Destination

Delaware in AI travel recommendations

Delaware shines as a cozy, historic, farm-to-table gem online—but Wilmington barely gets a mention.

Delaware official site ↗

637
Questions asked
807
Places identified
20 of 20
Categories shifted this check
Sep 1, 2026
Last checked
Current score 26/100 Average of the four metrics below — how this score is calculated
Key takeaways

What this check tells you

Concentration

In Best Luxury Hotels, three properties account for 53.2% of AI mentions versus the 18.8% expected if recommendations were spread evenly, with The Bellmoor Inn and Spa, Hotel du Pont, and Boardwalk Plaza Hotel dominating the category.

Concentration

Best Romantic Hotels shows the same three names — The Bellmoor Inn and Spa, Hotel du Pont, and Boardwalk Plaza Hotel — capturing 43.1% of mentions against an expected 17.6%, echoing the luxury hotel pattern.

Movement

Best Local Experiences is the most volatile tracked category, with all 75 of 75 entities shifting position between the August 27 and September 3 checks.

Gap

Best Hidden Gems keeps concentration relatively low at 14.5% versus an expected 4.6%, but still saw 65 of 65 entities move, showing frequent reshuffling even in a less top-heavy category.

Generated from this check's data Updated Sep 3, 2026
Lead finding

Delaware's AI presence scores just 10% distinctiveness versus a 25% network average, driven by a glaring blind spot around Wilmington.

AI assistants consistently paint Delaware through Family-Friendly, historic charm, Farm-to-Table, fine dining, and romantic themes, with beach getaways, comfort food, and history rounding out the picture. Sentiment is overwhelmingly positive at 98% across 388 rated mentions, showing AI genuinely likes what it knows about the state. Yet Delaware's distinctiveness score of 10% falls far below the 25% network average, and Wilmington stands out as a significantly underrepresented theme. This gap suggests AI models are missing a key piece of Delaware's identity, flattening its story into generic coastal-and-historic tropes rather than surfacing Wilmington's distinct character.

How AI sees Delaware

Across the prompts we've tracked, AI most consistently associates Delaware with:

  • Family-Friendly
  • Farm-to-Table
  • historic charm
  • fine dining
  • historic
  • historic sites
  • history
  • nature
  • beach getaway
  • Beach towns
  • beaches
  • beachfront
  • budget-friendly
  • casual dining
  • Coastal dining
  • colonial history

How Delaware benchmarks

Confirmed-open rate
Delaware 79%
Network average 81%
Distinctiveness
Delaware 0%
Network average 10%
Presence rate
Delaware 0%
Network average 11%

Delaware's AI benchmark numbers compared to the network average across all tracked destinations.

Each metric shows two bars: Delaware's rate and the network average for that metric, so you can see how it compares. See how these scores are calculated.

Presence beyond Delaware-specific questions

How often Delaware comes up in regional and national AI questions that aren't specifically about it (out of 12 tracked questions, as of Sep 29, 2026):

0
Recommended
0
Mentioned
12
Not mentioned
See all questions
  • Two-Week Must-See Itinerary in the United States — Direct Not mentioned
  • Two-Week Must-See Itinerary in the United States — Conversational Not mentioned
  • Two-Week Must-See Itinerary in the United States — Recommendation Not mentioned
  • Best Winter Destinations in the United States — Direct Not mentioned
  • Best Winter Destinations in the United States — Conversational Not mentioned
  • Best Winter Destinations in the United States — Recommendation Not mentioned
  • Best Foodie Cities in the United States — Direct Not mentioned
  • Best Foodie Cities in the United States — Conversational Not mentioned
  • Best Foodie Cities in the United States — Recommendation Not mentioned
  • Best Romantic Weekend Destinations in the United States — Direct Not mentioned
  • Best Romantic Weekend Destinations in the United States — Conversational Not mentioned
  • Best Romantic Weekend Destinations in the United States — Recommendation Not mentioned

Top picks by traveler intent

Best Restaurants

34 answers
House of William & Merry 17 of 34
rank #1–#12
Bardea Food & Drink 16 of 34
rank #1–#2
Heirloom 14 of 34
rank #1–#11
Henlopen City Oyster House 13 of 34
rank #2–#9
Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats 12 of 34
rank #4–#10
La Fia 11 of 34
rank #1–#10
Big Fish Grill 9 of 34
rank #2–#14
Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Raw Bar 8 of 34
rank #2–#10

Best Luxury Hotels

30 answers
The Bellmoor Inn and Spa 27 of 30
rank #1–#5
Hotel du Pont 25 of 30
rank #1–#5
Boardwalk Plaza Hotel 23 of 30
rank #1–#6
Inn at Montchanin Village 16 of 30
rank #2–#6
Hotel Rehoboth 10 of 30
rank #2–#6
Avenue Inn & Spa 9 of 30
rank #3–#7
The Quoin Hotel 8 of 30
rank #1–#6
Wilmington 5 of 30
rank #2–#5

