As a hotel, holiday park, umbrella organisation or reseller, you are probably leaving revenue on the table on channels where you have little or no visibility today. Performance Max for Travel (PMax for Travel) gives you the tools to be present throughout the full funnel: from people who are still exploring on YouTube or Maps, to people actively searching for “holiday park Zeeland” or even looking up your brand directly.
It is a direct complement to what you are probably already doing on Search. In this article, we explain what Performance Max for Travel is, how it works and how to get started.
Table of contents
What is Performance Max for Travel?
PMax for Travel is a Google Ads campaign type built specifically for the hospitality sector. Hotels, holiday parks, campsites, bungalow parks: any accommodation with its own booking flow can use it. It can also be a valuable option if you sell accommodation as a reseller.
What sets it apart from a regular PMax campaign is its connection to accommodation data. This allows Google to show live prices and availability to people who are actively looking for a place to stay, which is precisely the moment you want to stand out.
Rather than managing separate campaigns per channel, PMax for Travel brings everything together in a single campaign. Google’s AI distributes the budget across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Maps and Google Hotel Ads, and continuously optimises based on behavioural signals.
Google Hotel Ads in the search results for Amsterdam, with live room prices and availability.
How does it work in practice?
Imagine you manage a hotel in Amsterdam. You set up a PMax for Travel campaign with a daily budget and a ROAS target. You link your accommodation and add assets: photos of the rooms, a short video, compelling headlines and a description of what makes your property unique.
From that point, Google’s AI takes the wheel. Someone watching YouTube videos about a city trip to Amsterdam? They might see your hotel imagery. Someone searching on Maps for accommodation near the Rijksmuseum? They see your live room prices. And someone actively comparing options in Google Hotels sees your property alongside the competition, with a direct link to your booking page.
What makes this so powerful: Google uses its own hotel data (location, amenities, star rating) to automatically add relevant audience signals. You do not have to do this manually.
What does it deliver?
Google reports an average of 18% more incremental conversions for advertisers who switch to Performance Max. What we see ourselves with clients who have integrated PMax for Travel: ROAS is on average approximately 10% higher than with regular Search campaigns.
That is remarkable, because with PMax for Travel you reach a much broader range of channels, from YouTube to Maps, for a higher return. For us, it is proof that this is no longer an experimental channel, but a fully established part of any travel advertising strategy. Curious what else is changing in paid media? Read our 7 online advertising trends for travel and leisure in 2026.
Google Maps results for holiday park De Krim on Texel, with price comparison including a direct booking option via the “Official site”.
Two ways to set up PMax for Travel
There are two routes to connect PMax for Travel to your accommodation data. Which one suits you best depends on your situation. The section below explains the technical choice; in both cases, Red takes care of the campaign setup and management.
Option 1: via Hotel Center (our partner: Adchieve)
Hotel Center is Google’s own platform for managing accommodation feeds. Through a connection between Hotel Center and Google Ads, your campaign has real-time access to live prices and availability per room. Every change in your booking system is immediately reflected in your ads.
This route is particularly suitable if you manage multiple locations and real-time pricing is a core part of your advertising strategy. For Red clients who choose this route, we work with Adchieve, an experienced partner in Hotel Center integrations.
Option 2: via Google Maps pin (set up by Red)
Google Ads also offers a simpler entry option: you connect your accommodation via a Google Maps URL or the hotel picker directly in Google Ads. Red can fully set up and maintain this connection for you.
This approach is ideal if you have a single location, or if you want to get started without an extensive feed integration. You still get all the benefits of the campaign (omnichannel reach, AI optimisation and property-level reporting) with a much lower technical barrier. For many of our clients, this is the fastest way to go live.
| Hotel Center (Adchieve) | Google Maps pin (Red) | |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable for | Multiple locations, live prices | Single property, quick start |
| Real-time pricing | Yes, fully integrated | Limited |
| Technical setup | More extensive | Low barrier |
| Managed by Red | Campaign management | Connection + campaign management |
Hotel picker in Google Ads with De Tovertuin in Hoogerheide, illustrating the Maps pin connection Red sets up for a client.
Who is PMax for Travel relevant for?
PMax for Travel is relevant for any accommodation that wants to be more visible on Google and less dependent on OTAs. Specifically, we think of:
- hotels looking to drive direct bookings and reduce commission costs
- holiday parks and bungalow parks with their own booking platform
- boutique accommodations that want to highlight what makes them unique
- resellers of accommodation who want to promote their own offering
If you have your own location and your own booking flow, PMax for Travel is relevant for you.
Ready to get started with PMax for Travel?
Red Online Marketing specialises in online advertising for the travel and hospitality sector. Based on what we see across our client portfolio, the conclusion is clear: PMax for Travel delivers on average approximately 10% higher ROAS than Search, while reaching a much larger audience. That makes it a no-brainer for any accommodation that is serious about growing direct bookings.
Here is what we can take care of for you:
- setting up the hotel properties feed and connecting it to Google Ads
- technical management of the connection (Maps pin or Hotel Center, depending on your situation)
- campaign setup and management
- monthly reporting at property and campaign level
- strategic advice on budget and objectives
Curious whether PMax for Travel is right for your accommodation? Get in touch with your account manager at Red, or send us a message. We are happy to take a look with you.
