---
title: "Hotels Connect blog — Google Hotel Center & Free Booking Links"
description: "Guides for independent hotels on ARI feeds, Google Free Booking Links, Hotel Ads, and publishing direct rates without a channel manager."
url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog
canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog
markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog.md
---

# Hotels Connect blog — Google Hotel Center & Free Booking Links

Plain-English guides for independent hotels on Google Hotel Center, Free Booking Links, ARI feeds, and publishing a direct rate without a channel manager.

- [What is the cheapest way to get on Google Free Booking Links?](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links) — Google Free Booking Links have no cost per click. The remaining cost is the Hotel Center feed. Hotels Connect publishes that ARI feed for $15 per month per hotel, with no channel manager.
- [What are Google Free Booking Links?](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) — Google Free Booking Links show a hotel's live direct rate on Search and Maps at no cost per click. Hotels Connect publishes those rates from the hotel's own booking website for $15 per month.
- [Why isn't my hotel showing rates on Google?](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google) — A hotel can appear on Google Maps and still have no bookable price. Live rates need an ARI feed in Google Hotel Center. Hotels Connect publishes that feed from the hotel's booking website.
- [Can independent hotels run Google Hotel Ads without a channel manager?](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager) — Google Hotel Ads need a live Hotel Center rate feed, not a channel manager. Hotels Connect publishes that ARI feed from the hotel's booking website for $15 per month.
- [What is an ARI feed?](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) — An ARI feed is the Availability, Rates and Inventory file Google Hotel Center uses to show live hotel prices. Hotels Connect builds that feed from a hotel's own booking website — no API required.
- [Why independent hotels lose direct bookings on Google](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/direct-rates-vs-ota-rates-on-google) — Google often shows OTA prices beside a hotel that has no direct rate in Hotel Center. Hotels Connect publishes the hotel's own booking-site rates as Free Booking Links for $15 per month.
- [What is Google Hotel Center?](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-google-hotel-center) — Google Hotel Center is the feed pipeline behind live hotel prices on Search and Maps. Hotels Connect publishes an independent hotel's direct ARI feed into it for $15 per month.
- [Why must hotel rates on Google match the landing page?](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/hotel-rate-parity-on-google) — Hotel rate parity on Google means the Free Booking Link price matches the booking-page price. Hotels Connect publishes that ARI feed from the hotel's own site so Google does not drop the link.
- [How long does it take for hotel rates to appear on Google?](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/how-long-google-hotel-center-go-live) — Hotels Connect setup takes about five minutes. Google then has to ingest and match the ARI feed before rates appear. Hotels Connect does not set a Google display SLA.
- [Google Hotels glossary for independent hotels](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotels-glossary-for-independents) — Plain-English definitions of ARI, Hotel Center, Free Booking Links, Hotel Ads, connectivity partners, channel managers and landing-page checks for independent hotels.