Must-See Attractions

31 answers
Nemours Estate 28 of 31
rank #1–#9
Rehoboth Beach 28 of 31
rank #1–#14
Cape Henlopen State Park 25 of 31
rank #1–#13
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library 25 of 31
rank #1–#5
Hagley Museum & Library 24 of 31
rank #2–#14
Lewes 22 of 31
rank #2–#17
Delaware Art Museum 14 of 31
rank #4–#11
Brandywine Creek State Park 12 of 31
rank #5–#11

Best Romantic Hotels

30 answers
Boardwalk Plaza Hotel 24 of 30
rank #1–#5
The Bellmoor Inn and Spa 24 of 30
rank #1–#7
Hotel du Pont 22 of 30
rank #1–#6
Inn at Montchanin Village 19 of 30
rank #1–#6
Hotel Rehoboth 9 of 30
rank #2–#4
Avenue Inn & Spa 7 of 30
rank #1–#5
Inn at Canal Square 7 of 30
rank #4–#8
Bethany Beach Ocean Suites Residence Inn 6 of 30
rank #4–#6

Best Attractions for Families

30 answers
Brandywine Zoo 28 of 30
rank #1–#10
Delaware Children's Museum 26 of 30
rank #1–#6
Cape Henlopen State Park 24 of 30
rank #2–#11
Rehoboth Beach 23 of 30
rank #1–#5
Delaware Museum of Nature & Science 18 of 30
rank #2–#8
Funland 17 of 30
rank #1–#12
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library 17 of 30
rank #5–#13
Air Mobility Command Museum 14 of 30
rank #4–#12

Best Budget-Friendly Restaurants

31 answers
El Diablo Burritos 17 of 31
rank #1–#8
Grotto Pizza 12 of 31
rank #1–#16
Thrasher's French Fries 11 of 31
rank #8–#19
Capriotti's 8 of 31
rank #1–#13
Charcoal Pit 8 of 31
rank #1–#5
Home Grown Café 8 of 31
rank #1–#6
Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen 7 of 31
rank #4–#8
Nicola Pizza 7 of 31
rank #9–#17
See more categories

Best Hidden Gems

39 answers
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge 30 of 39
rank #1–#20
Trap Pond State Park 28 of 39
rank #1–#13
Bowers Beach 14 of 39
rank #4–#15
Fort Delaware State Park 14 of 39
rank #3–#13
Historic Odessa 14 of 39
rank #2–#14
Ashland Nature Center 11 of 39
rank #1–#21
Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar 11 of 39
rank #1–#8
Blackbird Creek Reserve / Blackbird State Forest 10 of 39
rank #2–#10

Best Food Experiences

38 answers
Thrasher's French Fries 20 of 38
rank #1–#16
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery 19 of 38
rank #3–#14
Grotto Pizza 16 of 38
rank #2–#13
Sambo's Tavern 15 of 38
rank #1–#12
Henlopen City Oyster House 13 of 38
rank #2–#11
Capriotti's 12 of 38
rank #1–#11
Bardea Food & Drink 11 of 38
rank #1–#13
Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats 11 of 38
rank #2–#14

Best Local Experiences

37 answers
Lewes 23 of 37
rank #1–#25
New Castle Historic District 23 of 37
rank #1–#15
Cape Henlopen State Park 22 of 37
rank #1–#16
Sambo's Tavern 16 of 37
rank #1–#11
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge 15 of 37
rank #3–#13
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery 15 of 37
rank #1–#15
Trap Pond State Park 14 of 37
rank #1–#16
Hagley Museum & Library 12 of 37
rank #2–#27

Best Historical Attractions

34 answers
Hagley Museum & Library 31 of 34
rank #1–#10
Fort Delaware State Park 28 of 34
rank #2–#14
John Dickinson Plantation 28 of 34
rank #3–#10
Zwaanendael Museum 21 of 34
rank #4–#12
New Castle Historic District 19 of 34
rank #1–#9
Old Swedes Church 19 of 34
rank #1–#11
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library 17 of 34
rank #2–#16
Nemours Estate 14 of 34
rank #3–#14

Best Local or Traditional Restaurants

32 answers
Sambo's Tavern 17 of 32
rank #1–#7
Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats 10 of 32
rank #3–#14
Big Fish Grill 9 of 32
rank #1–#7
Helen's Sausage House 9 of 32
rank #1–#9
Woody’s Dewey Beach Bar & Grill 9 of 32
rank #3–#10
Jessop's Tavern 8 of 32
rank #1–#9
Henlopen City Oyster House 7 of 32
rank #1–#7
Jimmy's Grille 6 of 32
rank #3–#8

