Google Travel Adds COVID-19 Health & Safety Info

Google has announced the inclusion of expanded health and safety details related to COVID-19 within its Google Travel booking platform. Beginning this week, users exploring hotels and vacation rentals through Google Travel may encounter new details regarding the safety measures implemented at those properties – such as enhanced sanitation protocols or the availability of contactless check-in, among other features.

The company stated that it is collaborating with hotel groups, vacation rental companies, and various industry organizations to gather this health and safety data.

Hotel owners can now directly submit their COVID-19 health and safety procedures to Google through a new feature within Google My Business, enabling them to add relevant information to their Business Profile.

Several prominent hotel chains are participating in this initiative alongside Google, including Marriott, Hilton, Comfort Inn (Choice Hotels), Holiday Inn (IHG), Best Western, Hyatt, Radisson, and Four Seasons, as reported by TechCrunch.

Regarding vacation rentals, Google is partnering with a diverse set of organizations, encompassing large vacation rental providers, mid-sized distributors, and online travel agencies, all of whom can supply this health and safety information directly.

VRBO is among these partners; however, Google is currently not working with individual property owners, nor is it utilizing data from Google My Business listings for vacation rentals, as it does for hotels – relying solely on information shared by its partners.

At present, this new COVID-19 related health and safety information is exclusively available to users searching for lodging on google.com/travel, and is not yet integrated into other Google services like Google Maps.

This update builds upon previous adjustments Google made earlier in the year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, the company enables users to locate hotels and vacation rentals offering refundable rates on Google Travel, and to monitor hotel and flight availability within specific regions.

In September, Google also introduced a COVID-19 layer to Google Maps, which displays the number of cases per 100,000 people in a given area. Previously, it had incorporated COVID-19 checkpoints and other transit information into Maps, along with tools designed to support businesses during government-mandated closures.

This health and safety information update will be available to Google Travel users globally.