Travel

Oyster Shots Lets You See Unstaged Hotel Photos Before Booking

Most hotel websites show you pictures of the rooms and suites, but they’re often old, staged stock photos. Oyster Shots is a new photo-driven hotel search site that uses undoctored photos taken by Oyster staff and locals to show what a hotel really looks like before booking.


March 21, 2011
Travel

Challenges For The Hotel Room Of The Future

Lifehacker AU

Futuristic technology can make hotel stays more pleasant and productive, but integrating that technology and making it work seamlessly is a much bigger challenge. For starters, you can still run out of batteries.


March 16, 2011
Travel

Ibis Hotels Offering $1 Wi-Fi (And $1 Breakfasts)

Lifehacker AU

Not getting free Wi-Fi at hotels is a perennial complaint around here — who wants to pay $20 or more for a single night’s access? The Ibis chain hasn’t quite embraced the notion of free Wi-Fi, but for stays in Australia during April, May and June this year it is offering access to its hotel Wi-Fi for just $1 a day.


March 14, 2011
Travel

Check Out Your Hotel Room Before You Book With Room 77

Getting the right hotel room—especially one with a great view—can really improve your travel experience. To that end, Room 77 is building the world’s first hotel room database to show you the actual view from your room before you book.


February 4, 2011
Travel

Lifehacker’s Formule1 Hotel Survival Guide

Lifehacker AU

Formule1 hotels are cheap and often conveniently located — but you don’t get a kettle, a wardrobe, or much of a bathroom. Here’s Lifehacker’s simple survival tips for making the most of a Formule1 stay, in video form.


January 20, 2011
Work

Understand Hotel Lingo To Get Cheaper Room Rates

Call a hotel, ask for the cheapest room rate for a certain night, and your answer is some mix of voodoo and demand-based algorithms. Ask for the “corporate rate”, or maybe the “cheapest nonrefundable rate”, and the game changes.


January 14, 2011
Travel

Book A Mid-Range Room To Score A Hotel Upgrade

Lifehacker AU

Getting your hotel room upgraded is always a nice bonus when you’re travelling for work or pleasure. To maximise the chances of that happening, spend a little more in the first place by not always going for the cheapest room on offer.


January 8, 2011
Travel

Start A Bidding War To Get Better Hotel Deals

There are websites out there that offer deals on hotels, but if you want to try and get even lower, the New York Times recommends starting a “bidding war” between nearby hotels.


September 24, 2010
Travel

Trip Elated Offers Nothing But Positive Hotel Reviews

Lifehacker AU

It’s not difficult to find travel review sites detailing everything that sucks about a hotel you’re considering booking for your holidays. Trip Elated takes the reverse approach, only offering reviews from people who have enjoyed their stay and are happy to spread the word.


August 16, 2010
Travel

Hotel Rewards Program Cheat Sheet Shows The Real Cost Of Free Nights

Nearly anywhere you go, you’ve got a choice of hotel chains, and each offers to reward your loyalty. How long does it really take to earn a free night’s stay? Comparison site NerdWallet ranks the inns in order.