Booking hotels online frustrating

Posted by Bridget Lux Jun 5, 2007

According to a recent survey of travelers who booked hotel rooms online, more than half thought their accommodations were too far from city centers, events, amenities and other attractions. The survey was conducted over three months by Staycloser.com. The people behind the survey determined that when booking hotels online, it is difficult to know exactly where the hotel is located.

Personally, I'm convinced hotels do this on purpose. Not long ago, a friend and I spent two months traveling around France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Time and time again, we found it nearly impossible to determine online where exactly a hotel was located. Anyone who spends any time online knows that does not have to be the case.

As a traveler, what I’d like to see is a site that tells you about the hotels, but also gives a map with major attractions also listed, that would show exactly where a hotel is located. Instead, site after site have descriptions of the hotels that read like this:

Hotel Inconvenient: Located close to the train station, center of town and all major attractions.

In reality, the hotel is located near a secondary train station in the center of a suburb of the town you’re actually going to visit. And the word “close” is much too relative. Sure, it’s “closer” than if I stayed wherever I live, but c’mon.

In my adopted hometown of Nice, for example, I’d never suggest to anyone to stay at the Radisson. The location, however, according to its Web site:

“Ideally located on the famous Promenade des Anglais between the romantic old town and the Arenas Business Park, the Radisson SAS Hotel in Nice is easily accessible by train, plane and car.”

Is it close to the Promenade? Yes. Old Town? It’s about 2 or 3 miles away. Now, if you have a car, maybe that’s not such a huge deal (on the other hand, if you’ve ever tried to park near Nice’s Old Town, well, forget it). But “ideally located”? Not unless all you want to do in Nice is go to a rocky beach. OK, but that’s the company’s Web site, so you expect them to a fudge a bit if they don’t have a great location.

My real problem is with Web sites that offer information on a variety of hotels. For example, on Expedia.com, the Radisson description reads:

"Located on the famous Promenade des Anglais, this seafront hotel overlooks the splendid Mediterranean sea and is set between the airport and city centre." It's what it doesn't say that bothers me.

Obviously, these sites are more interested in keeping the hotels happy than the travelers. What I need is a journalist-run site that would give realistic descriptions - plus a map - of the hotels. Not some jargon written by the hotel’s marketing department and not something typed up by Joe Backpacker. Is that too much to ask?