Google Vacation Rentals: Should I List on Google VR?

By: Albert Brown | Created: Apr 19, 2025

Where do these rental listings appear on Google? They show up in several places:

• Google Search – When a user searches for something like “vacation rentals in Florida,” a special carousel or module of rental listings appears, often above the regular search results​. It highlights properties with photos, prices, ratings, and key details.
  
  
• Google Maps – On Google Maps, available rentals are indicated by price pins on the map. Users can see properties in the area with their nightly rates at a glance​.
  
  
• Google Travel – Google’s travel hub (on desktop or mobile) now includes a Vacation Rentals section alongside Flights and Hotels, where travelers can apply filters and browse rentals in a dedicated interface​.
  
  

An example of Google Vacation Rentals search results. When travelers search for rentals in a region, Google displays available properties with photos, pricing, ratings, and a map view for easy browsing​. Clicking “View details” on a listing takes the user to the property’s booking page (on an OTA or the host’s site) to complete the reservation.

Because Google Vacation Rentals functions as an aggregator, it does not charge any booking commission or fees to hosts​. This is a key difference from traditional OTA platforms. Google’s role is simply to surface your listing to the massive audience using Google to plan trips, then refer them over to you or your listing partner to handle the actual booking. 

In other words, Google Vacation Rentals can drive direct, commission-free bookings by funneling guests straight to your website, or it can send guests to your OTA listing (if that’s how your property is connected). Either way, having your property appear on Google opens it up to millions of travelers searching on the world’s most popular search engine​.



Why List Your Rental on Google?

Should you bother getting your rental onto Google Vacation Rentals? Yes – if you want more bookings and better margins. Listing on Google can offer several compelling benefits for vacation rental owners and property managers:

• Huge Global Visibility: Google is the starting point for countless trip planners. By featuring your property on Google, you gain prime placement in front of high-intent travelers who are actively searching for vacation accommodations​. This global visibility can translate into more inquiries and bookings that you might not get through other channels alone.
  
  
• Commission-Free Bookings: Unlike OTAs that charge host fees or guest service fees (sometimes up to 15–25%), Google doesn’t take a cut of your booking​. If you connect Google to your direct booking website, you can avoid hefty OTA fees and keep more of your earnings​. Even if you integrate via an OTA, Google itself isn’t adding extra fees – you’re only paying the normal OTA commission in that case.
  
  
• Guest Trust and Convenience: A Google listing can lend credibility to your rental. Travelers often trust Google’s platforms; seeing your home listed there (with reviews, photos, and even a Google Maps view) can build confidence​. Moreover, the booking process is seamless for guests – they can discover your rental on Google Search or Maps and be one click away from booking on a familiar site​. It’s an enhanced guest experience when they can easily find and filter rentals via Google’s interface​.
  
  
• Control Over Branding and Guest Relationship: When you integrate through an official partner that supports direct bookings, your own branding can appear in the Google listing, and guests who click “visit site” go straight to your website​. This means you maintain full control of the guest from that point on – you handle the communication, payment, and hospitality, rather than ceding those to a third-party platform. You’re essentially using Google as a marketing channel to capture direct bookings under your brand.
  
  
• Competitive Edge: In a crowded rental market, being on Google can give you an edge. Many hosts rely solely on Airbnb or Vrbo; by also leveraging Google Vacation Rentals, you tap into an additional stream of guests that competitors might miss. It’s part of a robust, diversified marketing strategy. Plus, if you optimize your Google listing with professional photos, detailed descriptions, and competitive rates, you can stand out even more and convert those searches into bookings.
  
  

In short, Google Vacation Rentals can increase your property’s exposure and direct bookings while reducing your reliance on any single platform. You get more eyes on your listing without more fees. Now that we’ve covered the “why,” let’s look at how to actually get your vacation rental onto Google.

