Hi, I'm Gonzalo 👋
This is edition number 50 of The AI Path. Fifty gatherings thinking out loud about the hotel business, technology and the craft of hospitality.
Thank you for walking this far with me. Today I bring you a lesson from this whole journey, an opinion that might rattle you, a practical prompt and a question I get asked all the time. Let's get started.
🌟 50 editions later: the tools change, the craft doesn't
When I look back over these 50 editions, I see a parade of novelties: ever more capable artificial intelligence models, new channels, features that two years ago looked like science fiction. Technology moved forward at enormous speed, and it will keep doing so.
But there's one thing that didn't change in any of the 50 editions: the hotel business is still a relationships business. And this isn't just my intuition. Industry reports show that today's traveler increasingly values trust and connection above price, and that the hotel is no longer just a place to sleep but an experience. In other words, while technology advances, the human side becomes more valuable, not less.
That is, perhaps, the biggest lesson of this path: technology isn't valuable in itself, it's valuable for what it lets you do better with your guests. The AI that's worth it is the one that gives you back time to welcome people well, respond on time and take care of the relationship.
Thank you for being part of these 50 editions. On to the next 50.
🔥 Unfiltered opinion: stop competing on price alone
I'm going to say something I know is uncomfortable, especially when the month is slow. The instinct is almost always the same: lower the price so you don't fall behind. It sounds logical, but it's usually one of the most expensive decisions a hotel can make.
And it's not just me saying it. Pricing specialists agree on several points: price wars directly erode margins and stall differentiation; frequent discounts end up devaluing the brand and train the guest to always expect a lower rate; and cutting the price too early tends to attract less profitable demand, besides weakening the property's perceived value. It's a loop that's very hard to get out of later.
The way out the experts propose isn't price, it's value. In a saturated market, the hotel that survives isn't the cheapest, but the one that differentiates itself best through its experience, its service and its relationship with the guest. In fact, there's more and more talk of pricing based on the value perceived by the customer, not on what the neighbor charges. And there's an underlying trend that confirms it: the new traveler prioritizes trust and rewards over price.
My opinion: competing to be the cheapest is a race to the bottom that almost nobody wins. The question isn't «how do I lower my rate?», but «how do I make evident everything my hotel offers that justifies what it's worth?». That's where the sustainable business is.
⚡ Today's prompt: room descriptions that sell the experience
In the last edition we saw a revealing data point: guests increasingly choose a superior room over the standard one, when we know how to show it to them. And often what fails isn't the room, but how we describe it: a cold list of features («king bed, TV, air conditioning») doesn't convey what it feels like to be there.
This prompt helps you turn that list into a description that sells the experience. Copy it and fill it in with your room's details:
«You are a hotel copywriting expert. I'm going to describe a room in my hotel with its features. I want you to turn it into a brief description (5 lines max), warm and evocative, that sells the experience of staying there —what the guest will feel, see and enjoy— and not just a list of amenities. Keep a professional, elegant tone, without exaggerations. These are the features: [detail your room: type, capacity, view, services, what makes it special]»
In one minute you'll have a description ready for your website, your channels and your WhatsApp replies. A small change that can tip the decision toward your best room.
💬 Ask Gonzalo
A few days ago, a hotelier friend asked me the following question:
«How do I get my guests to book direct instead of going through the OTAs?»
It's one of the industry's big questions, and the answer connects with exactly what we talked about today: it's not about beating the OTAs on price.
Three ideas that do work, and are well backed by the industry's experience:
- Reward the direct channel, but with value, not a rate war. Instead of lowering the price, offer a benefit: an extra, flexibility, closer service. The goal is for booking direct to be the most convenient option, not just the cheapest.
- Make booking direct simple. Many bookings are lost to friction: a long or confusing process. The easier and clearer the path on your direct channel, the more guests will choose it.
- Own the relationship. The OTA can be the shop window where the guest discovers you, but the direct conversation is where you build the bond that makes them come back. Stay present and respond on time.
And if you'd like to see how a conversational booking system would work in your own hotel, we'll gladly show you on your specific case. Book a demo and we'll look at it together.
See you in the next one
Gonzalo
