Google Hotels Search

Search Google Hotels via agent-browser to find hotel prices, ratings, amenities, and availability.

When to Use

User asks to search, find, or compare hotels or accommodation

User wants hotel prices in a city, neighborhood, or near a landmark

User asks about hotel availability for specific dates

User wants the best-rated or cheapest hotel in an area

When NOT to Use

Booking

This skill searches only — never complete a purchase

Vacation rentals / Airbnb

Google Hotels shows hotels, not rentals

Flights

Use the flight-search skill

Historical prices

Google Hotels shows current prices only NEVER leave Google Hotels during search — do not navigate to Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, or any OTA as a search workaround. Exception: after presenting results, you MAY visit the hotel's own website for direct booking/promo checks (see Post-Search ). Session Convention Always use --session hotels for isolation. URL Fast Path (Preferred) Build a URL with location and dates encoded. Loads results directly — 3 commands total . URL Template https://www.google.com/travel/search?q={QUERY}&qs=CAE4AA&ts={TS_PARAM}&ap=MAE Where {QUERY} is the location/hotel name and {TS_PARAM} is a base64-encoded date parameter. Encoding Dates in the URL Google Hotels uses a protobuf-encoded ts parameter for dates. The byte layout is fixed for years 2025-2030. Use this bash function to generate it: hotel_ts ( ) { local ci_y = $1 ci_m = $2 ci_d = $3 co_y = $4 co_m = $5 co_d = $6 nights = $7 local cyl = $( printf '%02x' $(( ( $ci_y & 0x7f ) | 0x80 ) )) local cyh = $( printf '%02x' $(( $ci_y

7 ) ) ) local col = $( printf '%02x' $(( ( $co_y & 0x7f ) | 0x80 ) )) local coh = $( printf '%02x' $(( $co_y

7 ) ) ) echo -n "08011a200a021a00121a12140a0708 ${cyl} ${cyh} 10 $( printf '%02x' $ci_m ) 18 $( printf '%02x' $ci_d ) 120708 ${col} ${coh} 10 $( printf '%02x' $co_m ) 18 $( printf '%02x' $co_d ) 18 $( printf '%02x' $nights ) 32020801" \ | xxd -r -p | base64 | tr -d '\n=' }

Usage: hotel_ts CHECKIN_YEAR MONTH DAY CHECKOUT_YEAR MONTH DAY NIGHTS

Example: hotel_ts 2026 3 15 2026 3 20 5

Output: CAEaIAoCGgASGhIUCgcI6g8QAxgPEgcI6g8QAxgUGAUyAggB

Constraints

Years 2025-2030, months 1-12, days 1-31, nights 1-127. These cover all realistic hotel searches. Location Formats Format Example City Hotels+in+Bangkok City + country Hotels+in+Bangkok+Thailand Neighborhood Hotels+in+Shibuya+Tokyo Near landmark Hotels+near+Eiffel+Tower Region Hotels+in+Amalfi+Coast Airport Hotels+near+BKK+airport Specific hotel Haus+im+Tal+Munich URL vs Interactive Features Feature Via URL? Location ✅ Yes (via q= ) Dates ✅ Yes (via ts= ) Guests / rooms ❌ Set interactively (default: 1 room, 2 guests) Filters (stars, price, amenities) ❌ Set interactively Example: Hotels in Bangkok, March 15-20

Step 1: Generate ts parameter

ts

$( hotel_ts 2026 3 15 2026 3 20 5 )

Step 2: Open with location + dates — results load immediately

agent-browser --session hotels open "https://www.google.com/travel/search?q=Hotels+in+Bangkok&qs=CAE4AA&ts= ${ts} &ap=MAE" agent-browser --session hotels wait --load networkidle agent-browser --session hotels snapshot -i

Step 3: Extract results from snapshot, then close

agent-browser --session hotels close Example: Specific Hotel with Dates ts = $( hotel_ts 2026 3 9 2026 3 12 3 ) agent-browser --session hotels open "https://www.google.com/travel/search?q=Haus+im+Tal+Munich&qs=CAE4AA&ts= ${ts} &ap=MAE" agent-browser --session hotels wait --load networkidle agent-browser --session hotels snapshot -i agent-browser --session hotels close Without Dates (Location Only) If the user doesn't specify dates, omit the ts , qs , and ap parameters: agent-browser --session hotels open "https://www.google.com/travel/search?q=Hotels+in+Bangkok" agent-browser --session hotels wait --load networkidle agent-browser --session hotels snapshot -i Results will show "starting from" prices. Set dates interactively if the user provides them later (see deep-dive reference ). For detailed interactive workflows (calendar navigation, guest/room selector, filters), see the deep-dive reference . Result Format Present results as a single rich table: | # | Hotel | Stars | Rating | Price/Night | Total | Via | Key Amenities | |---|-------|-------|--------|-------------|-------|-----|---------------| | 1 | Sukhothai Bangkok | ★★★★★ | 9.2 | $185 | $925 | Hotels.com | Pool, Spa, WiFi | | 2 | Centara Grand | ★★★★★ | 8.8 | $165 | $825 | Booking.com | Pool, Gym, WiFi | | 3 | Ibis Sukhumvit | ★★★ | 7.4 | $45 | $225 | Agoda | WiFi, Restaurant | Parallel Sessions Only use when the user explicitly asks for a comparison between distinct searches (e.g., "Compare hotels in Shibuya vs Shinjuku"). agent-browser --session shibuya open "https://www.google.com/travel/search?q=Hotels+in+Shibuya+Tokyo" & agent-browser --session shinjuku open "https://www.google.com/travel/search?q=Hotels+in+Shinjuku+Tokyo" & wait agent-browser --session shibuya wait --load networkidle & agent-browser --session shinjuku wait --load networkidle & wait