How to List Your Home on Google Vacation Rentals

Unlike Airbnb or Vrbo, you can’t go to Google and manually “create a listing” for your vacation home. Google pulls in vacation rental listings through integrated partners. To get your property on Google Vacation Rentals, you have two main paths: connect via an existing OTA listing or use a channel manager (connectivity partner) that Google supports​. Let’s explore both options:

Option 1: Using OTA Rental Listings

If your property is listed on major Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, Hopper, Booking.com, Homes & Villas by Marriott International  or others, there’s a good chance it may already appear on Google Vacation Rentals without you realizing it. Google aggregates data from certain OTAs that it partners with​. For example, a traveler searching Google might see your Airbnb listing in the results and be directed to Airbnb to book it. This route requires no additional setup on your part – it’s automatically handled by Google’s integration with the OTA.

However, relying on OTA integration has a couple of caveats. First, bookings will still go through the OTA, meaning you’ll pay the OTA’s normal commissions or fees (Google won’t charge extra, but you’re not avoiding the 15-20% cut OTAs take)​. 

Second, the branding and guest relationship belong to the OTA – the guest will be clicking a “View details” or “Book on Airbnb/Vrbo” button and not dealing with you directly until after booking. This is absolutely a viable way to get exposure on Google, but it doesn’t give you the commission savings or branding benefits of direct integration. 

If you’re already on these platforms, make sure your OTA listings are optimized (great photos, up-to-date rates and availability), since Google will reflect that info. Also, confirm that the OTA you use is one of Google’s partners (most big ones are).

Option 2: Google Vacation Rental Integration via a Channel Manager

The alternative (and often preferred) way to list on Google Vacation Rentals is through a channel manager or Property Management System (PMS) that is integrated with Google’s vacation rental program​. This is how you can get bookings that don’t incur OTA commissions – by connecting Google to your own direct booking website via a certified Google partner. In practice, this means using software (a channel manager/PMS) like Guesty, Rentals United, Hostfully, etc., which have established connections to Google’s platform​.

Here’s how the process typically works if you go this route:

• Meet Google’s Requirements: Ensure your property qualifies. Google generally only accepts entire home rentals (no shared rooms) that operate as short-term accommodations​. You must have a valid physical address for the listing. Google also expects high-quality content – at least 8 photos (with at least one photo per room), a detailed description, amenities, pricing, and availability synced via the partner feed​. Essentially, your listing needs to look professional and complete to be published on Google.
  
  
• Set Up a Direct Booking Channel: Since the goal is to get commission-free direct bookings, you’ll need a direct booking website or booking engine for your rental if you don’t have one already. Many channel managers (like Guesty) provide a “booking engine” or website for your properties that can be used for this purpose​. This is where Google will send guests to book. If you’re working with a property manager, they may handle this for you.
  
  
• Connect a Google-Integrated Channel Manager: Next, enable Google Vacation Rentals through your channel management software. In your channel manager’s dashboard, you’d select Google Vacation Rentals as a distribution channel and sync your listing data. For example, in Guesty you would go to the Distribution section, choose Google, and connect your listings​. The channel manager will then push your property info (photos, description, calendar availability, rates, etc.) to Google. Guesty describes this as publishing your listings to Google VR without commission or referral costs, resulting in more exposure and direct bookings​. This integration step may involve agreeing to any partner terms and a short setup process, but it’s usually straightforward.
  
  
• Verification and Go Live: Once connected, your listing doesn’t appear on Google instantly. Google will verify the incoming data for quality and policy compliance. New listings might show a “Pending” status for up to about 3 weeks while Google reviews everything​. This waiting period is normal – Google is ensuring your rental’s info meets their standards. After approval, your property will officially become discoverable on Google Vacation Rentals. Travelers will be able to find it via Google Search/Maps and click through to book on your site. (If for some reason a listing stays in pending status longer than a few weeks, you’d follow up with your channel manager’s support​.)
  
  
• Maintain and Optimize: With your Google feed set up, it’s important to keep your information up to date. Thankfully, your channel manager will sync any changes you make to your listing (pricing, calendar availability, etc.) automatically to Google every couple of days​. Still, you’ll want to monitor your listing’s performance. Make sure to optimize your content – use eye-catching, high-resolution photos, craft a compelling description highlighting unique features, and set competitive rates. High-quality listings not only attract more clicks on Google, but also presumably rank better in Google’s results​. And of course, continue providing great guest experiences to earn good reviews, as Google may display ratings that instill trust.
  
