Google has been clear for a long time that it does not want to be contacted. Just click here to learn more. help users search – it wants to help them find Answers. Google’s latest updates to Search and Maps powered by generative AI further contributes to its goal of providing users with what they want, as easily as possible. This change will have a major impact on the way travellers plan trips.
Pete Stevens is the Director of Marketing and Operations for Clockwork MarketingWe discussed what Google’s AI tools meant for the hospitality marketing. We talked about how hoteliers could stay competitive and visible today, as well as why marketing fundamentals are still as important as they ever were.
Generative AI vs Predictive Artificial Intelligence
AI Predictive analyses data in order to make predictions or decisions. Predicting hotel demand or pricing trends, for example.
Generative AI It creates content based upon patterns found in data. It can write an itinerary for a trip or summarize guest reviews using natural language.
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Google’s New Features
Google’s strategy is clear, even though the tools may not be available to everyone yet. Pete highlighted three key developments hoteliers should be aware of.
1. AI-Powered Travel Planning
What should I do during a Malaga week? Now, you can get detailed day-by-day itinerary suggestions pulled from multiple websites. “You’ve probably seen Google’s AI answering service already,” explains Pete, “but now it’s starting to pull together itineraries, if you ask it in the right way… It’ll give you a day-by-day breakdown of the top things to do.”
These AI-generated responses synthesise content from a wide array of sites — media, tourism boards, OTAs, blogs — to create a coherent, structured answer.
This is a big change from Google’s old format, when a user would have to click to individual results in order to construct a plan. The AI curates an unified view, making it more difficult for any hotel to standout organically.
Google has always given you a single answer. Pete explained that the AI is now scraping information from various sources and putting it together. If the AI doesn’t find your hotel’s story in the data sources it uses, you could be left out.
2. Conversational Refinement via Generative AI
Google searches are no longer the only way to plan a trip. Gemini allows travellers to refine their itinerary in a conversational manner. Travellers can adjust their preferences and priorities mid-search — a fundamental shift from the traditional model of one-query, one-result. Pete pointed out:
“You might go, ‘Oh, actually, I’m taking my kids, so these first three days aren’t any good for me. What will I do with teenagers or preschoolers?’… You can just start refining it and interrogating it and having a conversation.”
Gemini must be able find rich, diverse and relevant content for a variety of user intentions.
For hotels to be discovered, they need to create content which answers situational and layered questions, not only static search queries. For example, a list of ‘family-friendly things to do within 5 miles of the hotel’ could become far more relevant than a general attractions page.
3. Tracking hotel prices
Google’s decision to expand its price tracking tool (familiar as part of Google Flights) from the flight listings into hotel listings will make many hoteliers uncomfortable. The feature allows travellers to track changes in hotel rates and receive alerts about new deals.
The transparency of pricing may force hotels to become more competitive, particularly independent hotels. Pete warns that this trend can dilute value propositions for many boutique properties or luxury properties. “It is all about price. Not about fantastic staff, service or location. It’s a race to bottom,” he warned.
Pete pointed out that while dynamic pricing is common in hospitality, there’s also the risk of conditioning customers to wait for bargains, or worse still, devaluing your brand by appearing inconsistent.
What does this mean for your hotel’s discoverability?
These updates have a major impact on hotels. They can still be included in Google’s scraping of data, but not own the customer journey. Pete noted that during early AI tests, the brand websites were not often linked.
After testing a number of generative queries, Pete noted that the top three links he clicked on were all to Mr. and Mr. Smith, The Times Hotel Guru, Booking.com and none to brand.com.
This raises some important strategic questions. How can independent hotels compete when high-authority platforms carry more algorithmic weight that their own websites do?
The hotel marketing team will have to be diligent on multiple fronts. own content is outstandingOTAs are a great way to find new destinations. But you need to manage their presence carefully on aggregator and OTA sites. It is important to have a strong story on your website, but it will increasingly depend on how you are cited and featured elsewhere online.
The goal isn’t just to exist in Google’s ecosystem — it’s to be recommended within it.
What hotels can (and should) do now
Pete warned not to panic and chase the latest gimmick. He pointed out that organic traffic still dominates:
“We see typically around 70% of visitors to a hotel website coming from Google search… so ranking for all the key phrases that you might need to rank for, depending on your business, is absolutely essential.”
Pete’s advice on how to improve the discoverability of your hotel was to adhere to the principles that have been at the heart of hotel marketing for decades, while adapting them in a world driven by AI.
1. Double down on human-centric, high-quality content
Google’s AI tools can create original summaries and rewrite existing content, but they don’t produce entirely new information. They interpret and aggregate existing information. This means that the content (blogs, landing pages and FAQs, as well as image metadata) you publish must be accurate, useful, and The design is based on the needs of real guests.
You’re going to be looking for long, descriptive, natural language type of key phrases, like ‘What can I do with my children when I’m on holiday in Cornwall and it’s raining?’
