What’s the difference between Book on Google & Google Hotel Ads?
Onur Kiyak
First, the status quo – Google has a large market share and plenty of experience with hotel-search. In late 2019, more than 88% of search engine traffic took place in the U.S. For years now; the search engine has seamlessly helped its users research and find hotels while comparing features and prices through its Google Hotel Ads. Once a user wants to book a hotel, Google sends them off to a third party for booking.
In the ever-evolving world of hotel marketing, Google continues to play a central role in connecting travelers with accommodations. Two tools in its ecosystem, Google Hotel Ads and Book on Google are often mentioned together, but they serve very different purposes. Understanding how they work (and how they work together) can help hotels maximize visibility, bookings, and revenue.
What Is Google Hotel Ads?
Google Hotel Ads is Google’s advertising platform specifically designed for hotels. When a traveler searches for accommodations, Hotel Ads display rates and availability directly within Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Travel.
Hotels, OTAs, and booking partners bid in an auction system to have their rates displayed. When a traveler clicks, they are directed to the hotel’s own booking engine (or an OTA’s site) to complete the reservation.
In short: Google Hotel Ads is all about visibility and traffic. It helps you appear in front of high-intent travelers who are ready to book.
What Is Book on Google?
Book on Google takes the process one step further by keeping the entire booking journey within Google’s interface. Instead of clicking away to a hotel or OTA website, the traveler selects their room, enters payment details, and completes the reservation all on Google.
Afterward, Google passes the booking and payment details to the hotel (or OTA). Importantly, Google does not act as an OTA:
- It does not take a commission on bookings.
- Instead, Google earns revenue from advertisers through Google Hotel Ads placements.
For hoteliers, this makes Book on Google a powerful way to generate semi-direct revenue without the same distribution costs associated with OTAs.
How Book on Google and Hotel Ads Work Together
It’s important to note that Book on Google is not a replacement for Hotel Ads. In fact, hotels need to run a Hotel Ads campaign in order to take advantage of Book on Google.
Why? Because Book on Google rankings are influenced by the same bidding and placement strategies as Hotel Ads. Hotels actively investing in Hotel Ads are far more likely to see their listings prioritized on Book on Google.
Think of Hotel Ads as your entry ticket, and Book on Google as the checkout counter. Both are required to unlock the full benefits of Google’s booking ecosystem.
Benefits of Book on Google for Hotels
- Lower distribution costs: No commission fees, only ad spend.
- Seamless guest experience: Travelers book and pay without leaving Google.
- Cross-device convenience: Works smoothly across both desktop and mobile.
- Extra revenue opportunity: Can capture bookings that might otherwise go to OTAs.
Considerations for Hoteliers
While Book on Google is promising, it’s not without trade-offs:
- Reduced brand awareness – Guests don’t visit your website, meaning you lose opportunities to highlight your brand personality, showcase offers, or use personalization tools like pop-ups and chatbots.
- Fewer marketing leads – Without website visits, you miss chances to collect email signups, encourage loyalty program registrations, or drive upselling opportunities.
- Limited data access – Hotels receive booking and payment details, but not customer browsing behavior, conversion metrics, or other valuable marketing insights. These don’t flow into your CRM.
Should Your Hotel Use Book on Google?
For many hotels, the answer is yes — at least on a trial basis. Book on Google can boost conversion rates and add incremental revenue without increasing distribution costs. However, it should be used alongside other strategies that bring guests directly to your website, where you can build loyalty, capture data, and nurture future bookings.
The smartest approach is a balanced distribution strategy:
- Use Google Hotel Ads + Book on Google to increase reach and bookings.
- Invest in your direct channels to strengthen brand relationships and collect guest data.
Google Hotel Ads and Book on Google are complementary tools, not competitors. Hotel Ads help you get found, and Book on Google helps travelers convert quickly. Together, they give hotels a chance to win more bookings while controlling distribution costs, but hoteliers must also weigh the trade-offs in data, branding, and guest engagement.