Set dates in both sessions, then snapshot both

agent-browser --session shibuya snapshot -i agent-browser --session shinjuku snapshot -i agent-browser --session shibuya close & agent-browser --session shinjuku close & wait Key Rules Rule Why Prefer URL fast path with ts= 3 commands with dates vs 10+ interactive wait --load networkidle Smarter than fixed wait 5000 Always encode dates in URL when available Use hotel_ts to generate the ts parameter Use fill not type for text Clears existing text first Wait 2s after typing location Autocomplete needs API roundtrip Click suggestions, never Enter Enter is unreliable for autocomplete Re-snapshot after every interaction DOM changes invalidate refs Check for "View prices" Means dates aren't set yet Never leave Google Hotels during search Exception: hotel's own site for direct booking check after results Navigate calendar with "<" and ">" Calendar may open on wrong month — use arrows to go backward or forward Troubleshooting Problem Solution Consent popup Click "Accept all" or "Reject all" URL fast path fails Fall back to google.com/travel/hotels interactive flow No results / "View prices" Set check-in and check-out dates Calendar opens on wrong month Use "<" arrow to navigate backward or ">" to go forward. Always re-snapshot after navigating to confirm target month is visible Snapshot blocked by calendar overlay Press Escape to close the calendar, re-snapshot, then re-open the date picker and try again Stale pricing Prices are real-time and indicative — mention this caveat Currency mismatch Google uses browser locale currency — note any discrepancy CAPTCHA Inform user. Do NOT solve. Retry after a short wait Map view instead of list Click "List" or "View list" toggle Hotel not found Try variations: full name, shorter name, name + city, name + neighborhood Post-Search: Direct Booking & Deals After presenting results, always ask the user if they'd like you to check for better deals. Phrase it like: "Want me to check [hotel name]'s direct website for promo codes or member rates? Direct booking is often cheaper than OTAs." When to Offer Always when the user searches for a specific hotel by name Always when results show a single clear winner the user is interested in On request when comparing multiple hotels — offer for whichever they pick What to Check Open the hotel's own website in a new session ( --session direct ) and look for: Direct booking price — often 5-15% cheaper than OTAs (Booking.com, Expedia, etc.) Promo codes — look for banners, pop-ups, or a "offers"/"deals"/"promotions" page Member/loyalty rates — "sign up for X% off first booking" or free membership discounts Package deals — breakfast included, free cancellation, parking bundles Seasonal promotions — holiday specials, early bird rates, last-minute deals

After Google Hotels search is done, visit hotel's direct site

agent-browser --session direct open "https://www.example-hotel.com" agent-browser --session direct wait --load networkidle agent-browser --session direct snapshot -i

Look for: promo banners, "offers" or "deals" links, booking widget prices

agent-browser --session direct close Chain Hotel Loyalty Programs If the hotel belongs to a major chain, mention the loyalty program — members often get better rates, room upgrades, or points: Chain Brands Loyalty Program Typical Member Perks IHG Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Kimpton, Indigo IHG One Rewards Member rate (often cheapest), points earning, 4th night free on reward stays Marriott Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, W, Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Aloft Marriott Bonvoy Member rate, mobile check-in, points/miles Hilton Hilton, DoubleTree, Hampton, Conrad, Waldorf Astoria Hilton Honors Member discount, 5th night free on reward stays, digital key Accor Sofitel, Novotel, ibis, Mercure, Moxy, Fairmont ALL - Accor Live Limitless Member rates, status benefits Hyatt Hyatt, Andaz, Park Hyatt, Thompson World of Hyatt Member rate, free night awards, suite upgrades How to Identify the Chain The Google Hotels snapshot often includes the chain name: "Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 by IHG" → IHG "Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok" → Marriott "Hilton Munich City" → Hilton "Novotel Muenchen City" → Accor No chain suffix → likely independent (check their website directly) Independent Hotels For independent/boutique hotels (like Haus im Tal): Check their website for promo codes (often shown in banners or a dedicated "Offers" page) Look for "Book Direct" incentives (best price guarantee, free extras) Check if they offer a newsletter signup discount Mention the hotel name + "promo code" in a web search if the site doesn't show any Present the Comparison After checking, present a direct vs OTA comparison:

Haus im Tal — Booking Comparison