Google dramatically expands usefulness of its new hotel price tracking tool
For a long time, Google Flights has been the gold standard for flight price tracking and research, but the Google Hotels tool has not been nearly as robust — until now. Google.com/hotels has officially launched hotel price tracking globally, including for individual hotels.
Google calls it "the perfect way to snag a great deal this summer."
I haven't had a chance to fully explore the new tool, but a cursory investigation finds it is a powerful addition to my trip-planning arsenal. I'll be writing a complete guide as I did with Google Flights and Google Flights Explore, but here's what to know right now.
Google Hotels
Google users can now get emails when prices for individual hotels go up or down "significantly" at hotels and resorts around the world. Previously, you could get some price alerts for domestic hotels, but only for cities — not for individual properties.
You can now monitor hotels you may want to book to see when the price is lowest, or you can rebook hotels you've already booked once you are alerted that the price has dropped (just make sure you're booking flexible, refundable rates).
If you have your heart set on a specific hotel, simply search for the hotel by name, then tap the new price tracking toggle. In the example below, I searched for the new Edition Lake Como, put in my dates and scrolled down past the booking options to find the price tracking button.
Once you toggle the button over, you'll see a notification that Google is now tracking the price.
When using a mobile phone, you'll find the price tracking option under the prices tab after you search, as you can see from this search for the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills for August.
According to Google, "you'll get an email alert if rates change significantly during your chosen dates, so you can jump on those price drops and snag a great deal."
One other thing previously mentioned but worth highlighting: You can also use Google Hotels to track prices for specific cities. I have my eye on Tokyo this summer, and I've asked Google Hotels to track prices in August for me for all hotels.
Even if you booked with points, it might be worth tracking cash prices via Google Hotels. If you get a notification that cash prices dropped, it may also suggest that award prices went down since you booked, since many hotels are now dynamically priced (when cash prices match award prices).
Limitations of Google Hotels
The one thing to watch out for is that Google Hotels aggregates pricing from multiple sources, including online travel agencies (like Expedia and Booking.com). Generally, we don't recommend booking via a third party with hotels in case something comes up. The reason is that booking via third-party sites generally means you have to deal with those sites (rather than the actual hotel) if anything goes wrong. Also, these bookings don't earn you hotel points or credit towards elite status and generally won't include your elite status benefits.
Instead, we recommend booking directly with the hotel.
And Google Hotels will let you know general pricing trends, even if the online travel booking site is offering a cheaper rate. You can always call the hotel directly and ask them to match what you are seeing online.
Bottom line
This development is great news for deal hunters in the hotel space. Google Hotels is now allowing users to track prices for individual hotels all around the world, whether you want to stay somewhere reasonable in a city or if you have your eyes on a specific, special property. This makes Google's hotel search tool much more valuable. I'll be testing out the service and will report back once we've gotten several weeks of good data, but this is an excellent start.
Related reading:
- How to use Google Flights Explore to find cheap flights and hotel deals
- Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a first-time or frequent traveler
- Best travel credit cards
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- The best credit cards for general travel purchases
- 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without