Trivago, which was acquired by online travel agency Expedia in 2013 and often emphasizes its independence, believes that hotel sites are the most-trusted, according to Thomas. As a hotel metasearch site, Trivago relies on partnerships with both online travel agencies and hotels as advertisers, but now wants to tilt a bit more in the hotel direction. When Trivago has a direct relationship with a hotel, as mentioned in the Holiday Inn example above, it highlights in blue the link to the official hotel website.