When travellers search for places to stay on Google, Google helps them discover accommodation and compares options across the web. Connecting your property through NightsBridge displays your live rates and calendar availability directly on Google, giving potential guests a clear, direct path straight to your booking engine.
To make sure travellers see the right setup for their trip, Google classifies accommodation into two main categories: Google Hotels and Google Vacation Rentals. Understanding how Google views your property helps you see how guests discover you online.
Google Hotels: For Room-by-Room Hospitality
Google Hotels is designed primarily for hotel-style accommodation where guests book an individual room or unit within a managed establishment.If your guests book separate rooms while sharing overall property facilities, your business generally falls under this category. Typical examples include:
- Hotels
- Guesthouses
- Bed & Breakfasts (B&Bs)
- Lodges
- Hostels
When connected through NightsBridge, Google Hotels displays your live rates and availability, giving guests a direct link to book on your NightsBridge booking engine.
Google Vacation Rentals: For Exclusive, Self-Contained Stays
Google Vacation Rentals is designed specifically for self-contained accommodation where a guest rents an entire property or unit for their exclusive use.If a guest books your whole place to enjoy privately with their family or group, Google classifies it as a vacation rental. Typical examples include:
- Holiday homes
- Self-catering apartments
- Cottages
- Villas
- Cabins and chalets
Just like Google Hotels, connecting your vacation rental through NightsBridge shares your live rates and calendar availability, guiding guests directly to your website to complete their reservation.
The main difference at a glance
A simple way to picture the difference is:
- Google Hotels: Guests book a room or unit within an accommodation establishment.
- Google Vacation Rentals: Guests book a self-contained property or unit for their exclusive use.
Here is a quick comparison table to see how they stack up side by side:
|
Feature
|
Google
Hotels
|
Google
Vacation Rentals
|
|---|---|---|
|
Designed for
|
Hotel-style
managed accommodation
|
Self-contained holiday rentals
|
|
Guest booking setup
|
Guests
typically book a room or unit
|
Guests book
an entire property/unit for exclusive use
|
|
Typical property types
|
Hotels,
Guesthouses, B&Bs, Lodges, Hostels
|
Holiday
homes, Apartments, Cottages, Villas, Chalets
|
|
Live Rates & Availability
|
Displays
live rates & calendar on Google
|
Displays
live rates & calendar on Google
|
|
Direct Booking Link
|
Directs
guests to your NightsBridge booking engine
|
Directs
guests to your NightsBridge booking engine
|
Can you choose which one your property appears on?
This is one of the most common questions accommodation owners ask us!
The short answer is no - you cannot manually choose whether your property appears on Google Hotels or Google Vacation Rentals.
Google uses its own strict category guidelines and eligibility criteria to evaluate the property information sent from NightsBridge. Based on your setup and accommodation type, Google automatically decides where your listing belongs.
Even if you offer a mix of room types or different kinds of units, Google determines the final classification. Our role at NightsBridge is to supply your property information, live rates, and availability accurately behind the scenes so Google has everything it needs to display your listing correctly.
Which one is right for your property?
Here is a quick way to check where your property naturally fits:
- If you run a hotel, guesthouse, B&B, lodge, or hostel, your accommodation will generally fall under Google Hotels.
- If you offer a self-contained holiday home, apartment, cottage, villa, or chalet for exclusive guest use, it will generally fall under Google Vacation Rentals.
Regardless of which category Google assigns to your property, both options give you a powerful way to show your live availability and drive direct bookings straight to your website!
Want to explore further?
If you'd like to dive deeper into how each connection works step by step, check out these helpful tutorials: