Former WFTA Speaker Publishes New Book on AI and Hotel Discovery

Amber S. Hoffman, founder of The FS Agency and a past speaker at World Food Travel Association events, has published a new book exploring how artificial intelligence is influencing the way travelers discover hotels.

Before the Booking: Closing the Hotel AI Discovery Gap to Drive Total Revenue examines the growing role of AI-powered search and recommendation tools in travel planning. According to Hoffman, hotels may need to reconsider how information about their properties is presented online as more travelers use AI assistants to research destinations and accommodation options.

The book introduces the concept of the "Hotel AI Discovery Gap," a term coined by Hoffman to describe the difference between a hotel's actual strengths and how effectively those strengths are represented in the online sources used by AI systems. The book argues that improving the quality and consistency of publicly available information may increase the likelihood that hotels are included in AI-generated recommendations.

In addition to accommodation, the book explores how AI may influence guest decisions about restaurants, spas, event venues, and other on-property services. Hoffman suggests that hotels should consider these touchpoints as part of their broader revenue strategy as AI-assisted travel planning continues to evolve.

Rather than focusing on the technical workings of large language models, the book is written for hospitality professionals and concentrates on the practical implications of AI for hotel marketing and revenue generation.

Before the Booking is available in Kindle and paperback editions through Amazon.