Destination

St. John's in AI travel recommendations

AI assistants often recommend St. John's for dining and culture, but rarely highlight its coastal scenery and wildlife.

St. John's official site ↗

441

Questions asked

554

Places identified

20 of 20

Categories shifted this check

Sep 8, 2026

Last checked

Current score 49/100 Average of the four metrics below — how this score is calculated

Key takeaways

What this check tells you

Concentration

In Best Family Hotels, the top 3 properties capture half of all mentions, well above the 27.3% you'd expect if mentions were spread evenly across the field.

Concentration

Best Viewpoints shows similarly tight concentration, with Signal Hill, Cape Spear Lighthouse and Quidi Vidi Village taking 43.9% of mentions against an expected 17.6%.

Movement

Best Hidden Gems is the least stable list tracked, with all 50 of 50 entities shifting position between checks.

Movement

Best Budget Hotels also turned over heavily, with 32 of 32 entities changing position, indicating no fixed favorites in that category yet.

Generated from this check's data Updated Sep 8, 2026

Lead finding

St. John's distinctiveness score of 20% doubles the network average of 10%, even as its coastal scenery and wildlife-watching trails stay underrepresented in AI descriptions.

St. John's distinctiveness score of 20% is double the network average of 10%, and its confirmed-open rate of 81% edges past the 80% network benchmark. Despite this strong positioning, AI assistants underrepresent the destination's coastal scenery and trails, including opportunities to see whales, icebergs, and seabirds, even though sentiment around its themes is overwhelmingly positive (91% positive, 7% neutral, 0% negative across 498 rated mentions). Instead, the current AI narrative leans on supporting themes like boutique hotels, culinary scene, fine dining, and local culture. St. John's is recommended in 6 of 12 tracked questions, pointing to room for growth in indirect AI conversations.

How AI sees St. John's

Across the prompts we've tracked, AI most consistently associates St. John's with:

boutique hotels
budget-friendly
culinary scene
fine dining
food scene
indoor activities
indoor culture
Local Culture

How St. John's benchmarks

Confirmed-open rate

St. John's 81%

Network average 80%

Distinctiveness

St. John's 20%

Network average 10%

Presence rate

St. John's 46%

Network average 10%

St. John's's 20% distinctiveness score compares to the 10% network average, a clear lead in how uniquely AI assistants describe the destination.

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

Presence beyond St. John's-specific questions

How often St. John's comes up in regional and national AI questions that aren't specifically about it (out of 12 tracked questions, as of Oct 5, 2026):

Recommended

Mentioned

Not mentioned

See all questions

Two-Week Must-See Itinerary in Canada — Direct Not mentioned
Two-Week Must-See Itinerary in Canada — Conversational Not mentioned
Two-Week Must-See Itinerary in Canada — Recommendation Not mentioned
Best Winter Destinations in Canada — Direct Recommendation
Best Winter Destinations in Canada — Conversational Recommendation
Best Winter Destinations in Canada — Recommendation Recommendation
Best Foodie Cities in Canada — Direct Mention
Best Foodie Cities in Canada — Conversational Not mentioned
Best Foodie Cities in Canada — Recommendation Recommendation
Best Romantic Weekend Destinations in Canada — Direct Not mentioned
Best Romantic Weekend Destinations in Canada — Conversational Not mentioned
Best Romantic Weekend Destinations in Canada — Recommendation Recommendation

Where AI might be wrong

Raymonds — Best Fine-Dining Restaurants(+4 more) Closed

Flagged closed by 1 source, still recommended by Claude Sonnet 5 and GPT-4o and Perplexity Sonar.
Raymonds Restaurant is permanently closed.
Source

