The ask: Recommend three places to stay in Melbourne that have a pool and gym, are near Swanston Street, and that are priced less than $500 a night.

Right off the bat, there was a rather glaring error with ChatGPT: All three recommendations were no longer in service. If that wasn’t enough, some of the places lacked both a pool and a gym, and one was over the budget.

Intrepid Travel, on the other hand, provided options that came with either a pool or a gym, or both. The company also recognized that those amenities were not necessities but additional benefits.

The winner: Intrepid Travel

The ask: Provide dining options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and post-dinner drinks for two days.

Again, ChatGPT struggled. The suggested restaurant on the first day, a place called Fatto Bar & Cantina, had been closed for years.

Apart from that, a quick Google search of the other places showed that they were (thankfully) still in operation. Those were, to me, on the safer end, with suggested spots appearing on several “must-visit” restaurant lists for Melbourne.

The ask: Provide a two-day itinerary around Melbourne with a focus on art and cultural activities.

The ask: Recommend one place that is not well known by travelers

Ultimately, some of the teething problems I had with ChatGPT boiled down to the chatbot not being up-to-date — it currently only “knows” data up to 2021. 

In ordinary circumstances, a two-year time lag doesn’t seem like much. After all, restaurants and hotels open and close all the time! That said, the initial two years of the Covid-19 pandemic caused many closures in the hospitality sector, making recommendations given prior to it unreliable at times.

I also found browsing Intrepid’s itinerary more enjoyable as each recommendation came with a short write-up. The company also suggested specific activities and dishes to try at each location.

On the other hand, ChatGPT was much more succinct in its recommendations. Though impersonal and utilitarian, it got the job done. However, I found myself less excited about my trip than when I read Intrepid Travel’s suggestions.

Overall, I won’t discount the recommendations put forth by ChatGPT. It’s a quick and easy way to suss out the classic top spots to visit on your holiday. But if you want a more personalized itinerary that focuses more on local spots, sticking with travel companies is the way to go.