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Channel Management » API Integrations » Google Vacation Rentals
Updated 2 weeks ago

Google Vacation Rentals Common Issues & Questions

OwnerRez has partnered with Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) to provide a powerful integrated API connection between the two systems while benefiting from Google's expanded reach. GVR sends all booking traffic directly to OwnerRez users' websites or landing pages for commission-free bookings.

First, read the Google Vacation Rentals Overview (paying close attention to the Google Price Accuracy Policy section) and the Google Vacation Rentals Setup & Connecting support articles before coming to this page, as those articles cover the normal workflow.

While not comprehensive, this article provides a list of questions not found elsewhere.

Availability and Rates

How do I add Pet Fees to Google Vacation Rentals?

It's complicated. Yes, you can add pet fee surcharges, but they are not visible to the guest until they complete their Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) booking.

GVR doesn't support pet fees, so any pet fee surcharges will not appear in the initial GVR quote. However, since GVR bookings are essentially direct bookings, guests can add pets to their reservations during the GVR booking process, as they are directed to either your hosted website or the global landing page (aka Public Booking Link).

Why aren't my rates displayed on my Google Vacation Rentals listing?

Since Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) is part of Google's Hotel API, there may be a couple of different reasons why your rates are not displayed on Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) listings.

  • Users who click on their GVR API Integration link should note that while the link takes you to the map location and listing, it has no browser context, so no nightly rates will be displayed.
  • GVR expects that guests can book for one night only, just like hotels. If your GVR listing requires a two (or more) night minimum stay, GVR may not display your nightly rates.
  • Properties that are blocked for 30 or more nights may not have nightly rates displayed.

Also, see, I can't find my listing when I search Google Vacation Rentals!

Can I sync my prices through OwnerRez with Google Hotels?

No. While Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) is part of Google's Hotel API, GVR has no affiliation with Google Hotels.

OwnerRez has no current way to sync nightly rates with Google Hotels. Adding nightly rates to Google Hotels would be an arduous and manual process for individual users with the possibility of double bookings.

To learn more, see Google's support article, How to add and manage rates and availability to your Google Business Profile.

How do I fix the Listing Quality Analyzer "Gaps found with missing rates. Use the Rate Checker for a visual look at the missing rates" error?

The Listing Quality Analyzer (LQA) "missing rates" error is not specific to GVR and if users select more than GVR in the LQA dropdown, they'll see that the error applies to all listing channels.

In most cases, missing rates may be well past your maximum booking window (365 day default), but users can check their nightly rates to ensure they have no missing rates within their maximum booking window.

I read the Google Price Accuracy Policy. Do dynamic pricing tools (e.g., Pricelabs, Wheelhouse, etc.) affect the Google Price Accuracy for my GVR Listing?

No, the Google Price Accuracy Policy does not affect your nightly rates that are pushed to GVR from OwnerRez directly, regardless if you are integrated with dynamic price tools (e.g., Pricelabs, Wheelhouse, etc.).

How do I configure non-position ordered discounts and surcharges for my Google Vacation Rentals listing?

Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) does not support many discount or surcharge options, and any GVR discount/surcharges are subject to the many GVR discount and surcharge rules (be sure to review these restrictions first!).

That said, you can certainly configure discounts and surcharges for your GVR listing!

GVR does not allow any position-ordered discounts or surcharges. You can configure a non-position ordered discounts by navigating to Settings > Discounts > + Create Discount > Options > and leaving the Position field blank. The same process is true for Surcharges (Settings > Pricing > Surcharges > + Create Surcharge > Options).

Configure a non-position ordered discount by navigating to Settings > Discounts > + Create Discount > Options > and leaving the Position field blank.

Or, if you already have a position-ordered discount and/or surcharge, you can edit existing discounts or surcharges to exclude GVR by navigating to Settings > Pricing > Discounts or Surcharges > your specific Discount or Surcharge > Change > Criteria > Listing Sites > and selecting Everything but Google Vacation Rentals.

Edit existing discounts to exclude GVR by navigating to Settings > Discounts > your specific discount > Change > Criteria > Listing Sites > and selecting Everything but Google Vacation Rentals.

The last option could be applied to any new or existing discounts and/or surcharges that are not supported by GVR.

Bookings

My guest can't figure out how to book my property on Google Vacation Rentals. How can I help them?

The Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) guest interface can be confusing. GVR guests can book your property by clicking on either the Website button on the top left of your GVR listing, which takes them to your property's standard hosted website URL as defined inside of OwnerRez.

