Dear Meagan,

Thank you for your question.

Hotels distribute discounted rates to multiple booking sites which are usually under the normal BAR or sell rate which can be booked directly at the hotel. What trivago does is simply displays them all together, in one place, for users to compare and choose from. Our main purpose is to help users find their ideal hotel. We do not set prices for hotels, nor take part in any of the booking process

We function as a portal for hotels to advertise themselves, as well as a meta-search for booking sites to display their rates and increase the traffic to their companies. Our main goal is to help people find that particular ideal hotel to fit their needs, then they can book it however they choose.

I hope this answers your query. Please let us know if you need any further information.

Kind regards,
Trivago user support.