The short answer
Rental rooms, guesthouses and small hotels with someone who welcomes the guests are usually eligible for a Google Business Profile. Individual apartments and short-term rental houses, where guests let themselves in, are not eligible: Google's rules explicitly exclude "rental or for-sale properties such as vacation homes".
What a Google Business Profile is
It is the business "card" that appears on Google Search and Google Maps: name, photos, reviews, phone, directions, a link to the website. For a property it is often the first thing people see when they search for its name, or for "rooms" in an area on Google Maps.
Who is eligible, according to Google
Google's eligibility guidelines set in-person contact with customers as the basic requirement: "To qualify for a Business Profile, a business must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours".
The list of ineligible cases explicitly includes "Rental or for-sale properties such as vacation homes, model homes, or vacant apartments". On the other hand, sales or leasing offices are eligible.
| Type of property | Business Profile? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rental rooms with a reception | Usually yes | A business with in-person contact with customers |
| Guesthouse, small hotel | Yes | As above |
| Individual short-term rental apartment | No | Excluded as a "rental property" |
| Property management office with a reception area | Yes, for the office | Leasing offices are eligible, not the properties they manage |
If you create a profile for an apartment that isn't eligible, it is likely to be suspended, often at the worst time: in the middle of the season.
What if I have a short-term rental apartment?
Holiday homes appear on Google through Google Vacation Rentals, not through Business Profile. For individual owners, Google points to its approved partners (such as Hostaway, Guesty, Lodgify, Tokeet, OwnerRez). In practice, for a single apartment, the most effective work is a good website with direct bookings and a correct presence on the platforms.
How to set it up correctly, step by step
- Name: exactly as on the sign and in reality. Google's guidelines don't allow you to add keywords (e.g. "Pension X – cheap rooms by the sea").
- Category: the most specific one that describes you. You can add secondary ones too.
- Address and map pin: check that the pin is on the entrance.
- Phone and website: the same as on your website and the platforms.
- Opening hours: Google's guidelines state that lodging businesses (such as hotels) don't need to list opening hours.
- Photos: exterior, entrance, rooms, bathrooms, view, breakfast. Real and recent.
- Verification: Google chooses the method. It may ask, for example, for a video showing the sign and the premises. Prepare it before you start.
Reviews: what is allowed
Ask every guest for a review, e.g. with a QR code at reception or a message after check-out. Reply to all of them, including the negative ones, politely and specifically. Don't buy reviews and don't write reviews for yourself: they break Google's rules and can lead to reviews being removed or the profile being suspended.
Common mistakes we see
- Two profiles for the same property, an old one and a new one.
- A different phone number on Google, Booking.com and the website.
- The pin on the owner's house instead of the property.
- A single, old, dark phone panorama instead of photos of each space.
If you'd like us to set it up for you, together with a website and booking software, see the Accommodation Package.
Sources (checked 4/10/2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Business eligibility and ownership guidelines
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
- Google Hotel Center Help: Google's vacation rentals partners