Vancouverites looking to browse for accommodation on the road can take advantage of some new user-friendly features from Google.
Google announced the addition of a few new tools on April 3, including ones that help travellers research hotels, book plane tickets at the lowest price, and discover activities and tours while on vacation.
While online shoppers may have found Google's trademark hotel map outdated, a new travel feature for smartphones allows them to scroll property photos, information, location, food and services, reviews, and much more in a user-friendly carousel.
Users just need to search for hotels in a city and they will be presented with several "swipeable" options. The options allow them to get the full hotel details without navigating off Google, which means they can easily look at another property.
"With a single tap, you can also save the hotel, pull up more details about the area, or view a summary of what people find notable about the property. When you’re done, just swipe up to continue browsing," according to Google.
Google Flights price guarantee is not available in Canada
Google has also rolled out a price guarantee pilot project for U.S. residents. If they purchase a ticket from the platform and the price drops before travel, travellers will be sent back the difference via Google Pay.
Naturally, the guarantee is only available for flights booked on Google itself and not on trips that navigate off the platform. And, sadly, Canucks can't score on the low-price airfare guarantee at this time; you must live in the U.S. to cash in.
Google has also introduced a new way to explore your destination. Travellers simply search for an attraction or tour in Search or Maps and will find ticket prices and a link to book tickets. They will also get information about similar experiences in the city.
