The new white pages are coming

As a kid, National Geographic magazines were my window to the world, filled with exotic destinations and hotel ads tucked between the pages. Reflecting on it now, it's remarkable how much discovery has evolved in such a short time, moving from print to web to mobile. Now it's shifting again: across social feeds and into AI interfaces.

In 2025, OpenAI launched Expedia and Booking.com apps inside ChatGPT, letting users search, compare, and book hotels directly in the interface.

At first glance, it may seem like another win for OTAs. But look closer and there's a shift underway, one that could actually strengthen the guest experience and return control of distribution to properties.

A brief history of discovery

And to understand where we're headed, it's worth looking back.

The white pages era

For decades, the white pages were the map of the world. If you weren't listed, you didn't exist. Guests might stumble on you in a directory, a glossy magazine, or a brochure from a travel agent. Discovery was limited, but at least it was structured and centralized.

The fax & phone era

Once they found you, booking meant a long-distance call or even faxing over credit card details. It was clunky, slow, and often expensive but it gave hotels something valuable: a direct line to their guests.

The web era

In the late '90s and early 2000s, the web became the new white pages. A destination in Wyoming could suddenly be discovered by a family in Tokyo. Websites, email, and inquiry forms replaced long-distance calls. They were cheaper and asynchronous, and they quickly became the backbone of RFPs, group inquiries, and confirmations. The workflows of forms, attachments, and endless email chains were born here.

The OTA era

Then came the rise of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and Google Maps. Discovery no longer started with your name, it started with a search box. Guests typed in a city, and OTAs controlled the results. OTAs delivered massive visibility, but at a cost: steep commissions, brand dilution, and a lost direct relationship with the guest.

Today's discovery opportunity

And today: guests are asking conversational questions inside AI-native platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity:

"What's the best boutique hotel in Austin for a small team retreat?"

"Find me a romantic getaway within three hours of Chicago with a spa."

"Where should I book our company retreat for 200 people in San Diego this fall?"

Add to that the rise of social discovery: reels, travel creators, and friends' recommendations.

• In 2022, only 4% of Skift Travel 200 companies mentioned AI. By 2024, that jumped to 35%. (McKinsey + Skift)
• 90% of travel managers now use AI tools, and 73% use them specifically to streamline booking (Business Travel News)
• 57% of travelers say they're comfortable booking high-priced activities directly through social media (Skift)

From social feeds to AI assistants, guests are finding and booking in entirely new ways. The question is: is your property ready?

Improve distribution and get AI-ready

You can take concrete steps now to position your property ahead of the curve and make it discoverable in this new landscape.

Step 1: Remove communication blockers

Many properties still rely on static inquiry forms. But if a guest's AI assistant encounters only a form, that is a dead end. Assistants need real-time answers.

Start by deploying an AI sales agent on your site and across your channels. Think of it as a digital team member that is always on, able to answer questions, qualify leads, and move guests toward booking.

This is actionable today, here's hospitality at first click: guests can discover a property and instantly engage with an AI agent that answers questions, provides availability, and completes direct booking all in one seamless conversation.

Step 2: Prepare for AI-native search

In Step 1, you set the foundation, your data and AI sales agent are ready to engage guests directly. The next step is making that same capability visible inside AI platforms.

So the question becomes: how can your property increase direct bookings and build a direct workflow that appears there?

The most likely bridge is something called the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the developer standard that helps AI systems understand and communicate with data you have (availability, rates, event spaces) and connect you directly.

What is an MCP?

Think of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) as the new white pages for the AI era: a digital listing that tells AI systems who you are, what you offer, and how to reach you.

In simple terms, MCP is a technical standard that makes your property's data readable and accessible to AI. It acts as a bridge between your systems and platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity.

Once it becomes a standard, properties without MCP may only appear through OTAs or generic listings when a guest's AI assistant looks for hotels. With MCP, your property becomes visible, discoverable, and bookable directly inside the conversation.

MCP adoption is still developing, and no one can predict exactly how it will evolve. But deploying an AI sales agent today puts your property in the ideal position to activate MCP the moment it becomes the standard.

AI readiness

If you prepare now, the benefits could be profound:

• Meet guests where they are: AI assistants, social discovery, or on your own site.
• Deliver a better experience from the first interaction, with instant, intelligent responses.
• Regain control of bookings bypassing OTA commissions and restrictions.

The AI-native wave is your chance to rewrite the story and take back your distribution.

At Line, we're helping properties get AI-ready today from deploying always-on sales agents to preparing MCP endpoints that make your property discoverable in AI-native channels.

Are you AI-ready? I'd be happy to help, email me at kyle@withline.io