Google just ended third-party hotel rates. What now?

Google has slammed the door on third-party rates in hotel search results. According to Hotel News Resource, the company has stopped showing rates from online travel agencies (OTAs) and other third parties in its metasearch, forcing hotels and OTAs to rethink how they display and compete for direct bookings.

What does this mean? Until now, a traveller searching for a hotel on Google would see rates from the hotel and from OTAs side by side. With this change, only the hotel's own rates will appear, and only if the hotelier is paying for visibility through the Google Hotel Ads programme. Third-party rates vanish altogether.

My take: this is a move that could favour hoteliers already investing in direct channel and a transparent pricing strategy. Mind you, it is not magic. If you do not have a compelling direct offer (better rate, extras, flexible conditions), the traveller will click on the OTA anyway, just outside Google. The opportunity lies in the hotel regaining control of the first click within the world's most used search engine. Now is the time to sharpen the direct value proposition and make sure Google Hotel Ads is integrated with your PMS or booking engine so the rate shows in real time. Those who do not get on board will lose free visibility that is not coming back.