Top picks by traveler intent

The Merchant Tavern 21 of 23

rank #1–#10

Mallard Cottage 18 of 23

rank #1–#4

Raymonds 17 of 23

rank #1–#2

Chinched 16 of 23

rank #3–#9

Adelaide Oyster House 13 of 23

rank #4–#7

Duke of Duckworth 10 of 23

rank #5–#9

Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food 9 of 23

rank #7–#10

Portage 8 of 23

rank #1–#7

Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland 19 of 21

rank #1–#5

Jag Boutique Hotel 17 of 21

rank #1–#4

Murray Premises Hotel 14 of 21

rank #2–#8

Alt Hotel St. John's 11 of 21

rank #1–#5

Monastery Hotel 8 of 21

rank #2–#9

Delta Hotels by Marriott St. John's Conference Centre 6 of 21

rank #3–#5

Mallard Cottage 6 of 21

rank #1–#8

Ryan Mansion 6 of 21

rank #1–#4

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site 21 of 21

rank #1–#4

George Street 20 of 21

rank #3–#13

Quidi Vidi Village 20 of 21

rank #3–#7

Signal Hill National Historic Site 20 of 21

rank #1–#2

The Rooms 20 of 21

rank #1–#10

Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist 14 of 21

rank #6–#12

Johnson Geo Centre 11 of 21

rank #6–#10

Water Street 11 of 21

rank #3–#10

Murray Premises Hotel 14 of 21

rank #1–#5

Alt Hotel St. John's 13 of 21

rank #1–#6

Blue on Water 12 of 21

rank #2–#7

Jag Boutique Hotel 12 of 21

rank #1–#6

Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland 11 of 21

rank #2–#7

Monastery Hotel 7 of 21

rank #1–#6

Ryan Mansion 7 of 21

rank #1–#5

The Leaside Manor 7 of 21

rank #1–#7

Johnson Geo Centre 20 of 21

rank #1–#9

The Rooms 20 of 21

rank #1–#9

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site 19 of 21

rank #2–#9

Signal Hill National Historic Site 19 of 21

rank #1–#8

Bowring Park 18 of 21

rank #1–#12

Pippy Park 13 of 21

rank #3–#10

Quidi Vidi Village 10 of 21

rank #4–#12

Railway Coastal Museum 10 of 21

rank #5–#9

Duke of Duckworth 11 of 21

rank #2–#7

Ches's Fish and Chips 10 of 21

rank #1–#4

Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food 10 of 21

rank #1–#11

The Sprout 10 of 21

rank #1–#12

Peaceful Loft 8 of 21

rank #1–#8

Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca 7 of 21

rank #3–#9

The Bagel Cafe 7 of 21

rank #2–#8

Fabulous Foods 6 of 21

rank #1–#6

See more categories

Newman Wine Vaults 19 of 34

rank #2–#8

Fort Amherst 16 of 34

rank #1–#8

Quidi Vidi Village 15 of 34

rank #1–#11

The Crow’s Nest Officers’ Club 15 of 34

rank #1–#8

Toslow 13 of 34

rank #6–#11

Railway Coastal Museum 12 of 34

rank #4–#11

Bowring Park 11 of 34

rank #1–#7

The Rooms 11 of 34

rank #2–#8

The Merchant Tavern 18 of 23

rank #1–#9

Mallard Cottage 17 of 23

rank #1–#10

Raymonds 15 of 23

rank #1–#12

Chinched 12 of 23

rank #1–#6

Duke of Duckworth 11 of 23

rank #2–#11

Ches's Fish and Chips 10 of 23

rank #3–#9

Quidi Vidi Brewery 10 of 23

rank #4–#9

Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food 10 of 23

rank #6–#12

Quidi Vidi Village 19 of 23

rank #1–#15

St. John's Farmers' Market 14 of 23

rank #1–#14

George Street 12 of 23

rank #1–#13

The Battery / North Head Trail 11 of 23

rank #1–#11

Duke of Duckworth 10 of 23

rank #2–#12

Mallard Cottage 10 of 23

rank #2–#14

Ship Pub 10 of 23

rank #1–#16

The Rooms 10 of 23

rank #2–#16

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site 21 of 22

rank #1–#11

Witless Bay Ecological Reserve 15 of 22

rank #1–#8

Brigus 14 of 22

rank #3–#11

Bell Island 12 of 22

rank #4–#9

Petty Harbour 12 of 22

rank #2–#6

Bay Bulls to Ferryland (Irish Loop) 7 of 22

rank #4–#6

East Coast Trail 7 of 22

rank #3–#8

La Manche Provincial Park 7 of 22

rank #2–#6

Mallard Cottage 21 of 22

rank #1–#5

The Merchant Tavern 18 of 22

rank #2–#6

Duke of Duckworth 17 of 22

rank #1–#7

Chinched 15 of 22

rank #1–#7

Raymonds 10 of 22

rank #1–#8

Ches's Fish and Chips 9 of 22

rank #2–#6

The Celtic Hearth 7 of 22

rank #1–#8

Adelaide Oyster House 6 of 22

rank #4–#9

Murray Premises Hotel 18 of 21

rank #1–#5

Blue on Water 13 of 21

rank #2–#6

Jag Boutique Hotel 13 of 21

rank #1–#5

Alt Hotel St. John's 11 of 21

rank #1–#7

Ryan Mansion 10 of 21

rank #1–#4

The Leaside Manor 9 of 21

rank #2–#6

Dvele Inn 6 of 21

rank #2–#5

Mallard Cottage 5 of 21

rank #1–#6

City Hostel HI St. John's 10 of 21

rank #1–#5

Capital Hotel 8 of 21

rank #2–#5

Comfort Inn 7 of 21

rank #1–#5

The Duckworth Inn 7 of 21

rank #1–#4

Holiday Inn Express 5 of 21

rank #2–#6

Super 8 by Wyndham St. John's 5 of 21

rank #2–#6

Quality Hotel Harbourview 4 of 21

rank #1–#2

Ramada by Wyndham St. John's 4 of 21

rank #2–#9

Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland 20 of 21

rank #1–#5

Holiday Inn St. John's Conference Centre 18 of 21

rank #1–#6

Alt Hotel St. John's 16 of 21

rank #1–#7

Delta Hotels by Marriott St. John's Conference Centre 14 of 21

rank #1–#4

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott St. John's Newfoundland 12 of 21

