On 8 September 2026 Reuters reported, and Hotel Online republished, that Google has launched in Europe a revamped layout of its results for accommodation, flights and restaurants. The change is linked to the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA).

What is confirmed

The European Commission announced on 23 July 2026 that it is imposing a fine of EUR 460 million on Google for the way it ranks its own services for shopping, hotels, transport and sport against those of others. The Commission gives 60 days to end the infringement, otherwise periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of the company's worldwide turnover are possible. The amount, the deadline and the penalties are as reported by Reuters; we could not open the Commission's page.

The change in the results itself is described by Reuters. We found no primary text from Google about it; the statements are by Nick Fox, senior vice president at Google, and by an unnamed employee, as relayed by Reuters. That is why we write only what is repeated across several outlets.

What the results look like

According to the descriptions, one specialised comparison site is at the very top, followed by two more with fewer details. Below them is a list of hotels, airlines and restaurants from which some features have been removed, including real-time prices. The order is determined by Google's algorithm. According to Google, the change does not affect users outside the European Union.

What Google claims

Google says the Commission presents it as levelling the playing field, but according to Google the new layout gives an advantage to intermediaries such as Expedia or Booking.com over the properties themselves. Fox claims the changes harm users. Google adds that after earlier changes, free direct booking traffic to European properties fell by 30% and it expects a further drop. These assessments are Google's; Reuters does not give any data with which to verify them.

What this means for a small property

Nobody can say in advance how many more or fewer guests you will see. But some things depend only on you:

  • Check how your property appears in Google when searching by its name and by "hotel in Devin" or your town, and write down what you see right now.
  • Make sure the phone, address and opening hours are the same on the website, in your Google profile and on the platforms.
  • If you show a "from" price, keep it updated, because the guest will look for it on your website, not in the list.
  • Track where your enquiries come from over the coming weeks and compare with the summer.

There are details about your own website in the guide to a small hotel's website and in the glossary of direct reservations.