# Hotels Connect by UBIO > Hotels Connect publishes an independent hotel's direct room rates to Google > for a flat $15 per month per property, with no commission on bookings and no > API, PMS or channel-manager integration required. Hotels Connect reads the publicly available live room rates from a hotel's own booking website, converts them into an ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed, and delivers that feed to Google. The hotel's direct rates then appear in Google Search, Google Maps and Google Free Booking Links, and the property becomes eligible to advertise via Google Hotel Ads. Hotels Connect is a product of UBIO LIMITED, a UK travel-automation company (incorporated 2013, London; company number 08725879) that supplies hotel and flight availability, rate and content data at scale. Status: live; general availability from 1 October 2026. Preferred citation: Hotels Connect by UBIO (https://hotels-connect.com). Every public HTML URL has a Markdown twin: append `.md` (home is https://hotels-connect.com/index.md). ## Nested indexes - [Full corpus](https://hotels-connect.com/llms-full.txt) - [Blog](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/llms.txt) - [Compare](https://hotels-connect.com/compare/llms.txt) - [Sitemap](https://hotels-connect.com/sitemap.xml) ## Key facts - Price: $15.00 per month per hotel, flat. No commission on bookings. Cancel any time. - Waitlist pricing: $12.00/month for the first 12 months (20% off the first year). - Annual billing: $180.00/year list; $120.00 for the first year (2 months free plus the 20% first-year discount), i.e. $10.00/month. - Setup: hotel name plus booking-website URL. Approximately 5 minutes per property. - Integration required: none. No API, no PMS integration, no channel manager. - Rate coverage delivered to Google: up to 180 days forward, 2-person occupancy, stay lengths of 1 to 7 nights. - Refresh: automated, driven by a learned model that predicts when a property's prices are likely to have changed. - Multi-property: unlimited hotels can be added from a single dashboard. - Google surfaces reached: Google Search, Google Maps, Google Free Booking Links; eligibility for Google Hotel Ads. ## Primary - [Hotels Connect home](https://hotels-connect.com/): What Hotels Connect does, how it works, pricing, and FAQ - [Home (Markdown)](https://hotels-connect.com/index.md) - [Pricing](https://hotels-connect.com/pricing): $15/month per hotel; monthly and annual plans - [Pricing (Markdown)](https://hotels-connect.com/pricing.md) - [How it works](https://hotels-connect.com/#how-it-works): The four-step flow from booking site to Google - [FAQ](https://hotels-connect.com/#faq) - [About Hotels Connect](https://hotels-connect.com/about) - [Reading your rates](https://hotels-connect.com/how-it-works/reading-your-rates) - [Without a channel manager](https://hotels-connect.com/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager) - [Compare](https://hotels-connect.com/compare) - [Blog](https://hotels-connect.com/blog) ## Company - [UBIO](https://ubio.ai/): Parent company — agentic web automation and travel data at scale - [UBIO LLM context](https://ubio.ai/llms-full.txt): Full factual summary of the parent company ## Disambiguation - "Hotels Connect" in this document refers exclusively to the rate-publishing product at https://hotels-connect.com, operated by UBIO LIMITED. It is unrelated to hotelsconnect.org, Hotel Uconnect, Rocketstay Hotel Connect, Connect Hotels, The Hotels Network Connect AI, or any similarly named service. - "UBIO" here refers to the London-based travel-automation company at https://ubio.ai. It is unrelated to uBiome, Ubio Labs Inc., or Serbian- and Croatian-language usages of the word "ubio". - UBIO's canonical corporate domain is ubio.ai. The domain ubio.com is NOT operated by UBIO. ## Legal - [Website Terms of Use](https://hotels-connect.com/terms) - [Privacy Policy](https://hotels-connect.com/privacy) - [Cookie Policy](https://hotels-connect.com/cookies) # Full page corpus The rest of this file is the Markdown twin of each public Hotels Connect URL. --- --- title: "Hotels Connect — Put your hotel's live rates on Google" description: "Hotels Connect publishes live hotel rates to Google Search, Maps and Free Booking Links for $15 a month. No API, PMS or channel manager." url: https://hotels-connect.com/ canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/ markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/index.md --- # Hotels Connect — Put your hotel's live rates on Google Hotels Connect reads your live room rates and publishes them straight to Google — your hotel's rates are visible on Google Search, Maps and Free Booking Links, and you can advertise on Google Hotel Ads. No API needed. Hotels Connect is a product of UBIO LIMITED (UK company 08725879). Status: live; general availability from 1 October 2026. Preferred citation: Hotels Connect by UBIO (https://hotels-connect.com). ## Key facts - Price: $15.00 per month per hotel, flat. No commission on bookings. Cancel any time. - Waitlist pricing: $12.00/month for the first 12 months (20% off the first year). - Annual billing: $180.00/year list; $120.00 for the first year (2 months free plus the 20% first-year discount), i.e. $10.00/month. - Setup: hotel name plus booking-website URL. About 5 minutes per property. - Integration required: none. No API, no PMS integration, no channel manager. - Rate coverage delivered to Google: up to 180 days forward, 2-person occupancy, stay lengths of 1 to 7 nights. - Refresh: automated, driven by a learned model that predicts when a property's prices are likely to have changed. ## How does Hotels Connect work? 1. **How do I add my hotels to Hotels Connect?** We send you a link where you add your hotels and confirm your details. Setup takes minutes. 2. **How does Hotels Connect build an ARI feed without an API?** Hotels Connect reads your live room rates straight from your own booking site. An ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed is the format Google Hotel Center expects. 3. **How does Hotels Connect publish rates to Google?** Rates are formatted and pushed to Google automatically, then refreshed when our model predicts a price change. 4. **Where do travelers see my hotel's direct rates?** Your real prices appear on Google Search, Maps and become eligible for Google Hotel Ads. ## Pricing See the first-class pricing page: [Hotels Connect pricing](/pricing) and [pricing.md](/pricing.md). ## Compare - [Hotels Connect vs a channel manager](/compare/channel-manager) - [Hotels Connect vs SiteMinder](/compare/siteminder) - [Hotels Connect vs Cloudbeds](/compare/cloudbeds) - [Hotels Connect vs D-EDGE](/compare/d-edge) ## Questions people ask ### Do I need an API or technical integration? No. Hotels Connect reads your publicly available rates directly from your booking website — there's no API to build, no developer work, and no changes to your existing booking flow. Just give Hotels Connect your hotel name and website and we handle the rest. ### How do you get my room rates? You tell Hotels Connect your hotel name and booking website. Our engine then reads your publicly available live rates from that site and keeps them in sync — you don't have to upload anything manually. ### How often are my rates updated? Hotels Connect updates rates automatically, using an AI learning algorithm that predicts when each property's prices are likely to have changed. ### How much does Hotels Connect cost? Hotels Connect costs a flat $15 per month per property. Join the waitlist before launch and you lock in 20% off for the first year — $12 per month per hotel. Choose annual billing and you also get two months free on top of the 20% first-year discount. ### When does Hotels Connect launch? Hotels Connect is already live but will launch widely on October 1st, 2026. ### Which of my rates will Hotels Connect send to Google? Hotels Connect publishes rates up to 180 days in the future, for 2 person occupancy, and for any length of stay from 1 to 7 nights. --- --- title: "About Hotels Connect & UBIO" description: "Hotels Connect is built by UBIO LIMITED (08725879), a UK travel-automation company founded in 2013." url: https://hotels-connect.com/about canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/about markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/about.md --- # About Hotels Connect & UBIO Hotels Connect is a rate-distribution product from UBIO LIMITED, a UK travel-automation company founded in 2013. ## Who we are Hotels Connect is created by [UBIO](https://ubio.ai/). Hotels Connect is operated by **UBIO LIMITED** (company number [08725879](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08725879)), incorporated 10 October 2013 and registered at 5th Floor, 167-169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF, England. UBIO builds agentic web automation and supplies hotel and flight availability, rate and content data at scale. Investors include [trivago](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/ub) among others. Learn more at [ubio.ai](https://ubio.ai/). ## What Hotels Connect does Hotels Connect reads the publicly available live room rates from a hotel's own booking website, converts them into an ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed, and delivers that feed to Google Hotel Center. The hotel's direct rates then appear in Google Search, Google Maps and Google Free Booking Links for a flat **$15 per month per property**, with no commission on bookings and no API, PMS or channel-manager integration. [How Hotels Connect reads your rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates) ## Contact - Product and sales: hello@hotels-connect.com - Privacy: privacy@hotels-connect.com - Legal: legal@ubio.ai --- --- title: "How Hotels Connect reads your rates" description: "Hotels Connect reads only publicly available rates from a hotel's own booking website, with hotel authorisation." url: https://hotels-connect.com/how-it-works/reading-your-rates canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/how-it-works/reading-your-rates markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/how-it-works/reading-your-rates.md --- # How Hotels Connect reads your rates Authorisation, scope, accuracy and how to revoke access. ## What authorisation does a hotel grant? When you join Hotels Connect you confirm that you are authorised to act for each property and that Hotels Connect may read the **publicly available rates on that hotel's own booking website**. You do not grant Hotels Connect access to your PMS, channel manager or private extranet — only the same rates any guest can see on your direct booking flow. ## What rates are read? Hotels Connect reads live room rates from the booking URL you provide. Those rates are converted into an ARI feed — see [Google's ARI documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices/dev-guide/ari-overview) — and published to Google Hotel Center. Coverage delivered to Google: up to 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, stays of 1 to 7 nights. ## How is accuracy maintained? Hotels Connect refreshes rates using a learned model that predicts when each property's prices are likely to have changed, rather than polling on a fixed schedule. Google performs landing-page price checks on Free Booking Links; Hotels Connect targets parity between the rate on your booking site and the rate shown on Google. ## How can a hotel revoke access? Remove a property from your Hotels Connect dashboard or cancel your subscription at any time. You can also email hello@hotels-connect.com to request immediate removal. Revoking access stops new rate reads and triggers removal from your Google feed. See also the [Privacy Policy](/privacy) and [Terms of Use](/terms). --- --- title: "How to get your hotel on Google without a channel manager" description: "Compare Hotels Connect ($15/month, no integration) with channel managers and connectivity partners." url: https://hotels-connect.com/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager.md --- # How to get your hotel on Google without a channel manager A plain-English guide for independent hotels comparing connectivity options for Google Free Booking Links and Google Hotel Ads. ## Do I need a channel manager to appear on Google? No. Google Hotel Center accepts ARI 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](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338) and the [Hotel Prices developer documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices). ## 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 | Dedicated pages: [vs a channel manager](/compare/channel-manager), [vs SiteMinder](/compare/siteminder), [vs Cloudbeds](/compare/cloudbeds), [vs D-EDGE](/compare/d-edge). Ready to publish