How to Use Google Hotels to Find Cheap Hotels in 2023 - With Image Guides

Plenty of search engines exist to find cheap hotels and hotel deals. You probably have your favorite that you usually go to first to search for hotels, maybe Booking, Expedia, or Priceline. But better of all these is Google Hotels.

We choose Google over all these other OTAs (Online Travel Agency) because google hotels are a powerful tool with lots of filters and search features. Also, you can see all the prices of these OTAs in one place and choose the most affordable one.

Advantages of using Google Hotels

• Seeing the Prices of Major OTAs and direct booking with the Hotel all on one page
• Many filters on Amenities, Property types and etc
• Seein the interacting map of the are right near the hotel listings

Disadvantages of using Google Hotels

• Not for all hotels, there is the option to book it directly
• Some OTAs do not have their hotels listed on Google Hotels
• Sometimes the prices listed on Google Hotels do not match the price on the OTA

How to use Google Hotels for Accommodation booking

You need to start by going to the Google Hotels page, which is https://www.google.com/travel/search

Unfortunately, there is no Google Hotels app to use, but you can use your phone for searching. However, for a better experience, we recommend a desktop.

After you enter the Google Hotels web page, you can enter your destination and choose your dates and number of travelers. As an example, we have entered New York in the search bar. 

Right below, there are many filters for you to adjust.

• You can sort your results by Relevance, Lowest price, Highest price, and Most reviewed.
• You may choose your budget and adjust the price.
• You can choose whether to stay in a hotel or a holiday rental.
• There are offers to be activated, such as Free cancellation.
• Guest ratings.
• Hotel star.
• Amenities needed (Free Wi-Fi, Free breakfast, Restaurant, etc.)
• You may choose whether you want the place to be Eco-certified.
• Choose your Brand.

*Note that the first hotels on the list with the tag “Sponsored” are advertisements.

There are 3 special filters that can help you more with your choices. “Where to stay", “When to visit” and “What you'll pay”

“Where to Stay” compares different neighborhoods of the city for you and gives you brief information on what you'll find there.

“When to visit” gives an overall view of the weather, business, and the average price of different months of the year for your destination, which can be very helpful to make sure you are visiting the place at the best time of the year.

“What you'll pay” will give you an overview of how much, on average, you will pay for different types of hotels per night. The price depends on the month you have chosen to look at.

Besides the filters listed on the left, the interactive map on the right can be very useful for users to choose their accommodation.

There are four different options to choose from, shown in the screenshot below.

Each of the four options on the map is responsible for changing the interactive map in a way to give the user more information regarding the city and the areas. Let's go through them one by one and look at an example of the map and how it changes.

• The first option with the bus picture gives an overall view of the public transport routes and how the city is connected using them. It also shows the bus stops when zoomed.
• The second option with the cutlery picture uses a heated map with a yellow color to show the best neighborhoods for restaurants and cafes. When zoomed, you will see the exact location of those restaurants with their names and more information.
• The third option, with a picture of a camera, shows the location of the attractions on the map. It consists of museums, famous structures etc.
• The last option, with the picture of a basket, shows a heated map of the areas best for shopping. When zoomed, it shows the locations of shopping malls, retailers, etc.

*Note that on the down part of the map, there is a toggle with an icon of a person walking that, when turned on, can narrow your map to a walking distance of 15 or 30 min.

Obviously, besides all the filters, the main point of the map is to see the desired accommodations and choose the ones that first your need the best. You can see the hotels' prices and locations on the map and choose them.

When you choose your hotel, the information on the left side of your view changes and shows you the information about that hotel which consists of an Overview, Prices, Reviews, Photos, and About. We will not focus on the Overview part too much because it is a summary of all the other sections combined and some information regarding the property. There is also a save option where you can save the property to check it out later easier.

The prices section shows you the price of the hotel with your chosen dates from different OTAs (Online Travel Agency). This is great because it shows you all the prices in one place and makes it easier to choose the best one.

The upper part of the list consists of the “Sponsored” prices, where the company has paid to be at the top, however, the "All options" part is a free listing for all companies. therefore, it is important to look at all the lists as you might find a better option on the free listing part.

In the Reviews part, you will see the reviews people have put for this hotel that can help you make your decision. This section is open for everyone to comment on and is not exclusively devoted to those who have already stayed at the hotel. In this case, the reviews might be a little biased.

In the Photos part, you will see pictures of the place with the option to filter them based on different categories, such as looking at the interior, exterior and etc.

In the About section, you will see the details about the place, such as the exact address, the phone number, and the amenities available.

Now that you are familiar with all the options of Google Hotels, you can try this tool out and book your next holiday accommodation way easier than before. This way, you can try to get the best rates possible.

You can also try an alternative, which is Ratepunk browser extension which automatically compares the price of hotels for you and shows you the best deal right away.

You may also want to check out the list of Shady Tactics OTAs play to charge you more.

Got any questions? Leave us a comment in the comment section below…