Metasearch

Metasearch engines aggregate hotel rates and availability from multiple sources — OTAs, hotel brand websites, and wholesalers — and display them side-by-side on a single results page. Unlike OTAs, they don't process the booking themselves; they redirect users to the chosen partner to complete the reservation.

Major hotel metasearch players

• Google Hotel Ads (formerly Hotel Finder, now part of Google's hotel search)
• trivago
• Kayak
• TripAdvisor
• HotelsCombined
• Skyscanner Hotels

How hotels use metasearch

Hotels and OTAs bid for placement on metasearch results, typically through a CPC (cost-per-click) or commission-on-stay model. Metasearch is one of the most effective channels for direct-booking recovery — it lets a hotel place its brand.com offer next to OTA listings, often winning back guests who started their search on an OTA.

Metasearch vs OTA

• OTA — sells the room directly, processes the booking, takes commission
• Metasearch — compares prices across sources, redirects to the seller, charges per click or per booking