your direct rates? [Join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist) for 20% off your first year. --- --- title: "Privacy Policy — Hotels Connect by UBIO" description: "How UBIO LIMITED collects, uses and protects personal data on hotels-connect.com." url: https://hotels-connect.com/privacy canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/privacy markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/privacy.md --- # Privacy Policy — Hotels Connect by UBIO Last updated: 1 July 2026. This Privacy Policy explains how UBIO LIMITED uses personal data when you visit hotels-connect.com, join the Hotels Connect waitlist, create an account, subscribe to Hotels Connect or contact us. ## 1. Who we are Hotels Connect is operated by UBIO LIMITED (company number 08725879), registered at 167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor, London, England, W1W 5PF. UBIO LIMITED is the controller of the personal data described in this policy unless we expressly state otherwise. Questions: privacy@hotels-connect.com. ## 2. What information we collect Depending on how you use Hotels Connect, we may collect: name, work email, telephone, job title, employer; account and sign-in information; hotel or business details including booking-engine URL and evidence of authority; subscription and billing status (we do not store full payment-card details); technical and usage information; waitlist and support communications; and marketing preferences. We do not intend Hotels Connect to receive guest names, booking records, guest payment information, health information or other special-category personal data. ## 3. How we use your information We use personal data to manage the waitlist, administer accounts, provide and secure Hotels Connect, process billing, send operational communications, improve the service, prevent abuse, comply with law, and send business marketing where permitted. Lawful bases include contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where required. ## 4. Where we get information Directly from you; from your employer or another authorised user; automatically from the website; from service providers; from Google or another connectivity partner where relevant; and from public business sources. ## 5. Who we share it with UBIO group personnel; hosting, security, email, authentication, analytics, support and payment providers; Google and other connectivity providers where needed to operate the service; professional advisers and authorities where required. We do not sell personal data. ## 6–12. Transfers, retention, marketing, rights, security, cookies, changes International transfers use recognised safeguards. Customer and billing records may be kept for up to seven years; account and support records generally for the relationship plus up to three years; security logs generally up to 12 months. Marketing is optional. You may have rights to access, correct, erase, restrict, object, port and withdraw consent — contact privacy@hotels-connect.com. UK residents may complain to the ICO. See the [Cookie Policy](/cookies). Operator: UBIO LIMITED, 08725879. Full HTML: https://hotels-connect.com/privacy --- --- title: "Terms of Use — Hotels Connect by UBIO" description: "Terms governing use of Hotels Connect and hotels-connect.com, operated by UBIO LIMITED." url: https://hotels-connect.com/terms canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/terms markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/terms.md --- # Terms of Use — Hotels Connect by UBIO Effective date: 1 July 2026. ## 1. About us and these terms This website is operated by UBIO LIMITED (company number 08725879), 167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor, London, England, W1W 5PF. These Website Terms of Use apply whenever you browse the Hotels Connect website, join the waitlist, submit an enquiry or use any publicly available website feature. The website is intended for business users. See also the [Privacy Policy](/privacy) and [Cookie Policy](/cookies). ## 2. Website availability and changes We may update, suspend or restrict the website at any time. Launch dates, features, prices and demonstrations shown before general availability are estimates and may change. ## 3. Waitlist and enquiries Joining the waitlist is free and does not create a subscription or guarantee access. Any discount applies to the first year of subscription only. ## 4. Permitted use You may use the website only for lawful business purposes. You must not breach law, gain unauthorised access, introduce malware, scrape except as permitted for standard search-engine indexing, reverse engineer Hotels Connect, misrepresent your identity, or use content to build a competing product without written permission. ## 5. Intellectual property UBIO and its licensors own the website, Hotels Connect, software, designs and branding, except third-party marks. Google names and logos belong to Google. ## 6. Information and no reliance Website content is general information, not legal or revenue-management advice. We do not promise that any hotel will be accepted, ranked or advertised by Google. ## 7–10. Third parties, liability, privacy, general Third-party links are for convenience. Nothing excludes liability that cannot lawfully be limited. If we are liable and you do not have a paid subscription, aggregate liability will not exceed US$100. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. Contact: legal@ubio.ai. Full HTML: https://hotels-connect.com/terms --- --- title: "Cookie Policy — Hotels Connect by UBIO" description: "How Hotels Connect uses cookies and similar technologies, including consent and analytics." url: https://hotels-connect.com/cookies canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/cookies markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/cookies.md --- # Cookie Policy — Hotels Connect by UBIO Last updated: 1 July 2026. ## The short version - We use a small number of essential technologies needed to run the site, sign you in and process payments. - We use Google Analytics only if you accept analytics cookies. - We do not use advertising cookies or use analytics for advertising. - You can reject analytics and change your choice at any time. ## Strictly necessary | Name | Type | Purpose | | --- | --- | --- | | `hc:cookieConsent` | localStorage | Remembers analytics choice | | `hc:session` | sessionStorage | Dashboard sign-in | | `hc:magicLinkEmail` | sessionStorage | Sign-in-link email | | `hc:magicLinkLastRequest` | sessionStorage | Rate-limits magic links | | `hc:authRedirect` | sessionStorage | Post-sign-in return path | | `hc:billingCheckoutPriceId` | sessionStorage | Selected plan at checkout | | `hc:waitlist` | localStorage | Local waitlist completion | | `__stripe_mid` / `__stripe_sid` | Cookie (Stripe) | Payment fraud prevention | ## Analytics — only if you accept Google Analytics 4 (`_ga`, `_ga_CNV8R2V645`) loads only after consent. Google Signals and Google Ads data sharing are disabled. ## Other third-party services Google Maps / Places API on relevant pages, and Google Fonts. Questions: privacy@hotels-connect.com. Full HTML: https://hotels-connect.com/cookies --- --- title: "Hotels Connect pricing — $15 per month per hotel" description: "Hotels Connect costs $15 per month per property with no commission. Waitlist members lock in 20% off the first year." url: https://hotels-connect.com/pricing canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/pricing markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/pricing.md --- # Hotels Connect pricing — $15 per month per hotel One flat price: **$15 per month per hotel**. No commission on bookings. No API, PMS or channel-manager project. Join the waitlist before 1 October 2026 to lock in 20% off the first year. ## Plans | Plan | Waitlist first year | Then | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly | $12 / month per hotel | $15 / month per hotel | | Annual | $120 / year per hotel ($10 / month) | $180 / year per hotel | Annual billing includes two months free. ## What is included? - Automated rate updates - Direct publishing to Google - Smart rate refresh from your booking site - Rates shown on Google Search, Maps & Free Booking Links - Simple dashboard to monitor what’s live - Cancel anytime ## Compare - [Hotels Connect vs a channel manager](/compare/channel-manager) - [Hotels Connect vs SiteMinder](/compare/siteminder) - [Hotels Connect vs Cloudbeds](/compare/cloudbeds) - [Hotels Connect vs D-EDGE](/compare/d-edge) ## Questions people ask ### How much does Hotels Connect cost? Hotels Connect costs a flat $15 per month per property. Join the waitlist before launch and you lock in 20% off for the first year — $12 per month per hotel. Choose annual billing and you also get two months free. ### Is there a commission on bookings? No. Hotels Connect charges a flat subscription. Google Hotel Ads, if the hotel buys them, are billed by Google separately. ### Do I need a channel manager? No. Hotels Connect reads publicly available rates from the hotel's booking website. --- --- 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. --- --- title: "Hotels Connect vs channel managers — SiteMinder, Cloudbeds, D-EDGE" description: "Compare Hotels Connect with a channel manager, SiteMinder, Cloudbeds and D-EDGE for Google Hotel Center." url: https://hotels-connect.com/compare canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/compare markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/compare.md --- # Hotels Connect vs channel managers — SiteMinder, Cloudbeds, D-EDGE Side-by-side guides for independent hotels choosing a path into Google Hotel Center. - [Hotels Connect vs a channel manager for Google Hotel Center](https://hotels-connect.com/compare/channel-manager) — Compare Hotels Connect ($15/month, booking URL only) with a channel manager for publishing hotel rates to Google Free Booking Links and Hotel Ads. - [Hotels Connect vs SiteMinder for Google Hotels](https://hotels-connect.com/compare/siteminder) — SiteMinder is a hotel commerce platform and channel manager. Hotels Connect is a $15/month Google Hotel Center feed for independents that only have a booking website. - [Hotels Connect vs Cloudbeds for Google Hotel Center](https://hotels-connect.com/compare/cloudbeds) — Cloudbeds is an all-in-one PMS and channel manager. Hotels Connect only publishes a hotel's direct rates to Google from the booking website for $15 a month. - [Hotels Connect vs D-EDGE for Google Hotel Center](https://hotels-connect.com/compare/d-edge) — D-EDGE is a hospitality platform and channel manager used by hotel groups. Hotels Connect publishes an independent hotel's direct rates to Google for $15 per month. --- --- title: "What is the cheapest way to get on Google Free Booking Links?" description: "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." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links.md author: "Daniel Olavio" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-olavio/" --- # What is the cheapest way to get on Google Free Booking Links? By [Daniel Olavio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-olavio/) The cheapest way onto Google Free Booking Links is a live ARI feed with no cost-per-click and no booking commission. Google does not charge for the link itself. Hotels Connect supplies that feed from the hotel's own booking website for $15 per month per property, without a PMS, API or channel-manager contract. ## Is Google Free Booking Links actually free? Google Free Booking Links are free of Google click charges. The hotel still pays whatever it costs to produce the ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed Hotel Center requires. Google states the programme in its [Free Booking Links overview](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). The hidden cost is connectivity, not the click. Vendor guides usually conclude that the hotel should "adopt a channel manager." That can be the right answer if the property already needs OTA distribution. It is an expensive answer if the only goal is to put the **direct** rate on Google. ## What do the usual Google connectivity options cost? Usual Google connectivity options cost a channel-manager subscription, a connectivity-partner project, or both. Those products solve a wider problem — pushing rates to many OTAs — and Google is one extra channel. Google's partner documentation describes **3–9 week** integration timelines for full connectivity setups. | Option | Typical commercial model | What you get on Google | | --- | --- | --- | | Do nothing | $0 | Maps listing, often with only OTA prices | | Channel manager / PMS partner | Monthly CM fee, sometimes plus commission | ARI via that vendor; weeks to configure | | Direct connectivity partner | Project fees; 3–9+ weeks | Custom ARI/API into Hotel Center | | Hotels Connect | **$15 / month / property**, no commission | Direct-rate ARI from the booking website | Hotels Connect is not the cheapest way to distribute rates to every OTA. It is the cheapest dedicated path onto Free Booking Links for a hotel that already has a booking website and does not want a channel-manager stack. The comparison page is [how to get a hotel on Google without a channel manager](/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager). ## Why do most articles say you need a channel manager? Most articles say you need a channel manager because the writers sell or review channel managers. Google's own help centre explains Hotel Center and ARI — see the [ARI overview](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices/dev-guide/ari-overview) — without requiring a named CM vendor. The missing product has been a feed that starts from the public booking site. Hotels Connect is that product. It reads publicly available live rates from the hotel's own booking website, with authorisation, and delivers ARI to Google. No API, no PMS mapping, no OTA contracts. [How Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates) is the consent and accuracy page. ## What does $15 per month include? The $15 per month per property includes automated rate reads, ARI formatting, delivery to Google Hotel Center, and a dashboard to see what is live. There is no commission on bookings and no per-click charge from Hotels Connect. Google also charges nothing per click on Free Booking Links. - List price: **$15 per hotel per month**. - Waitlist before 1 October 2026: **20% off the first year** ($12 per month). - Annual billing: two extra months free; waitlist first year is **$120 per hotel** ($10 per month). - Setup: hotel name and booking URL, about five minutes. - Coverage: up to 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, 1–7 night stays. > Google Hotel Ads, if used later, are billed by Google on top of this. Free Booking Links do not require an ads budget. See [Google Hotel Ads without a channel manager](/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager). Hotels Connect is built by UBIO LIMITED (company 08725879), a UK travel-automation company founded in 2013. To lock in the waitlist price, [join the waitlist](/#waitlist). ## Questions people ask ### What is the cheapest way to get a hotel onto Google Free Booking Links? Google charges nothing per click for Free Booking Links. The remaining cost is the ARI feed. Hotels Connect publishes that feed from the hotel's booking website for $15 per month per property, with no commission and no channel manager. ### Is a channel manager required for Free Booking Links? No. Google requires an ARI feed in Hotel Center, not a channel manager. Hotels Connect builds the feed from publicly available booking-site rates. ### How much does Hotels Connect cost? Hotels Connect costs $15 per month per property. Waitlist members get 20% off the first year ($12 per month). Annual billing adds two months free. ### Does Hotels Connect take a commission on bookings? No. Hotels Connect charges a flat monthly fee and no commission on bookings. Google does not charge per click on Free Booking Links either. ## Related guides - [google-free-booking-links-explained](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) - [google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager) - [why-hotel-not-showing-on-google](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google) --- --- title: "What are Google Free Booking Links?" description: "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." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained.md author: "Marcus Greenwood" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusgreenwood/" --- # What are Google Free Booking Links? By [Marcus Greenwood](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusgreenwood/) Google Free Booking Links are the no-cost-per-click prices Google shows for a hotel in Search, Maps and the hotel module. They require a live ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed into Google Hotel Center. Hotels Connect builds that feed from the hotel's own booking website for a flat $15 per month per property, with no commission. ## How do Google Free Booking Links work? Google Free Booking Links work by showing a live, bookable price next to a hotel when someone searches on Google. The click goes to the hotel's own booking website. Google does not charge a per-click fee for these links. Google describes the programme in its [Free Booking Links overview](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). Free Booking Links are not a listing Google invents from the hotel's website. Google Hotel Center must receive an ARI feed — Availability, Rates and Inventory — so the price on Google matches the price on the booking page. Hotels Connect is a rate-distribution service that produces that feed from public booking-site rates. See [what an ARI feed is](/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed). ## How is a Free Booking Link different from a Google Hotel Ad? A Free Booking Link is organic rate display; a Google Hotel Ad is a paid placement in the same hotel module. Both need a Hotel Center connection and a live rate feed. The hotel can appear with a Free Booking Link without ever buying ads. Hotel Ads then let the property bid for extra prominence once that feed exists. | Surface | Who pays Google | What the traveler sees | | --- | --- | --- | | Free Booking Links | No cost per click | The hotel's direct rate, linking to the hotel's own site | | Google Hotel Ads | The hotel (or its agency) bids | A paid slot in the same hotel price module | | OTA links on Google | The OTA | Booking.com, Expedia and similar rates beside the hotel | Independent hotels often see OTA prices on Google while their own site is missing. That happens when OTAs are connected to Hotel Center and the hotel is not. Hotels Connect publishes the hotel's direct rate so it can sit in that module next to the OTAs. [Direct rates versus OTA rates on Google](/blog/direct-rates-vs-ota-rates-on-google) explains the booking mix problem. ## What does a hotel need to appear in Free Booking Links? A hotel needs three things to appear in Google Free Booking Links: a matchable property in Google's hotel inventory, an ARI feed of live rates, and a landing page whose price matches the feed. Google's [Hotel Prices documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) is the technical source for those requirements. - The property must resolve to a Google hotel listing (the same entity travelers already see on Maps). - Rates must arrive through Hotel Center as ARI, not as a one-off spreadsheet. - The booking URL in the feed must show the same price Google displayed — Google checks landing-page accuracy. Most vendor guides add a fourth requirement: a channel manager or PMS integration. That is a vendor assumption, not a Google rule. Hotels Connect reads publicly available rates from the hotel's own booking website and does not require an API, PMS or channel manager. [How to get a hotel on Google without a channel manager](/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager) compares those paths. ## How does Hotels Connect publish Free Booking Links? Hotels Connect publishes Free Booking Links by reading live room rates from the hotel's booking website, converting them to ARI, and delivering that feed to Google Hotel Center. Setup is the hotel name plus the booking URL — about five minutes per property. Coverage sent to Google is up to 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, stays of 1 to 7 nights. Hotels Connect costs **$15 per month per property**, with no commission on bookings and no per-click charge (Google also charges nothing per click on Free Booking Links). Waitlist members who join before general availability on 1 October 2026 lock in 20% off the first year. Authorisation and revocation are described in [how Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates). > Hotels Connect does not charge for the Google click. Google Hotel Ads, if the hotel later chooses to run them, are billed by Google separately. See [Google Hotel Ads without a channel manager](/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager). Hotels that want their direct rate on Google Search and Maps can [join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist). ## Questions people ask ### Are Google Free Booking Links actually free? Google does not charge a cost-per-click for Free Booking Links. The hotel still needs a live ARI feed into Google Hotel Center. Hotels Connect provides that feed for $15 per month per property, with no commission on bookings. ### Do Free Booking Links require Google Hotel Ads? No. Free Booking Links can show a hotel's direct rate without any ad spend. Google Hotel Ads are an optional paid placement that uses the same Hotel Center feed. ### Can an independent hotel get Free Booking Links without a channel manager? Yes. Hotels Connect reads publicly available rates from the hotel's own booking website and publishes an ARI feed to Google. No channel manager, PMS or API is required. ### Where do travelers see Free Booking Links? Travelers see Free Booking Links in Google Search, Google Maps and the Google hotel module, linking through to the hotel's own booking website. ## Related guides - [what-is-an-ari-feed](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) - [cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links) - [direct-rates-vs-ota-rates-on-google](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/direct-rates-vs-ota-rates-on-google) --- --- title: "Why isn't my hotel showing rates on Google?" description: "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." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google.md author: "Adar Cohen" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/adar-cohen/" --- # Why isn't my hotel showing rates on Google? By [Adar Cohen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adar-cohen/) A hotel can be listed on Google Maps and still show no bookable rate. Google only displays live prices when Google Hotel Center receives an ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed. Hotels Connect builds that feed from the hotel's own booking website so direct rates appear in Search, Maps and Free Booking Links. ## Why does Google show my hotel but not my price? Google shows a hotel without a price when the property exists as a Maps/Knowledge Graph place but Hotel Center has no live ARI feed for it. The name, photos and reviews can appear from Google's local listing. The bookable rate is a separate data product. Google explains rate display in its [Hotel Prices documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices). Online travel agencies often fill that gap first. If Booking.com or Expedia is connected and the hotel is not, Google still has a price to show — just not the hotel's direct one. [Direct rates versus OTA rates](/blog/direct-rates-vs-ota-rates-on-google) covers what that does to bookings. ## What usually blocks a hotel's rates on Google? The usual blockers are a missing Hotel Center connection, a feed that does not cover the searched stay, or a landing-page price that does not match the feed. Google withholds or demotes inaccurate rates. None of these require the hotel to be "too small" — they are connectivity and accuracy problems. - **No ARI feed** — the hotel has never been connected to Hotel Center, so Google has no rate to show. - **OTA-only feed** — partners send rates, but the hotel's own site is not in the module. - **Stay-window mismatch** — the searched dates sit outside the feed. Hotels Connect covers up to 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, 1–7 night stays. - **Landing-page mismatch** — Google's price check finds a different number on the booking URL, so the link is dropped until rates match. - **Property matching** — the Hotel Center property is not tied to the correct Google hotel listing. ## Does a website or Google Business Profile put rates on Google? No. A hotel website and a Google Business Profile help people find the property; they do not create Free Booking Links. Free Booking Links need Hotel Center plus ARI, as Google states in the [Free Booking Links overview](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). SEO work on the hotel site does not replace that feed. Hotels Connect does not ask the hotel to rebuild its website or change its booking engine. It reads the publicly available rates already on that booking flow, with the hotel's authorisation, and publishes them to Google. [How Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates) sets out scope and how to revoke access. ## How can