Leaving Hostaway because of their booking fee?

Google Vacation Rentals Connectivity Partner

Status: Released 370 Votes
Shawn H
Mar 13, 2024 10:41 AM
OR Team Member Joined Aug, 2021 257 posts

Hello all! We have some exciting news (that happens to coincide with Vacation Rental Week 2024). Google Vacation Rentals is now self-service for all users! We wanted to get the word out as soon as possible, but more details are coming in a Product Update blog post later this week. In the meantime, you can read on for a few details and use the links to the current support articles for more information.

We thank those who participated in the Private Beta to help us make it a robust integration!

Please note:

1. Once you turn on Google Vacation Rentals, it's a 2-3 week wait on the Google side before your listing(s) start showing up.

2. Users are no longer required to have an OwnerRez Hosted Website (premium feature) to use Google Vacation Rentals. If you turned on a Hosted Website just for GVR, you no longer need it, unless you want to keep it. Instead, we have released a "The OwnerRez global landing page" option under the Google Vacation Rentals API settings. Prospective guests will be sent to this new landing page where they can see the quote details of the dates they've selected; they can change any of those selections before they click "Book Now," which will send them to the current guest quote acceptance booking form. It will also show any branding you have set up under Theming. Here's a screenshot below of what it looks like, generally.

3. If you have a hosted website and want to use it, you can. You are not required to use the global landing page option.

Support article links:

Google Vacation Rentals Overview

Google Vacation Rentals Setup & Connecting

Google Vacation Rentals Common Issues & Questions

Tim C
Apr 25, 2024 11:21 AM
Joined Apr, 2022 2 posts

I haven't had any requests at all. I find it difficult to even find my vacation home via Google Vacation Rentals. I actually lost visibility because Google saw that we were a vacation rental home and removed our Google business page. :( Somewhat disappointed. Not OwnerRez fault...but hope Google gets better over time.

RentGrandLake
Apr 25, 2024 11:35 AM
Joined Jun, 2020 9 posts

Our business page is up and designated as home stay. Maybe they will take ours down too eventually. 

No interest on GVR so far. 

Great Smoky Vaca
Apr 25, 2024 11:40 AM
Joined Sep, 2020 9 posts

I think some people have had great success.  We have had a couple bookings.  But I can't really tell if they are direct bookings or from google vacation rentals.  I ask what website people found us on and the last person said a google search.  Which doesn't really tell me what website he ended up on.

Jen M
Apr 25, 2024 1:55 PM
Joined Dec, 2022 2 posts

Big fat nothing for me. Not only is the picture not showing the one I want it to, suddenly my listing is not active at all. Been a big bust for me. I am waiting for someone from OR to get back to me on this as we speak.  I feel your pain.

Michele W
Apr 25, 2024 2:03 PM
Joined Sep, 2018 48 posts

We've had one request and that has been it for us. We had hoped for so much more. Airbnb just dominates the nightly rentals in our market with VRBO coming in second. 

Rex C
Apr 25, 2024 5:46 PM
OR Team Member Joined Aug, 2021 53 posts

Hi Jen,

Please search your mailbox for a message from help@ownerrez.com as a reply to your ticket. I show that Adria replied to you on Monday evening. I will resend it just in case it got lost.

Chris L
Apr 25, 2024 6:11 PM
Joined May, 2017 207 posts

We've been live for several months now on Google Vacation Rentals.  I had high hopes that it would be a valuable addition to our channel lineup.  But our experience so far is absolutely nothing.  Was wondering how it is working for others?  Is it just us that it has been a total bust for?

by Linda S – Apr 25, 2024 3:07 PM (UTC)

I did get one booking shortly after it went live, but then nothing since then.