78% of travelers want to use AI in accommodation journey

The global hotel distribution and revenue platform released its "Changing Traveller Report 2025" Tuesday. The report is based on responses from 12,000 travelers across 14 markets across the globe, including the United States, Spain, China, Australia and Thailand.

“In an era where guests hold increasing influence over their stays, it’s clear that their evolving needs are both broad and deeply specific,” said Trent Innes, chief growth officer at SiteMinder.

The report covered a range of topics related to the “everything traveler,” a term it coined to refer to “a new, multi-faceted traveler who reflects the dynamic shifts within travel with plans that blend trending and traditional.”

These travelers, SiteMinder said, will change how hospitality providers need to operate to accommodate their wants and needs in the realm of technology implementation, search habits and other traveler trends.

“Our research signals to hoteliers that accommodating these nuanced preferences isn’t just about adapting to a trend - it’s about committing to a deep understanding of how specific traveler preferences and behaviors are changing, and keeping a finger on the pulse as they do,” Innes said. “In this landscape, data-driven insights become critical for hoteliers to anticipate guest needs and deliver the stay they envision.”

Perception of hotels’ AI integrations

Fifty-one percent of respondents said they believe hotels are ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting new technologies, including AI, which has been the buzziest hospitality tech topic for the last two years since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022.

Travelers are largely on board when it comes to the involvement of AI in their accommodations journey, with 78% of survey respondents saying they are open to AI use during planning, booking and during their hotel stays in 2025.

SiteMinder found that on property, travelers approve of AI handling tasks including room service and housekeeping but said they wouldn’t want a machine to be responsible for something like cooking.

While many travelers support the use of AI, the large majority are not comfortable with a total technology takeover when it comes to hospitality operations. Just 12% of respondents said they would support the management of all key hotel functions handled by machines in 2025.

Technology adoption varies by region

While travelers are largely onboard with adopting new technologies, rate of adoption varies by region, according to survey results.

In high growth regions, an average of 90% of travelers are open to using AI. That includes 98% of travelers in China, 94% in India and 91% in Mexico, for example.

But travelers from what SiteMinder calls “traditional destinations” are less open to using AI, with around 60% reporting they would be willing to use the new technology. That includes 62% in Canada and Australia and 63% in Germany and the United Kingdom. The United States sat at 69%.

Travelers’ search, booking habits

While travel inspiration is everywhere — including through influencers and social media platforms — 36% of travelers plan to start their hotel research for 2025 with a search engine, SiteMinder found, up from 26% this year. That trend is led by baby boomers, with 42% planning to start with a search platform.

But travelers are also using many other sources in their planning.

Usage of online forums such as Reddit and Quora and other forms of social media are both used by 11% of respondents while 7% plan to use tips from family and friends, down for the third year in a row.

When it’s time to make a booking, 42% use an online travel agency — up 3% — and 27% book directly with the supplier, down 1% compared to the prior year. And a good booking experience is integral to foster loyalty among travelers.

More than half of travelers — 52% — reported they have abandoned an online booking after a bad experience, a problem mentioned in prior SiteMinder reports. And that number is higher among younger travelers. Seventy percent of Gen Z respondents and 61% of millennials surveyed said they had abandoned a booking due to a negative experience.

SiteMinder pointed to lack of site security, payment issues, loading times, design and a lack of friendliness for mobile users as reasons why travelers abandoned bookings.