--- title: "Hotels Connect vs a channel manager for Google Hotel Center" description: "Compare Hotels Connect ($15/month, booking URL only) with a channel manager for publishing hotel rates to Google Free Booking Links and Hotel Ads." url: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/channel-manager canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/channel-manager markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/channel-manager.md --- # Hotels Connect vs a channel manager for Google Hotel Center A channel manager is the right tool if a hotel already needs to push rates to Booking.com, Expedia and other OTAs. It is not a Google requirement. Hotels Connect publishes the hotel's direct rate to Google Hotel Center from the public booking website for $15 per month per property, with no PMS or channel-manager integration. ## Do hotels need a channel manager to appear on Google? No. Google Hotel Center accepts an ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed. Google's [Hotel Prices documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) describes that feed; it does not require a channel manager. Channel managers are one common way to produce the feed because they already hold the hotel's rates. Hotels Connect is built for the other case: the hotel has a direct booking website and wants those public rates on Google Search, Maps and [Free Booking Links](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338), without installing a PMS or channel manager first. ## What does a channel manager do that Hotels Connect does not? A channel manager distributes rates and availability to many sales channels at once — typically OTAs, a GDS, a brand.com booking engine, and sometimes Google. Hotels Connect publishes **only** the hotel's direct rate to Google. It does not replace Booking.com or Expedia connectivity. | | Channel manager | Hotels Connect | | --- | --- | --- | | Primary job | Distribute rates to many OTAs and channels | Publish the direct rate to Google | | What you need to start | PMS or booking-engine integration | Hotel name + booking website URL | | Typical setup | Days to weeks of mapping | About 5 minutes per property | | Google Hotel Center | Often an add-on channel | The product | | Price model | Vendor subscription; varies | $15 per month per hotel, no commission | | OTA distribution | Yes | No | ## When should a hotel keep its channel manager? - The property already sells on Booking.com, Expedia or other OTAs through that channel manager. - The team wants one inventory map across every channel, not only Google. - A PMS is already the source of truth and the channel manager is connected to it. In those cases the channel manager — or its Google connector — is the existing path into Hotel Center. Hotels Connect is not a rip-and-replace for that stack. ## When is Hotels Connect the shorter path onto Google? - The hotel only has a direct booking website. - The goal is Google Search, Maps, Free Booking Links and eligibility for Hotel Ads. - There is no budget or appetite for a multi-week connectivity project. Hotels Connect reads the publicly available rates on that booking site, builds the ARI feed described in Google's [ARI overview](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices/dev-guide/ari-overview), and delivers it to Hotel Center. Coverage: up to 180 days forward, 2-person occupancy, stays of 1 to 7 nights. See [how Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates). ## How do the Google outcomes compare? Once a live, accurate ARI feed is in Hotel Center, Google treats the property the same way regardless of who produced the feed. Free Booking Links and Hotel Ads do not prefer a channel manager. They prefer a feed that matches the landing-page price. [Why hotel rates on Google must match the booking page](/blog/hotel-rate-parity-on-google) explains the parity check. > Named channel-manager comparisons: [Hotels Connect vs SiteMinder](/compare/siteminder), [vs Cloudbeds](/compare/cloudbeds), [vs D-EDGE](/compare/d-edge). The longer explainer remains [How to get your hotel on Google without a channel manager](/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager). ## Questions people ask ### Is a channel manager required for Google Free Booking Links? No. Google Hotel Center needs a live ARI feed. A channel manager can supply that feed, but Hotels Connect can also supply it from the hotel's public booking website. ### Does Hotels Connect replace a channel manager? No. Hotels Connect publishes the hotel's direct rate to Google only. It does not push rates to Booking.com, Expedia or other OTAs. ### How much does Hotels Connect cost compared with a channel manager? Hotels Connect is $15 per month per property with no commission on bookings. Channel-manager pricing varies by vendor and is usually a broader distribution subscription. Join the Hotels Connect waitlist before 1 October 2026 to lock in 20% off the first year.