an independent hotel get rates onto Google? An independent hotel can get rates onto Google by sending ARI through a channel manager, a Google connectivity partner, or a service such as Hotels Connect that builds the feed from the booking website. Channel-manager and partner integrations are the default advice in vendor blogs; they typically assume a PMS and a multi-week project. Google's own partner materials cite **3–9 week** connectivity timelines. | Symptom on Google | Likely cause | What to do | | --- | --- | --- | | Hotel appears, no price | No Hotel Center ARI feed | Connect a feed — Hotels Connect or a channel manager | | Only OTA prices appear | OTAs connected; hotel is not | Publish the hotel's direct rate alongside them | | Price appears then vanishes | Landing-page mismatch or stale feed | Align the booking URL price; refresh ARI | Hotels Connect setup is the hotel name and booking URL, about five minutes, at **$15 per month per property** with no commission. That path is for hotels that have a direct booking website and do not want a channel-manager project. Compare options in [how to get a hotel on Google without a channel manager](/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager). > If the hotel cannot be found as a Google place at all, that is a Maps/Business Profile issue, not a rate-feed issue. Hotels Connect publishes rates for properties that already exist in Google's hotel inventory. To publish a missing direct rate, [join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist) before general availability on 1 October 2026 for 20% off the first year. ## Questions people ask ### Why does my hotel appear on Google Maps without a bookable rate? Google Maps can list a hotel as a place without any Hotel Center rate feed. Live prices require an ARI feed. Hotels Connect builds that feed from the hotel's own booking website. ### Will improving my hotel website SEO make my rates show on Google? No. Website SEO does not create Google Free Booking Links. Google needs an ARI feed in Hotel Center. Hotels Connect provides that feed without an API or channel manager. ### Why do Booking.com prices show on Google but not my direct rate? OTAs are usually already connected to Google Hotel Center. The hotel's own site is not until it has a feed. Hotels Connect publishes the hotel's direct rate into the same module. ### How long does Hotels Connect take to connect rates to Google? Hotels Connect setup takes about five minutes per property (hotel name and booking URL). Google then needs a live ARI feed to display Free Booking Links. There is no API or PMS project for the hotel to run. ## Related guides - [google-free-booking-links-explained](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) - [what-is-an-ari-feed](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) - [cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links) --- --- title: "Can independent hotels run Google Hotel Ads without a channel manager?" description: "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." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager.md author: "Daniel Olavio" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-olavio/" --- # Can independent hotels run Google Hotel Ads without a channel manager? By [Daniel Olavio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-olavio/) Independent hotels can become eligible for Google Hotel Ads without a channel manager. Hotel Ads require a live ARI feed in Google Hotel Center; the ads themselves are optional paid placements on top. Hotels Connect builds that feed from the hotel's own booking website for $15 per month per property, with no commission. ## Do Google Hotel Ads require a channel manager? No. Google Hotel Ads require a Hotel Center account and a live ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed, not a particular vendor. Channel managers are one way to produce that feed. They are not a Google rule. Google's [Hotel Prices developer documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) describes the feed requirements; it does not mandate a channel manager. Most "alternatives to a channel manager" listicles still end by recommending a channel manager. That is because the writers assume the hotel already has a PMS. Hotels Connect is built for properties that only have a direct booking website. ## What is the difference between Free Booking Links and Hotel Ads? Free Booking Links show the hotel's direct rate at no cost per click. Google Hotel Ads are paid bids for extra placement in the same hotel-price module. Both use the same underlying Hotel Center feed. Google describes the organic side in its [Free Booking Links overview](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). - **Feed first** — without ARI, Google has nothing to advertise. - **Links are free** — Free Booking Links do not require an ads budget. - **Ads are optional** — the hotel (or its agency) buys Hotel Ads from Google after the feed is live. - **Hotels Connect is not an ads agency** — it publishes rates; Google bills Hotel Ads separately. ## How do independent hotels usually get onto Hotel Ads? Independent hotels usually get onto Hotel Ads through a channel manager, a Google connectivity partner, or a metasearch agency that already operates a feed. Those routes work when the property is already paying for that stack. Google's partner materials describe connectivity projects lasting **3–9 weeks**. | Route | What it includes | Fit | | --- | --- | --- | | Channel manager (SiteMinder, Cloudbeds, D-EDGE) | PMS/CM mapping plus Google connectivity | Hotels already on a CM or PMS | | Google connectivity partner project | Custom ARI/API integration | Groups with engineering or a partner contract | | Hotels Connect | ARI feed from the public booking website | Independents with a direct booking site only | Hotels Connect does not replace a full channel manager. It does not push rates to Booking.com or Expedia. It publishes the hotel's **direct** rate to Google so the property can appear in Free Booking Links and become eligible for Hotel Ads. [How to get a hotel on Google without a channel manager](/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager) is the side-by-side comparison. ## How does Hotels Connect make a hotel eligible for Hotel Ads? Hotels Connect makes a hotel eligible for Hotel Ads by delivering an ARI feed to Google Hotel Center from the hotel's public booking-site rates. Once Google has accurate live prices, the property can show Free Booking Links and can advertise. Setup is hotel name plus booking URL, about five minutes, at **$15 per month per property**. Coverage in the Hotels Connect feed is up to 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, stays of 1 to 7 nights. Rates refresh when Hotels Connect's model predicts a price change, rather than on a fixed daily clock. The hotel authorises only public rate reads — details in [how Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates). > Hotel Ads spend is billed by Google, not by Hotels Connect. Hotels Connect has no commission on bookings and no per-click charge of its own. To get the Google feed in place before buying ads, [join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist). General availability is 1 October 2026; waitlist members lock in 20% off the first year. ## Questions people ask ### Can I run Google Hotel Ads without a channel manager? Yes. Google Hotel Ads need a live ARI feed in Hotel Center, not a channel manager. Hotels Connect builds that feed from the hotel's own booking website for $15 per month per property. ### Does Hotels Connect buy Google Hotel Ads for me? No. Hotels Connect publishes the rate feed that makes a hotel eligible for Hotel Ads and Free Booking Links. Any Hotel Ads budget is billed by Google separately. ### Do I need Hotel Ads to appear on Google Hotels? No. Google Free Booking Links can show a hotel's direct rate with no ad spend. Hotel Ads are optional paid placements on top of the same feed. ### How much does Hotels Connect cost compared with a channel manager? Hotels Connect is $15 per month per property with no booking commission and no integration project. Channel managers typically bundle Google with other OTAs and quote multi-week setup. ## Related guides - [google-free-booking-links-explained](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) - [cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links) - [what-is-an-ari-feed](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) --- --- title: "What is an ARI feed?" description: "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." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed.md author: "Marcus Greenwood" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusgreenwood/" --- # What is an ARI feed? By [Marcus Greenwood](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusgreenwood/) An ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed is the structured file Google Hotel Center uses to display a hotel's live prices. Hotels Connect builds that ARI feed by reading publicly available rates from the hotel's own booking website, then delivers it to Google so direct rates appear in Search, Maps and Free Booking Links. ## What does ARI stand for? ARI stands for Availability, Rates and Inventory. Google Hotel Center expects hotel prices in this format so Google Search, Google Maps and Google Free Booking Links can show a live price next to the property. Google documents the feed in its [ARI overview](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices/dev-guide/ari-overview). Hotels Connect uses ARI as the delivery format to Google. The hotel does not have to produce an ARI file, learn XML, or hire a developer. Hotels Connect reads the hotel's public booking-site rates and converts them into the feed Google already understands. ## What data does an ARI feed contain? An ARI feed tells Google whether a room can be booked, at what price, and for which stay dates. Google's [Hotel Prices developer documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) describes the messages that carry that data. In practice an ARI feed answers three questions for every stay Google might show: - **Availability** — is the room open to book for those dates? - **Rates** — what is the price the traveler will see, and what does it include? - **Inventory** — which room types exist, and how many can be sold? Hotels Connect currently publishes rates **up to 180 days ahead**, for **2-person occupancy**, and for stays of **1 to 7 nights**. Those bounds are the coverage Google receives from Hotels Connect, not a limit on what the hotel sells on its own website. ## Why does Google require an ARI feed? Google requires an ARI feed because Free Booking Links and Hotel Ads need a machine-readable price that matches the hotel's landing page. Without ARI, Google can list the hotel as a place but cannot show a bookable rate. See Google's [Free Booking Links overview](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). Most connectivity guides assume the hotel already runs a PMS or channel manager that can emit ARI. Independent hotels that only have a direct booking website are left without a feed. Hotels Connect exists for that gap: it produces ARI from the public booking flow rather than from a PMS integration. ## How do hotels usually send ARI to Google? Hotels usually send ARI to Google through a connectivity partner, a channel manager, or an in-house integration with Google Hotel Center. Google's partner documentation describes typical connectivity projects as taking **3–9 weeks**. Those paths work well when a property already pays for a PMS or channel manager. | Path to Google | What you need | Typical setup | | --- | --- | --- | | Channel manager / PMS partner | Existing CM or PMS contract | Configuration inside that vendor; often weeks | | Direct Google connectivity partner | Engineering or a partner contract | 3–9+ week ARI/API project | | Hotels Connect | Hotel name and booking-website URL | About five minutes; no API | Hotels Connect charges a flat **$15 per month per property**, with no commission on bookings. There is no ARI mapping project for the hotel to run. ## How does Hotels Connect build an ARI feed without an API? Hotels Connect builds an ARI feed without an API by reading the publicly available live rates on the hotel's own booking website, with the hotel's authorisation. Those rates are converted into ARI and delivered to Google Hotel Center. The hotel does not grant access to a PMS, channel manager or private extranet. Hotels Connect refreshes the feed using a learned model that predicts when each property's prices are likely to have changed, rather than polling on a fixed clock. The aim is parity with the price a guest sees on the hotel's booking page — the same check