Google teams up with OTAs to book hotels with AI right from search

Google is making a move in hotel distribution and it's not a small one. According to Hosteltur, the search giant is closing deals with OTAs and hotel chains so users can book a room with AI without leaving the search results page. That means travelers won't need to jump to Booking, Expedia or the hotel's own website to complete the purchase: they'll do it all right from search.

For Dominican hotels, this is a paradigm shift. If Google becomes the direct point of sale, the guest relationship goes through a third party that also controls the data. Chains managing inventory from Punta Cana, Bávaro or Puerto Plata will have to carefully negotiate margins and decide what information to share. Because, mind you, Google's AI can also suggest a hotel based on your history, which reshapes competition among destinations.

My take: this isn't a threat, it's an opportunity for those who adapt. Hoteliers investing in tech and first-party data today will be able to use these alliances to reach more travelers without relying only on legacy OTAs. The key will be balance: if the channel is transparent and respects the guest relationship, the whole Caribbean tourism ecosystem wins.