Google is expanding its accommodations search and booking platform by
adding vacation rental properties from around the world to its Hotel Search
function.
Vacation listings worldwide are available beginning today on
mobile and will roll out on desktop in the coming months.
Google says the platform includes listings from partners
including Expedia Group brands Expedia, HomeAway, Hotels.com and VRBO as well
as RedAwning and TripAdvisor.
Notably missing from Google’s announcement: Airbnb and
Booking Holdings’ brands.
When asked, a Google spokesperson responded via email, “We have a broad set
of partners, including large vacation rental providers, medium-sized
distributors and OTAs,” and, “We can’t comment on specific players or partners.
Today, we are just getting started with expanding our vacation rental
inventory, and you will continue to see us add new partners to the program as
we move forward.”
Unlike Google's test of vacation rentals in selected European markets that began in mid-2017 and displayed comparative pricing from multiple booking channels, the new layout shows users just one “book” option.
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According to the Google spokesperson, the listings are “organically ranked, based on relevancy for the user,” and, “We show each listing individually with a name, description, reviews, content, price and booking link from only one partner. The reason is that it's often difficult to determine that two listings on two sites are definitely the same.”
Google says the search is focused on “entire units” - not a
bedroom within a home - and will include apartments, vacation homes, villas and
other options.
Users can filter properties based on number of bedrooms and
bathrooms and amenities such as Wi-Fi, air-conditioning and whether it is
pet-friendly. The display also includes photos and reviews from the partner
site.
Booking transactions are completed on the travel partner’s
site.