What is CTV advertising and why does your hotel need it?

​In the rapidly evolving landscape of hotel digital marketing, Connected TV (CTV) advertising has emerged as a powerful tool for hotels aiming to enhance their brand visibility and attract discerning travelers. By leveraging CTV ads, hotels can deliver personalized, engaging content directly to potential guests through internet-connected television devices–think about the ads you see while streaming Hulu or other ad-powered streaming platforms.

So - what are some of the benefits of using CTV ads for hotels, and how do you know if it’s right for your brand? Let’s get into it.

What is Connected TV (CTV) advertising for hotels?

To start with the basics, Connected TV simply refers to television sets that are connected to the internet, enabling viewers to stream content via applications on smart TVs, gaming consoles, or external devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Unlike traditional linear TV, where content is broadcast according to a set schedule, CTV allows users to access on-demand content at their convenience. This shift in viewing habits has opened new avenues for advertisers to reach audiences in a more targeted and interactive manner than ever before.

Benefits of CTV advertising for hotels

Running CTV ads programmatically will require the use of a Demand-Side Platform, or DSP for short. DSPs are software systems that allow advertisers to buy and manage automated digital ad inventory across multiple exchanges through real-time bidding. While there are many DSPs out there that specialize in CTV, we partner with Google Marketing Platform to run CTV ads through Display & Video 360. With this outlet, we are able to offer a variety of benefits for hoteliers when it comes to running CTV ads through the vast available inventory options.

1. Precise audience targeting

CTV advertising enables hotels to utilize advanced data analytics to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. This precision ensures that marketing messages reach potential guests who are most likely to be interested in the hotel's offerings, thereby increasing the efficiency of advertising spending. For instance, we can tailor your ads towards inventory more specific to your brand, whether it be on specific streaming channels or utilizing specific household incomes and buying behaviors. Hotels using specific travel-intent data through Adara or leveraging their comp set’s data with Azira will also enjoy additional targeting layers to hit even more precise and qualified audiences.

2. Enhanced engagement through visual storytelling

CTV advertising provides a dynamic platform for hotels to weave compelling narratives and showcase their unique offerings through captivating visuals that resonate with viewers on a visceral level. It’s important to note that your visual assets are designed with commercial aspects in mind; think professionally shot and edited. By immersing guests in a visual journey, hotels can evoke emotions, stir desires, and inspire travelers to explore more on their adventures. ​

3. Integration with your hotel’s digital marketing strategies

CTV advertising can be seamlessly integrated with your hotel's broader digital marketing efforts, creating a cohesive brand presence. For example, viewers who see a CTV hotel ad can be retargeted with related content through programmatic display banner ads, reinforcing the message and guiding potential guests through the booking funnel. ​

4. Access to premium TV content platforms

Recent CTV technology advancements have expanded opportunities for hotels to advertise on premium TV streaming content platforms. For instance, integrations with services like Netflix allow marketers to reach highly engaged audiences within a premium streaming environment. This access enhances the credibility and appeal of your hotel's advertising efforts.

What are the latest advancements in CTV advertising for hotels?

Recently, Google Marketing Platform (GMP) has introduced several innovations that enhance CTV advertising capabilities for hotels:​

• CM360 + Netflix Ads integration: This integration streamlines ad serving and reporting, enabling marketers to reach Netflix's extensive subscriber base with contextual ads that align with viewer preferences.
  
• Cross-media reach reporting: Campaign Manager 360 now offers reports that provide a unified view of reach across digital video and linear TV campaigns. This feature helps us better understand audience overlap and optimize our media strategies accordingly.
  
• DV360 + Disney live sports and entertainment: Display & Video 360's certification with Disney allows for real-time bidding on live sports inventory, offering access to highly engaged audiences during major events.
  

Is Connected TV advertising right for your hotel?

While CTV is an incredibly beneficial tool for building brand engagement and awareness, it might not be right for all hotels. First and foremost, you must have the right creative assets. You’ll need professionally edited videos that are 15-30 seconds in length (think TV commercials). For many, this cost alone can be a barrier to entry.

Another thing to consider is the overall cost to run CTV advertising media. CTV ad types are much more expensive than regular display advertising, with CPMs averaging anywhere from $25-35. For this reason, GCommerce requires a $5K per month per campaign minimum to run CTV ads, but strongly recommends at least $10K per month to increase visibility and open the door to more targeting options and A/B test opportunities.

However, if your hotel has the opportunity to fund this initiative, the payoff is worth it. CTV is an ideal outlet for those looking to expand their brand into new markets and directly into the homes of prospective guests. It’s an incredibly powerful brand awareness tool and offers an easy entrance into a previously unattainable linear TV ad inventory type. On average, clients see a 98-99% video completion rate, with one current client seeing nearly 1 million users watch their video in full during a 90-day period. 

