How Hotels Get Recommended by ChatGPT and Google AI: Lessons from Knockranny House Hotel

The short answer: AI assistants recommend hotels they can clearly understand, that answer guests' real questions, and that are backed by facts and reviews they trust. When Aró applied this at Knockranny House Hotel, an Aró Partner Program member, revenue from AI chatbot visitors rose 432%.

When a guest asks ChatGPT for "the best spa hotel in Westport", they get a shortlist of three or four hotels, not ten links. Getting onto that list is called Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO.

How AI chooses which hotels to recommend

Clarity. AI must understand what your hotel is and offers, or it relies on other sites. When Aró first measured Knockranny in December 2025, the sources AI cited most often about the hotel were Tripadvisor and Booking.com, not the hotel's own website.

Answers. Guests ask full questions. Clear, direct answers on your website are easier for AI to repeat.

Proof. Specific facts and guest feedback make a recommendation safe for AI to give.

Every market. Visibility in Ireland doesn't guarantee visibility in the UK or US.

What happened at Knockranny House Hotel

Aró started a GEO programme across Knockranny's website in December 2025. By September 2026, revenue from AI chatbot visitors had risen from €2,133 to €11,358 (January to September, year on year), and mentions in AI answers worldwide had tripled, from 40 to 124.

Three lessons for hoteliers

1. AI visitors are ready to book. Knockranny's AI chatbot visitors converted at 3.81%, up from 1.54%, and revenue grew faster than traffic.
2. Look beyond ChatGPT. Mentions in Google AI Overviews rose from 6 to 29, and Google Gemini is now Knockranny's largest source of AI mentions.
3. International markets are within reach. UK mentions grew from 2 to 16 when the UK was targeted as its own market.

Find out about the Aró Partner Programme

How to check your hotel's AI visibility

1. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode the questions your guests ask, and see which hotels are recommended.
2. Set up a separate AI channel in Google Analytics 4 to see what AI traffic is worth.
3. Track your mentions in each market with a tool such as Semrush.

Frequently asked questions

What is GEO for hotels?

GEO, or Generative Engine Optimisation, makes a hotel's website easy for AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Gemini to understand, trust and recommend.

Is GEO different from SEO?

Yes, but they work together. SEO helps you rank in standard search results; GEO helps you appear inside AI answers.

Want to know whether AI is recommending your hotel, or the one next door? Contact Aró Digital Strategy.