What is trivago? A Metasearch Guide to Increasing Bookings

Metasearch continues to grow in popularity every year and remains one of the key platforms where guests make their hotel decisions. Hotels that aren’t visible on metasearch risk losing significant demand simply because they’re missing one of the most critical touchpoints in the guest journey.

Not being listed on metasearch doesn’t just mean lower visibility. It also allows competing hotels to position themselves more advantageously and shapes price perception in their favor. If guests can’t see your hotel while comparing options, they’ll naturally choose the more visible alternatives, resulting in missed direct booking opportunities.

What is trivago and what does it do?

Known for the famous “Hotel? trivago.” ads, trivago is a metasearch platform that connects more than 50 million travelers each month with the right hotel. Founded in Germany in 2005, trivago’s core purpose is to make comparison easier for travelers. Once users select their travel dates and destination, trivago enables them to compare prices from millions of hotels across hundreds of sales channels.

Is trivago an online travel agency or a search engine?

trivago is a metasearch platform that allows users to compare hotel prices and availability. Thanks to its metasearch structure, guests can evaluate different properties and destinations in one place. Bookings are not made directly on trivago; instead, the platform redirects users to the most suitable sales channel, such as the hotel’s official website or online travel agencies.

trivago’s position in the global market

trivago is one of the most well-known and widely used hotel-focused metasearch platforms worldwide. With a strong presence in Europe, America, and Asia, it brings together millions of hotels and hundreds of online sales channels under one roof for easy comparison. With over 50 million monthly visitors, trivago is an important reference point, especially for travelers who care about price comparison and are close to making a booking.

Operating in 190 countries, trivago’s strength comes from its broad market coverage, localized language and currency options, and its ability to adapt to user behavior in different regions. This makes trivago a strategic metasearch channel for both international hotel chains and independent properties looking to gain global visibility.

How does trivago work?

When travelers enter their dates and destination while searching for their ideal stay, trivago analyzes millions of hotel offers across hundreds of sales channels and lists results based on price, popularity, and search criteria.

The ranking shown in search results is shaped by multiple factors such as price, the user’s preferences, and the performance of offers provided by sales channels. This structure gives guests a transparent and easy comparison experience, while positioning trivago as a powerful metasearch channel that drives high-intent traffic for hotels.

By listing the HotelRunner Booking Engine on your trivago account, travelers are directed straight to the property’s website. Prices and availability are managed directly by the property through HotelRunner, strengthening the direct booking strategy.

What is metasearch?

Metasearch is a type of search that compares results from multiple platforms based on a user’s query. Guests use metasearch platforms to compare hotel prices and availability, making it easy to evaluate the best option.

This allows travelers to compare without visiting dozens of websites individually, while hotels gain wider reach and attract high-intent traffic.

How does trivago increase your hotel’s visibility?

trivago speeds up the hotel search process and helps travelers find the most suitable option faster. As a result:

Your hotel’s prices across online travel agencies and direct booking channels are listed on a single screen, allowing you to appear more frequently in search results for users comparing rates.

High-intent traffic is captured, directing travelers who have finalized their dates and destination and are close to booking to your hotel.

Price competition becomes clearer, with rates from different channels displayed side by side, competitive offers stand out, and click-through rates can be increased with the right pricing strategy.

Thanks to trivago’s availability across multiple countries, languages, and currencies, your hotel becomes visible in the search results of international travelers.

Being listed multiple times across different channels strengthens brand visibility and improves brand recall.

Who is trivago best suited for?

trivago is ideal for hotels that want to increase online visibility, manage price competition more effectively, and strengthen booking potential. Because it targets travelers who compare prices and are close to booking, it’s one of the preferred platforms for hotels looking to diversify their sales strategy.

trivago is particularly effective for:

• Independent hotels: Helping them gain visibility in global markets and reach international travelers.
• Hotel chains: Offering an advantage by showing channel and pricing performance across different markets in one place.
• City hotels: Creating high conversion potential for short stays and business travel searches.
• Holiday and resort hotels: Supporting demand generation for early bookings and ahead of peak season.
• Revenue-focused hotels: Making price competition more transparent and enabling smarter pricing decisions.

What’s the most effective way to use trivago?

The best way to maximize results from trivago is to manage your metasearch visibility alongside your direct booking strategy. Metasearch marketing connects your property with travelers who are ready to book, and when supported by the right technology, it helps you increase direct revenue by reducing reliance on intermediaries.

HotelRunner Direct Plus is designed to unlock your property’s direct sales potential across metasearch channels. With a single click, it lists your hotel on powerful platforms like Google, trivago, and Neredekal.com, boosting online visibility and helping you reach travelers worldwide.

Thanks to HotelRunner’s Technical Agency status on trivago, reservations, promotions, cancellations, and additional services are automatically pushed to the trivago system. This technical agency structure helps properties stand out in trivago rankings. A 15% commission is applied only to actualized bookings made via trivago, with no fixed fees, setup costs, or additional charges beyond this commission.

Get in touch with our team to discover HotelRunner Direct Plus and improve your metasearch marketing strategy.