Prepare Your Hospitality Business for Google’s New Agentic AI Mode Bookings

If you feel like you’ve only just got your head around using ChatGPT to improve your hospitality processes, I have some news. The goalposts are shifting again. We are moving away from "AI that talks" to "AI that does."

Google recently confirmed it is rolling out "agentic" bookings. In plain English, this means Google’s AI is moving beyond just showing a link to your website. It’s actually going to take the user’s bank card details and finish the booking itself; whether that’s a table for four, a spa day, or a three-night stay in a boutique hotel.

It’s already live in the US for things like hair appointments and dinner reservations. Now, they’ve confirmed that hotels and flights are next, and the UK won't be far behind.

What is Actually Changing?

In hospitality, we’re familiar with the ‘search, click on a website and browse’ customer journey. A customer searches for a room, clicks three or four times, navigates into the booking engine or other platform, and eventually clicks or taps on ‘book’.

With Agentic AI, the whole middle section is essentially being removed from that journey.

Instead of a potential guest browning around doing research for an 30 minutes, they will be able to tell their phone:

"Book me a five star hotel in the Cotswolds with a spa and an EV charger for next Friday for one night, and book a 60-minute massage at 3pm on Saturday." 

The AI won’t just return a list of links, it talks to your booking software, checks availability, and books the room and treatment. It’s not going to be a search engine, we’re moving to personal assistants that complete tasks for you.

Google AI Mode and Universal Commerce Protocol

The new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) Google recently announced shows just how Google’s new AI Mode search is going to allow AI agents to securely complete your bookings and payments, without searchers ever having to leave the AI Mode search chat in the future.

This is currently more relevant to hotels or hospitality businesses who sell products within an online shop, or sell gift vouchers.

Is Your Hospitality Software Compatible?

The big question for UK businesses right now is whether your current systems can talk to an AI agent. An AI can only book your services if it has direct access to your live inventory.

If you haven't checked your settings lately, here is who is currently "AI-ready" in the UK:

• For Restaurants: If you’re using ResDiary, OpenTable, SevenRooms, Access Collins, TheFork or Quandoo, you should already be in a good place. One thing to watch out for: some restaurants turn off their Google integration to avoid fees. With agentic, that is a mistake. If the AI can’t book you instantly you’re invisible, and it’ll move on to the next bistro that it can book.
  
  
• For Spas & Wellness: The UK is actually quite far ahead here. If you use Treatwell, Fresha, or Booksy, you’re likely already "agent-friendly." When someone asks for a haircut or a facial, the AI is already plugged into those platforms to grab the slot.
  
  
• For Hotels: 2026 is likely to be a big year: Google is working with large hotel groups like Marriott and IHG, but for independent hotels, the key will be your channel manager. If providers like Siteminder, Guestline, or Profitroom are pushing your direct rates into Google Hotel Center and hotel metasearch, you’ll be bookable. If not, the AI will not see your availability.
  
  
• For events and attractions: The key is using a certified Google partner. For Events and tickets: Platforms like Eventbrite, Ticketmaster, Universe or Tiqets. For Tours or attractions: FareHarbor, Rezdy, Peek, Bokun and TripAdvisor (Viator). 
  
  
• For venue enquiries or private hire: Tripleseat, Access Collins, SevenRooms, Event Temple and Peek have some level of functionality that allows AI agents to negotiate and narrow down the basics with a prospect, doing some of the sales qualification before a lead is sent through, with your specific private hire qualification rules and availability in place. Venues that aren’t sharing this information

How to Get Your Hospitality Business Ready Now

You don't need to be a tech wizard, it’s really just making sure you’re making the right data available in the right platforms, and making your business information easy to understand for AI platforms.

1. Fill in every single gap on your business profiles: AI platforms love small details and facts. Don't just list your category as Restaurant and leave it at that, take a moment to go into your business attributes and add things like dog-friendly, outdoor heating, and listing all of your accepted payment types.

If you have a spa, don't just mention facials in your business description, go further and add your individual services and the brands you use, like Elemis or ESPA.

The more specific pieces of information you have about your business, the more times you’ll be chosen when it comes to AI responses. Label your categories and services clearly: In your GBP, add Wedding Venue, Restaurant and "Private Dining" as distinct services.

Use specific "Booking Links": Google now allows you to add multiple links for different purposes (e.g., one for "Reservations" and one for "Event Enquiries"). The AI uses these as "clues" to route the customer correctly.

2. Think about your photos differently: AI is now reading your photos to verify what you say you have. If a guest asks for a room with a roll-top bath, or a gym with a Peloton, AI bots can scan your images to confirm they are there.

Ensure you have high quality, clear shots of each of your amenities and features.

3. Have a word with your SEO team or web developer about schema: Schema is basically just digital labelling. It tells the AI in a way that it understands: "This number is a price, this text is an opening hour, and this section is a spa menu."

If your website isn't properly labelled, the AI has to guess, and AI agents aren’t always great at guessing. A quick check to ensure your schema markup is current for 2026 will make your business far more "readable" to the bots.

Basic ones are those such as Hotel, Resort, Lodging Business, Bed & Breakfast, Hostel, Tourist Attraction, Day Spa, Event Venue, Restaurant, Bar or Pub, and there are many more as you get more granular, or want to highlight more features on your website.

Get in touch for a chat about getting your business prepared for AI, and how to get your business found in AI search.