AEO for Hotel Brands: Winning Visibility in the Age of Answer Engines

For years, hotel marketing has revolved around SEO, PPC, and online travel agencies (OTAs). But as AI-powered assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s SGE become the first stop for travellers, the rules of discovery are changing.

Welcome to AEO: Answer Engine Optimisation — the strategy that ensures your hotel becomes the answer when a traveller asks:

  • “What’s the best boutique hotel in Lisbon with a rooftop pool?”

  • “Where should I stay in Paris for a romantic weekend?”

  • “Which hotels in New York have pet-friendly policies?”

Hotels that optimise for these queries now will capture the bookings of tomorrow.

What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)?

AEO is the process of optimising your hotel’s digital presence so AI-driven answer engines can easily find, understand, and recommend it.

  • SEO made sure you ranked on Google search results.

  • AEO ensures you’re chosen when AI platforms give just one or two recommendations.

This shift is crucial because AI-driven search isn’t about providing a list of ten options. It’s about delivering one highly relevant, trusted answer — and if that answer isn’t your hotel, you risk being invisible.

Why AEO Matters for Hotels

  1. AI is the new travel agent
    Instead of scrolling through OTA listings, travellers are increasingly asking AI platforms where to stay. If your property isn’t optimised, you’re not even in the conversation.

  2. One answer beats ten blue links
    Traditional search offered multiple chances to be seen. Answer engines give only one or two — raising the stakes dramatically.

  3. High-intent queries drive bookings
    When someone asks, “Which hotels in Barcelona are family-friendly near the beach?” they’re close to booking. AEO ensures your hotel surfaces in those decisive moments.

  4. Direct bookings at risk
    OTAs are experimenting with AI search too. If you don’t optimise, they’ll capture those bookings — taking their commission along the way.

How Hotels Can Optimise for AEO

  1. Optimise for natural language queries
    Build FAQs on your site that directly answer common traveller questions, like:

    • “Do you offer free airport transfers?”

    • “Is breakfast included in the room rate?”

    • “Do you have pet-friendly rooms?”

  2. Implement structured data (schema markup)
    Use schema for rooms, amenities, reviews, and pricing. This makes it easier for AI engines to parse and recommend your property.

  3. Strengthen local SEO foundations
    Ensure your Google Business Profile, OTA listings, and directories are consistent and detailed — AEO relies heavily on accurate data.

  4. Encourage detailed guest reviews
    AI scrapes reviews to understand your hotel’s strengths. Reviews that mention specifics (e.g., “the rooftop bar overlooking the city” or “perfect for families with young children”) boost your AEO relevance.

  5. Make your unique selling points AI-friendly
    Highlight key features — spa, meeting spaces, design credentials, sustainability — in ways that answer engines can pick up and recommend.

Examples of AEO in Action for Hotels

  • Discovery: Your boutique hotel is surfaced as the top answer when someone asks, “What’s the best luxury hotel in Marrakech with a hammam?”

  • Content: Your FAQ page helps you appear in answers like, “Which hotels in London have late checkout options?”

  • Bookings: A traveller asks their AI assistant for “hotels in Madrid near the Prado Museum under €250 a night” — and your property appears because your content and schema are properly optimised.

The Future of Hotel Marketing is AEO

Hospitality has always been about being in the right place at the right time. AEO is simply the digital version of that principle — making sure your hotel is the answer when travellers are actively deciding where to stay.

Hotels that embrace AEO now will:

  • Capture more direct bookings

  • Reduce reliance on OTAs

  • Deliver better guest experiences by anticipating traveller questions before they’re even asked

Final Thoughts

For hotel brands, AEO is the new frontier of visibility. Just as SEO became non-negotiable in the age of Google, AEO will define who wins in the era of AI-powered travel search.

At Snack London, we help hotel brands prepare for this shift — blending hospitality expertise with cutting-edge digital optimisation. If you’d like your hotel to be the answer, not an afterthought, let’s talk.

Mark McManus