When preparing to travel during the holidays, what many people care about most is not where to go, but whether the booking price is a good deal or not. Now Google A new feature has been quietly launched to make the process of comparing prices over and over again and checking house prices every day much easier. Through simple settings, you can receive instant notifications when prices change, which is like having an assistant that automatically helps you keep track of prices.
Whether it’s a popular attraction or an impromptu trip, you can more accurately grasp the timing of booking. This feature may seem low-key, but in actual use, it may have a greater impact than imagined on users who travel frequently or are budget-conscious.
Google’s new features are a must-learn! Hotel price tracking is online, and you will be notified immediately of price reductions to save money
As travel demand continues to recover, more and more people are starting to plan in advancetravelDuring the itinerary, especially during popular periods such as the Labor Day holiday and the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, hotel prices tend to fluctuate greatly. The “Restaurant Price Tracking” function launched by Google this time is to solve this pain point.
Simply put, its core concept is to help you automatically monitor changes in housing prices. In the past, we might need to open the booking website every day to compare prices, or even check back and forth for the same hotel several times. Now we only need to set it up once, and the subsequent processing is left to the system. This change from passive inquiry to active notification is actually very useful for improving the efficiency of travel planning.
The use of this function is not complicated, and there is no need to download an additional app. Just use “Google travel”The service will be completed.
First, enter the search page of “Google Travel” and search for the hotel you want to stay at.
After you select a date, you will see the real-time room prices for the selected date.
Below the reservation information block, you will see an option to “Follow this hotel.” After clicking, the system will start to help you record the price changes of the hotel on the specified date. Once the price increases or decreases, you will be notified immediately via email.
This design is a bit like the concept of air ticket price tracking, but this time it is applied to hotels, making it more practical for travel groups.
In addition to entering from the Google travel page, there is actually another more intuitive way. You can directly search for a specific hotel name on Google, and you will also see the hotel’s real-time room rate information on the right side of the page. Click “Show another item” at the bottom of the booking platform.
After entering the hotel’s information page, select the check-in date, and you will also see the price tracking button.
This means that whether you plan a location first and then choose a hotel, or you have already locked in a certain accommodation, you can use this feature. This flexibility is quite friendly to people with different travel habits.
Why is this feature particularly important during holidays?
When traveling on normal weekdays, hotel price fluctuations are relatively stable, but when it comes to consecutive holidays, the situation is completely different. House prices in popular areas may increase significantly in just a few days. Even when booking the same hotel at different times, the price difference can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Without consistent tracking, it’s easy to place an order at a high price point.
The value of the price tracking function is to help you find better timing.
Especially for those who plan their itinerary in advance, they can set up several alternative hotels first and wait until one of them has an ideal price before making a purchase. This will give them more flexibility in their strategy.
What is the difference with OTA booking platforms?
Many people will first think about how this function is different from OTAs such as Agoda or Booking.com. In fact, the biggest difference lies in role positioning. Traditional booking platforms mainly provide real-time prices and discounts, but usually do not proactively remind you of price changes. You still need to check again and again to catch the lowest point. Google’s role is more focused on integration and monitoring. It does not sell rooms directly, but helps you compile price information from different platforms. Coupled with the price tracking function, it makes it easier for you to grasp changing trends.
Sometimes it is cheaper to search for OTA platform listings through Google than to search for hotels directly on the OTA platform. In other words, one is to “provide prices” and the other is to “help you keep track of prices.” The two do not replace each other, but can be used together.
Google travel
Conclusion
Overall, the hotel price tracking function launched by Google this time is not a high-profile overhaul, but it is actually very close to user needs. It solves a long-standing pain point, which is the problem of information asymmetry and time cost in the room booking process. In the past, repeated queries were required, but now it can be tracked automatically as long as it is set once. The entire experience has been significantly simplified.
For people who are used to traveling independently, this tool is not only convenient, but also a way to improve efficiency. If more reminder mechanisms or price prediction functions are combined in the future, there is room for further improvement in the overall value. At least at this point in time, it’s enough to be a useful little helper before traveling.
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Source: KOCPC Chinese