Moving forward with CTV hotel ads

As the hospitality industry becomes increasingly competitive, hotels must adopt innovative marketing strategies to stand out. By leveraging the latest advancements in CTV technology and integrating these efforts with broader digital marketing initiatives, hotels can create compelling campaigns that resonate with modern travelers and drive bookings. Connect with the experts at GCommerce to get started today.

Key takeaways from Google I/O 2025 for hotel marketers

It was a busy week for Google. Along with Google Marketing Live on Wednesday, Google I/O took place this week, and between the two, they announced an incredible list of updates (100+ between the two events!). While Google Marketing Live centered around product updates associated with its ad campaigns and platforms, Google I/O focused on updates more applicable to organic search marketing.

It’s such an incredible moment in history for organic search. Generative AI platforms are pushing change across the industry, and it has big implications for hotel organic search marketing. Here are our top takeaways for hotels from Google’s I/O 2025.

1. AI Mode rolling out to everyone in the US 

As of May 20th, 2025, Google announced that its AI Mode search experience is rolling out to everyone in the US. It was previously just available to those who opted in via Search Labs. Our team has been deep in testing mode with this new search experience and will be releasing a study soon. Unfortunately, it has been discovered that there is currently no referral tracking in analytics from AI Mode, and this traffic is being tracked as direct traffic. This means AI Mode traffic is currently untrackable. Google recently announced that AI Mode reporting will be coming to Search Console, although we still don’t know how it will show. As usage of this search experience increases, it will most likely mean a continued decline in organic search traffic to hotel websites. We’re having to let go of even more data as it’s taken away from us and lean into AI, as well as a deeper understanding, to ensure our ads are visible where our audience spends their time. Also noteworthy is that Google announced ads are coming to AI Mode and AI overviews during Google Marketing Live.

2. Agentic capabilities in AI Mode

Google announced it’s bringing agentic capabilities to AI Mode, starting with the ability to let the agent search out, compare shop between sites, and present site options to book your event ticket. How? They are partnering with top ticket broker sites like StubHub to provide a seamless experience. They are starting with event tickets but plan to roll this out to restaurant reservations and local appointments. It’s only a matter of time before it hits the hotel industry. History shows that Google leans into partnerships with top industry companies that can support the tech. Alexa partnered with Kayak early on for voice search. Recently, Selfbook and Perplexity announced a partnership to enable booking directly on the platform - it’s available for hotels using the Selfbook booking engine. This gave us hope for independent hotels and the battle for direct bookings. We can only hope that other booking engine providers will lead this charge. Chances are, sites like Kayak or OTAs will step up to be the first.

3. Pushing boundaries of Google Search with Google Lens

Google Lens now offers live search capabilities. Examples shown? Being mid-project and need guidance on what the next steps should be in the process. Google returns multi-modal results from video, forms, blogs, and more. In Google Marketing Live they hinted at how much image-based search shows purchase intent. Hoteliers need to be thinking about expanding content and topical relevance, from enhancing blogs to including video and continuing to produce stunning visual assets. Additionally, focusing on structured markup of all site components will help ensure they are more easily found in Google’s entity mapping.

4. AI Mode shopping experience

Shopping/ecommerce always tends to be a step ahead with search features. Google announced a new AI-driven shopping experience that allows shoppers to virtually try on clothes, engage with AI to filter and find the best items, and even check out and purchase them using Google Pay. It’s pretty wild that many booking engine providers still don’t accept mobile wallets like Google and Apple Pay. The future is hinting towards a world where AI agents book our hotel rooms for us, but right now it seems like only via platforms that integrate into this type of ecommerce technology space.

5. AI Mode gets even more personal with results

Google’s algorithm has incorporated AI for years with its RankBrain technology. Coupled with its algorithm, it’s focused on incorporating your search history, location and more into providing personalized results. AI Mode takes this a step further. It allows you to opt in to connect it to other Google apps, like Gmail. Using structured data, it can view your email content and make personalized results using the data. Google’s example, “you can get suggestions for events while you’re in town….based on your flight and hotel confirmations” in your inbox. Mind blown. The breadth of 1st party data that Google will be able to tap into will be monumental in helping you reach an even more targeted audience using AI. We’ve seen the power of leaning into Meta (Facebook/Instagram)’s AI audiences over the years, now it looks like Google is stepping up the game to provide even more relevant, personalized, and qualified results for each user.

