· travel

Booking.com vs Hotels.com

Booking.com's policy answers the question and is graded D. Hotels.com's doesn't say either way. That's a finding about the document, not a worse grade.

Grades read the plan most people are on. Each company's full entry has every plan, every clause and the archived copy it was read from.

Booking.com

Booking.com uses your personal data to develop its machine-learning models and AI systems. The way out is the objection right, "subject to applicable law".

Verdict

By default: Trains on you by default
The way out: Opt out by contacting support
What D means: On by default. An opt-out exists, but you have to go looking for it.
Last checked: 5 Oct 2026

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Hotels.com

Hotels.com names fourteen things it uses AI for, then adds "Other". Whether your data trains the models behind them is the one use it does not name.

Verdict

By default: The policy does not say
The way out: Nothing to opt out of on the record
Last checked: 1 Sept 2026

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Booking.com: every plan

Booking.com · what each plan can refuse · checked 5 Oct 2026

1 PLAN

Plan

Exposure

Trains

Opt-out path

Retention

De-identified

Human review

All accounts

55 / 100

YES

Contact support

Not stated

Unknown

How the score is made55 / 100 · the rubric

Default32 / 50

On by default, with a way out

Way out18 / 33

Refusing means writing to the company

Paywall0 / 4

No paywall on the control

Scope1 / 4

2 kinds of data are in scope

Human review2 / 4

The policy does not say whether people read it

De-identified2 / 2

Nothing is said about de-identification

EVERY CELL ABOVE IS SOURCED FROM A QUOTED CLAUSE OR A DOCUMENTED SEARCH · SEE THE EVIDENCE ABOVE

EXPOSURE IS SCORED 0–100 ON ONE AXIS, HOW HARD IT IS TO STOP THIS PLAN TRAINING ON YOU. THE GRADE IS THE BAND IT FALLS IN: A 0–10 · B 11–25 · C 26–45 · D 46–60 · E 61–80 · F 81–100. HOW THE SCORE IS SET

All accountsTRAINS: YES

OPT-OUT: Contact support
RETENTION: Not stated
EXPOSURE: 55 / 100
DE-IDENTIFIED: Not stated
HUMAN REVIEW: Unknown

Hotels.com: every plan

Hotels.com · what each plan can refuse · checked 1 Sept 2026

1 PLAN

Plan

Exposure

Trains

Opt-out path

Retention

De-identified

Human review

All accounts

UNCLEAR

Not established, see below

Not stated

—

Not established

EVERY CELL ABOVE IS SOURCED FROM A QUOTED CLAUSE OR A DOCUMENTED SEARCH · SEE THE EVIDENCE ABOVE

All accountsUNCLEAR

OPT-OUT: Not established
RETENTION: Not stated
EXPOSURE: —
DE-IDENTIFIED: —
HUMAN REVIEW: Not established

Every grade on this page is the one on the company's own entry, read from a dated, archived copy of its policy. Nothing here is computed separately. How grades are set · All comparisons