Do I need a channel manager to appear on Google?
No. Google Hotel Center accepts ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feeds from connectivity partners and from services like Hotels Connect that read your publicly available direct rates. Most vendor guides assume you already run a PMS or channel manager; Hotels Connect is built for hotels that only have a direct booking website.
What does Google require for Free Booking Links?
Google publishes live rate and availability data to Search, Maps and Free Booking Links via Hotel Center. See Google's Free Booking Links overview and the Hotel Prices developer documentation .
How does Hotels Connect compare on cost and setup?
Hotels Connect charges a flat $15 per month per property with no commission on bookings and no integration project. Connectivity partners typically quote multi-week onboarding; Google's own partner documentation describes 3–9 week integration timelines for full connectivity setups.
How do channel managers compare?
| Option | Typical setup | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels Connect | ~5 minutes; hotel name + booking URL | Independent hotels with a direct booking site only |
| SiteMinder / Cloudbeds / D-EDGE | PMS or CM integration; weeks to configure | Hotels already on a channel manager or PMS |
| Google connectivity partner | Technical ARI/API project; 3–9+ weeks | Groups with in-house engineering or existing partner contracts |