Kayak founders return with Lola, backed by Booking Holdings
Two decades after launching Kayak to sort out the chaos of finding flights and hotels online, Steve Hafner and Paul English are back with a new bet. It is called Lola, and it arrives backed by Booking Holdings to try out a fresh way of selling travel for the AI era, according to Smart Travel News.
The pattern repeats, only the tools change. Where Kayak once organised abundance through a metasearch that compared and ranked options for travelers, Lola works the conversational angle. An AI agent that helps decide and book, rather than just showing a list. Booking's involvement is the detail worth watching: the group is testing a model that could end up shaping how hotel direct sales get done.
My read: this is good news for the industry. Hafner and English have a track record, Booking has the muscle, and AI agents open a door that hotels should not ignore.
If the big test works, independent hotels could gain another channel to push direct bookings and cut some friction for travelers. Worth keeping an eye on.
Quick questions
Who are the founders behind Lola and Booking Holdings' new AI play?
What is Lola and how does it fit into Booking Holdings' strategy?
Why does Booking Holdings backing Lola matter for hotel distribution?
How does the Lola model differ from what Kayak did 20 years ago?
Should independent hotels pay attention to Lola's launch?
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