This year’s Google developer conference sent a clear message: The way people search for information online, plan holidays and book hotels is about to undergo a massive upheaval. Artificial intelligence is becoming the central interface – and is radically questioning the hotel industry’s previous SEO strategies.
What does this mean for your hotel? What opportunities are there – and what risks do you face if you don’t act now?
1. Classic Google search is losing importance
With the new AI Overviews, Google is increasingly replacing the familiar list of blue links with AI-generated instant answers. Users immediately receive complete suggestions for their travel questions – often without clicking on a single website. If your hotel website is still visible in search results today, it could simply no longer appear tomorrow.
Your opportunity:
Structure your content so that it can be processed directly by AI models such as Gemini or ChatGPT. This means: machine-readable data, clear organisation, meaningful content. Visibility is no longer achieved through ranking – but through relevance in the AI context.
2. AI knows your guests' preferences - better than you do?
With ‘Deep Search’, Google will in future combine personal user data from Gmail, Calendar & Co. to provide personalised recommendations. Anyone who regularly travels to Berlin on business will prefer to see hotels that match their booking behaviour – no longer just the top 3 on Google.
Your opportunity:
Make your offers as personalised as possible. Segment your target groups, target different travel motives (e.g. business trip, family holiday, wellness weekend) – and make this information structurable and AI-compatible.
3. AI as a travel consultant and booking assistant
With projects such as Project Mariner, Google is testing AI systems that can independently book trips, compare prices or even change bookings. The user delegates – the AI acts. What is convenient for guests can jeopardise the direct line to the customer for hotels.
Your opportunity:
Make your hotel bookable via real-time interfaces. Offer a smooth user experience on your website. Only those who are technically prepared will be integrated by AI systems – all others will be bypassed.
4. Inspiring content is re-evaluated
Inspiration pages, classic travel blogs and hotel texts lose visibility if they are not AI-compatible. What remains is structured, rich, relevant content – ideally with additional benefits for travel planning.
Your opportunity:
Focus on structured content on regional highlights, events and insider tips. Use formats such as FAQ sections, lists and Schema.org markups to make your content readable for AI systems. Whoever offers inspiration plus structure wins.
5. New tools - new opportunities
Google is setting new standards with translation functions in Google Meet, AI-supported glasses and immersive platforms such as Google Beam. New potential is emerging for hotels in the areas of concierge services, digital guest care and hybrid experiences.
Your opportunity:
Use these tools creatively: from live translation for international guests to virtual tours with AR enhancements. Technologically open-minded hotels clearly stand out, especially in the premium segment.
Local visibility becomes the key
Even if AI displaces the classic results, Google Maps and local search remain essential. The Google Business Profile in particular will become one of the last directly controllable channels.
This will make you visible locally:
- Optimise your Google business profile with up-to-date images, offers, opening hours and reviews.
- Use local keywords (e.g. ‘family-friendly hotel in Garmisch with mountain views’).
- Actively promote reviews – they are also analysed by AI models.
- Use structured data formats (e.g. schema.org for events, rooms or menus).
Conclusion: The time to act is now.
Google I/O 2025 is not a future scenario – it is the starting point of a new digital reality. Hotels that invest now will secure relevance, visibility and direct guest relationships. If you wait, you risk Google taking over the selection for the guest – without involving you.
Checklist for future-proof hotels
Take the self-test: Is your hotel ready for the AI revolution?
- Structured and machine-readable website content (e.g. offers, FAQs, highlights)
- Direct booking with real-time prices and availability
- Content marketing adapted to AI systems (e.g. through schema.org markup)
- Segmented offers and personalised guest communication
- Use of tools such as live translation, chatbots or AR functions
Your hotel is ready - or needs support?
Now is the time to rethink your digital strategy – before Google does it for your guests. If you invest now, you can not only keep pace, but also gain new market share as a digital pioneer.
