How to verify your hotel's Google Business Profile: methods, timings and the video Google asks for (2026)

Updated: 9 November 2026

Until your Business Profile is verified you can't manage your hotel's details on Google: not the phone number, not replies to reviews, not owner photos. Those are the details Google Maps and Google's AI features read. This guide summarises Google's official help pages (sources at the end).

Before you start: can your property have a profile?

Yes, if it is a hotel, guesthouse, B&B or similar with in-person service. Google does not allow profiles for vacation homes or vacant apartments; it has other routes for those.
Use your real-world name, as on your sign, with no taglines or extra keywords.
Use the property's real address: P.O. boxes and virtual offices are not accepted.
Only the owner or an authorised representative may verify. If an agency helps you, it must work with you.

Which method you get

Google chooses the methods automatically and they can't be changed. They depend on business type, public information, region and opening hours. The options:

Recorded video or live video call (Google recommends video if you're offered it; live calls only during your business hours).
Phone or text: you must be able to answer the business number (an automated phone menu can't receive the code).
Email, to the address shown on the verification screen.
Postcard: most codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30. While you wait, don't edit the name, address or category, or the code won't work; and don't request a new code.
Sometimes Google verifies instantly, for example if you have already verified your website in Google Search Console. It isn't guaranteed.

The video: what to film

This is the most common method today. Google asks you to:

Capture it live on your phone, through your Business Profile: unedited, with no breaks, at least 30 seconds long.
Show where you are: street signs, building numbers, nearby businesses or landmarks.
Show the business exists: the storefront and a permanent sign with the same name as the profile.
Show you're in charge: something only staff can access. At a hotel, for example, the back of reception or the booking system (the hotel example is ours; Google's is opening a cash register).
Don't show bank, tax or ID numbers, or other people's faces.

How long it takes and what if it fails

Reviews take up to 5 business days (rarely longer).
If the “Get verified” button reappears, verification wasn't completed: try again, and try another method if offered. If the video is rejected, Google tells you why (for example, “Business name not visible on storefront”) and you can record a new one.
If your hotel is already on Maps and someone else manages it, request ownership: the current owner has 3 days to respond; if they don't, you may be able to claim it.
Google may reject significant name or category changes, and rejects location edits for lodging: check your details before verifying.

If your profile is suspended

Google suspends profiles that break its guidelines: a P.O. box address, no in-person service, a business that doesn't exist at that address, or long inactivity.
You can appeal only once, with the appeals tool and the same Google account, providing evidence whose name and address match the profile: licence or registration, tax certificate, or electricity, water, phone or internet bills. Decisions take up to 5 business days.
Don't create a new profile for the same business.

How iQuota helps

Creating a Google Business Profile is free. iQuota doesn't verify profiles for anyone and can't guarantee that Google or an AI will recommend you. What it does is give each property an official page with direct booking, which you can use as the website on your profile, and a connector so compatible AI assistants can show its real availability and prices, with no commission and payment at the property.

Frequently asked questions

Can I choose postcard instead of video?

No. Google automatically decides which methods you're offered and they can't be changed.

How long does verification take?

Reviews take up to 5 business days. If you get a postcard, most codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30.

Can I verify a holiday apartment?

Google does not allow profiles for vacation homes. See our guide “Hotel or vacation rental for Google?”.

Sources

More guides for hotels

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