These are just a handful of takeaways from an incredibly packed Google I/O 2025. They also announced a huge roll out of product features from some mind-bending AI video and image capabilities, Google Meet live translation (English/Spanish only to start), and so much more. You can check out the full keynote recordings here. It’s truly an exciting time for the world of digital marketing. It’s rapidly changing and we’re excited to explore the new frontier for digital marketing for hotels.

Google Marketing Live 2025: key takeaways from the GCommerce team

Every year, the marketing industry eagerly awaits Google Marketing Live, Google’s annual event to showcase what’s new in the world of Google advertising. It always blows our mind exactly how many (30 this year!) product innovations are announced. While last year’s theme weighed heavily on AI, this year built on that theme with an emphasis on the evolution towards AI agents, poised to automate and assist beyond just generative AI search. Our team is excited to test everything that is rolling out, and we look forward to seeing how these innovations equate to better advertising success for our hotel clients. 

Discover our key takeaways from Google Marketing Live 2025 below.

By Patrick Buckner, Search Marketing Supervisor

Greater control is coming to PMAX

Google announced that advanced reporting will be available in PMAX campaigns, which will allow advertisers to break down performance by channel. This will allow not only greater reporting, but also provide new opportunities related to previously unknown keywords. Enhanced reporting will allow hotels who may have previously been uncomfortable with PMAX’s lack of transparency to test PMAX campaigns and truly understand the impacts.

By Alex Scharpf, Search Marketing Supervisor

Search is now a guiding hand

The future of search extends far beyond objective information. With the rise of generative AI results and expanding integrations for shopping, brand partnerships, and more, the purpose of search is shifting away from fact-finding. People are refocusing their research, moving away from a list of options to prioritize others’ opinions and get help with planning. By predicting what users want before they explicitly ask for it, search now reaches into idea generation, guiding the research process and influencing user behavior.

By Jaylene Van Lin, Marketing Strategist

Guest privacy and performance can work together

Google is putting a big focus on first-party data this year. For hotels, that means the information you collect directly from guests through bookings, email signups, or loyalty programs is more valuable than ever. It lets you create personalized marketing that actually matters, like sending special offers to returning guests or promoting weekday stays to local travelers.

To help with privacy, Google also updated Consent Mode. This tool makes sure you stay compliant with data regulations while still getting insights into how your ads are performing. Even if someone opts out of tracking, you can still understand how your campaigns are doing using modeled data.

Put simply, the more you build your own data and manage it with care, the better your marketing will perform. It is about being smart and respectful at the same time.

By Maddie Holifeild, Marketing Strategist

New AI tools supercharge marketing creativity & personalization

At this year’s event, one of the standout themes was how Google AI is revolutionizing ad creativity, especially through some new powerful innovations. Some of these new innovations - including text generation, image creation, and brand voice customization - open the door to more personalized, visually engaging campaigns that resonate with travelers. 

With AI-generated headlines and descriptions now being optimized for performance, marketers within the hotel space can test messaging that captures seasonal offers, local events, or unique property features. The new image generation tools let marketers create compelling, on-brand visuals (like a dreamy beachfront scene or a cozy ski retreat) even when assets are limited. And by training Google AI on a hotel’s specific brand voice, the outcome feels consistent and authentic. 

Together, these new tools allow hospitality brands to achieve personalized storytelling and create a tailored ad experience that attracts and converts the right guests at the right time.

By Meaghan Reynolds, Marketing Strategist

Immersive AI ads transform hotel marketing

At Google Marketing Live 2025, Google unveiled AI-powered, interactive ads within AI Overviews and AI Mode, transforming how hotels can engage with travelers. These ads now appear naturally within conversational search results, offering personalized recommendations, booking links, and the ability to reach users earlier in their planning journey.

What makes this especially impactful for hospitality is the introduction of immersive formats like 3D visuals, virtual tours, and interactive elements that would allow guests to preview rooms or amenities directly in the ad experience. Combined with enhanced Performance Max tools and AI-generated creative, this marks a new era of dynamic, visually rich campaigns that drive deeper engagement and more direct bookings.

By Alex Horrocks, Search Marketing Strategist

Google Search will start to empower a more AI-centric approach

At this year’s Google Marketing Live, a key theme was clear: Google Search is evolving from a traditional keyword-based engine into an AI-powered journey guide. With the introduction of features like AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google is now focused on understanding and supporting a user’s entire decision-making journey—from the moment of curiosity to the point of conversion. For example, a search for “things to do near me” might now return not only a curated list of attractions but personalized recommendations based on prior behavior, eventually leading the user down a path to book a hotel—all within a single AI-generated experience. This marks a major shift in how brands appear and engage within the search results page.