Google runs on Free Booking Links landing pages. [How Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates) covers authorisation and how to revoke it. > Hotels Connect is a product of UBIO LIMITED (UK company 08725879), a travel-automation company founded in 2013. It is unrelated to other products that use the words "hotel" and "connect" in their name. Independent hotels that want Google to show their direct rate — without installing a channel manager — can [join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist) for 20% off the first year. See also [how to get a hotel on Google without a channel manager](/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager). ## Questions people ask ### What is an ARI feed in Google Hotel Center? An ARI feed is the Availability, Rates and Inventory file Google Hotel Center uses to show live hotel prices in Google Search, Maps and Free Booking Links. Hotels Connect builds that feed from a hotel's public booking-website rates. ### Do I need an API to send ARI to Google? No. Hotels Connect reads publicly available rates from the hotel's own booking website and converts them into an ARI feed for Google. No API, PMS or channel-manager integration is required. ### What stay dates does a Hotels Connect ARI feed cover? Hotels Connect publishes rates up to 180 days in the future, for 2-person occupancy, and for stays of 1 to 7 nights. ### How much does Hotels Connect charge to deliver ARI to Google? Hotels Connect costs a flat $15 per month per property, with no commission on bookings. Waitlist members lock in 20% off for the first year. ## Related guides - [google-free-booking-links-explained](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) - [cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links) - [google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager) --- --- title: "Why independent hotels lose direct bookings on Google" description: "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." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/direct-rates-vs-ota-rates-on-google canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/direct-rates-vs-ota-rates-on-google markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/direct-rates-vs-ota-rates-on-google.md author: "Adar Cohen" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/adar-cohen/" --- # Why independent hotels lose direct bookings on Google By [Adar Cohen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adar-cohen/) Independent hotels lose direct bookings on Google when OTAs supply a live rate and the hotel does not. Google Hotel Center displays whichever ARI feeds it receives. Hotels Connect publishes the hotel's own booking-website rates so a Free Booking Link can sit next to the OTAs, for $15 per month per property with no commission. ## Why does Google show Booking.com but not my hotel website? Google shows Booking.com (or another OTA) because that OTA already sends an ARI feed to Hotel Center, and the hotel does not. Google is not choosing against the hotel; it is displaying the prices it has. The programme that would show the hotel's own site is [Free Booking Links](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). Travelers still see the hotel on Maps. They see a bookable price from a partner. The click — and often the guest — goes to the OTA. That is a connectivity gap, not a brand problem. ## Does Google prefer OTAs over hotel websites? Google does not require a hotel to sell through OTAs to appear with a price. It requires a feed. OTAs invested in Hotel Center connectivity years ago. Independent hotels that only run a booking engine on their own site were left without a simple ARI path. Google's [Hotel Prices documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) is vendor-neutral about who may send that feed. - OTA links appear because OTAs already deliver ARI. - A hotel Free Booking Link appears when the hotel (or its provider) delivers ARI. - Both can show at once — the module is a comparison, not an exclusive slot. - Google Hotel Ads are a separate, paid way to emphasise one of those links. ## What happens when the direct rate is missing? When the direct rate is missing, Google still satisfies the search with partner rates. The hotel pays OTA commission on that booking and never sees the guest on its own site. Rate parity arguments miss the first issue: **there is no direct rate in the module to be compared**. | What Google has | What the traveler books | Typical cost to the hotel | | --- | --- | --- | | OTA feed only | OTA checkout | OTA commission; no direct capture | | OTA feed plus hotel ARI | Choice of OTA or hotel site | Direct bookings possible; OTAs still listed | | Hotel ARI plus optional Hotel Ads | Hotel site more prominent | Google ads spend on top of the feed | Putting the direct rate on Google does not remove OTAs. It adds the hotel as an option. That is the point of Free Booking Links. [Why a hotel shows on Google without rates](/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google) walks through the empty-price case. ## How does Hotels Connect put the direct rate next to the OTAs? Hotels Connect puts the direct rate next to OTAs by reading publicly available prices from the hotel's own booking website and delivering an ARI feed to Google Hotel Center. No API, PMS or channel manager is required. The hotel authorises those public reads and can revoke them; see [how Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates). Hotels Connect charges **$15 per month per property** with no commission on the bookings that come through. Setup is the hotel name and booking URL, about five minutes. The feed covers up to 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, stays of 1 to 7 nights. It does not replace OTA contracts; it stops Google from being OTA-only. > Hotels Connect is a product of UBIO LIMITED (08725879), founded in 2013. It is not an OTA and does not take a cut of the room night. To add a Free Booking Link beside the OTAs, [join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist). Waitlist pricing is 20% off the first year ahead of general availability on 1 October 2026. ## Questions people ask ### Why does Google show OTA prices instead of my hotel website? Google shows OTA prices because those OTAs send an ARI feed to Hotel Center and the hotel does not. Hotels Connect publishes the hotel's own booking-site rates as a Free Booking Link so both can appear. ### Will Hotels Connect remove OTAs from my Google listing? No. Hotels Connect adds the hotel's direct rate. OTA partners that already send feeds will still appear. The traveler can choose the hotel's own site. ### Does Hotels Connect take a commission like an OTA? No. Hotels Connect charges a flat $15 per month per property and no commission on bookings. Google does not charge per click on Free Booking Links. ### Do I need a channel manager to compete with OTAs on Google? No. A channel manager is one way to send ARI. Hotels Connect builds the feed from the hotel's public booking website without a channel manager. ## Related guides - [google-free-booking-links-explained](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) - [why-hotel-not-showing-on-google](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google) - [cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links) --- --- title: "What is Google Hotel Center?" description: "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." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-google-hotel-center canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-google-hotel-center markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-google-hotel-center.md author: "Daniel Olavio" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-olavio/" --- # What is Google Hotel Center? By [Daniel Olavio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-olavio/) Google Hotel Center is Google's dashboard and data pipeline for hotel rates. It receives an ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed and uses it to show live prices in Search, Maps and Free Booking Links. Hotels Connect publishes that feed from an independent hotel's own booking website for $15 per month per property, with no commission. ## What does Google Hotel Center actually do? Google Hotel Center is the system Google uses to ingest hotel rates and display live prices in Search, Maps and Free Booking Links, as documented in Google's [Hotel Prices](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) pages. Hotels Connect publishes an ARI feed into that system so an independent hotel's direct rate can appear. Google Hotel Center is an account plus a set of feeds, not a public website travelers visit. Once a property is matched to a Google hotel listing, Hotel Center accepts rate data and Google decides whether those rates appear as Free Booking Links, paid Hotel Ads, or both. A hotel can already have a Maps pin and still have no bookable price; that split is a Hotel Center gap, not a Maps gap. Hotels Connect does not log the hotel into Google's ads UI as a substitute for an agency. Hotels Connect's job is the feed: live direct rates, in the format Hotel Center expects, so Google has a price to display. ## What data does Google Hotel Center need to show prices? Google Hotel Center needs an ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) feed before it can show a bookable price. Google's [ARI overview](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices/dev-guide/ari-overview) defines that format. Hotels Connect builds the ARI file from publicly available rates on the hotel's own booking website, with the hotel's authorisation. In practice an ARI feed answers three questions for every stay Google might show: - **Availability** — is the room open to book for those dates? - **Rates** — what is the price the traveler will see, and what does it include? - **Inventory** — which room types exist, and how many can be sold? Hotels Connect currently publishes rates **up to 180 days ahead**, for **2-person occupancy**, and for stays of **1 to 7 nights**. Those bounds are the coverage Google receives from Hotels Connect, not a limit on what the hotel sells on its own website. Google also checks that the price on the booking URL matches the feed. Hotels Connect reads the hotel's public booking website for that reason — a stale spreadsheet would fail the check. [What an ARI feed is](/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) explains the file format in more detail. ## How do hotels usually connect to Google Hotel Center? Hotels usually connect to Google Hotel Center through a channel manager, a Google connectivity partner, or an in-house ARI integration. Those paths assume a PMS or engineering team. Hotels Connect is a different route: it publishes the hotel's direct rates to Hotel Center without an API, PMS or channel manager. | Path to Hotel Center | What the hotel needs | Typical setup | | --- | --- | --- | | Channel manager / PMS partner | Existing CM or PMS contract | Configuration inside that vendor; often weeks | | Direct Google connectivity partner | Engineering or a partner contract | 3–9+ week ARI/API project | | Hotels Connect | Hotel name and booking-website URL | About five minutes; no API | Hotels Connect charges a flat **$15 per month per property**, with no commission on bookings. There is no ARI mapping project for the hotel to run. [How to get a hotel on Google without a channel manager](/how-to-get-your-hotel-on-google-without-a-channel-manager) compares those paths. ## Is Google Hotel Center the same as a Google Business Profile? No. A Google Business Profile lists the property as a place; Google Hotel Center is the rate pipeline that powers bookable prices. Photos, reviews and the map pin can exist without a live rate. Hotels Connect does not replace a Business Profile — it supplies the ARI feed Hotel Center needs for [Free Booking Links](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). Treating a Business Profile as "being on Google" is the usual reason an independent hotel waits for a direct rate that never appears. OTAs that already send ARI fill the price module first. Hotels Connect publishes the hotel's own rate so it can sit in that module next to the OTAs. [Google Free Booking Links explained](/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) covers the organic display Hotel Center powers. ## What can Google Hotel Center show once a feed is live? Once a feed is live, Google Hotel Center can display the hotel's direct rate as Free Booking Links and make the property eligible for Google Hotel Ads. Free Booking Links have no cost per click. Hotels Connect publishes the feed both surfaces use; Google bills Hotel Ads separately if the hotel later runs them. - **Free Booking Links** — the