Lola is Booking.com’s new AI travel agent – Engadget
Ever since AI agents came along, people have been trying to turn them into personal assistants that do things like book travel. Now, a new AI Assistant called Lola backed by Booking.com promises to do just that. It will offer “personalized recommendations, live availability and pricing, direct booking, preferred rates and benefits,” the company said in its launch release.
It can recommend and reserve a hotel, restaurant, events, activities or entire trips. The company’s launch partners include ResX, BLADE, Aero, SeatGeek, GetYourGuide, Nuitee and Ten Group, plus Booking’s own brands Booking.com, OpenTable, KAYAK, Priceline, Agoda and FareHarbor.
The app can search real-time availability and pricing, letting users compare options and book in the same conversation. It understands natural language, asks follow-up questions and learns about users to make recommendations more personal.
Lola is free, but there is a catch. In order to get certain services, you need to pay for a subscription plan.The Plus option is priced at $5 per month and VIP is $25 per month, both with 12 months commitments. For that, you’ll get up to 15 percent discounts on four- and five-star hotels, complimentary Gold status for OpenTable reservations, priority access to events, premium airport services and a personal concierge.
Lola appears to be one of the first dedicated AI agents for bookings and travel, but Meta’s Muse arrived first with similar capabilities, letting you book events, hotels and flights. When Muse first launched, it caused travel booking stocks to fall over fears the AI agent could bypass dedicated travel sites altogether.
It’s worth remembering, however, that AI agents hallucinate and make mistakes. A legal firm cited one example where an AI concierge booked a non-refundable hotel for Naples, Florida instead of Naples, Italy where the traveler was flying. AI assistants can also create a “confirmed” status when a booking is still pending.
Update 9/29/26 9:28am ET: CLEAR is not one of the launch partners for Lola. It’s been removed from the earlier version of this story.
