Google has introduced a new experimental search tool, Hotel Finder. It is currently only available for locations in the US.

Published: 29 Jul 2011

Google has introduced a new experimental search tool, Hotel Finder. It is currently only available for locations in the US.

Andrew McCarthy, Software Engineer, Google explained how the new tool makes it easy to narrow down the options:

Figure out where to stay: Hotel Finder shines a “tourist spotlight” on the most visited areas of US cities. It’s based on what’s most popular or one can draw a shape around the area where a traveller wants to stay, e.g. on the ocean or along Sunset Boulevard.

Get a good deal: In the “Compared to typical” section, one can see how each hotel’s price compares to its historical average.

Compare fast: One no longer needs to open a new browser tab for each hotel result, and then go hunting around for pictures. When you select a hotel in Hotel Finder, the tool shows a collage of images, Google Places reviews, and key information right within the list. You can even use keyboard shortcuts (“J” and “K”) to flip through the results quickly, just like in Google Reader and News.

Keep a shortlist: As you flip through the results, add the hotels you like to a shortlist to easily keep track of the ones that interest you.

When one is ready to book a hotel, a user find a selection of booking options from a range of available partners or directly from the hotel.