No Google Vacation Rental Listing Site Tracking

GVR guests can also click on the Visit site button on the right side of your GVR listing, which takes them to your property's standard hosted website URL as defined inside of OwnerRez or the global landing page (aka Public Booking Link).

Google Vacation Rental Listing Site Tracking Will Occur for Potential Inquiries and/or Bookings.

Feel free to share a link to this information ( or copy and paste) with your potential GVR guests.

How do I handle Google Vacation Rentals booking cancellations?

Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) bookings are essentially direct bookings, and cancellations are handled just like a direct booking cancellation. 

My guests want to change their booking dates. How do I handle changing a Google Vacation Rentals booking?

Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) bookings are essentially direct bookings, and booking changes are handled just like a direct booking change.

What does the Google Vacation Rentals booking process look like for my guests?

The Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) booking process is essentially the same as a direct booking, regardless of whether you are using an OwnerRez Hosted Website or the OwnerRez Global Landing Page (aka Public Booking Link). GVR guests will still follow the regular OwnerRez Quote and Booking Reservation Process.

Since GVR redirects through our website, when we get a booking, in the Overview tab will it display the Listing Site as "My Website" or "Google Vacation Rentals?"

On the Booking > Overview tab, the listing site will be displayed as "This booking was created automatically by a Google Vacation Rentals channel."

GVR Listing

I see lots of other listing channel links for my property on Google Vacation Rentals. Why is that?

Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) has introduced price comparisons for the traveler, which displays multiple travel sites on which a property is listed, allowing the traveler to choose which site they want to book with. See the Google Hotel Center Bringing price comparison to vacation rental search announcement to learn more.

It is important to note that OwnerRez does not have any control over the information potential guests may see on GVR.

Does Google Vacation Rentals use cookies for tracking?

Google uses industry standard cookies for tracking and they will offer the owner/host to run Google Ads for promotion which will also track the prospective guest's GVR journey. OR did some Tor-based anonymous searching to test and found that it worked fine after agreeing to some basic cookies.

Do I need a Google Business Profile? Does Google Vacation Rentals have any affiliation with my Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)?

No, creating a Google Business Profile is not necessary to integrate with Google Vacation Rentals. There is no connection or affiliation between Google Vacation Rentals (GVR), Google Maps, or Google Business Profiles (formerly Google My Business). 

I can't find my listing when I search Google Vacation Rentals!

It is important to note that several variables may affect searches for your Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) listing and are dependent on your device, operating system, browser, and other factors. Simply clicking on your OwnerRez GVR API Integration link/map pin only takes you to your map location and listing.

  • Direct links shown within your GVR API channel are for your convenience.
  • This link has no browser context and is not a good representation of your GVR listing

Users of Google Vacation Rentals will arrive at the start page of their search at either the Maps or general Search engine starting point. At this point, Google will build context for their search. Without context, rates and availability will not be filled in.

To replicate how a user would use the system, we suggest starting from an anonymous browser session and going to maps.google.com, searching for the nearest town to your location, be sure to select Hotels and then Vacation Rentals (it appears as a side option next to Hotels, only after you have clicked Hotels).  At this point, Google has established some context on your search, and then you will need to adjust dates and move the map location to your property location. Note that if your property locations are configured to use an approximate map location, they may not appear exactly where they truly are on the channel map.

GVR map pins are automatically managed by Google's algorithm. OwnerRez has no control over Google's algorithm and no option to make changes to it. However, as organic searches occur, they may become optimized over time. OwnerRez recommends that you ensure that your property location and details are as accurate as possible.

It's important to note that you can view your property on the map view of these listing channels, navigate to Settings > Channels > API Integrations > your Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Vacation Rentals, or Vrbo/Expedia API Integration > Properties tab > and click on the Map Search Icon.

You can view your property on the map view of these listing channels, navigate to Settings > Channels > API Integrations > your Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Vacation Rentals, or Vrbo/Expedia API Integration > Properties tab > and click on the Map Search Icon.

When searching directly on Google Vacation Rentals (GVR), the search always defaults to Hotels as GVR is part of Google's Hotel API. To locate your listing in your property's location, start on Google Travel and click on Vacation Rentals.

  • Search the location of your property. Make sure that Vacation Rentals is still selected.

Google Vacation Rentals

  • Zoom in to the location of your property on the map. You may have to click "Update list" at the top of the map.

Google Map Update List

  • Or you may have to check the checkbox for "Update list when map moves" at the top of the map.

Google Map Update list when map moves

  • Be sure that Vacation Rentals remains selected as you search.
  • Hovering over the pink house icon will open a listing card.

Google Vacation Rentals Listing Card

  • When clicked, the icon becomes a solid pink icon and displays the GVR listing details to the left. 

