Google tests radical changes when searching for hotels in Germany!

Google tests radical changes when searching for hotels in Germany!

In a surprising step, Google tests a radical change in the hotel search in Germany, Belgium and Estonia! A good eight months after the entry into force of the European Digital Act DMA, numerous offers are removed from the search results. So far, users have been able to access an interactive card when searching for hotels that showed the prices for overnight stays and offered a variety of booking links. But now everything will be different!

As part of this test, the card and the free booking links disappear, and instead Google only shows a simple list of links to external websites - in the style of the "Ten Blue Links" from the past. Oliver Bethell, head of Google's legal department, said in a blog post that this step takes up the debate about the competitive conditions in the industry. The decision comes in response to the demands of competitors who want to prevent travelers from booking directly via Google Hotels.

competitive pressure and EU guidelines

The measure is a direct reaction to complaints of flight search engines such as Kayak that accuse Google to compete with unfair competition. The tech giant had already hired his search for flight in Europe in March. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) prohibits large online platforms to prefer its own offers, and Google is viewed as a "gatekeeper" that must adhere to these new rules. The duration of the test remains unclear, but Google assures that the results will be displayed as usual after completion.

With this test, Google would like to show that the fulfillment of the competitors' demands does not benefit consumers or the hotel industry. The tension remains high, while the industry is waiting for the results of this experiment!