Is AI Killing Your Hotel Sales?
When group leads start to dry up, many hotel sales teams scramble to tweak their RFP process, refresh offers, or blame seasonality. But what if the real issue isn’t internal — but invisible?
Recent discussions reveal a “silent hotel sales killer” that most teams haven’t noticed yet. It’s not your competition or the economy. The culprit is agentic search, a shift changing how planners and guests find your property.
What Is Agentic Search?
Simply put, search is moving from typing keywords into Google to having conversations with AI tools like ChatGPT. Instead of browsing, users prompt bots. Hotels that don’t adapt are already seeing fewer website visits, inbound inquiries, and a drop in RFPs.
Search Behavior Is Changing Fast
Traditional keyword search is declining, while AI-driven tools are becoming the norm. As planners and guests move from Google to AI assistants like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, your hotel's visibility depends on how well you adjust. The faucet for leads is turning off, and many sales teams don’t know why.
Why Marketing and Sales Must Work Together
In most industries, marketing and sales collaborate closely. Hospitality often keeps them separate, sometimes even in different parts of the hotel. This disconnect leaves many unprepared for the new search behaviors.
Agentic search demands tight alignment between your sales approach and marketing content. Your website is no longer just a brochure—it’s your top salesperson.
Your Website: From Booking Funnel to Digital Concierge
Your website should offer more than booking options. Think of it as a digital concierge, a guide, and a trust builder. Use it to answer real questions with FAQs, guest reviews, and helpful content.
You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. Start small by reorganizing existing content to better serve planners and AI agents alike.
The “High Fives” of Group Sales Content
Here are five straightforward ways group sales teams can adapt and stand out to both planners and AI agents:
- FAQs: Spread them across your site, especially on group and meeting pages, not hidden on a single page.
- Team Page: Show planners who they’ll work with. Include photos, bios, and friendly intros.
- Testimonials: Video testimonials work best. Nothing sells your property like someone else’s real experience.
- Pricing Snapshots: Offer ballpark figures for different group sizes to reduce friction and encourage inquiries.
- Short Forms: Keep inquiry forms simple and quick. Don’t make assistants wade through multi-step RFPs just to ask a question.
These steps improve the guest journey and signal trust and relevance to AI agents, boosting your online credibility.
Why Act Now?
The chance to win with agentic search is still open but closing fast. Whether your audience is a solo traveler or a large planning team, invisibility means lost opportunities.
This is a visibility crisis, not just a content or tech trend. You have the tools and the team—you just need a new plan. Start by asking: Are you showing up where your future guests and planners search?
If not, the silence in your inbox will only get louder.
Want to make your group sales page both agentic-search friendly and human-friendly? Explore The WINS Method™ for practical steps.
Your membership also unlocks:
