hilton guests," said Michael Leidinger, senior vice president and chief information officer at Hilton. "This is just the beginning and a preview of where we're going, as we continue to focus on providing thoughtful, purposeful innovation that empowers travelers."
Leidinger positioned the AI Planner as part of Hilton's broader innovation track record, citing the company's Digital Key technology, Connected Room capabilities, industry-first Confirmed Connecting Room feature, and the Hilton Honors app as previous milestones in guest experience technology.
The beta deployment strategy allows Hilton to collect real-world usage data before scaling the tool to its full customer base.
The company did not disclose which generative AI models or cloud infrastructure providers power the AI Planner, nor did it specify when the tool might expand beyond the website to mobile applications or other channels.