Recently, I’ve been on a quest to plan a vacation – not sure where, not sure when – but I want it to be somewhere far away, cost efficient and relatively nice (to say the least). After awhile browsing several random travel sites, looking to find the best deals, you can become quite tired, and planning a trip can become a headache. I suppose I could walk into a Travel Agency and have them do all the dirty work of planning my vacation, but let’s be real… it’s 2011, not 1991 – right?
Luckily enough, last week, Google announced an experiment that can help solve one piece of the planning-a-trip puzzle – Google Hotel Finder. Hotel Finder is an experimental search tool that, in theory, allows users to find that perfect hotel within just a few clicks.
Hotel Finder is currently only available in the U.S. The tool allows users to easily find and compare hotels by the use of filters and different feature options that help the user find a hotel that suits their needs.
I began playing with the tool and was able to filter for hotels by star rating, my desired price point and more. Other features users can utilize include:
- Tourist Spotlight –In case you’re unsure of where you want to plan your next stay, Google provides a map that shines a “spotlight” (or highlights) the most visited cities in the U.S.
- Draw your own shapes – Not a fan of the tourist spotlight? Simply re-define what Google has preset for you, by drawing shapes around the areas that are of most interest to you.
- Compare Deals – Hotel Finder has a “compared/typical” section that allows users to see how hotel prices compare to their historical average – essentially, the user can see and compare if they are getting a deal or not (…very useful, Google!)
- Navigate all under one roof – No need for multiple tabs when searching for hotel photos, reviews, etc. Hotel Finder allows users to see hotel images and (Google Places) reviews all in one place.
- Keep track of the hotels you like – See a hotel that interests you? Users can keep track of what they like by clicking on the “add to shortlist” button.
Once the user is ready to book, they will hit the “book” button and a selection of different partners and/or the hotel itself appears, showing the average cost per night that each site is offering. (Below I searched for hotels in the Miami Beach area and chose the Chelsea Hotel. I can now view and compare prices from Priceline, Expedia and the brand’s site, amongst others)
Google Hotel Finder can be found here. Have you used Hotel Finder? If so, what are your thoughts? If this experiment succeeds, could Hotel Finder be a potential threat to other hotel search engines or even the brand itself? Or, do you think this experiment is a flop?
Tags: Google, Nicole Smith
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:01 am
[...] Boarding… Google Flight Search September 22nd, 2011 In a previous post, I wrote about Google Hotel Finder – an experimental search tool that allows users to find hotels faster and easier. I [...]