See Your Hotel Room Before You Book

It's All on Video at TVtrip.com...

Have you ever booked a hotel room on the internet, only to realize that the photos that enticed you to stay there made the place look much nicer than it really was?  TVtrip.com, a new travel site, helps travelers eliminate this problem. 

Launched in May of 2007, TVtrip.com was founded by several former Managers (and a former Vice President) of the well-known Expedia company.

Currently the site has accommodations in more than 65  world-wide destinations with more on the way, and it's a simple concept:  You choose your city, select a hotel by star rating and style, then get a page with information on the hotel, a map, and a video of the hotel.  This usually includes the rooms (standard, superior, etc.), the lobby, restaurants, business and fitness centers, if applicable, as well as exterior views. 

You'll also see the minimum price for the next 30 days.  You can check availability, read reviews left by travelers who've stayed there, and book the room.  The site also provides information on nearby points of interest.

To test it out, I looked at the Paramount Hotel in New York City, which I had recently stayed in.  I must say the video gave a very realistic view of what the hotel actually looks like, much better than photos alone did. 

The Paramount has very small rooms (not unusual in New York City). If I'd been able to watch this video before I booked my room, I would have been better prepared for what I got. 

I then watched a random selection of hotel videos from a variety of cities.  My only complaint about the site, and this probably won't affect most people, is that a few of the videos I watched panned too quickly -- it made me a little dizzy.  But I think the idea is excellent and I'm hoping they'll move the camera more slowly as they update the site with additional footage.

So next time you need a hotel room be sure to check out TVtrip.com.  Aside from actually being there, it's the best way to see exactly what you're getting when you book!

Photos courtesy of Freefoto.com, photographer Ian Britton.

Comments

[Melody Moser]

Thanks, Lara! That's such a cool story. I agree that sometimes you just have to do these things for the experience. :)

Your travel blog is great, I've linked to you, too. I can't wait 'til I have more time to read it in depth.

[lara dunston]

I stayed at the Paramount soon after it opened - now that was a long time ago - and not only were we astonished at the size of the rooms for the price, but the window was broken and there was a draft, so we had to hang out and wait for a repair guy to fix it. I'll never forget his cool outfit. They claimed they had no other rooms and we were too naive to question it then. But would I have NOT stayed there had I have been able to see the video and know that we could barely walked around the room? Probably not because it was just so hip then... one of the first design hotels and there was such a buzz about the place... Drew Barrymore was in the lobby when we came in from shopping, the bar was just humming, and the food was sensational... sometimes you just have to do these things for the experience.

Love the blog by the way - just discovered it - so I'll link to you. :)