Expedia deploys Google Streetview for new hotel search system

June 10, 2010 By 12 Comments

Expedia is taking hotel search and user experience extremely seriously it appears with the launch of a new system that combines search, maps and Google Streetview.

The ExpediaHotelView project was developed in the UK and will probably be rolled out to other Expedia country sites after a testing period.

Run within a microsite, HotelView allows the user to search for a location or individual hotel. Relevant properties from the Expedia system around the world are plotted on a Google Map and the user can browse information about each hotel.

expedia map2

Nothing much exciting about this?

Once a hotel is selected room prices are also displayed and a user can search for availability within the map. Understanding that users may want to check other hotels, a box appears showing five other hotels nearby.

Expedia says potential buyers are always curious as to what kind of an area a hotel might be in; how close it is to attractions or landmarks; and does the hotel look old or new?

So clearly this is where Google Streetview comes in handy. Users can head straight to the location on Streetview and perform all the usual functions but within the microsite, keeping the hotel details and availability on the screen while moving around a location.

Here is the view from a hotel on the edge of Times Square in New York.

expedia map1

Or La Rambla in Barcelona.

expedia map3

Not so picturesque, but users would be able to check how close they are to an airport.

expedia map4

The project was spearheaded by Expedia UK’s director of online partner marketing, Alex Gisbert.

Related posts:

  1. Nokia extends Ovi location-aware hotel search into US and UK via Expedia
  2. Google secretly tests feed of hotel room prices in natural search results
  3. Expedia-Google technology guru takes on 3D destination mapping role
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Kevin May About Kevin May

Kevin May is editor of Tnooz. He joined as a co-founder in August 2009 after spending nearly four years as editor of UK-based business publication Travolution.

Passionate about the business of travel and the internet, Kevin played a major role in establishing Travolution in print, online, events and with an annual awards programme, as well as becoming a regular speaker and moderator at industry events.

Prior to Travolution, Kevin was web editor at Media Week (UK) and also worked in regional newspapers for two years at the Essex Enquirer. He started his career in journalism at the Police Gazette at New Scotland Yard in London.

Comments

  1. Razvan says:
    June 10, 2010 at 10:01 am

    Nice to see that Amadeus Turkey has integrated Google Street View in their e-Power booking engine before Expedia (1 year and a half before).

    You can check a demo here: http://epowerv4.amadeus.com.tr/demo/Portals/demo/default.aspx.

    Reply
  2. Sarah Kennedy Ellis says:
    June 10, 2010 at 12:45 pm

    Just FYI, your link points to a page that currently says “System Outage.”

    Reply
  3. Razvan says:
    June 11, 2010 at 6:55 am

    @sarah & all – a small correction. I’ve just found a “.” at the end of the demo URL indicated above which caused some problems for the URL to display :)

    So, the correct URL is http://epowerv4.amadeus.com.tr/demo/Portals/demo/default.aspx …many thx

    Reply
  4. Paul Toogood says:
    January 4, 2013 at 9:06 am

    Expedia link now shows StreetView INSIDE select hotels … check out some here http://www.qld360.com

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tweets that mention Expedia deploys Google Streetview for new hotel search system | Tnooz -- Topsy.com says:
    June 10, 2010 at 5:04 am

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by nuttakorn and zWeeden, Kevin May. Kevin May said: I LOVE THIS! Expedia deploys Google Streetview for new hotel search system http://bit.ly/ccIFxJ [Tnooz] [...]

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  2. The Week in Travel Tech - TripAdvisor LinkGate, iPhone 4, Social-Search Battle | Tnooz says:
    June 12, 2010 at 11:51 am

    [...] Expedia deploys Google Streetview for new hotel search system [...]

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    June 14, 2010 at 4:57 pm

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  4. Sim City-type map with live hotel prices, booking and chat | Tnooz says:
    October 5, 2010 at 10:06 am

    [...] some sites are concentrating on integrating Google Streetview and other pieces of eye candy for users, here is one site that wants to do [...]

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  5. How Google StreetView is killing the competition | Tnooz says:
    April 6, 2011 at 9:41 am

    [...] of the travel businesses that have utilised StreetView in a powerful way include Expedia with its HotelView service and the Orbitz hotel [...]

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  6. KraukoBlog – Et si Google devenait le maître de l’e-travel ? (Partie 1) says:
    October 3, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    [...] Google a également fait évoluer la recherche cartographique avec Street View. La solution, basée sur Google Maps, permet d’explorer des lieux à l’aide d’images à l’échelle de la rue et à 360 degrés. La technologie Google Street View a été déployée par Expedia (site US) qui a baptisé ce service HotelView. [...]

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