hotel's direct rate, linking to the hotel's own site, with no cost per click. - **Google Hotel Ads** — optional paid slots in the same hotel-price module, billed by Google. - **OTA-only prices** — what travelers often see if Hotel Center has a partner feed but not the hotel's own. Hotels Connect does not buy ads, manage bids or replace a metasearch agency. The Hotel Center feed is the prerequisite those products assume already exists. Many independent hotels skip ads entirely and still want the organic direct rate sitting beside Booking.com and Expedia. ## How does Hotels Connect publish rates to Google Hotel Center? Hotels Connect publishes rates to Google Hotel Center by reading publicly available room rates from the hotel's own booking website, converting them into an ARI feed, and delivering that feed to Hotel Center. Setup is the hotel name plus the booking URL — about five minutes. No API, PMS or channel manager is required. Hotels Connect refreshes the feed using a learned model that predicts when each property's prices are likely to have changed, rather than polling on a fixed daily clock. The aim is parity with the price a guest sees on the hotel's booking page — the same check Google runs on Free Booking Links landing pages. [How Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates) covers authorisation and how to revoke it. > Hotels Connect is a product of [UBIO LIMITED](/about) (UK company 08725879), a travel-automation company founded in 2013. It is unrelated to hotelsconnect.org, Rocketstay Hotel Connect, or other products that use "hotel" and "connect" in their name. Independent hotels that want Google to show their direct rate — without installing a channel manager — can [join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist) for **20%** off the first year. General availability is **1 October 2026**. ## Questions people ask ### What is Google Hotel Center? Google Hotel Center is Google's dashboard and feed pipeline for hotel rates. It receives an ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) file and uses it to show live prices in Search, Maps and Free Booking Links. Hotels Connect publishes that feed from the hotel's own booking website. ### Does a hotel need a channel manager to use Google Hotel Center? No. Google Hotel Center needs an ARI feed, not a particular vendor. Hotels Connect builds that feed from publicly available rates on the hotel's booking website, with no API, PMS or channel manager. ### How does Hotels Connect get a hotel into Google Hotel Center? Hotels Connect reads live rates from the hotel's own booking website with authorisation, converts them to ARI, and delivers the feed to Google Hotel Center. Setup is the hotel name plus the booking URL — about five minutes. ### Is Hotels Connect a Google connectivity partner? Hotels Connect publishes ARI feeds to Google Hotel Center. It does not claim a place in Google's connectivity-partner directory. Hotels Connect is a rate-distribution product of UBIO LIMITED. ### How much does Hotels Connect charge to publish to Hotel Center? Hotels Connect costs a flat $15 per month per property, with no commission on bookings. Waitlist members lock in 20% off the first year. General availability is 1 October 2026. ## Related guides - [what-is-an-ari-feed](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) - [google-free-booking-links-explained](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) - [why-hotel-not-showing-on-google](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google) --- --- title: "Why must hotel rates on Google match the landing page?" description: "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." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/hotel-rate-parity-on-google canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/hotel-rate-parity-on-google markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/hotel-rate-parity-on-google.md author: "Marcus Greenwood" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusgreenwood/" --- # Why must hotel rates on Google match the landing page? By [Marcus Greenwood](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusgreenwood/) Google drops a Free Booking Link when the price on the hotel's booking page does not match the ARI feed. Hotels Connect publishes that feed from the hotel's own public booking-site rates and refreshes it with a learned model so the landing page stays in parity. The service costs $15 per month per property with no commission. ## What is hotel rate parity on Google? Hotel rate parity on Google means the price shown in Search, Maps and Free Booking Links matches the price a guest sees on the hotel's booking page. Hotel Center receives that price as an ARI feed. Hotels Connect targets parity with the hotel's own booking page, not with OTA listings. Google documents the programme in its [Free Booking Links overview](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). That is a different problem from matching Booking.com. A hotel can undercut every OTA and still lose the Google link if the feed number and the booking URL disagree. See [what an ARI feed is](/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed). ## Why does Google drop Free Booking Links that do not match? Google drops a mismatched Free Booking Link because travelers must see the same price they clicked. Google runs landing-page price checks against the ARI feed. A different number on the booking URL causes the link to be withheld until rates align. Google's [Hotel Prices documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) describes the accuracy expectation for displayed rates. The hotel listing on Maps can remain. The bookable price is what disappears. [Why a hotel is not showing rates on Google](/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google) covers that empty-price state. ## What causes a landing-page price mismatch? A landing-page price mismatch happens when the ARI number Google displayed is not the number on the booking URL for the same stay. Common causes are a stale feed, a different occupancy, or taxes shown in one place and not the other. Hotels Connect publishes the public booking-site price so both numbers start from the same source. - **Stale ARI** — the booking engine changed the price; Hotel Center still holds the old one. - **Taxes and fees** — the feed total does not match the landing-page total the guest is asked to pay. - **Stay window** — the search sits outside the published feed. Hotels Connect covers up to 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, 1–7 night stays. - **Promo or package rates** — a public page price that never reached the feed Google checked. | What the traveler sees | Likely cause | What restores the link | | --- | --- | --- | | Google price, different booking-page price | Landing-page mismatch after Google's price check | Send ARI that matches the booking URL | | Hotel on Maps, no bookable rate | No live feed, or the Free Booking Link was dropped | Publish or refresh Hotel Center ARI | | Rate missing for some dates only | Stay outside feed coverage | Hotels Connect covers 180 days, 2 guests, 1–7 nights | ## How does Hotels Connect keep Google in parity with the booking page? Hotels Connect keeps the Google price aligned by reading publicly available rates from the hotel's own booking website and delivering them as ARI to Hotel Center. Hotels Connect refreshes that feed with a learned model that predicts when prices change, rather than polling on a fixed clock. Coverage is 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, and 1 to 7 night stays. Hotels Connect does not ask the hotel to emit XML or open a PMS. Google's [ARI overview](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices/dev-guide/ari-overview) is the format Hotels Connect already produces. Authorisation and revocation are in [how Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates). Hotels Connect charges a flat **$15 per month per property**, with no commission on bookings. Setup is the hotel name and booking URL, about five minutes. ## What should a hotel do after Google drops a mismatched link? A hotel should restore landing-page parity and send an updated ARI feed so Google can run the price check again. Changing website copy or the Google Business Profile does not restore the link. Hotels Connect republishes the public booking-page price as ARI until that check can pass. > Hotels Connect is a product of UBIO LIMITED (UK company 08725879), a travel-automation company founded in 2013. It is not an OTA and does not take a cut of the room night. To publish a direct rate that stays in parity with the hotel's own booking page, [join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist) before general availability on 1 October 2026 for 20% off the first year. ## Questions people ask ### Why must the Google hotel price match the landing page? Google runs landing-page price checks on Free Booking Links. If the booking URL shows a different price from the ARI feed, Google drops the link. Hotels Connect targets parity with the hotel's own booking page. ### Does Google drop Free Booking Links when prices do not match? Yes. Google withholds a Free Booking Link when the landing-page price does not match the feed. The Maps listing can remain. Hotels Connect republishes the public booking-site rate as ARI so the check can pass. ### Does Hotels Connect match OTA rates or the hotel website? Hotels Connect targets parity with the hotel's own booking page, not with OTA listings. It reads publicly available rates from that booking website and delivers them to Google Hotel Center. ### How does Hotels Connect keep rates in parity with Google? Hotels Connect reads public booking-site rates, converts them to ARI, and refreshes the feed with a learned model that predicts when prices change. Coverage is 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, and 1 to 7 night stays, at $15 per month per property with no commission. ## Related guides - [why-hotel-not-showing-on-google](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google) - [what-is-an-ari-feed](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) - [google-free-booking-links-explained](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) --- --- title: "How long does it take for hotel rates to appear on Google?" description: "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." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/how-long-google-hotel-center-go-live canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/how-long-google-hotel-center-go-live markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/how-long-google-hotel-center-go-live.md author: "Adar Cohen" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/adar-cohen/" --- # How long does it take for hotel rates to appear on Google? By [Adar Cohen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adar-cohen/) Hotels Connect setup takes about five minutes: hotel name and booking URL. Google then ingests the ARI feed, matches the property and decides when to show Free Booking Links. Hotels Connect does not set Google's display timing. Google partner docs quote 3–9 week connectivity projects; Hotels Connect replaces that project, not Google's review. ## How long does it take for hotel rates to appear on Google? Hotel rates appear on Google after Hotel Center receives an ARI feed and Google has ingested and matched it. Hotels Connect produces that feed in about five minutes of hotel setup. How soon Google then shows Free Booking Links is Google's process, not a Hotels Connect SLA. See the [Hotel Prices documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices). Two clocks sit in that answer. Hotels Connect setup is minutes. Google display timing is Google's. A website, a Google Business Profile or better SEO does not start the rate clock. [Why a hotel shows on Google without rates](/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google) separates the Maps listing from the bookable price. ## How long does Hotels Connect take to set up? Hotels Connect setup takes about five minutes per property. The hotel supplies its name and the public booking-website URL. Hotels Connect then reads publicly available rates from that booking flow, with the hotel's authorisation, and converts them into an ARI feed for Google Hotel Center. No API, PMS or channel-manager project is required. - List price: **$15 per month per property**, no commission on bookings. - Waitlist before general availability on 1 October 2026: **20% off the first year**. - Coverage sent to Google: up to 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy, stays of 1 to 7 nights. - Authorisation is limited to public rate reads — see [how Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates). Hotels