Google Tests Simplified Hotel Search in EU to Address Regulatory Demands

The temporary experiment in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia removes maps and detailed hotel features to evaluate compliance with the Digital Markets Act.

Google is conducting a short-term test in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia that reverts hotel search results to a basic 'ten blue links' format.
The experiment eliminates features like interactive maps, pricing details, and hotel reviews, which have been central to Google's search experience.
This test is part of Google's ongoing efforts to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, which prohibits self-preferencing by major tech platforms.
Google claims that previous changes to comply with the DMA have led to a 30% drop in direct booking clicks for airlines, hotels, and small retailers.
The company describes the test as reluctant and temporary, aiming to assess the impact on user experience and website traffic before reverting to normal results.