Now that TripAdvisor has launched Kayak-like hotel metasearch, the two companies are competing head to head for the first time.

That’s the context for a new feature that Kayak is introducing today: User rating scores to rival TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index for hotels.

And, as part of Kayak’s changes, which also includes a redesigned homepage, it is not-so-coincidentally dropping its use of TripAdvisor user reviews.