Lighthouse Launches AI Tool to Boost Hotel Visibility

Market intelligence platform Lighthouse has introduced Connect AI, a new artificial intelligence engine designed to close the growing gap between hotels and AI-driven travel planning tools. As more travelers turn to conversational platforms like ChatGPT and Claude for trip planning, hotel brands are increasingly being overlooked in favor of online travel agencies and generic content. Lighthouse’s new tool aims to change that by putting hotels directly into the AI-driven discovery process.

Juanjo Rodriguez, founder of The Hotels Network—which was acquired by Lighthouse in April—compared the current moment to the early days of search engines. “There’s more and more people using AI interfaces to find and plan travel, and hotel brands don’t even come up in the first results,” he said. “We are like in the very first stages of when Google launched a search engine.”

Connect AI works by creating a structured data layer that compiles and formats a hotel’s real-time information—including rates, availability, and property details—so it can be accurately understood and retrieved by large language models (LLMs). The goal is to ensure that hotel properties are visible and accessible within AI-generated travel recommendations, rather than being bypassed in favor of OTA listings or static content.

Unlike current AI interfaces that present pre-trained, outdated, or static content, Connect AI enables real-time responses that reflect actual room rates and availability. “In our case, it’s not language, it’s actually a piece of data,” Rodriguez said. “We can say that this room can be quoted for x amount of money.” By integrating both planning content and live booking functionality, the platform bridges the gap between discovery and conversion.

The AI engine also supports direct bookings, allowing AI agents to complete transactions on behalf of users within the same interface. This functionality could reduce dependence on third-party platforms and allow hotels to own more of the customer journey, from discovery to final booking.

Connect AI is being rolled out through an early access program and is currently available to select hotel partners. By enabling LLMs to access dynamic hotel data in real time, Lighthouse aims to ensure that hotels can compete in an evolving travel search ecosystem increasingly dominated by AI.

As travelers move away from traditional search tools, Connect AI positions hotels to be found and booked through the next generation of travel planning technologies—redefining the digital front door of hospitality.

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Lighthouse Launches AI Tool to Boost Hotel Visibility

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