Best Day Trips

31 answers
Rehoboth Beach 19 of 31
rank #1–#8
New Castle Historic District 8 of 31
rank #2–#6
Wilmington 8 of 31
rank #1–#9
Cape Henlopen State Park 7 of 31
rank #1–#7
Philadelphia 7 of 31
rank #1–#6
Baltimore or Annapolis 5 of 31
rank #2–#6
Cape May 5 of 31
rank #2–#8
Lewes 5 of 31
rank #2–#6

Best Boutique Hotels

30 answers
The Bellmoor Inn and Spa 25 of 30
rank #1–#7
Boardwalk Plaza Hotel 17 of 30
rank #1–#5
Hotel du Pont 16 of 30
rank #1–#7
Inn at Montchanin Village 15 of 30
rank #1–#5
Canalside Inn 12 of 30
rank #3–#6
The Quoin Hotel 9 of 30
rank #1–#2
The Hotel Rodney 8 of 30
rank #2–#6
Hotel Blue 7 of 30
rank #2–#5

Best Budget Hotels

30 answers
Wilmington 18 of 30
rank #1–#9
Rehoboth Beach 15 of 30
rank #1–#9
Days Inn Dover 11 of 30
rank #3–#10
Sleep Inn 10 of 30
rank #1–#9
Red Roof Inn & Suites Newark - University 8 of 30
rank #1–#6
Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Dover 7 of 30
rank #2–#6
Super 8 by Wyndham Dover 7 of 30
rank #2–#5
Baymont by Wyndham Newark at University of Delaware 6 of 30
rank #2–#7

Best Family Hotels

30 answers
Wilmington 19 of 30
rank #4–#16
Boardwalk Plaza Hotel 18 of 30
rank #1–#7
Atlantic Sands Hotel & Conference Center 17 of 30
rank #1–#7
Rehoboth Beach 17 of 30
rank #1–#17
Hyatt Place Dewey Beach 15 of 30
rank #1–#6
Bethany Beach Ocean Suites Residence Inn 14 of 30
rank #1–#5
Hotel du Pont 11 of 30
rank #1–#11
The Bellmoor Inn and Spa 11 of 30
rank #2–#6

Best Fine-Dining Restaurants

30 answers
Harry’s Savoy Grill 24 of 30
rank #1–#10
Le Cavalier at the Green Room 13 of 30
rank #1–#5
Eden 12 of 30
rank #1–#9
Krazy Kat’s 11 of 30
rank #3–#9
Espuma 9 of 30
rank #4–#7
House of William & Merry 9 of 30
rank #1–#7
The Blue Moon 9 of 30
rank #4–#8
Bardea Food & Drink 8 of 30
rank #1–#5

Best Rainy-Day Attractions

30 answers
Delaware Art Museum 27 of 30
rank #1–#9
Christiana Mall 22 of 30
rank #4–#14
Delaware Museum of Nature & Science 20 of 30
rank #2–#10
Delaware Children's Museum 18 of 30
rank #1–#12
Hagley Museum & Library 17 of 30
rank #2–#3
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library 16 of 30
rank #1–#4
Biggs Museum of American Art 15 of 30
rank #4–#9
Tanger Outlets 13 of 30
rank #4–#17

Best Restaurants for Couples

30 answers
Eden 14 of 30
rank #1–#6
The Blue Moon 12 of 30
rank #2–#13
Harry’s Savoy Grill 10 of 30
rank #1–#6
Heirloom 9 of 30
rank #3–#9
La Fia 9 of 30
rank #2–#7
Le Cavalier at the Green Room 9 of 30
rank #1–#9
The Green Room at Hotel DuPont 9 of 30
rank #1–#4
Cultured Pearl 8 of 30
rank #3–#8

Best Viewpoints

30 answers
Cape Henlopen State Park 25 of 30
rank #1–#8
Rehoboth Beach 21 of 30
rank #2–#12
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge 20 of 30
rank #3–#11
Brandywine Creek State Park 20 of 30
rank #2–#12
Rockford Tower 13 of 30
rank #1–#11
Delaware Seashore State Park 11 of 30
rank #2–#10
Trap Pond State Park 10 of 30
rank #4–#10
Wilmington 9 of 30
rank #4–#11

Best Winter Experiences

30 answers
Cape Henlopen State Park 19 of 30
rank #1–#19
Rehoboth Beach 18 of 30
rank #1–#20
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge 16 of 30
rank #1–#16
Delaware Art Museum 16 of 30
rank #5–#27
Lewes 15 of 30
rank #1–#22
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library 14 of 30
rank #1–#17
Nemours Estate 13 of 30
rank #2–#11
Hagley Museum & Library 12 of 30
rank #2–#18

Where Perplexity's answers about Delaware come from

Perplexity cited visitdelaware.com, Delaware's official tourism site, in 31 of 60 answers about Delaware (52%, last 90 days).

The web domains Perplexity's live search pulled most while answering tracked travel questions about Delaware (last 90 days). ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini aren't grounded in our tracking yet. See the network-wide ranking.