Today, Authenticity Is Driving Search

Actions You Take (Or Don't Take) Now Will Impact Your Hotel's Future Visibility

I know this season is keeping you busy. It’s a wonderful kind of busy, but it’s also the perfect time to take a breath and think ahead. The way travelers are discovering hotels is changing fast, and the choices you make now can shape how visible your property is in the months to come.

In this issue of Hospitable Insights, we need to talk about a shift that’s reshaping hotel marketing today: AI search. Travelers aren’t just clicking through a list of links anymore. They’re getting nicely packaged answers compiled by AI from sources it believes are credible, authentic, and real.

Authenticity is one factor driving search. I believe it's an important one, but I plan to cover others in upcoming issues. Let's dig in!

Why Does Authenticity Matter More Than Ever?

Over 50% of search journeys now begin outside of traditional search engines through AI tools, voice search, and curated answers. (Source: Gartner)

AI might not be human itself. But what it is designed to do is find content that is. It's looking for genuine, reliable, and consistent material. It responds to signals that information is truly accurate and valuable to a broader audience.

Keyword-stuffed content or glossy stock images are NOT what it's rewarding. Instead, I've found that AI latches onto authenticity in the form of:

Content that shows expertise and trustworthiness (press, awards, Top 10 lists).
Consistency across platforms (like your website, social channels, Google Business Profile, and OTAs).
Real engagement that proves real people connect with your hotel (guest reviews).

Search engines and AI are designed to address questions, and in that process, decide whether your hotel should be part of the answer. Authenticity is what makes your content eligible.

The Hotelier’s Advantage

Independent hotels are in a uniquely strong position. You already have what travelers are searching for: unique stories rooted in place, a team with personality and local knowledge, and loyal guests who return year after year. The opportunity lies in capturing those experiences and translating them into authentic, discoverable content so both travelers and AI can recognize your hotel as trustworthy and worth recommending.
Altos EO+: Turning Stories into Visibility

At Altos, we’ve built our EO+ framework around exactly this opportunity. EO+ takes the authentic stories hotels already have and amplifies them across five lenses of visibility that matter most in today’s search landscape. We support hotel teams with:

Translating their unique story into digital signals AI can trust.
Building consistent content ecosystems that reinforce credibility.
Turning guest experiences into assets (i.e. reviews) that drive both trust and search visibility.

When you’re authentic, you’re not just building relationships with guests, you’re teaching AI to see and recommend your hotel too.

The New ROI Formula

In the old playbook, ROI meant impressions and clicks. In the new playbook, ROI is built on relationships and visibility.

Authentic stories → build trust
Trust → drives both guest loyalty and AI recognition
Visibility → fuels bookings, now and in the future

This is the reality of how search is evolving. And the hotels that embrace authenticity now will be the ones travelers (and AI) can’t stop recommending.

Knowledge is power. If you want to know how visible your hotel is in today’s AI-driven search landscape, request our free EO+ Visibility Audit and we’ll show you exactly where you stand and where the biggest opportunities lie. If you want our help to take advantage of those opportunities, we have the expertise and a framework to do that for you, simply and affordably.

Request Your Free EO+ Visibility Audit

At Altos, we help independent hotels turn their unique stories into digital strategies that drive visibility, build loyalty, and increase direct bookings. The best stories to share are those rooted in your brand’s voice and values, because when content is true to who you are, it doesn’t feel like marketing—it feels like hospitality.