There’s always a shiny new travel concept on the horizon.
Videos by TravelAwaits
Over the last two years, AI travel assistants have taken off.
Looking for a travel-specific AI program that can help you plan and research? You’ve got options. What about helpful tips from a range of AI-powered apps? They’re diversifying constantly.
But AI programs must be harnessed carefully. The power is in the hands of the user—and travelers like me aren’t always the most tech-savvy.
In other words, while AI is improving the travel-planning experience, it’s been a slow and sometimes confusing start.
But we’re starting to make progress in terms of utility and purpose—and one of my favorite new applications for travel-based AI is Priceline’s new neighborhood features. The company just released Trip Intelligence: The Neighborhood Edition, which adds a totally new dimension to its AI-driven capabilities.
Its goal is to help you research the coolest neighborhood for your next trip. Here’s why that’s important, and how you can use Priceline’s new tool to gain an edge in trip planning.
Why do you need to find cool neighborhoods to stay in?
No, you don’t need to look for a neighborhood that’s objectively cool. I’m using that word as it relates to your own understanding of the word.
When you travel, your hotel or rental is your home base. Even if you plan a busy itinerary and want to stay out as much as possible, you’ll spend a good amount of time at your home base, whether a rental or a hotel.
You’ll rely on nearby shops for last-minute purchases, late-night and early morning bites to eat, and plenty more.
Even if you want to spend most of your time outside your hotel or rental, your neighborhood will have a huge impact on your trip. It shapes how you think about your destination and whether or not you want to come back.
The more aligned the neighborhood is with your natural inclinations, the more likely you are to enjoy your trip. You’ll feel more comfortable and curious about your surroundings.
That probably sounds like an obvious statement, but I hope you’ll take it from me and my wayward life spent on the road: vibes can make or break a trip, and when you find cool neighborhoods to stay in, you have non-stop access to the right atmosphere.
How does The Neighborhood Edition feature work?
As important as booking a stay in the right neighborhood is, it’s incredibly difficult to nail them down. In my experience, the best and only way to reliably find the right atmosphere is to ask a local or someone who has lived in the city for a long time.
That’s where Priceline’s handy new feature comes in. Last year, they identified ‘awayborhoods’ as an important part of the travel experience, which I’ve laid out above.
(Finding the right neighborhood = better vibes and feeling empowered = the trip of a lifetime.)
When you download their app and start planning a trip, you can now access neighborhood features, which give you five unique opportunities to land the perfect neighborhood.
Here’s how it goes:
- Use the Neighborhood Navigator to learn which neighborhoods are similar to others in major cities. Just start with a neighborhood you know and love, then find its counterparts in other hubs. For now, Priceline only has navigator features for 35 cities—but that’s a pretty strong start, serving hotspots like New York City, Portland, and beyond. (Use this feature on the app or on the website.)
- Then, set the right vibes using the Trip Vibe Selector. If the word ‘vibe’ is throwing you off, know that they’re just talking about atmosphere. Are you looking for a quiet escape with boutique shops and organic grocers? Or a party zone with bars offering trivia nights and karaoke? What about a student-friendly zone with cafes that let you work on a laptop? Those are all different vibes. (Use this feature on the app or on the website.)
You can also:
- Learn more about a potential neighborhood with the Content Pages, where you can explore descriptions and comparisons. These info-heavy pages let you match up your favorite potential neighborhoods to find the perfect one.
- Penny Maps lets you take a look at the neighborhood, including its parks, museums, bars, and more. In other words, all those locations you were reading about in the Neighborhood Navigator and Content Pages are now mapped out so you can gain a better sense of the area.
- There’s even a Turo integration, which lets you plan your trip alongside booking a Turo car rental. I don’t have a car, but if you’re into the peer-to-peer car rental service, this might be an added perk for you.
