Online travel site Expedia has introduced three new online resources it says can help consumers research, evaluate, and choose their next hotel or destination activity by considering the amenities hotels offer.
Travelers will also have the ability to review new online "traveler opinions" that provide additional insight from customers who have stayed at that hotel. Expedia says it is also making it easier to book destination activities, attractions, and services by introducing a separate "activities" tab.
"Our focus remains on making it easier for customers to research, evaluate, and book travel," said Bill Bliss, senior vice president, product and customer experience. "With these new features, Expedia is giving customers additional ways to help them find the perfect hotel and destination activity for their trip. Also, our hotel and activity partners are given additional avenues to differentiate their products. It's a win-win situation."
The new resources include tools to help evaluate and select the right hotel for a trip -- including photos, virtual tours, maps, flexible rate calendars, and room layout views. The new hotel amenities filter allows customers to narrow down search results to show only those hotels with the chosen amenities.
Travelers can search for hotels in the chosen destination and then click on the "narrow search by choosing amenities" icon found at the top of the search results page. Travelers can select from a list of 13 hotel services and amenities, including high-speed Internet access, swimming pools, free parking, pets accepted, and more - and the resulting amenity -- filtered search results will make the decision of where to stay that much easier.
According to a recent Forrester Research survey, more than 56 percent of U.S. leisure travelers say that they typically seek out advice from friends or family when it's time to research a trip.
The Web site's new traveler opinions tab connects Expedia customers with reviews containing first-hand knowledge and insight from other travelers who have already experienced that particular hotel -- providing useful feedback during the hotel selection process.
The company says it has set up rigorous standards to ensure that traveler opinions posted on the site offer a legitimate and relevant viewpoint. As such, only travelers who have booked a stay at that particular hotel within the past six months can submit a review -- and all reviews expire after 12 months of being posted.
Expedia's hotel partners are also invited to respond to traveler opinions on the site, ensuring a blend of perspectives for the traveler to consider.
To read or submit traveler opinions, Expedia customers can simply click on the "traveler opinions" tab on the left-hand side of each hotel's information page. Initial trials of the Expedia traveler opinions have rolled out to every Expedia Special Rate hotel in San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle, with additional markets being added in the coming weeks.
