Published September 24, 2026
What Is the Hotel Lobby AI Trend? Quick Answers
A plain-language explanation of the Hotel Lobby AI video trend: what it is, where the song comes from, how the videos are made and what is still unclear.
The Hotel Lobby AI trend is a short-video format in which two people, pets or characters appear in an orange studio booth, trading verses of "Hotel Lobby" the way Quavo and Takeoff did in their 2022 A COLORS SHOW performance. The faces are not real footage. An AI tool swaps them into the original performance, or recreates the scene from photos.
Quick answers
- What song is it? "Hotel Lobby (Unc & Phew)," released May 20, 2022 by the duo Unc & Phew, which is Quavo and Takeoff. It is the lead single from their album Only Built for Infinity Links.
- Is it a new song? No. The audio is from 2022. XXL reported that the trend began in early September 2026, and that Quavo reposted the original COLORS performance on X on September 23, 2026.
- Who started it? Not confirmed. XXL says it appears to have started on TikTok with a clip of two cats copying the performance.
- What do you need? Usually two clear front-facing photos and a template app. Starrd, Summrs, LightX and free CapCut templates have all been mentioned in coverage or tutorials.
- What does it cost? XXL says Starrd charges $5 per 15-second video, while some creators share free templates. Other tools advertise free credits or trials. Check current pricing on each tool's site.
- How long are the videos? Around 15 seconds, in vertical 9:16, according to tool guides and XXL's reference to per-15-second pricing.
Who appears in the videos
XXL lists celebrities, athletes, politicians, superheroes, animals and everyday people. Its examples include former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and Breaking Bad's Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Other versions, per LightX, feature siblings, parents and children, and pets with their owners. Those examples show why the format is so flexible: any pairing works, and the less obvious the pairing, the funnier it tends to be.
What it is not
It is not a new release from Migos, and it is not an official campaign from COLORS or the artists, as far as any source reviewed says. It is a fan and creator trend. For the artist background, see the original performance page. For the rights questions the trend raises, see copyright and safety.
The full timeline and source list are on the homepage. To try it yourself, start with the step-by-step guide.
Practical points
Use this topic as part of the wider Hotel Lobby AI workflow: identify the original reference, decide what changes, generate a short test, inspect faces and motion, then check consent, labeling and platform rules.
- Separate the 2022 source performance from newer AI-generated clips.
- Use clear reference images and consistent framing.
- Inspect hands, faces, lip movement and identity drift.
- Use current platform disclosure controls where applicable.
- Do not use private people's images without appropriate permission.
Related reading
See the original performance, the workflow, prompt guidance, rights and safety and tools.