In the world of travel, there are three types of people: those who live to travel, those who hate it, and those who enjoy the destination but dislike planning and organizing for trips. I have many close friends who are hard to get moving, but once they’re out there, they actually have a great time.
Good planning is essential for a successful trip, but it’s not always fun, not even for avid travelers like me. Sometimes it’s hard to find the time to arrange the perfect tour.
After several years of headwinds, the U.S. travel industry is stabilizing, and commitment to travel remains strong. In fact, “more than six in 10 travelers say travel is a high near-term spending priority, and anticipated annual leisure travel budgets reached a new record high of $6,556,” according to Future Partners’ March 2026 report.
Additionally, Forbes has called 2026 the “year of AI-powered marketing” for hospitality. More hospitality brands are embracing the age of agentic AI to provide travelers with something more than a chatbot or search, and Hilton just announced a major move in that direction.
Hilton rolls out the Hilton AI Planner to help travelers plan trips
Hotel giant Hilton shared on March 10 the rollout of its Hilton AI Planner, a new generative AI-powered digital concierge available at hilton.com.
The new AI tool uses conversational intelligence to provide real-time responses to help travelers explore the chain’s global portfolio of hotels and plan their stays.
Currently, Hilton AI Planner is in beta testing and available to users on desktop and tablet devices. It was initially released to a small pool of site traffic, but will expand to more users throughout the month.
Users can find the tool on the Hilton Locations page by clicking “Try our AI Stay Planner,” located just below the main search bar.
The luxury hotel brand is relying on guest feedback and real-time behavior to update and improve the AI before full roll-out, aiming to make it more personalized and capable of anticipating guest needs over time.
“The launch of the Hilton AI Planner marks another step forward in our journey to reimagine the travel experience for Hilton guests. 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,” stated Michael Leidinger, Hilton senior vice president and chief information officer.
Hilton AI Planner’s key features and functionality:
- Generative AI digital concierge: Hilton’s new tool is basically a conversational assistant that uses natural dialogue instead of standard search filters.
- End-to-end planning: Assists with the entire process, from picking a destination to comparing hotels and amenities.
- Real-time recommendations: Delivers curated, instant suggestions based on specific requests like “family-friendly beach stays.”
- Frictionless booking: Streamlines the shopping experience by replacing manual tabs and filters with intuitive AI guidance.
Source: Hilton
Why is Hilton launching a new AI planner?
The rollout of the Hilton AI Planner comes at a time when travelers increasingly seek solutions that are quick, effective, simple, and personalized. The hotel giant has a long track record of technology development, with Digital Key, Connected Room, and Confirmed Connecting helping “redefine the modern guest experience and set new standards across the industry.”
With the new tool, Hilton is building on previous innovations, and it is not alone. Other hotels and travel brands already have their own AI tools, reports Customer Experience Dive.
Hilton not only needs to respond to travelers’ current demands and expectations, but must also compete with other luxury hospitality chains.
The AI landscape in hospitality
- Marriott International: Features RENAI, an AI concierge for “hidden gem” local tips at Renaissance Hotels, and an AI search tool for Marriott Bonvoy’s luxury home rentals, according to Marriott’s Meet RENAI and Official Home & Villas AI.
- IHG Hotels & Resorts: In 2024, IHG partnered with Google Cloud to launch a mobile travel planner that suggests everything from late-night dinner spots to pet-friendly amenities, according to IHG official press release.
- Expedia Group: Uses a ChatGPT-powered app for conversational planning and Agentic AI through Microsoft Copilot to book tickets and rentals on your behalf, according to Expedia’s press release.
- Booking.com: Offers an AI Trip Planner that builds visual itineraries and destination guides using real-time reviews and data from its mobile app, as revealed on its official website.
Hotel brands want to control discovery, own personalization
The goal for most hotel brands is to control discovery, with travelers finding them through direct channels, so that they can keep more of the booking value and manage the customer relationships directly, highlighted Altexsoft.
“Hyatt has focused more on personalization and recommendation capabilities tied to member preferences and loyalty engagement. Hilton’s approach stands out because the AI Planner is embedded directly on Hilton.com and designed to guide users through discovery and comparison within Hilton’s own brand portfolio,” pointed out Hotel News.
More Travel:
- Marriott Bonvoy rolls out a major new offer for loyal members
- Low-cost airline adds 5 new flights to popular beach destinations
- American Air launching 15 new summer routes between U.S. cities
Hilton’s new feature comes as travelers’ behaviors shift and more guests want simpler travel planning and greater personalization across tools.
In fact, 72% of U.S. travelers now expect personalized recommendations based on their past behavior, which has made AI-driven revenue and guest management a standard requirement for major brands, according to the November 2025 report by TakeUp AI.
Prominent travel industry analyst Cameron Sperance offered his take after testing the beta version’s capabilities.
“Where it gets specific and useful is helping a leisure traveler narrow down which of Hilton’s 8,000-plus properties fits their weekend in Nashville,” Sperance wrote for Travel Agent Central.
“Where it falls short is precisely where an advisor earns their value: the intricate, multi-destination, highly personalized trip that requires knowing the client as much as knowing the destination.”
Related: Marriott drops special promotions for loyal members
