Still in Google's hotel box?
Search your hotel on Google the way a guest does. If Booking.com and Expedia show up and you don't, the commission is being paid before your own rate is ever seen. Five questions, two minutes, no email.
New since 30 September 2026: Google no longer fills in a rate for hotels that don't send their own. Hotel ads that ran on a rate Google found elsewhere have stopped showing, while Booking.com and Expedia stay in the box. Worth checking where you stand this week.
In the European Economic Area, Google shows hotel results differently, so some of these questions may not match what you see. This check is written for North America.
Step 1. Search yourself
Open Google in a new tab and search your hotel's full name and town, as a guest would.
The search bar: your hotel name and town. Step 2. Is there a booking box?
Do you see a booking box with dates and a list of places to book?
The booking box: your hotel, dates and a list of places to book. Step 3. Are the OTAs in it?
Inside the list, do you see Booking.com, Expedia or similar?
The OTA rows: online travel agencies selling your rooms. Look under the dates for rows with a site name and a price, like Booking.com, Expedia or Hotels.com. Rows badged 'Ad' are paid; the others still count.
Step 4. Are you in it?
Do you see your own hotel name with an Official site label?
The Official site row: your own booking engine, no commission. Look for a row with your hotel's name and the words 'Official site' beside it. You may need to tap 'View more rates' to see the full list.
Step 5. Does your rate hold?
Is the rate beside your Official site link the same as or lower than the OTA rates shown?
The prices: your Official site rate against the OTA rates. Compare the price on your Official site row with the lowest OTA price in the same list, for the same dates and room.
Answer the questions above to see your result.Start with steps 1 and 2.
How to get into the box
- Confirm your Google Business Profile is verified and listed as a hotel.
- Ask your booking engine or channel manager whether they are a Google Hotel Center connectivity partner and can send your rates to Google. Many are, and for some it's part of the plan you already pay for.
- Once your rates reach Hotel Center, your property is eligible for free booking links without a separate sign-up. Check the Reports page in Hotel Center a week later to see impressions and clicks on your Official site link.
Paid Hotel Ads are a separate decision. Free booking links cost nothing and don't need them.
Free booking links are Google's unpaid Official site links inside the hotel booking box. They carry no placement fee, no click fee and no commission. Your booking engine or channel manager can usually connect them.