Google Vacation Rentals Listing

Some users have had success locating their GVR listings only after inputting days into the search function.

It is important to note that there may be several variables that affect your search for your GVR listing, depending on your device, operating system, browser, and other factors.

I have reviews on my Google Business Profile. How do I make sure that they are displayed in Google Vacation Rentals?

All reviews from OwnerRez are synced and displayed on Google Vacation Rentals (GVR). Google Business Pages have no affiliation with GVR, as they are two different entities.

We recommend that users import all of their individual property reviews that are currently displayed on their Google Business Page into OwnerRez so that they can be synced and displayed on GVR. 

I see my property listed on Google Vacation Rentals but it's not sending potential guests to my OR Hosted Website?

Some Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) property listings are from 3rd party aggregators (Bluepillow, Vio, etc.) that have pulled your property listing details from elsewhere (Vrbo, Expedia, etc.) and posted it to GVR. Unfortunately, OwnerRez has no ability to keep those 3rd party aggregators from listing your property on GVR.

Why doesn't my property appear in the GVR search results when I search for a property with 3 or more guests?

Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) is part of Google's Hotel API, and just like default hotel searches, GVR does not support searches for vacation rental properties with three or more guests. It is important to note that there may be several variables that affect searches for your GVR listing, depending on your device, operating system, browser, and other factors.

Can I integrate my non-OwnerRez website?

No. Only OwnerRez Hosted Websites are currently eligible for integration with Google Vacation Rentals (GVR).  GVR determined that non-OwnerRez websites using OwnerRez widgets caused mismatches with listing information or price accuracy.

Users can always choose the OwnerRez Global Landing Page (aka Public Booking Link) that includes their OwnerRez theming at the bottom of their GVR Landing Page.

Can I track interactions from my Google Vacation Rentals listing?

OwnerRez provides Hosted Website Listing Site Tracking, and which link potential guests click on to get to your website on Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) determines whether that is tracked in any potential inquiries and/or bookings.

If potential guests click on this link to your website, no listing site tracking will occur. 

No Google Vacation Rental Listing Site Tracking

But if potential guests click on this link to your website, GVR listing site tracking will occur and be tracked in any potential inquiries and/or bookings. 

Google Vacation Rental Listing Site Tracking Will Occur for Potential Inquiries and/or Bookings.

Can I add more than one Hosted Website to my Google Vacation Rentals listing?

No. Each individual Hosted Website (no matter how many properties) must have its own Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) integration. What does that mean? Users with more than one Hosted Website can configure one single GVR connection for the Hosted Website of their choosing but must contact OwnerRez to add additional GVR connections. 

Before I decide which Landing Page to select, what does the OwnerRez global landing page look like for potential GVR guests?

You must choose either your OwnerRez hosted website or the OwnerRez global landing page for your Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) listing Landing Page. The OwnerRez global landing page (aka Public Booking Link) is available to all OwnerRez users regardless of whether they have a hosted website or not.

  • Selecting your hosted website sends potential GVR guests to your property's standard hosted website URL as defined inside of OwnerRez. 
  • Selecting the OwnerRez global landing page sends potential GVR guests to an OwnerRez-hosted guest booking page that includes their OwnerRez theming at the bottom of the page.

Here's an example of the OwnerRez global landing page (aka Public Booking Link).

OwnerRez global landing page example

The OwnerRez global landing page (aka Public Booking Link) is available to all OwnerRez users regardless of whether they have a hosted website or not and will always include their OwnerRez theming at the bottom of the page. As with the hosted website, the global landing page is prepopulated with the dates, group size, and other information the guest requested on the Google side.

You can only select one, but the choice is yours. If you don't have an OR hosted website, the choice is easy...the OwnerRez global landing page!  But users of hosted websites can choose either their hosted website OR select the OwnerRez global landing page (aka Public Booking Link).

The OwnerRez global landing page only supports the Instant Book option and does not currently support a Request to Book (RTB) option.

A Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) host can only use RTB if they have a hosted site configured for RTB and that hosted site must be selected as the GVR Landing Page. 

Selecting the OwnerRez Global Landing Page (aka Public Booking Link) does not automatically disable the Hosted Website premium feature. See the Turn Off Premium Features section of the Costs & Fees support article for instructions to turn off premium features.

I have a website, but it isn't an option to be selected for my Google Vacation Rentals Landing Page!

There could be a couple of reasons why your website is not listed as an option to select for your Google Vacation Rentals Landing Page.

Regardless, the OwnerRez Global Landing Page (aka Public Booking Link) is always available for selection for your GVR listing Landing Page.

