--- title: "Google Hotel × ONDA Webinar Q&A: Everything You Need to Know" description: "Google Hotel and D2C — a new wave hits the hospitality industry" published: 2021-10-15T03:15:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Insights" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65cec75137800e513a8e27d9_Frame_2.jpg" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=gugeulhotel-x-onda-webina-q-a-congjeongri locale: en --- # Google Hotel × ONDA Webinar Q&A: Everything You Need to Know Hi, we're **ONDA** — the hospitality B2B platform driving digital transformation in Korea's accommodation industry. Last September, we hosted a joint webinar with Google Hotel: **_"Google Hotel and D2C: A New Wave Hits the Hospitality Industry."_** Arindam Das (Head of Travel, Google Asia-Pacific), Kevin Oh (CEO, ONDA), and William Lee (Global Business Lead, ONDA) spoke. (\* Full video is on our YouTube channel '[**Yondadora**](https://bit.ly/Yondadora)') We've been flooded with questions from hoteliers since. For those who missed it, **here's the complete pre-submitted and live Q&A.** > **Q1. What sets Google Hotel apart from traditional OTAs?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fa8_62f4a26fbb6a827f295733f0_QNA1.png) **Kevin:** Traditional OTAs act as middlemen. But hotels want direct bookings — you want to recognize returning guests, comp them breakfast, build a relationship. That's hard through an OTA. **Google's 'Free Booking Link' sends guests straight to your hotel website.** It's a metasearch play — think HotelsCombined or AllStay in Korea. **The model is hotel-centric, not platform-centric.** > **Q2. What's ONDA's vision for growth?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fb5_62f4a2abcea08886f3fe6c25_QNA2.png) **Kevin:** From day one, we've aimed to be **hoteliers' best partner.** COVID accelerated digital adoption — it's no longer optional. We've equipped hotels with software, IoT hardware, and operational tools to run leaner. Moving forward, our mission stays the same: **help you receive more guests, spend less, and operate flexibly.** Expect more product launches in that direction. We appreciate your support. > **Q3. Can I trust ONDA with operations and marketing long-term? Will your fees stay reasonable?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1faf_62f4a2ecc11971c3819b0614_QNA3.png) **Kevin:** Absolutely. We'll take a fair commission — we're a business — but **our customers are hoteliers.** If you don't survive, we don't survive. **We're committed to building a healthy ecosystem together.** Trust us on that. > **Q4. I've never used a CMS. Will I struggle with your system?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fd3_62f4a3119c9f69ed2031bba9_QNA4.png) **William:** Our interface is **super intuitive.** Even first-time users learn it in under a week. We have manuals, and we're translating Google Hotel's English docs into Korean ourselves — we'll distribute them to anyone who needs them. > **Q5. Do I need a Google Ads account to use Google Hotel?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fbe_62f4a3a07168616c05ff0e53_QNA5.png) **William:** No, it's not required. Free Booking Links are, well, free. But **we recommend reinvesting your saved OTA commission into Google Ads** to drive more direct traffic. It's optional, but effective. > **Q6. What's Google Hotel's competitive edge over other platforms?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fc1_62f4a3e753e68c25cdc33e6b_QNA7.png) **Kevin:** Our advice: **list everywhere** — Yanolja, Yeogi Eottae, Google, you name it. Maximize your reach. But here's the difference: **Google reaches international travelers.** When foreigners visit Seoul, Gapyeong, or Jeju, they open Google Maps. Yanolja and Yeogi Eottae serve domestic guests. Google Hotel gives you global visibility. > **Q7. How do payments work on Google Hotel?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fd0_62f4a420a296b0017fb07917_QNA8.png) **William:** Google Hotel links to your hotel website. Payment happens there. If you use **ONDA Pay** (our PG), we settle funds to you later. If you prefer another payment gateway, we can integrate it — depends on cost. And here's the best part: **if a guest pays cash or via bank transfer, there's no card processing fee at all.** > **Q8. Will Google move its servers to Korea to improve Google Maps here?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fac_62f4a46644a9e55c2e9ed3f0_QNA9.png) **Kevin:** I can't speak for Google, but look at their investment in Google Travel — flights, restaurants, activities. **They're serious about the travel ecosystem.** I expect Google Maps in Korea to improve — higher resolution, better UX. Google's market share is climbing. Both Google and Naver will keep upgrading to win users. **Bet on the platforms investing in better service.** > **Q9. How do I rank higher in Google Hotel search results?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fb2_62f4a4a5ebca293e5ba6568d_QNA10.png) **William:** Google Hotel shows **the lowest price first.** Yes, OTAs also appear, but **if you offer the best rate on your direct site, you'll win.** There's a separate ad section for paid listings via Google Ads — those rank at the top. But here's the thing: **by saving OTA commission, you can afford to discount your direct price and rank organically.** We've tested this — it works. You don't need to stress over paid ads if your pricing is competitive. > **Q10. Will you hold more webinars like this?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fa0_62f4a4ea7a77e43d266cefb9_QNA11.png) **William:** This was our first, and **we plan to host more** to educate and support Korea's accommodation industry. If you're curious about Google Ads, our in-house marketing team can consult with you directly. Reach out — we're here to help. > **Q11. Is Google building a comprehensive travel platform?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407fa06a5231e6e2c1fc4_62f4a51747df1b644c2afbe7_QNA12.png) **Kevin:** Yanolja, Yeogi Eottae, Naver — they're domestic. Everything's going digital: hotels, tickets, restaurants, even currency. Google is a global player with way more reach than Naver's 60–70% domestic share. **Post-COVID, when international travel picks up, the first thing visitors open in Korea will be Google Maps.** They'll book accommodations, restaurants, and activities there. **That future is coming soon.** Prepare for it. Invest in it now. --- **_"A cutting-edge webinar in the hotel industry — you can really feel how prepared ONDA is. Trustworthy and forward-thinking."_** This feedback from an attendee means a lot. This was ONDA's first-ever online seminar. It started with _"Should we just try this?"_ — then came speaker coordination with Google, venue changes (four times!), tech glitches during rehearsals with overseas speakers, and a lot of nail-biting during the live broadcast. Every step had a problem. Every problem got solved thanks to our team, our partners at Google, and a bit of grit. **Just like we got help launching this webinar, ONDA is here to help you.** Our reason for existing is simple: **to drive digital transformation in Korea's hospitality industry.**