  

What does it cost? Google itself doesn’t charge you to be listed. If you use a channel manager, there might be a fee for that integration (for example, Guesty charges a flat $4 USD per listing per month for the Google VR channel​, unless you’re on a premium plan). Not all providers charge extra – some include Google integration for free or as part of a package. In any case, this fee is usually minor compared to typical OTA commissions. For a small cost, you get potentially commission-free bookings and a big marketing boost on Google’s platform.

In summary, the channel manager route is the way to go if you want to maximize profits and control. By partnering your vacation rental website with Google via a tool like Guesty, you open your doors to Google’s audience directly. If you’re not very tech-savvy, don’t worry – many property management companies can handle this entire setup for you (more on that shortly). The key takeaway is that listing on Google Vacation Rentals is very achievable: connect through an official partner, meet Google’s content standards, and your property can be on Google in front of millions, with no extra commissions taken out.

Multi-Platform Vacation Rental Marketing Strategy

Getting your home onto Google Vacation Rentals is fantastic – but it should be one piece of a larger marketing strategy. Successful vacation rental owners know not to put all their eggs in one basket. While Google can drive new direct bookings, you’ll likely still want to advertise on the big OTAs (Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.) and perhaps regional listing sites to capture as many travelers as possible. Each channel taps into a different audience: some people go straight to Airbnb to search, others prefer Google or Bing, and some might find you through word of mouth or social media.

By adopting a multi-platform marketing approach, you ensure your property is visible wherever your potential guests are looking. For example, you might maintain listings on Airbnb and Vrbo for their user bases, and have your own direct booking site connected to Google Vacation Rentals for those who search via Google. This broad coverage can significantly boost your occupancy and revenue. As Google’s own guide suggests, using Google VR can help increase visibility and reduce dependency on OTAs​ – in other words, it’s best used alongside other platforms to diversify your booking sources.

That said, managing multiple channels can be a handful – keeping calendars synced, responding to inquiries from various sites, optimizing each listing’s content, etc. This is where professional property management can add a lot of value. According to Home Team Luxury Rentals, a full-service vacation rental management company, holistic marketing across OTAs and search engines is crucial for high visibility​. They emphasize ensuring listings are optimized on every platform to maximize occupancy and ROI​. In practice, that means not only getting on Google Vacation Rentals, but also expertly managing your presence on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and more, then adjusting strategy based on what’s working.

Partner with Home Team Luxury Rentals

If the idea of juggling Google integrations, channel managers, and multi-platform listings feels overwhelming, you don’t have to do it alone. Home Team Luxury Rentals can be your partner in achieving multi-platform vacation rental success. We are a dedicated short-term rental management company that takes care of everything – from marketing and booking management to guest communication and property maintenance.

When you partner with Home Team Luxury Rentals, we leverage a multi-platform marketing strategy that includes Google Vacation Rentals. In fact, we automatically list and optimize your property across all major channels: not just Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, but also on Google’s vacation rental search. Our proven approach ensures your home gets maximum exposure without you having to lift a finger​. We handle the integration with Google via our advanced channel management system, meaning your listing stays updated and appears to travelers searching on Google. At the same time, we manage your OTA listings to keep those bookings flowing too.

The result? You capture bookings from every corner of the market, and we work to fill your calendar at the highest possible rates.

Ready to take your vacation rental business to the next level? Let Home Team Luxury Rentals do the heavy lifting. With our expertise, you’ll tap into Google Vacation Rentals and all top rental platforms, all under a unified strategy to maximize your income. Contact Home Team Luxury Rentals today to see how we can elevate your property’s performance. Partnering with us means you get to enjoy truly hands-off income while we handle the marketing, integrations, and guest experience. Join us and unlock your property’s full potential across Google and beyond!

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