The OwnerRez global landing page only supports the Instant Book option and does not currently support a Request to Book (RTB) option.

A Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) host can only use RTB if they have a hosted site configured for RTB and that hosted site must be selected as the GVR Landing Page. 

Will selecting the OwnerRez Global Landing Page mean that my Hosted Website premium feature is simultaneously disabled or turned off?

No. You are free to select the OwnerRez Global Landing Page (aka Public Booking Link) for your Google Vacation Rentals Landing Page. However, doing so does not automatically disable the Hosted Website premium feature. See the Turn Off Premium Features section of the Costs & Fees support article for instructions to turn off premium features.

The OwnerRez global landing page only supports the Instant Book option and does not currently support a Request to Book (RTB) option.

A Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) host can only use RTB if they have a hosted site configured for RTB and that hosted site must be selected as the GVR Landing Page. 

Can I reactivate my disabled Google Vacation Rentals listing?

No. If your Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) API connection is already inactive, be sure that it is disabled first. Then, create a new GVR) API connection.

Which is better? My hosted website or the Google Vacation Rentals Platform?

GVR does not offer potential guests any shopping cart or payment screens when they book a property. All booking traffic comes across to OwnerRez. You can either use an OwnerRez hosted website or our global landing page (aka Public Booking Link). Both the hosted website and global landing page are hosted and run on the OwnerRez side.

Is GVR available to OwnerRez users using the WordPress Plugin?

GVR is available to all users, whether you use a WP Plugin website or not. If you use a WP Plugin website, you'll need to use our global landing page (aka Public Booking Link) option for the landing page that GVR should use when referring booking traffic. 

If you are wondering if you can refer GVR booking traffic directly to your WP Plugin website (instead of the global landing page), OwnerRez currently has no ETA for doing that. OwnerRez started building the GVR integration with that in mind - allowing custom websites - but it proved too difficult due to Google's enforced Price Accuracy Policy. Custom websites (including both WP Plugins and widgets) have a very high rate of inaccuracy when it comes to price matches - this is for a variety of reasons that don't necessarily include actual pricing. For instance, the style of the page (headline, photos, etc) can make price accuracy fail as well. 

The OwnerRez global landing page only supports the Instant Book option and does not currently support a Request to Book (RTB) option.

A Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) host can only use RTB if they have a hosted site configured for RTB and that hosted site must be selected as the GVR Landing Page. 

My GVR listing isn't active yet, and it's been longer than anticipated to become active. What can I do?

For reasons unknown, sometimes GVR API connections get hung up in the connection process. OwnerRez recommends that users navigate to Settings > Channels > their Google Vacation Rentals channel > click on the right-side Actions menu and select Check Status.

GVR Actions > Check Status

For whatever reason, there have been reports that clicking on Check Status caused GVR API connections to suddenly become active.

We've also seen GVR Listing Statuses marked as active, but the link is not live or clickable. OwnerRez recommends patience while you wait for your GVR listing to become live, as GVR can be unpredictable. 

Can I use a non-OwnerRez landing page as my GVR landing page?

No, it is not possible to use landing pages from another platform.

Can I switch my GVR Landing Page back to my hosted website or vice versa?

Yes, switching to the global landing page (aka Public Booking Link) or back to your OR hosted website, is always an option and available to you by changing your Landing Page selection on your GVR API Integration page.

I can see my Google Maps "pin" on the Google Vacation Rentals map, but clicking on it does not open my Google Business Profile or my Google Maps profile. Why?

Frustrating right? There is no connection or affiliation between Google Vacation Rentals (GVR), Google Maps, or Google Business Profiles (formerly Google My Business) so Google Map "pins" are unclickable in the GVR map. 

Unfortunately, this issue is outside of OwnerRez's control. 

Can I integrate my RV and Tent camping spots on Google Vacation Rentals?

No. Google Vacation Rentals does not support RV or Tent camping spots.

Property Settings

Can I integrate my mutually blocked properties on Google Vacation Rentals (GVR)?

While Mutually blocked properties can be GVR-integrated, they do not act as expected on Google Vacation Rentals (GVR). OwnerRez's experience suggests that properties that are mutually blocked are either blocked altogether or aggregated together.

How long does it take for my changes or updates to appear on my already GVR-integrated property to appear live on Google Vacation Rentals?

OwnerRez's experience suggests that any changes or updates on already GVR-integrated properties can take between 2-4 days minimum.

Can I list my Shared-space property on Google Vacation Rentals?

No. Private rooms or Room-sharing is not currently supported in GVR. They only support full properties.

