search-hotel

Search hotels using the travel-cli. Returns a list of matching hotels with prices, ratings, and the IDs you need to book or look at room options.

When to use

Trigger this skill when the user wants to find accommodation. Examples:

• "Find me a hotel in Tokyo from May 1 to May 5"
• "Show me 4-star hotels in Paris with ocean view"
• "Where can I stay near Shibuya next weekend"
• "I need a place for 2 adults and 1 child in Bangkok"

Do NOT use this skill for flights, tours, restaurants, or non-accommodation travel queries.

Prerequisites

The travel-cli CLI must be available. Run via npx:

npx @tvl-justin/travel-cli@latest search-hotel ...

If the user has installed it globally (npm install -g @tvl-justin/travel-cli), call travel-cli directly.

How to call

The full command:

npx @tvl-justin/travel-cli@latest search-hotel \
  --location "<city or destination>" \
  --checkin <YYYY-MM-DD> \
  --checkout <YYYY-MM-DD> \
  --rooms "<occupancy>" \
  --limit 5

Parameter rules

• --location (required) — A city, neighborhood, or destination name. Use the most specific one the user gave. If the user only said "Tokyo" use "Tokyo"; if they said "Shinjuku, Tokyo" use "Shinjuku, Tokyo".
• --checkin / --checkout (required) — YYYY-MM-DD format. Resolve relative dates ("next weekend", "tomorrow") against today's date before calling. If the user only gave a single date and a duration ("3 nights from May 1"), compute the checkout date.
• --rooms — Occupancy string. Format:
  • "2" = 1 room, 2 adults
  • "2,5" = 1 room, 2 adults + 1 child age 5
  • "2,3,8" = 1 room, 2 adults + children ages 3 and 8
  • Multiple rooms separated by ;: "2;2,5" = room 1 has 2 adults, room 2 has 2 adults + child age 5
  • Default if user doesn't specify: "2".
• --limit — How many hotels to return. Default 5. Increase to 10 if the user wants more options.
• --min-price / --max-price — Price per night in USD. Always convert other currencies to USD before passing. E.g. "under 2 million VND" → --max-price 80.
• --filters — Comma-separated. Allowed values: free_breakfast, swimming_pool, ocean_view, all_inclusive. Only include filters the user explicitly asked for.
• --lat / --lng — Optional coordinates for precision. Use them when you know the coordinates of a well-known city.

Asking for missing info

If the user gave a destination but not the dates, ask once for both check-in and check-out (or check-in plus duration). Don't ask for occupancy unless the question implies a non-default party (e.g. "for my family of 4").

Output

The CLI prints JSON to stdout:

{
  "sessionId": "abc123",
  "hotels": [
    {
      "hotelId": "h_001",
      "name": "Park Hyatt Tokyo",
      "rating": 9.2,
      "star": 5,
      "pricePerNight": 450,
      "totalPrice": 1800,
      "currency": "USD",
      "packageId": "pkg_001",
      "refundability": "free_cancellation_until_2026-04-29"
    }
  ]
}

Important — Save the sessionId. The user will need it for any follow-up call (search-room, book-hotel).

Presenting results to the user

Show a clean, scannable list — name, price/night, rating, and one notable feature. Don't dump the raw JSON. Example:

Found 5 hotels in Tokyo for May 1–5:

1. Park Hyatt Tokyo — $450/night · 9.2/10 · Free cancellation until Apr 29
2. Hotel Gracery Shinjuku — $180/night · 8.5/10 · Free breakfast
3. ...

Want to see room options for any of these, or shall I go ahead and book one?

Always offer a clear next step: see rooms (search-room skill) or book directly (book-hotel skill).

Common errors

• Network error — Travel API unreachable. Tell the user and ask if they want to retry.
• 400 Bad Request — Usually invalid dates (checkout before checkin, dates in the past). Re-validate inputs and re-prompt.
• No hotels found — Try a broader location or different dates.