Connect is a rate-distribution product, not a Google review service. Once the feed is being delivered, the remaining wait is Google ingest, property matching and landing-page checks — not more Hotels Connect configuration. [What an ARI feed is](/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) explains the file Google actually consumes. ## Why do Google partner docs quote 3–9 weeks? Google partner documentation describes typical Hotel Center connectivity projects as lasting 3–9 weeks because those projects map a PMS or channel manager into ARI. Hotels Connect is not that project. Hotels Connect already produces ARI from the booking website. Google's [ARI overview](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices/dev-guide/ari-overview) is the feed specification those projects implement. | Path | What the hotel runs | What that time covers | | --- | --- | --- | | Google connectivity partner / channel manager | ARI/API mapping from a PMS or CM | A 3–9 week connectivity project in partner materials | | Hotels Connect setup | Hotel name and booking URL | About five minutes; no API | | Google ingest and match | Nothing the hotel can accelerate in Hotels Connect | Google's process after a live feed exists | Hotels Connect replaces the connectivity project, not Google's own work after the feed arrives. A hotel that already has a channel manager can stay on that path. A hotel that only has a booking website does not need a 3–9 week integration to start sending rates. Cost comparison is in [the cheapest way onto Free Booking Links](/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links). ## What happens after Hotels Connect sends the ARI feed? After Hotels Connect sends the ARI feed, Google still has to ingest the file, match the property to a Google hotel listing, and decide when Free Booking Links can appear. Hotels Connect does not promise a Google indexing SLA. Display timing belongs to Google. The [Free Booking Links overview](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338) states the programme, not a go-live clock. Google also checks that the price on the booking URL matches the price in the feed. A mismatch can delay or drop the link even when the feed is being sent. Hotels Connect aims for parity with the public booking-page rate; Google still runs that check on its side. > Anyone who quotes a fixed number of days for "Google will show your rate" is guessing Google's pipeline. Hotels Connect can say when setup is finished. Hotels Connect cannot say when Google will first render the price. ## What can keep rates from showing after the feed is live? Rates can stay hidden after the feed is live when Google has not finished matching the property, the searched stay sits outside the feed window, or the landing-page price does not match the feed. Hotels Connect covers up to 180 days ahead, 2-person occupancy and 1–7 night stays. Google withholds mismatched prices. - **Property matching** — Hotel Center is not yet tied to the correct Google hotel listing. - **Stay-window gap** — the traveler searched dates, occupancy or length of stay outside the feed. - **Landing-page mismatch** — Google's price check finds a different number on the booking URL. - **OTA-only module** — partners are connected; the hotel feed is not yet displayed beside them. > Hotels Connect is a product of UBIO LIMITED (UK company 08725879), a travel-automation company founded in 2013. It is unrelated to other products that use the words "hotel" and "connect" in their name. Hotels that want the connectivity project to be minutes, then wait on Google rather than on a vendor integration, can [join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist) for 20% off the first year ahead of 1 October 2026. ## Questions people ask ### How long does it take for hotel rates to appear on Google? Hotels Connect setup takes about five minutes. Google then has to ingest the ARI feed, match the property and decide when Free Booking Links appear. Hotels Connect does not set a Google display SLA. ### Is Hotels Connect setup the same as Google go-live? No. Hotels Connect setup is hotel name plus booking URL. Google go-live is Google ingesting and matching that ARI feed. The first clock is minutes; the second clock is Google's. ### Why do Google partner docs say 3–9 weeks? Those timelines describe PMS or channel-manager ARI/API projects. Hotels Connect already builds the feed from the hotel's public booking website, so the hotel is not running that integration. ### Does Hotels Connect guarantee when Google will show Free Booking Links? No. Hotels Connect delivers an ARI feed to Hotel Center. When Google displays the price is Google's process. Hotels Connect does not publish a Google indexing SLA. ## Related guides - [why-hotel-not-showing-on-google](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/why-hotel-not-showing-on-google) - [cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/cheapest-way-onto-google-free-booking-links) - [what-is-an-ari-feed](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) --- --- title: "Google Hotels glossary for independent hotels" description: "Plain-English definitions of ARI, Hotel Center, Free Booking Links, Hotel Ads, connectivity partners, channel managers and landing-page checks for independent hotels." url: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotels-glossary-for-independents canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotels-glossary-for-independents markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotels-glossary-for-independents.md author: "Daniel Olavio" author_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-olavio/" --- # Google Hotels glossary for independent hotels By [Daniel Olavio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-olavio/) This glossary defines the Google Hotels terms independent hotels meet when they try to show a direct rate on Search and Maps: ARI, Hotel Center, Free Booking Links, Hotel Ads, connectivity partners, channel managers and landing-page checks. Hotels Connect publishes an ARI feed from the hotel's own booking website for $15 per month per property, with no commission. ## What is ARI? ARI (Availability, Rates and Inventory) is the structured feed Google Hotel Center uses to show live hotel prices. Google documents the format in its [ARI overview](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices/dev-guide/ari-overview). Hotels Connect builds that feed from the hotel's public booking-site rates, so the property does not have to emit XML, run an API or install a channel manager. Hotels Connect currently publishes rates **up to 180 days ahead**, for **2-person occupancy**, and for stays of **1 to 7 nights**. Those bounds are what Google receives from Hotels Connect, not a limit on what the hotel sells on its own website. [What is an ARI feed?](/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) covers the format in more depth. ## What is Google Hotel Center? Google Hotel Center is the account and dashboard where hotels — or the services that publish rates for them — send prices to Google. Without that connection, Google can list the property as a place but cannot show a bookable rate. Hotels Connect delivers the ARI feed into Hotel Center so independent hotels can appear in Free Booking Links. Hotel Center is not a Google Business Profile. A Business Profile can show the hotel's name, photos and reviews. Bookable prices are a separate data product: they only appear once Hotel Center has a live ARI feed. Google's [Hotel Prices documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) is the technical source for that feed. ## What are Google Free Booking Links? Google Free Booking Links are the no-cost-per-click prices Google shows in Search, Maps and the hotel module, sending the click to the hotel's own booking website. Google describes the programme in its [Free Booking Links overview](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). Hotels Connect publishes the live rates those links need, at $15 per month per property with no commission. - Google does not charge a cost per click for Free Booking Links. - The hotel still needs a live ARI feed in Hotel Center — a website or Business Profile is not enough. - The click goes to the hotel's own booking page, not to an OTA. - [Google Free Booking Links explained](/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) walks through eligibility. ## What are Google Hotel Ads? Google Hotel Ads are paid placements in the same hotel-price module as Free Booking Links. They need the same Hotel Center ARI feed; they are not a substitute for it. Hotels Connect makes a hotel eligible by publishing that feed. Any ads budget is billed by Google, not by Hotels Connect, and ads remain optional. Hotels Connect is not an ads agency. It publishes rates so the property can show Free Booking Links and can advertise later if it chooses. [Google Hotel Ads without a channel manager](/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager) separates the feed from the bid. ## What is a Google connectivity partner? A Google connectivity partner is a company that builds a technical integration with Hotel Center and sends ARI for hotels. Google's [Hotel Prices documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) describes that developer path. Hotels Connect is a separate rate-distribution product: it reads public booking-site rates and delivers ARI without asking the hotel to run an API or PMS project. Typical connectivity projects last **3–9 weeks** and assume engineering time or a partner contract. Hotels Connect setup is the hotel name plus the booking-website URL — about five minutes — with no API, PMS or channel-manager integration. ## What is a channel manager? A channel manager is software that pushes a hotel's rates and availability to many OTAs from one place. Google is often one extra channel on that stack. Independent hotels that only need their direct rate on Google do not need a full channel manager. Hotels Connect publishes that Google feed only, with no OTA distribution. | Option | What it does | What the hotel needs | Typical fit | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Channel manager | Pushes rates to many OTAs; Google is one extra channel | An existing CM or PMS contract | Hotels already distributing to OTAs | | Connectivity partner | Custom ARI or API integration with Hotel Center | Engineering time or a partner contract | Groups running a 3–9 week project | | Hotels Connect | ARI feed from the public booking website | Hotel name and booking-website URL | Independents with a direct booking site only | Hotels Connect does not replace a channel manager. It does not push rates to Booking.com or Expedia. It publishes the hotel's **direct** rate to Google for a flat **$15 per month per property**, with no commission on bookings. ## What is a landing-page check? A landing-page check is Google's comparison of the price shown on Google with the price on the booking URL in the feed. If the numbers differ, Google can drop or demote the link. Hotels Connect reads the same public booking-site rates a guest would see, so the ARI price is meant to match the landing page Google checks. That accuracy check is why a spreadsheet or a stale nightly file is a poor fit for Free Booking Links. Hotels Connect refreshes rates when its model predicts a price change, rather than on a fixed clock. Authorisation and how to revoke it are in [how Hotels Connect reads rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates). > Hotels Connect is a product of UBIO LIMITED (UK company 08725879), a travel-automation company founded in 2013. It is unrelated to other products that use the words "hotel" and "connect" in their name. Independent hotels that want these terms to stop being blockers can [join the Hotels Connect waitlist](/#waitlist). General availability is 1 October 2026; waitlist members lock in 20% off the first year. ## Questions people ask ### What is ARI in Google Hotels? ARI stands for Availability, Rates and Inventory. It is the structured feed Google Hotel Center uses to show live prices in Search, Maps and Free Booking Links. Hotels Connect builds that feed from the hotel's public booking-website rates. ### Do independent hotels need a channel manager for Google Hotel Center? No. Google Hotel Center needs a live ARI feed, not a channel manager. Hotels Connect publishes that feed from the hotel's own booking website, with no API, PMS or channel-manager integration. ### What is the difference between Free Booking Links and Hotel Ads? Free Booking Links show the hotel's direct rate at no cost per click. Google Hotel Ads are optional paid placements in the same module. Both require the same Hotel Center ARI feed. ### What is a landing-page check on