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 google-flights 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 results, you MAY visit a hotel's own website for direct booking/promo checks.

Session Convention

Always use --session hotels for isolation.

URL Fast Path (Preferred)

Build a URL with location and dates encoded. Loads results in 3 commands.

Encoding Dates in the URL

Google Hotels uses a protobuf-encoded ts parameter. Use this bash function to generate it:

bash
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='
}
# hotel_ts CHECKIN_YEAR MONTH DAY CHECKOUT_YEAR MONTH DAY NIGHTS
# hotel_ts 2026 3 15 2026 3 20 5  → CAEaIAoCGgASGhIUCgcI6g8QAxgPEgcI6g8QAxgUGAUyAggB

Years 2025-2030, months 1-12, days 1-31, nights 1-127.

Example: Hotels in Bangkok, March 15-20

bash
ts=$(hotel_ts 2026 3 15 2026 3 20 5)
agent-browser --session hotels open "https://www.google.com/travel/search?q=Hotels+in+Bangkok&qs=CAE4AA&ts=${ts}&ap=MAE"
agent-browser --session hotels wait --load networkidle
agent-browser --session hotels snapshot -i
agent-browser --session hotels close

Location Formats

City: Hotels+in+Bangkok | Neighborhood: Hotels+in+Shibuya+Tokyo | Near landmark: Hotels+near+Eiffel+Tower | Specific hotel: Haus+im+Tal+Munich

Without Dates

Omit ts, qs, ap parameters — shows "starting from" prices:

bash
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

Result Format

| # | 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 |

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 | | Use fill not type for text inputs | 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 | OTA navigation during search breaks flow | | Calendar navigation with "<" / ">" | May open on wrong month — navigate and re-snapshot |

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 interactively | | Calendar on wrong month | Use "<" / ">" arrows; re-snapshot after navigating | | Calendar overlay blocking snapshot | Press Escape, re-snapshot, re-open date picker | | CAPTCHA | Inform user. Do NOT solve. Retry after a short wait. | | Map view instead of list | Click "List" or "View list" toggle |

Post-Search: Direct Booking Check

After presenting results, offer: "Want me to check hotel]'s direct website for promo codes or member rates? Direct booking is often cheaper."

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

Look for: direct booking price (often 5-15% cheaper), promo banners, "Book Direct" incentives, loyalty member rates. For chain hotels (IHG, Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Hyatt), mention their loyalty programs.

For full interactive workflow (calendar navigation, guest/room selector, filters), see references/interaction-patterns.md.