While aiming to comply with EU gatekeeper rules, Google’s new layout risks entrenching aggregator dominance and sidelining direct hotel bookings
Jul 8, 2025
Google has proposed a revised search layout to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), but new analysis reveals a potential bias: the new design tends to privilege large travel intermediaries like Booking.com over individual hotel properties. The solution, while technically fulfilling DMA requirements, may shift the balance—favoring aggregator platforms instead of empowering direct sellers like independent hotels.
Key takeaways
- Aggregator-first visibility: Google’s “Option B” adds two stacked boxes under its search results: a vertical search service (VSS) module and, below it, a free-links box to suppliers. However, aggregators such as Booking.com dominate the supplier box—boosting their exposure over direct hotel links.
- Unintended bias: Despite being designed to level the playing field, the supplier box actually highlights large intermediaries with better SEO resources and bidding power, marginalizing individual hotel websites and smaller platforms.
- Regulatory optics: Google’s strategy technically meets the DMA’s anti-self-preferencing rule, but subtly retains its advantage by steering users toward dominant aggregators. This clever workaround could satisfy regulators without truly empowering hotels.
- Rival concerns: Competing travel services, especially smaller operators and independent hoteliers, are concerned this solution will entrench Booking.com’s position.
- User experience vs. fairness tension: Google argues its solution preserves user experience. However, analysts notes that meaningful compliance should not just be cosmetic—it should redistribute visibility in an equitable way, not simply repackage it.
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