What is the Hotel Lobby AI trend?
The Hotel Lobby AI trend uses AI to put two people into Quavo and Takeoff's 2022 COLORS performance of "Hotel Lobby": an orange booth, one hanging mic, two performers trading lines. The format took off on TikTok in September 2026. It has nothing to do with hotels.
What does a Hotel Lobby AI video show?
A Hotel Lobby AI video shows two performers in an all-orange studio, sharing one microphone that hangs from the ceiling, rapping the 2022 song "Hotel Lobby" to the camera. The setup is copied from Quavo and Takeoff's performance on A COLORS SHOW.
The two people in the booth are swapped for someone else. That might be you and a friend, a couple, two siblings, two cats or two characters from a TV show. The pose, the mic and the orange walls stay the same, which is why the clips are recognizable within a second of scrolling.
Tom's Guide describes the result well: two people against a bright orange background who rap, gesture and move almost exactly like the originals. The video is clearly AI, and that is part of the fun.
Despite the name, a Hotel Lobby AI video is not a video of a hotel lobby. "Hotel Lobby" is the song title. If you searched for AI footage of a real hotel lobby, this trend is something else.
Where does the Hotel Lobby trend come from?
The Hotel Lobby trend comes from a song Quavo and Takeoff released on May 20, 2022, and the live version COLORS published on YouTube on June 17, 2022. Every AI version copies that COLORS video.
The song is "Hotel Lobby (Unc & Phew)." It was the first track the two released under the duo name Unc & Phew, and it later became track 3 on their album Only Built for Infinity Links.
COLORS films artists against a single solid color, which is why the look is so easy to spot. The Hotel Lobby performance used an orange set with the mic hung between the two rappers. Know Your Meme notes the original video had passed 121 million YouTube views by late September 2026.
Hotel Lobby timeline
The Hotel Lobby story covers six dates across four years, from the single in May 2022 to Quavo's repost in September 2026.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Quavo and Takeoff release the single "Hotel Lobby (Unc & Phew)." | |
| COLORS publishes their A COLORS SHOW performance in the orange studio. | |
| The album Only Built for Infinity Links comes out on Quality Control and Motown, with "Hotel Lobby" as track 3. | |
| Takeoff is shot and killed in Houston. | |
| AI remakes of the performance spread on TikTok and X, starting with characters and cats. | |
| Quavo reposts the unaltered COLORS video and calls it the original. |
Why did it go viral in 2026?
The Hotel Lobby AI trend went viral in September 2026 because early versions with cats and TV characters spread fast, and AI tools made it easy for anyone to copy.
Complex reports the trend gained traction in early September after videos of two cats recreating the performance went viral. Know Your Meme logs one early hit on September 16, 2026: TikTok account @glorify_studio swapped in Harvey and Mike from Suits, and the clip passed 1.7 million views in 12 days. A cat version posted on X two days later drew more than 73,000 likes.
The format is easy to read. Two people, one mic, one color, and a song most people already know. Swapping in an unexpected pair is the whole joke, so new versions kept coming.
Know Your Meme tracks the spread across TikTok and X through mid-to-late September 2026. Complex lists versions starring politicians, film characters and soccer players. Pairings people commonly use:
- Best friends, usually the two who already have a running bit together.
- Couples, often with one partner clearly more into it than the other.
- Siblings and cousins, which fits the family duo behind the original.
- Coworkers, for team chats and office accounts.
- Pets, two cats, two dogs, or a person and their pet.
- Fictional characters, like the Suits and Breaking Bad versions.
Who are Unc & Phew?
Unc & Phew is the duo name Quavo and Takeoff used from May 2022. "Unc" is short for uncle and "Phew" for nephew: Quavo is Takeoff's uncle.
Both were also members of Migos. "Hotel Lobby" was their first release as a duo, and Only Built for Infinity Links was their only album together. Wikipedia describes the album title as a reference to the bond between uncle and nephew.
Takeoff, born Kirsnick Khari Ball, was shot and killed in Houston on November 1, 2022, less than a month after the album came out. That loss is part of why the Hotel Lobby performance means a lot to fans.
Why are some people uneasy about it?
Some people are uneasy about the Hotel Lobby AI trend because Takeoff died in 2022, and AI remakes reuse a performance he can no longer agree to.
Complex quotes fans who feel the memes erase Takeoff's memory. Tom's Guide frames it as a split: some may see AI remakes as a tribute, others as an uncomfortable use of someone who can no longer consent. It also points out that Quavo has embraced the song's comeback and called it bittersweet, while also acknowledging how it feels to see AI images of his late nephew.
The trend also raises wider questions that apply to any AI video. Who agreed to have their face used? Who owns the song and the original footage? And what happens to the photos people upload to AI apps? Complex cites one X user who claimed AI platforms collect uploaded images for face recognition.
None of this has a single right answer. If you take part, use photos of people who are happy to be in the video, and check how long your photos will be kept before you upload.
How do you make a Hotel Lobby AI video?
With Hotel Lobby AI Studio, you upload two photos, pay $9.99 and get a 15-second Hotel Lobby AI video in about 6–8 minutes.
Photo 1 becomes the performer on the left and photo 2 the one on the right. People and pets both work, and a swap button switches the two sides before you pay. You can pick the Original orange booth or the Halloween booth.
The finished video is a 720 × 1280 vertical MP4 (or 1280 × 720 horizontal, if you pick it) with the original "Hotel Lobby" audio already in the file and the lips moving to it. There is no watermark, logo or intro card, so you can post it to TikTok, Reels or Shorts as it is.
Checkout only asks for your email; there is no account or password. If a video fails, we retry once automatically, and if it still fails you can try again for free.
Hotel Lobby AI Studio deletes uploaded photos after 7 days and keeps finished videos in My videos for 30 days. For the full walkthrough and photo tips, read how to make a Hotel Lobby AI video.
Questions
Is the Hotel Lobby AI trend about a real hotel?
No. The Hotel Lobby AI trend is named after the song "Hotel Lobby" by Quavo and Takeoff. Every video copies the orange COLORS studio where they performed it in 2022, not a hotel.
What song is used in the Hotel Lobby AI trend?
"Hotel Lobby (Unc & Phew)" by Quavo and Takeoff, released May 20, 2022. It is track 3 on their album Only Built for Infinity Links.
Is Hotel Lobby AI Studio connected to Quavo or COLORS?
No. Hotel Lobby AI Studio is an independent tool inspired by the trend. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Quavo, Takeoff, Migos, COLORS or their labels, and it has no celebrity presets.
Did Quavo react to the Hotel Lobby AI trend?
Yes. Quavo reposted the original, unaltered COLORS video on September 23, 2026, calling it the original. Tom's Guide reports he described the revival as bittersweet. He has not publicly condemned the trend.
Is the Hotel Lobby AI trend disrespectful to Takeoff?
Opinions are split. Some fans feel AI remakes erase Takeoff's memory; others may see them as a tribute. Quavo has called the revival bittersweet. If you make one, put yourselves in the booth rather than an AI copy of Takeoff.
What does "Unc and Phew" mean?
"Unc" is short for uncle and "Phew" is short for nephew. Quavo is Takeoff's uncle, and the two used Unc & Phew as their duo name from May 2022.