The online retailer started Amazon Destinations in April but a one-line notice on its UK site said that from October 13: “Amazon Destinations has stopped selling hotel breaks on travel.amazon.co.uk and the Amazon Local app.”

Amazon added that all existing reservations will be honoured and consumers who had booked through the site did not have to take any action.

The company said in a statement: “We have learned a lot and have decided to discontinue Amazon Destinations.”

When Amazon launched Destinations six months ago, the company said it was to “solve a problem most travellers face: how to easily plan and book a local getaway trip”.

Amazon said it wanted to attract the market for local breaks of one to three nights.

Fellow online firm Google has been trialling its Book on Google tool that allows consumers to book hotels within the search engine’s website.

Google, which is working with travel technology specialist Sabre on the project, is offering a selection of hotels in the US.