The Hotel Lobby trend is a September 2026 AI-video format that puts two subjects, whether friends, pets, celebrities or cartoon characters, into the flat orange booth from Quavo and Takeoff's 2022 A COLORS SHOW performance of "Hotel Lobby." The AI tool keeps the original timing, hand movements and audio, and swaps in the faces and bodies of whoever the creator uploads. The result is a short vertical clip, usually about 15 seconds, made to be posted on TikTok, Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.
This site is an independent explainer. It is not affiliated with Quavo, Takeoff's estate, Offset, COLORS, Quality Control, Motown or any AI video app. The facts below come from music-industry references and from the first mainstream reports on the trend.
The song behind the trend
"Hotel Lobby (Unc & Phew)" was released on May 20, 2022. It was the debut single from Unc & Phew, the duo name Quavo and Takeoff used while working without their third Migos member, Offset. Murda Beatz, Keanu Beats and Fabio Aguilar produced it, the label credits are Quality Control and Motown, and the track runs 2 minutes 22 seconds. It was the first single from the duo's album Only Built for Infinity Links.
The song reached No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and it is certified Platinum in the United States by the RIAA. Takeoff died in November 2022. On June 25, 2023, Quavo and Offset performed "Hotel Lobby" together at the BET Awards as a tribute to him. The full chart and certification details are on the song's reference page.
Two videos, often confused
There are two separate visuals for this song, and only one of them is the template for the trend.
- The official music video came out alongside the single in May 2022. Quavo and Keemotion directed it, and it is a tribute to the 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, with Quavo and Takeoff playing Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo. It is set in the desert and a Las Vegas hotel. Rolling Stone covered it in a 2022 report.
- The COLORS performance is the one behind the AI trend. It is a stripped-down studio take against a solid orange wall with one hanging microphone between the two rappers. It appears on the COLORS video page.
Details of the original clips are covered on the original performance page.
Timeline of the trend
- May 20, 2022: "Hotel Lobby" and its music video are released.
- 2022: Quavo and Takeoff perform the song as Unc & Phew on A COLORS SHOW.
- Early September 2026: XXL reports that the trend appears to have begun on TikTok, with a clip of two cats copying the COLORS performance. The exact first post is not confirmed.
- September 23, 2026: Quavo reposts the COLORS performance on X, and XXL publishes its report on the spread of the trend the same day.
What a typical video looks like
Almost every version keeps the same frame: two subjects side by side, waist-up or full-length, in front of a plain orange background, with one microphone hanging between them. One subject leans in to rap while the other bobs, points or adds ad-libs, then they swap. The camera does not move. That fixed, simple setup is why AI tools can replace the people without the scene falling apart. The trend explainer and the virality breakdown go deeper on why the format spreads.
The subjects vary widely. XXL lists celebrities, athletes, politicians, superheroes, animals and everyday people, and names pairings such as former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and the Breaking Bad characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. LightX's guide adds pet-and-owner, sibling, parent-and-child and solo versions.
How people make them
There are two broad methods, and the difference matters for quality and cost.
- Template swap. You upload two clear photos to an app that already holds the original motion and audio. The app swaps in your subjects. XXL names Starrd, which it says charges $5 per 15-second video, and Summrs. LightX describes its own template as using a stored reference motion video with the original audio, then applying a face and body swap.
- Prompt-based generation. You describe the booth, framing and movement in text and give the tool reference images. This gives more control but usually needs several attempts. See the prompt guide for a structure that works across tools.
Some creators also share free CapCut templates, and TikTok tutorials mention CapCut, PixVerse and Glorify for the same effect. Step-by-step instructions are in how to make a Hotel Lobby AI video, and a tool-by-tool comparison is on the tools page. Whatever you use, check current pricing on the tool's own site, because the trend is only weeks old and prices change quickly.
Likeness, music rights and labeling
The clips reuse a real recording of two real performers, and many put real public figures into scenes they never filmed. XXL itself notes that the trend raises unresolved questions about using people's likeness and copyrighted material without permission. Quavo reposting the original performance is not the same as a formal license for AI remixes, and no source reviewed here says the artists or COLORS have approved specific tools. One of the two performers, Takeoff, died in 2022, which makes deepfake-style edits of him more sensitive than a typical meme.
LightX states that TikTok, Instagram and YouTube require AI-generated content to be labeled. That is the tool vendor's claim, so check each platform's current rules before posting. The copyright and safety page and the consent guide cover the practical checks.
What is still unknown
- Who posted the first Hotel Lobby AI clip. XXL says only that it appears to have started with a TikTok cat video.
- Whether the artists, their teams, COLORS or the rights holders have taken any action on AI remixes.
- How long the trend will last. Tool features and prices are changing week to week.
Sources used
- XXL report on the viral AI trend, published September 23, 2026.
- Reference page for the song, with release, production, chart and certification data.
- Reference page for Unc & Phew.
- LightX's how-to guide, a vendor source used only for its description of its own workflow.
- USA Today on the 2023 BET Awards tribute.
How this site checks its facts is explained on the about page.
Diego Morales
Original Post
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