Content that answers such questions will not only meet the needs of actual guests but will also make it easier for AI to recognize your hotel as being relevant to certain types of travellers.
It’s not a good idea to stuff keywords into a text. This will only irritate humans. Natural language. storytellingDetail matters more than ever.
2. Search Optimization in All Its Formats
Even the basics of SEO, such as page titles, site structure, internal links and site speed, still matter. Pete specifically highlighted visual search, which is often overlooked.
He explained that the importance of image optimisation is greater than many hoteliers think, particularly when travellers are in their inspiration phase.
Pete said, “Your image titles and alt tag are extremely important.” “Rather than using the raw name from the camera without alt tag. Every image should have a clear and accurate description.”
It’s important to rename your images so that they accurately describe the image, add alt text for search engines, and make sure your visuals are in line with what your hotel has to offer. If you do these little technical details right, they can help your property surface in Google Images.
3. Your Differentiators Should Be Obvious
AI cannot market what it does not understand. Hotels tend to undersell their best features by either assuming that they are obvious, or by hiding them in generic text. “So many hotels have a great story – about the building, the people, the setting – but they bury it,” said Pete.
Read this writer’s guide to great hotel website copy
Hotels need to be able to articulate their uniqueness, not only once but across all of their listings, content, and website. It doesn’t matter if it is a family-friendly hotel, a sustainable ethos or a historical building. These attributes need to be clearly spelled out in a way that AI tools can understand.
Pete’s advice suggests that this isn’t just about branding — it’s about Clarity. Google’s AI is more likely surface a site that confidently explains their niche when travellers search experiences that match specific values or preference.
You can’t just vaguely say that you are unique. If you’re family-friendly, say so explicitly — and give examples. When you promote farm-to-table, highlight your suppliers and chef’s philosophy. If your hotel has a wellness program or a dog-friendly service that is well known, ensure those pages are easy to access and detailed.
Shortly, if you do not articulate your niche clearly, the algorithm will not guess it and your ideal customers may never realize that you’re what they are looking for.
4. Review and user-generated content: Take advantage of them
The ability of AI to use third-party content – especially reviews – is a major change. These guest impressions are used to help the algorithm determine who your property really is. The following are some examples of how to use.
“User-generated content Pete said. “If positive remarks are made about families [in reviews]It’s pushing this content higher for people who are looking for family-friendly stays.”
In order to make the best of it, hoteliers need to focus on encouraging and highlighting reviews that match their target audience.
Take a look at this online guide to reputation management for hoteliers
5. Play to your strengths!
Google is still working on implementing user-specific recommendations. However, there are signs that they’re already in place. When a person searches for “top Plymouth schools” then looks for hotels in London it is not difficult to believe that AI will assume the user has children and prioritize family-oriented choices.
This kind of personalisation can’t be manipulated, but it highlights the importance of finding your niche. Pete says that you can only be yourself. “If you cater to families, you should make sure that you cover this in your content.”
Hotels that clearly signal their strengths – whether that’s family-friendliness, culinary excellence, wellness retreats, or adventure travel – are more likely to surface when AI matches travellers with experiences that suit their interests.
Practical steps include creating dedicated landing pages for key guest segments (e.g., ‘Family Adventures in Cornwall’), publishing detailed blog posts that answer specific guest questions, and gathering guest reviews that reflect the themes you want to be associated with. AI will recognise and amplify your story the better it is crafted.
PR and external authority matter again
In a world in which Google uses a multitude of sources to create its search results, you need to have a strong online presence. Then, there are those who go beyond. Your website. The AI will use editorial features, listicles blogs and even influencer writings to determine the credibility of your website.
Pete pointed out that it doesn’t seem like the app is pulling in much content from Facebook or Instagram. Influencers can still blog or create other content. So yeah, definitely PR… because again, you’re in control of that.”
As opposed to traditional PR which often focused on brand recognition or prestige, the new wave of digital presence is functional. These signals are used to determine how AI will understand your property.“Best boutique spa in Devon, with pet-friendly rooms”..
Influencer campaigns, media coverage, and content partnerships now have more weight with consumers, as well.
Final Word: tools change, people don’t
It’s very easy to get distracted with shiny new tools. But Pete’s biggest point remained: the way people plan their travels may evolve, but they still want the same thing from their trip.
They still want to know what you have to offer, get useful information and recommendations that are trustworthy, as well as a feeling of your property. You can also find out more about like. And if your content delivers that – honestly, clearly, and consistently – you’ll be well-positioned, whether the answer comes from a search result, an AI assistant, or a word-of-mouth recommendation.
What does Pete recommends? “Just really great content… human-first content, content that’s rich and gives descriptions and feelings and what your business is like.”
AI will continue its evolution. But hospitality is still about people, stories, and service – things no algorithm can replace.
