What is the Hotel Lobby AI trend?

The Hotel Lobby AI trend recreates Quavo and Takeoff performing their song “Hotel Lobby” on A COLORS SHOW: two people in a plain orange booth, sharing one microphone that hangs from the ceiling. People use AI to put themselves, friends, couples, grandparents or pets in the booth and post the clip on TikTok, Reels and X.

Updated October 22, 2026

Where the trend came from

May 20, 2022
Unc & Phew (Quavo and Takeoff) release "Hotel Lobby" on Quality Control Music and Motown. It later appears on the album Only Built for Infinity Links. Wikipedia
June 17, 2022
COLORS publishes the pair performing it on A COLORS SHOW: one orange backdrop, one microphone hanging from the ceiling between them. Complex
November 2022
Takeoff dies, which makes the COLORS set one of the last filmed performances of the duo together. The Source
Mid September 2026
AI edits of the performance spread on TikTok and X, first with TV characters, then cats, athletes, couples and friends. Know Your Meme
September 23, 2026
Quavo reposts the original COLORS performance across his socials as the AI versions keep spreading. Complex

What a Hotel Lobby video looks like

Illustration: two performers in an orange booth, a hanging microphone, two friends performing together.

The orange booth

A single warm orange backdrop with a soft glow behind the performers. No props, no set, nothing to distract from the two people.

One hanging mic

A silver condenser microphone hangs from the ceiling on its cable, right between the performers. Both of them share it.

A lead and a hype partner

One person carries the verse into the mic. The other reacts, points, laughs and dances on the beat. The contrast is most of the fun.

A locked-off camera

The camera barely moves, then pulls back once to show more of the dance. Everything reads as one continuous take.

Other names for the Hotel Lobby AI trend

The same clips go by several names, depending on whether people remember the song, the group or the rappers.

Hotel Lobby AI trend: The usual name, and the one news coverage uses. Also written “AI Hotel Lobby trend” or “Hotel Lobby video trend”.
Migos AI trend: Named after Migos, the group Quavo and Takeoff belonged to. Also “Migos trend”, “Migos AI video” and “Migos challenge”. More on Migos AI.
Quavo AI trend: Used by people who recognise Quavo at the mic. Quavo reposted the original performance on September 23, 2026, as the AI versions spread.
AI rap trend: The general name, since any two people can take the booth; also “AI rap duo trend”. See AI rap duo.
Hotel Lobby trend on TikTok: TikTok and X are where the AI versions first spread. The clips are vertical 9:16 posts of 10 to 15 seconds.
Hotel Lobby AI: The name for the AI remakes themselves, and for the tools that make them: what Hotel Lobby AI is.

Hotel Lobby AI trend examples

How people are doing the trend: pets, grandparents, anime characters, a grim reaper, best friends. Every clip is by the creator credited under it; tap the credit to see the original post.

Vertical versions

The 9:16 cut people post to TikTok and Reels.

How to do the Hotel Lobby trend with AI

Pick two photos, one person in each, or one photo of you both: faces clear, waist up or full body, no sunglasses.
Decide who leads. The lead raps into the mic; the partner reacts and dances.
Upload both photos to a Hotel Lobby generator and render. On Hotel Lobby Video a standard 12-second video is 6 credits and usually takes about 5 to 15 minutes.
Download the MP4 and post it. On Hotel Lobby Video the default video already has the Hotel Lobby song in the MP4; if a tool renders without it, add the song inside TikTok, Reels or CapCut.

Make your Hotel Lobby video

A note on respect

The trend has drawn criticism over consent and over AI copies of Takeoff after his death. Keep it to people who said yes to being in your video. Hotel Lobby Video is independent and is not affiliated with Quavo, Takeoff, Migos, Quality Control Music, Motown or COLORS.

Hotel Lobby trend FAQ

What song is used in the Hotel Lobby trend?

"Hotel Lobby" by Unc & Phew, the duo of Quavo and Takeoff, released in May 2022. On Hotel Lobby Video the default Wan 3.0 video keeps the Hotel Lobby song in the downloaded MP4 (the Seedance models write a new AI rap instead). With tools that render without it, add the licensed sound inside TikTok, Reels or CapCut when you post.

Why is the background orange?

Every A COLORS SHOW episode films the artist in front of one solid color. The Hotel Lobby episode used orange, and the AI trend copies that exact look.

How do I make a Hotel Lobby AI video?

Pick two clear photos, one per person. Upload them to a Hotel Lobby generator, choose who raps and who hypes, render, then download the MP4 and post it. On Hotel Lobby Video a standard 12-second video is 6 credits, and a failed render is refunded automatically.

When did the Hotel Lobby AI trend start?

The AI versions took off on TikTok and X in mid September 2026, first with TV characters and cats, then couples, athletes and friends. The performance they copy was published by COLORS in June 2022.

Can I do the Hotel Lobby trend for free?

Partly. A CapCut template on the original clip is free but usually swaps one face. AI tools that put two people from photos into the booth charge credits, at least after a preview or sign-up bonus; Hotel Lobby Video (rapaivideo.net) has no free tier.

Is there a Hotel Lobby app?

No app is called Hotel Lobby or Migos AI. Photo apps such as MIU AI, Pose, PixVerse Lite, FaceLab and Photo Dance run Hotel Lobby events until late October 2026, and two-photo web generators such as Hotel Lobby Video (rapaivideo.net) work in a phone browser.

Is it okay to use AI on someone else’s face?

Only with their permission. Use photos of people who agreed to be in the video, never minors without a guardian, and never to make a real person appear to say or do something to mislead. Several creators and fans also ask that the original artists not be recreated with AI.

What other AI trends work like the Hotel Lobby trend?

Viral clips re-made with your face and the clip’s own sound: Bulin 47 (one photo, the dembow freestyle), Burning Bridges (one photo, Drake’s chandelier party) and APT. (two photos, the pink studio). Each one is 12 to 15 seconds and is paid with credits, like the Hotel Lobby video.