For hoteliers and travel marketers, this means content must no longer just rank—it must resonate throughout the guest journey. As Google connects the dots between user intent, hospitality brands will need to focus on providing rich, experience-based content. This includes building out pages or blog posts on local attractions, seasonal events, or travel tips—anything that can naturally feed into both early-stage inspiration and final booking decisions. Hotels that position themselves as part of a broader travel solution, rather than just a place to stay, stand to benefit the most in this AI-forward search landscape.

By Kaylin Long, Search Marketing Specialist

Quality landing pages designed for user experience are more important than ever

With the announcement of ads in Google’s AI Overviews, the landing page your ad leads to is of the utmost importance. Google shows ads more frequently that lead to a landing page that is likely to convert. Having a well-designed landing page focused on user experience will result in your ads earning more impression share and being shown as a top result in Google’s AI Overviews. Plus, you’ll see more conversions and keep people on your site longer.

By Jasmine McLamb, Marketing Specialist

AI Max for search campaigns: one-click enhancement for keywordless targeting

This approach takes the guesswork out of search targeting by using existing ads and landing pages to figure out what you offer and when it makes sense to show your ad. Instead of focusing on exact keywords, it looks at the intent behind searches to deliver more personalized results. It still allows for clear reporting (like which headlines and landing pages were shown), and brands are seeing up to 27% more conversions. It can be activated with a simple click. This kind of intent-based targeting is especially useful for hotels, since it can pick up on broader or less direct searches like “best places to stay near the airport,” “weekend getaway ideas,” or even “hotels with a pool.” It helps your ad show up when travelers are looking for travel destinations, even if they’re not typing exact keywords.

By Alexandra Thomas, Search Marketing Specialist

Google is leaning into video with powerful new ways to run video ads across search and shopping

Shoppers are showing up with broad searches: 75% of shopping queries are broad, signaling that people are in exploration mode. Whether they’re planning summer getaways or searching for the perfect weekend bag, marketers can meet shoppers in key moments of their shopping journey. Google is leaning into video more than ever, with new ways to run video ads across Search and Shopping. YouTube is a dynamic storefront, with Shorts becoming a major discovery channel for new brands. New prospecting tools let marketers find fresh audiences while easily excluding people that already searched for their brand. Combining rich video content with smarter audience targeting is the new way forward for winning the shopper.

By Naomi Georges, Search Marketing Specialist

AI video can be used as an affordable way to reach YouTube audiences

Google’s AI video tools make it easier than ever for advertisers to create and scale video campaigns. Even without a big production budget, brands can turn existing content into eye-catching video ads. The real power comes from AI’s ability to target the right audience, test different ad versions, and optimize performance in real time, helping you get better results with less guesswork. It’s a smart way to reach customers across YouTube and Google’s network without doing all the heavy lifting yourself.

By Sophie Hardina, Marketing Specialist

AI overviews are changing the way travelers search

AI is reshaping the way people search and book travel. With tools like AI Overviews becoming more prominent, users are often finding the answers they need directly in search results, which means fewer clicks to hotel websites and more importance placed on showing up in those AI-generated answers. For our hotel clients, this means we need to focus on creating clear, compelling content that’s easy for AI to surface, invest in high-quality visuals, and lean into Performance Max campaigns to stay visible across all of Google’s channels.

By Cassidy Tiedermann, Marketing Specialist

What Google Marketing Live 2025 tells us about what’s next

AI serves as both a creative and strategic partner, allowing marketers to scale successful strategies more rapidly. The evolution of search towards visual and conversational formats is reshaping our understanding of intent and discoverability. Innovations in retail and eCommerce are simplifying the customer journey through intuitive new methods.

In the world of performance-driven digital marketing for the hospitality industry, it’s inspiring to see how quickly our tools and strategies are evolving to meet the demands of a dynamic, AI-powered landscape. My key takeaway: Innovation is no longer optional—it’s essential to delivering better results every day.

By Erin Fischer, Director of Marketing

AI Mode brings in highly personalized ads to users

The introduction of Google's AI Mode promises to drive a highly engaging search experience that is even more personalized than ever before. Incorporating your past search history and optional data from other Google apps like Gmail (with permission) with your searched query, AI Mode aims to bring you not only the answers you were seeking, but also data for follow-up questions and searches, along with customized ads.

What could this mean for hoteliers? As an example, if a user were to search for “things to do” in a particular area of interest, AI Mode might take current hotel or flight reservation data from their Gmail and suggest restaurants and attractions near their hotel stay. AI Mode would also take your past search history into account to prioritize results. If you have previously searched for restaurants with patios before, your results might deliver similar restaurants with patios near your hotel. The ability to easily deliver highly customized results could help further the online user experience when it comes to trip planning.