rank #1–#5

Best Western Plus St. John's Airport Hotel and Suites 6 of 21

rank #1–#7

Sandman Signature St. John's Hotel 6 of 21

rank #1–#8

Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton St. John's Airport 5 of 21

rank #2–#4

The Merchant Tavern 18 of 21

rank #2–#5

Mallard Cottage 15 of 21

rank #1–#5

Raymonds 15 of 21

rank #1–#2

Chinched 14 of 21

rank #3–#6

Adelaide Oyster House 7 of 21

rank #3–#6

Oliver's Restaurant 7 of 21

rank #1–#7

Portage 7 of 21

rank #1–#6

Terre Restaurant & Café 6 of 21

rank #1–#4

Signal Hill National Historic Site 21 of 21

#1 every time

Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist 19 of 21

rank #2–#7

Quidi Vidi Village 17 of 21

rank #3–#7

The Rooms 17 of 21

rank #2–#7

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site 16 of 21

rank #2–#6

Commissariat House 15 of 21

rank #4–#8

Government House 9 of 21

rank #4–#9

Newman Wine Vaults 9 of 21

rank #4–#8

Johnson Geo Centre 21 of 21

rank #2–#6

The Rooms 21 of 21

#1 every time

Quidi Vidi Brewery 14 of 21

rank #3–#15

Water Street 10 of 21

rank #4–#16

George Street 9 of 21

rank #2–#17

Avalon Mall 8 of 21

rank #3–#20

Escape Rooms 8 of 21

rank #4–#9

Railway Coastal Museum 8 of 21

rank #3–#4

Mallard Cottage 16 of 21

rank #1–#6

Raymonds 13 of 21

#1 every time

The Merchant Tavern 13 of 21

rank #2–#6

Chinched 8 of 21

rank #3–#8

Oliver's Restaurant 8 of 21

rank #2–#7

No. 4 Restaurant and Bar 6 of 21

rank #1–#6

Adelaide Oyster House 5 of 21

rank #3–#6

Bacalao 5 of 21

rank #4–#6

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site 20 of 21

rank #2–#6

Signal Hill National Historic Site 20 of 21

#1 every time

Quidi Vidi Village 17 of 21

rank #3–#7

Fort Amherst 13 of 21

rank #2–#7

The Battery / North Head Trail 13 of 21

rank #2–#7

The Rooms 8 of 21

rank #2–#5

Bowring Park 5 of 21

rank #4–#6

Cabot Tower 5 of 21

rank #1–#4

The Rooms 19 of 21

rank #2–#13

Pippy Park 16 of 21

rank #2–#5

Signal Hill National Historic Site 16 of 21

rank #1–#6

George Street 14 of 21

rank #4–#15

Quidi Vidi Village 13 of 21

rank #3–#8

Bannerman Park 11 of 21

rank #1–#8

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site 11 of 21

rank #1–#9

East Coast Trail 10 of 21

rank #2–#19

Where Perplexity's answers about St. John's come from

Perplexity cited destinationstjohns.com, St. John's's official tourism site, in 29 of 59 answers about St. John's (49%, last 90 days).

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

Other Newfoundland and Labrador destinations TakeScout tracks

Corner Brook

Tracking how ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity describe Corner Brook.

St. John's in AI travel recommendations

What this check tells you

St. John's distinctiveness score of 20% doubles the network average of 10%, even as its coastal scenery and wildlife-watching trails stay underrepresented in AI descriptions.

How AI sees St. John's

How St. John's benchmarks

Presence beyond St. John's-specific questions

Where AI might be wrong

Top picks by traveler intent

Best Restaurants

Best Luxury Hotels

Must-See Attractions

Best Romantic Hotels

Best Attractions for Families

Best Budget-Friendly Restaurants

Best Hidden Gems

Best Food Experiences

Best Local Experiences

Best Day Trips

Best Local or Traditional Restaurants

Best Boutique Hotels

Best Budget Hotels

Best Family Hotels

Best Fine-Dining Restaurants

Best Historical Attractions

Best Rainy-Day Attractions

Best Restaurants for Couples

Best Viewpoints

Best Winter Experiences

Where Perplexity's answers about St. John's come from

Other Newfoundland and Labrador destinations TakeScout tracks

Corner Brook