I'm moving from another PMS to OwnerRez, and my property is already listed on Google Vacation Rentals. Do I have to start all over?

Yes. OR cannot transfer GVR listings from other PMSs.

I was part of the Google Vacation Rentals Private Beta and have a GVR Brand. Can I change or update my GVR Brand?

No. OwnerRez users who were part of the initial Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) Private Beta integration fully tested GVR Brands. OwnerRez determined that the ability to add or edit GVR Brands was problematic and is no longer available to Private Beta users.

GVR Brand information was originally pulled from your Account Theming (Settings > Branding & Legal > Theming).

New GVR Public Beta participants are not able to add GVR Brands.

Why are my photos out of order on my Google Vacation Rentals listing?

The order of photos displayed on Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) do not act as expected, and OwnerRez has no control over the photo order displayed on GVR listings. 

Google Artificial Intelligence (AI) chooses the order with influence from guest search terms. 

OwnerRez has noticed that many properties have photos from older aggregated listings or channels. These photos often have a source listed directly on the photo. Users can reach out to these alternate channels themselves to request that their listing be removed.

Do I need to add a Property Description Override for my Google Vacation Rentals listing?

While not necessary, you can add your own Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) Property Description Override.

What are the photo requirements for Google Vacation Rentals listings?

GVR property images must fulfill the following requirements. 

  • Each property should have a minimum of 8 photos (at least 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, and 1 common area) that must be larger than 1024 x 683. Listings with fewer than 5 images will be blocked from appearing on GVR.
  • All images must have captions or alt text for accessibility.
  • Use the best possible quality images, provided that they fit within the following constraints:
    • Recommended resolution: 1920 x 1080 px
    • Maximum height: 4000 px
    • Maximum width: 4000 px
    • Maximum overall size: 10 MB
    • File format: PNG (preferred) JPG, JPEG, 
    • Orientation: Landscape

OwnerRez has noticed that many properties have photos from older aggregated listings or channels. These photos often have a source listed directly on the photo. Users can reach out to these alternate channels themselves to request that their listing be removed.

Can I adjust my rates for my Google Vacation Rentals listing?

No rate adjustment field is included in the Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) integration as GVR prioritizes Price Accuracy.

If users must add a nightly rate adjustment, they can do so by adding a GVR surcharge set to add a flat fee per night to every night by navigating to Settings > Surcharges > Additional Guest Fees > Change > Criteria > Listing Sites > and selecting only Google Vacation Rentals. 

Properties requiring a minimum of 2 nights or more will most likely not have their nightly rates displayed on the Google Vacation Rentals(GVR) calendar picker since it is part of GVR's Hotel API geared towards one-night stays only.

Why can't I map my property in my Google Vacation Rentals integration?

Adding Property Mappings to your GVR listing shouldn't be necessary, as this process is generally automated by OwnerRez.

There could be a couple of reasons why users cannot map their property in their Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) integration.

First, users can only change the GVR property mappings in OwnerRez when their property/ies become live on their Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) Channel. Due to the manual onboarding process by GVR, users can expect 2+ weeks or more before their properties go live on Google Vacation Rentals.

Secondly, there may be a number of other reasons why users cannot map their property in their GVR integration, such as incompatible discounts, surcharges, widget settings or taxes.

The GVR Property Mapping may appear similar to this initially. Users are encouraged to run the Listing Quality Analyzer to help identify issues to be corrected for a successful connection. Still, each warning includes clear hyperlinked text to take users to the associated in-app areas for users to address the issue (rates, discounts, photos, surcharges, etc.) warned about.

GVR Property Mapping

How do I fix the Listing Quality Analyzer error "Apply Season by only supports split across?"

GVR doesn't really support seasons well. Your seasons must be configured to Split Across. Navigate to Settings > Pricing > Pricing Preferences > Change > Apply Season By > Split Across.

Settings > Pricing > Pricing Preferences > Change > Apply Season By > Split Across

My property is incorrectly listed on Google Vacation Rentals as an "Entire apartment" or some other incorrect property type. How can I fix that?

Google Vacation Rentals supports a limited number of property types. Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) will accept any value you select in OwnerRez. However, if your OwnerRez property type is not supported by GVR, they will categorize it into one of the listed categories in the Categories for Vacation rental (VR) categories.

You can change your property type to one of the currently supported GVR property types by navigating to your affected Property > Listing Content > Amenities > Change > Type > and from the OwnerRez dropdown menu, select one of the supported GVR property types that currently includes the following.

  • Apartment
  • Bungalow
  • Cabin
  • Chalet
  • Cottage
  • Gite
  • House
  • Villa