What You Need to Know About Google Ending Third-Party Rates for Hotel Ads

Google has announced that Google Third-Party Rates for Hotel Ads will be deprecated on September 30, 2026.

Advertisers relying on this feature will no longer be eligible to serve ads across the Hotel Ads inventory, including the Booking Module and Travel Promotion Ads.

For advertisers running Performance Max for Travel Goals campaigns, the impact is more limited. These campaigns will continue serving ads across Search, Display and YouTube, but will no longer be eligible to appear within Google Hotel Ads.

To remain visible in Hotel Ads after September 30, 2026, advertisers will need to use a Hotel Center feed.

Google's official announcement and technical documentation can be found here:

Google Help Center: Deprecation of Google Third-Party Rates for Hotel Ads

What's changing?

After September 30, 2026:

• Hotel Ads campaigns using Google Third-Party Rates will stop serving.
• Ads will no longer appear in the Booking Module or Travel Promotion Ads.
• Performance Max for Travel Goals campaigns will continue serving across other Google Ads channels, but not within Google Hotel Ads.
• A Hotel Center feed will be required to continue advertising across Hotel Ads inventory.

What are Google Third-Party Rates?

Google Third-Party Rates allowed advertisers to participate in Google Hotel Ads without maintaining their own Hotel Center feed.

Instead of receiving pricing and availability directly from a hotel or an approved connectivity partner, Google sourced hotel rates from third-party data sources.

For many advertisers this provided a simple way to advertise on Hotel Ads without implementing a dedicated Hotel Center integration.

Why is Google making this change?

Google hasn't shared an official explanation for deprecating Third-Party Rates. However, the decision fits a broader trend we've seen across Google's advertising and commerce products: a growing focus on direct, real-time and verifiable data sources.

Accurate pricing is becoming increasingly important

Google Hotel Ads is no longer just an advertising product.

Hotel pricing is now used across Google Hotels, travel search experiences and increasingly AI-powered travel recommendations. Looking ahead, AI agents that help users research, compare and eventually book hotels will depend entirely on accurate and up-to-date pricing information.

When prices originate from external sources, there's always a risk that they no longer match the hotel's current pricing or availability. Rates may have changed, rooms may have sold out or pricing may differ from what's shown on the hotel's booking page.

With a direct Hotel Center feed, Google receives pricing and availability directly from the source, reducing the likelihood of discrepancies and improving data quality across its travel ecosystem.

A logical step in Google's AI and first-party data strategy

This change also aligns with Google's broader product strategy.

Over the past several years Google has simplified campaign types, retired legacy features and invested heavily in AI-driven campaign optimization. At the same time, first-party data has become increasingly important across Google Ads, Merchant Center and other Google platforms.

While Google hasn't explicitly linked the deprecation of Third-Party Rates to its AI roadmap, the move clearly supports a future where AI systems rely on trusted, real-time data directly supplied by advertisers and their technology partners.

How can you check whether you're affected?

If you're unsure whether your campaigns rely on Google Third-Party Rates, the easiest place to start is your Google Ads account.

Navigate to:

Tools → Data Manager → Connected products

Check whether a Hotel Center account is linked to your Google Ads account.

If a Hotel Center account is connected, you're most likely already using a Hotel Center feed and are unlikely to be affected by this deprecation.

If no Hotel Center account is connected while you're running Hotel Ads or Performance Max for Travel Goals campaigns, it's worth investigating whether your campaigns currently rely on Google Third-Party Rates.

What should advertisers do next?

If you're still using Google Third-Party Rates, don't wait until September 2026.

Start preparing your migration now.

1. Audit your current setup

Review how pricing and availability data currently reaches Google.

Specifically verify:

• whether a Hotel Center account is connected;
• whether your booking engine or connectivity partner supports Hotel Center;
• which campaigns depend on Third-Party Rates.

2. Implement a Hotel Center feed

To remain eligible for Google Hotel Ads, you'll need a Hotel Center feed.

Depending on your technical setup, this can be implemented through:

• your booking engine;
• a channel manager;
• a certified connectivity partner;
• a direct Hotel Center integration.

3. Test well before the deadline

Implementing Hotel Center isn't just about creating a connection.

Before migrating, verify:

• pricing accuracy;
• room availability;
• taxes and fees;
• landing pages;
• conversion tracking.

Testing well before September 30, 2026 reduces the risk of interruptions once Third-Party Rates are discontinued.

Final thoughts

The retirement of Google Third-Party Rates is more than a technical product update.

It reflects a broader shift towards direct, high-quality and real-time data across Google's travel ecosystem. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into travel search and booking experiences, reliable pricing information will become even more important.

If you're running Hotel Ads or Performance Max for Travel Goals campaigns, now is the right time to verify whether a Hotel Center account is connected to your Google Ads account. If not, planning your migration today will help ensure uninterrupted visibility across Google Hotel Ads after September 30, 2026.