The short answer
AI assistants don't keep a secret list of places to stay. When a guest asks, they search the web, read what they find, and summarize it. Your website, your Google profile, your listings and what other people write about you are the raw material. The clearer and more consistent those are, the easier you are to recommend. Nobody can guarantee a spot.
Where each tool looks
The big three work a little differently, but they all start with a web search.
| Tool | Where it looks | Crawler that reads your site |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Searches the web using outside search providers and OpenAI’s own crawler, then reads the pages it finds. | OAI-SearchBot. Block it and your pages won’t show up in ChatGPT search answers. |
| Google AI Overviews and AI Mode | Built on Google’s regular search index. The same pages that rank in Google feed the AI answers. | Googlebot, the same crawler as regular Google search. |
| Perplexity | Runs its own web search and shows the sources it used next to every answer. | PerplexityBot. |
The practical takeaway: if regular search can't find you, AI search usually can't either. Google has said plainly that you don't need special AI files or markup for its AI features. The basics are what count.
What makes you easy to recommend
- 01Let them read your site.Your robots.txt file and any bot-blocking settings should allow the search crawlers. Some hosting and security services can block AI crawlers, so check yours.
- 02Say the facts in plain words.What you are, where you are, who you’re for, and how far you are from what guests come to see. "A 3-minute walk to the Comal River" is something an AI can repeat. A photo with no text isn’t.
- 03Make the facts match everywhere.Your website, Google profile and OTA listings should agree on room types, policies, fees and distances. When they disagree, the AI has to guess, and it may guess wrong.
- 04Give other people something to say.Reviews, local guides, travel articles and event pages all show up in AI answers. Real reviews that mention specific things, like "quiet" or "walkable," help more than a star rating alone.
- 05Label your facts for machines.Schema markup tells search engines your property type, location and rooms in a format they read directly. An llms.txt file is a small extra on top.
What we see at Comal Inn
From July 1 to September 28, AI assistants sent comalinn.com 350 visits, 9.7% of all our website traffic. Those visitors were more engaged than average: 69.7% compared with 53.8% across the site.
One guest had never heard of us. He asked ChatGPT for a quiet, romantic getaway in New Braunfels, and we came up. He booked the Juniper Room, our last room that weekend, for a surprise anniversary.
Here's what's in place on our side: our own website with a page for every room, schema markup, an llms.txt file, the same facts on our site, Google profile and listings, and nothing blocking the crawlers.
Test it yourself
Ask the questions your guests ask. Try them in ChatGPT, Google and Perplexity:
- "Where should I stay in [your town] for a quiet weekend?"
- "Best place to stay near [the main attraction] for a couple?"
- "Pet-friendly cabins near [your town]?" Swap in whatever makes your place different.
- "What is [your property name]? Is it a B&B or a vacation rental?"
For each one, write down three things: whether you came up, whether the details were right, and which sources it cited. The sources tell you where the AI is getting its picture of you. If something's wrong, fix it there.
Then check your analytics. Google Analytics 4 now groups this traffic into its own AI Assistant channel, so you can see whether it's growing.
What to skip
- Stuffing keywords. AI tools read for meaning. A paragraph that repeats "best New Braunfels vacation rental" five times reads worse to people and machines alike.
- Fake or paid reviews. They break platform rules, and they can get your listings penalized.
- Guaranteed AI placement. If someone promises you'll be ChatGPT's top pick, walk away.
- Blocking crawlers by accident. It's easy to miss and easy to fix.
Quick answers
Should I block AI crawlers?
Not if you want AI tools to recommend you. Search crawlers like OAI-SearchBot and PerplexityBot are how those tools read your pages. Training crawlers are a separate choice. You can block those and still allow the search ones.
ChatGPT has my details wrong. Can I fix it?
Not directly. There's no form to submit. Fix the facts at the source: your website, your Google profile and your OTA listings. When those agree, the answers usually catch up.
How long does it take to show up?
There's no set timeline. It depends on how often these tools re-read your pages and what else is written about you. Make the fixes, then check again every few weeks.
Can someone guarantee I’ll be recommended?
No. Nobody outside these companies controls what the AI says. Anyone promising a guaranteed spot in ChatGPT is selling something they can't deliver.
Want me to look at your site?
Send me your website. I'll tell you what I'd fix first, for free.