Trivago Completes $32 Million Holisto Acquisition — and Why That Matters

Trivago is making AI search and booking improvements that could stick — if larger factors such as the ChatGPTs and Geminis, and other Google travel products don't get in the way.

Trivago issued its second quarter results Wednesday and we interviewed CEO Johannes Thomas via Zoom after the earnings call to learn why it upped its stake to 100% in hotel rate aggregator Holisto for $32 million.

We also asked about Trivago's new AI filters, its most recent ad campaign, and whether Trivago had "turned the tide." (The answer: "The tide is not moving in the wrong direction right now.")

Why is the Holisto deal important? Because the achilles heel of price comparison sites like Trivago, Kayak, Skyscanner and Google Hotels is that travelers seldom book right on their platforms.

Thomas told us during the interview that it acquired all of Holisto faster than anticipated because it handles Trivago Book & Go. A pilot program with partners during the second quarter showed significant increases in actual travel booking on the Trivago platform.