In September 2011, Google bought the well known restaurant and travel review company Zagat. Since then, Zagat ratings have been integrated into Google searches, as well as its Google Maps results. Now it looks like Google is looking to beef up its travel search and planning features by buying yet another company.
In a press release today, John Wiley and Sons announced it had sold off "all of its travel assets, including all of its interests in the brand, to Google." Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Frommer"s started in 1957 as a travel guidebook series written by its founder, Arthur Frommer. His first title was Europe on $5 a Day. Since then, Frommer"s has published over 350 travel guidebooks, along with maintaining the Frommers.com website.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google has not yet made a decision on whether or not the Frommer"s travel books will continue to be publishers. The article also states that the brand itself could simply be merged with Google"s own Zagat brand. Bernardo Hernandez, Zagat"s managing director of product management, said that at the moment, everything will stay the same and that decisions will be made once Frommer"s is fully integrated into Google and Zagat.