Google Hotels? A landing-page check is Google's comparison of the price it displayed with the price on the booking URL. If they differ, Google can drop or demote the link. Hotels Connect reads public booking-site rates so the feed is meant to match that page. ### How much does Hotels Connect cost? Hotels Connect costs a flat $15 per month per property, with no commission on bookings. Waitlist members who join before general availability on 1 October 2026 lock in 20% off the first year. ## Related guides - [what-is-an-ari-feed](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed) - [google-free-booking-links-explained](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-free-booking-links-explained) - [google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager](https://hotels-connect.com/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager) --- --- 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. --- --- title: "Hotels Connect vs SiteMinder for Google Hotels" description: "SiteMinder is a hotel commerce platform and channel manager. Hotels Connect is a $15/month Google Hotel Center feed for independents that only have a booking website." url: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/siteminder canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/siteminder markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/siteminder.md --- # Hotels Connect vs SiteMinder for Google Hotels SiteMinder is a channel manager and hotel commerce platform for properties that already distribute to OTAs. Hotels Connect is not a SiteMinder alternative for OTA distribution. It is the shorter path onto Google Hotel Center when the hotel only has a direct booking website and wants Free Booking Links without a SiteMinder implementation. ## What is SiteMinder used for? SiteMinder is a hotel commerce platform. Its core product is a channel manager that maps rooms and rates from a PMS or booking engine to online travel agencies and other channels. Many SiteMinder customers also use it for a booking engine, hotel website, or demand products. Google Hotel Center is one channel among those connections. That stack is the right choice when the hotel already needs OTA distribution. It is a heavier project when the only goal is to show the **direct** rate on Google. ## What does Hotels Connect do instead? Hotels Connect reads publicly available rates from the hotel's own booking website and publishes an ARI feed to Google Hotel Center. There is no SiteMinder account, PMS mapping, or channel-manager contract. Setup is hotel name plus booking URL — about five minutes per property — at **$15 per month per hotel**, with no commission on bookings. | | SiteMinder | Hotels Connect | | --- | --- | --- | | Category | Hotel commerce / channel manager | Google rate-publishing service | | Needs a CM or PMS? | Yes — that is the product | No | | OTA channels | Yes (Booking, Expedia and others) | No | | Google Hotel Center | Available as a connected channel | The only destination | | Setup | Property mapping and channel configuration | Hotel name + booking URL | | List price | SiteMinder subscription (varies) | $15 per month per hotel | ## Should a SiteMinder hotel switch? Usually no. If SiteMinder already pushes rates to Google, keep using that connector. Switching would only drop OTA channels the hotel still needs. Hotels Connect does not replicate SiteMinder's OTA mapping. Hotels Connect is for independents who were told they must buy a channel manager **in order to appear on Google**. That is not a Google rule. See [Google's Hotel Prices documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) and [Free Booking Links](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338). ## Can both be used together? A hotel should not send two competing ARI feeds for the same property to Hotel Center. Pick one Google connectivity path. SiteMinder hotels should use SiteMinder's Google channel. Hotels without a channel manager can use Hotels Connect. [How long Google Hotel Center takes to go live](/blog/how-long-google-hotel-center-go-live) covers the feed-review window after the first successful delivery. > Related: [Hotels Connect vs a channel manager](/compare/channel-manager), [vs Cloudbeds](/compare/cloudbeds), [vs D-EDGE](/compare/d-edge). See [Hotels Connect pricing](/pricing). ## Questions people ask ### Is Hotels Connect a SiteMinder alternative? Only for Google Hotel Center. Hotels Connect does not replace SiteMinder's OTA channel manager, booking engine or demand products. ### Does Google require SiteMinder for Hotel Ads? No. Google Hotel Ads require a live Hotel Center ARI feed. SiteMinder can provide that feed; so can Hotels Connect, from the hotel's public booking website. ### How much is Hotels Connect compared with SiteMinder? Hotels Connect lists at $15 per month per property with no booking commission. SiteMinder pricing is set by SiteMinder and covers a wider platform. The products are not priced for the same job. --- --- title: "Hotels Connect vs Cloudbeds for Google Hotel Center" description: "Cloudbeds is an all-in-one PMS and channel manager. Hotels Connect only publishes a hotel's direct rates to Google from the booking website for $15 a month." url: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/cloudbeds canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/cloudbeds markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/cloudbeds.md --- # Hotels Connect vs Cloudbeds for Google Hotel Center Cloudbeds is a property-management system with a built-in channel manager. Choose it when the hotel needs a PMS. Hotels Connect is not a PMS. It publishes the hotel's existing direct rates to Google Hotel Center for $15 per month when the property already has a booking website and does not want to migrate onto Cloudbeds just to appear on Google. ## What is Cloudbeds used for? Cloudbeds is an all-in-one hospitality platform: PMS, channel manager, booking engine and related operations tools. Independent hotels often evaluate Cloudbeds when they are replacing a front-desk system, not when they only want a Google listing. Google connectivity is one feature of that platform. ## How is Hotels Connect different? Hotels Connect does not manage rooms, guests, housekeeping or OTA reservations. It reads the rates already shown on the hotel's booking website and delivers an ARI feed to Google Hotel Center. The hotel keeps its current PMS — or continues without one. | | Cloudbeds | Hotels Connect | | --- | --- | --- | | Category | PMS + channel manager platform | Google rate-publishing service | | Replaces the front desk? | That is the point | No | | OTA distribution | Yes | No | | Google Hotel Center | A platform channel | The only destination | | What you migrate | Operations onto Cloudbeds | Nothing — booking site stays as-is | | List price | Cloudbeds subscription (varies) | $15 per month per hotel | ## When is Cloudbeds the better fit? - The hotel needs a new PMS, not only a Google feed. - The team wants reservations, channel management and the booking engine in one vendor. - Google is one channel among OTAs the property already sells on. ## When is Hotels Connect the better fit? - The booking website already works and the hotel does not want a PMS migration. - The immediate job is Free Booking Links and Hotel Ads eligibility. - A five-minute setup at $15 per month is preferable to a platform implementation. Google's own materials describe Hotel Center as a feed problem, not a PMS problem. See the [Hotel Prices developer documentation](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) and [what an ARI feed is](/blog/what-is-an-ari-feed). ## Can a Cloudbeds hotel also use Hotels Connect? Not for the same Google feed. Hotel Center should receive one ARI source per property. If Cloudbeds already supplies Google, keep that path. Hotels Connect is for properties that are **not** moving their operations onto Cloudbeds solely to unlock Google. > Also see [Hotels Connect vs a channel manager](/compare/channel-manager), [vs SiteMinder](/compare/siteminder) and [vs D-EDGE](/compare/d-edge). ## Questions people ask ### Is Hotels Connect a Cloudbeds alternative? No, not as a PMS. Hotels Connect only publishes direct rates to Google. Cloudbeds is an operations platform. Compare them only if the hotel was about to buy Cloudbeds just to get onto Google. ### Does Cloudbeds include Google Hotel Ads? Cloudbeds can connect properties to Google as part of its channel stack. Hotel Ads budgets are still billed by Google. Hotels Connect likewise publishes the feed and is not an ads agency. ### How long does Hotels Connect take versus a Cloudbeds go-live? Hotels Connect setup is about five minutes per property after the hotel joins. A PMS and channel-manager go-live is an operations project measured in days or weeks. Google still reviews a new Hotel Center feed after the first delivery. --- --- title: "Hotels Connect vs D-EDGE for Google Hotel Center" description: "D-EDGE is a hospitality platform and channel manager used by hotel groups. Hotels Connect publishes an independent hotel's direct rates to Google for $15 per month." url: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/d-edge canonical: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/d-edge markdown: https://hotels-connect.com/compare/d-edge.md --- # Hotels Connect vs D-EDGE for Google Hotel Center D-EDGE is a hospitality technology platform — channel manager, CRS and related connectivity — typically sold to groups and hotels that already run a distribution stack. Hotels Connect is a $15 per month Google Hotel Center feed for independents that only have a booking website and do not need D-EDGE's wider CRS. ## What is D-EDGE used for? D-EDGE (part of the Accor ecosystem) sells hotel distribution technology: a channel manager, central reservation system, and connections to OTAs, media and metasearch, including Google. It is built for hotels that already operate a multi-channel stack or are standardising one across a group. ## What does Hotels Connect cover instead? Hotels Connect covers one job: take the publicly available direct rate on the hotel's booking website and publish it to Google Hotel Center as an ARI feed. There is no CRS, no OTA mapping, and no group rollout. Price is a flat **$15 per month per property**, with no commission. | | D-EDGE | Hotels Connect | | --- | --- | --- | | Category | Hospitality platform / CRS / channel manager | Google rate-publishing service | | Typical buyer | Groups and hotels with a distribution stack | Independents with a booking website | | OTA + CRS | Yes | No | | Google Hotel Center | One connectivity product | The only destination | | Implementation | Partner project; often weeks | About 5 minutes per property | | List price | D-EDGE contract (varies) | $15 per month per hotel | ## Is Hotels Connect a D-EDGE competitor? Not on CRS or OTA distribution. A group that already runs D-EDGE should use D-EDGE's Google connector. Hotels Connect exists because many independent hotels are pointed at a full connectivity partner — Google's own partner materials describe **3–9 week** integration timelines — when they only needed a feed from the booking site they already have. Google documents the feed itself in the [Hotel Prices developer guide](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices) and [ARI overview](https://developers.google.com/hotels/hotel-prices/dev-guide/ari-overview). The feed producer is not specified. ## Which Google surfaces does each unlock? The same ones, once the feed is live and accurate: Google Search, Google Maps, [Free Booking Links](https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10686338), and eligibility for Google Hotel Ads. Hotels Connect does not buy ads media. Neither does a channel manager — Google bills Hotel Ads separately. See [Google Hotel Ads without a channel manager](/blog/google-hotel-ads-without-a-channel-manager). > Related comparisons: [channel manager](/compare/channel-manager), [SiteMinder](/compare/siteminder), [Cloudbeds](/compare/cloudbeds). Method page: [how Hotels Connect reads your rates](/how-it-works/reading-your-rates). ## Questions people ask ### Is Hotels Connect a D-EDGE alternative? Only for Google Hotel Center connectivity. Hotels Connect is not a CRS or OTA channel manager and does not replace D-EDGE for group distribution. ### Do hotel groups use Hotels Connect? Hotels Connect accepts multiple properties on one dashboard. Groups that already have D-EDGE or another CRS should keep that Google connector rather than add a second ARI feed. ### How does Hotels Connect pricing compare with D-EDGE? Hotels Connect is $15 per month per hotel with no booking commission. D-EDGE is a broader platform sold on its own contracts. The prices are not for the same scope of work.