Closing for the low season without disappearing: how to mark it on Google, Booking.com and Airbnb (and what the law asks, 2026)

Updated: 10 November 2026

Closing in winter is normal. Disappearing is not a good idea: Google showing you as closed with no date, a listing that no longer exists, or no availability visible for spring. We read the official help pages of Google, Booking.com and Airbnb, and the rules in Andalusia and Portugal (links at the end). Where we could not confirm something we say so. This is not legal advice and we do not promise rankings.

Google Business Profile: «Temporarily closed» or «Special hours»

According to Google's official help:

If you close for more than a week, for the off-season or indefinitely, use «Temporarily closed».
If you close for 7 days or less, use «Special hours».
Google warns that for broad queries, temporarily closed businesses can rank after open businesses. The effect depends on the business category, the query type and how many matching businesses are closed.
When you reopen, mark the profile as open: it is no longer shown as closed on Maps and Search.
Do not mark «Permanently closed» if you are coming back.

Booking.com: close dates, not the property

The partner help explains how to block dates in the extranet or the Pulse app:

Choose the room or unit type and close the date or date range (bulk edit for long periods).
A closed date turns red and cannot be booked.
Close only the closure days and keep the dates from reopening open.
The page does not say what happens to existing bookings on those dates: check them before closing.

Airbnb: block the calendar or unlist

According to Airbnb's help:

Unlisting («Unlisted») is for an open-ended break; you republish whenever you are ready.
Deleting the listing is for hosts who stop hosting. It is not what you need for a seasonal closure.
Either way you stop receiving new bookings and must honour confirmed reservations.
If you only block the closure nights in the calendar, the other dates stay available.
Check your «availability window»: the calendar automatically blocks the nights outside it.

Andalusia: the Tourism Register

Decree 143/2014 on the Andalusian Tourism Register:

Art. 6.2 b): «temporary closures and closure periods of tourist accommodation establishments» are recorded.
A temporary closure is one-off; a closure period recurs.
Notice is given beforehand or within 15 days of the change.
A closure of 3 years or more with no specific cause (such as works) is treated as cessation of activity, after a procedure.
Art. 14: permanent cessation is notified so the registration is cancelled.

Holiday rentals (VUT) in Andalusia

In the consolidated text of Decree 28/2016 published by the regional government we found no duty to notify periods of tourist use. We did not check whether later amendments change this, or whether art. 6.2 b) of Decree 143/2014 applies to holiday rentals. We have not read Law 13/2011, Decree-Law 13/2020 or the apartments decree. Ask your adviser or the regional tourism office.

Portugal, Italy and Greece

Portugal: any change to the data in the tourist establishments register (RNET) is notified to Turismo de Portugal within 10 working days. The official page does not mention seasonal closure. Alojamento local: not checked.
Italy: in Trentino, the Province says closure periods must be notified in advance to the local tourism board (APT), and the ISTAT declaration is only made on days with arrivals or departures. Other regions: not confirmed.
Greece: we found no official text on notifying a seasonal closure (ΜΗΤΕ or the short-term rental register). Ask your accountant.

Be found when you reopen (good practice)

Keep future dates from reopening open, so search engines, comparison sites and AI assistants see availability.
Put the reopening date on your website, visible and in every language.
Show the same date on Google, Booking.com and Airbnb.
Keep answering messages and reviews in winter.
Load next season's rates before reopening.

How iQuota helps

We publish your property in AI assistants with direct booking, payment at the property and no commission. If your future dates are open, the assistant can offer them even while you are closed today.

Want an official booking page AI can read and a connector with your real prices, commission-free? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

Should I mark my hotel «Temporarily closed» on Google in winter?

For closures over a week or for the off-season, Google's help says «Temporarily closed»; for 7 days or less, «Special hours». Google warns that for broad queries you may rank after open businesses.

Do I need to deactivate my property on Booking.com?

No: you can close only the closure dates in the calendar and keep the reopening dates open.

Do I have to notify the closure in Andalusia?

For tourist accommodation establishments, Decree 143/2014 (art. 6.2 b) records temporary closures and closure periods, notified beforehand or within 15 days. For holiday rentals we have not confirmed it.

Sources

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