What structured data errors are common on hotel websites?
Short answer
The most common structured data problems on hotel websites are conflicting duplicate markup from themes and plugins, the wrong or overly generic type (only Organization, no lodging type), outdated values such as old phone numbers or addresses, markup describing content that isn't visible on the page, self-serving review and rating markup, and leftover placeholder data copied from examples. Most are easy to fix once found: decide on a single source of markup, use the right lodging type, match every value to the visible page, and remove review markup for your own property.
By Lodging Engine Editorial Team· Reviewed by Eric Zwanenburg· Last reviewed
1. Conflicting duplicates
A theme outputs LocalBusiness, a plugin outputs Hotel, and a booking widget adds a third block — each with slightly different names or phone numbers. Fix: choose one source and disable the others. Test the live page to see everything it outputs.
2. Wrong or generic type
Only Organization or LocalBusiness, with no lodging type. Fix: use Hotel, or a more accurate type such as BedAndBreakfast, Hostel, or Resort, or LodgingBusiness if none fits.
3. Outdated values
Old phone numbers, previous names after a rebrand, wrong check-in times. Fix: update markup whenever details change, ideally generated from the same data as the page.
4. Invisible or unrelated content
Amenities listed in markup that aren't mentioned on the page, or hotel markup on a blog post. Google's guidelines say not to mark up content that isn't visible to readers. Fix: mark up only what the page shows, on the page it belongs to.
5. Self-serving reviews
AggregateRating or Review markup for your own hotel, often from a review widget. Google's review snippet guidelines don't allow self-serving reviews for LocalBusiness and Organization types. Fix: remove it. See review schema for hotels.
6. Self-declared star ratings
A starRating that doesn't come from an official rating body. Fix: include it only if it reflects an official classification.
7. Placeholder data
Example names, coordinates, or URLs left from a tutorial. Fix: review every value.
8. Syntax problems
Missing commas or brackets, wrong date formats. Fix: validate with the Rich Results Test and Schema Markup Validator. See testing structured data.
Why it matters
Google says structured data issues can lead to a manual action that removes rich result eligibility (not general rankings). Inaccurate markup can also give other systems wrong facts about your hotel.
Checklist
- Only one markup source for the property
- Accurate lodging type
- All values current and visible on the page
- No self-serving review markup
- Star rating only if official
- No placeholder values
- Validators show no errors
Sources
- General structured data guidelines — Google Search Central
- Review snippet (Review, AggregateRating) structured data — Google Search Central
- Local Business (LocalBusiness) Structured Data — Google Search Central
- Hotel — Schema.org