Welcome to Hotel Google. You can check in any time you like, but your clicks can never leave.

Three AI Mode updates, one direction of travel: Google is rolling out hotel booking for US users in English, with Google Pay checkout and 10 launch partners.

It’s also testing sign-in popups mid-answer, and adding link carousels for developing topics, which should lift clicks without getting you near pre-AI numbers.

Discovery, account, and checkout, all in one place.

Slide into their DMs, officially: Google’s August Demand Gen Drop lets YouTube ads open a messaging thread instead of pushing to a landing page.

Multimodal Video Creation in Asset Studio is now open to all advertisers, too. Travel advertisers also get local activities and real-time offers.

And you get a say now: An Alpha Channels slider lets you loosen or tighten CPA per PMax channel, from Search to Gmail.

Handy for pulling spend out of a channel that’s dragging. Just mind the attribution blind spots: YouTube discovers, Search converts days later.

It’s rolling out slowly, so ask your rep if you don’t see it.

Finally, a small one: Google is testing tabbed sponsored results, splitting paid listings into browsable categories instead of one long scroll.