AllStays News

Targeting Antarctica

2009-06-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

I need your help and vote to go as a writer/blogger to the Antarctica with Quark Expeditions.... If you enjoy and use AllStays.com, please help me out.

http://www.blogyourwaytoantarctica.com/blogs/view/89

Wild Oats Changes to Whole Foods

2008-12-08T15:54:00.001-07:00

This acquisition has been happening over the past year. We just completed another round of updates to complete the transition of Wild Oats Marketplace stores to Whole Foods in our locations guides. Whole Foods acquired Wild Oats and has been changing or closing their stores down.

Why does a travel website do this? We are picky about our foods at home and we want to make it easy to find your favorites while on the road. We do this for Trader Joes and all Natural Foods stores.

Dozens Killed at Mumbai Hotels

2008-11-26T15:49:00.003-07:00

Breaking news has dozens killed at terrorists attacks at five star luxury hotels in Mumbai, India. The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, the Marriott and the Oberoi Hotel were hit as Wednesday turned into Thursday, Thanksgiving in the US. These hotels are among the best in Mumbai and we deal with them right here on AllStays.com.

With dozens killed and hundreds injured, this looks to be the worst attack in India since 1993. These locations are mostly catering to a clientèle of westerners. This includes Great Britain, Western Europe as well as the United States.

We like to think that luxury hotels such as in our specialty guide are more secure than other hotels. But that is not always the case. And the truth is, no one is ever safe from a determined force of attackers. There is always a way and people just have to get out and live and travel when they want to or need to travel.

Presidential Inauguration Hotels

2008-11-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Although tickets aren't even available for the Inauguration of President Obama until only two weeks before the January event, you can't wait that long. In fact, most rooms are already gone in Washington D.C. They were taken months ago by hopefuls and speculators. There are some pricey packages still available for thousands of dollars or maybe a friend's couch or a family member's guest bed?

We figured it may be necessary to drive or ride in from another nearby city so we created some new maps of Washington D.C. and the lodging nearby. We have the text list of Washington D.C. hotels, a map of Washington D.C. hotels and bed and breakfasts, and a large loading page of all lodging within a 100 miles of the White House.

Good luck in your search and enjoy the inauguration.

Economy and Closing Lodging

2008-11-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

The economy has an impact that travelers may not realize. In recent months, we have had hundreds of AllStays listed bed and breakfast and small motels close down. They have shuttered their doors and ended business. Only a few of these are listed for sale. And sales are probably not likely. We remove the listings as we find out about closings. However, many bed and breakfasts sell gift certificates for their businesses. Other bed and breakfast websites sell these in connection with some B&Bs as well.

In the current state of the economy, we recommend not buying these gift certificates. You never know when a place will close down. They may or may not honor gift certificates. And even if they eventually honor the certificate, it may not be worth the hassle to you or your loved ones.

Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags

2008-08-15T15:28:00.001-07:00

If you travel with a laptop, things may have changed for you. The United States TSA (that is the Transportation Security Administration which is separate from the current Totally Stupid Administration) has come out with new ways to speed your laptop through the airport security lines. This will allow you to be tortured and delayed by some other meaningless procedure which makes some people feel more safe. We still don't know why anyone would carry a harmful device onboard when you can put it in checked luggage. Checked luggage, cargo and employees are not screened to any amount at all.

The short story is that you need a back with nothing above or below the laptop. No snaps, zippers, pockets or anything else above or below the laptop inside the bag as it lays on the conveyor belt. Instead of pulling your laptop out of your luggage, you pull a sleeved laptop out of your luggage. Unless you travel without any peripherals at all, this may not save you much since you'll still have another larger bag to hold the smaller bag. So you can just use a simple sleeve-like bag...or maybe a big ziplock back. We already know that security people love those.

For your checkpoint friendly laptop bag, here are some more detailed guidelines:

A laptop-only section

The laptop-only section is separate or completely unfolds to lay flat on the X-ray belt

No metal snaps, zippers, buckles or dangerous weapons inside, or on either side of the laptop-only section

No pockets on the inside or outside of the laptop-only section

Nothing packed in the laptop-only section other than the laptop. This is why it's called the "laptop-only" section.

A TSA page with some additional information and diagrams

The official press release is here

Why Airlines Are Not Raising Prices

2008-07-20T15:20:00.003-07:00

Have you heard about all the complaining from airlines lately? They are getting killed by fuel prices. They are pushing pilots to run on less fuel. Yet they are not really raising ticket prices much. Some are charging more for luggage. Some are charging more for various amenities that used to be free along with higher ticket prices.

So why all the whining and not raising prices? Your local gas station raises its prices. Your grocery store raises prices.

Our baseless hunch is that the airlines are looking down the road. They are looking to go bankrupt so they can get more breaks from government and have leveraging power in salary negotiations. Why would anyone run a business this way to lose this much money and intend to stay running? We can hear it now, "How can any union of pilots or air cabin staff complain about wages when the airlines are struggling so much?"

We want people to fly and to travel. It's our business. But it can cost more. Instead we have pilots running on less fuel to circle the airport or divert if a problem arises. We'd rather pay a bit more, have less crowded skies and be safer. Doing some comparisons to routes we took in 1994 and we found that tickets are cheaper today. Considering inflation and fuel prices that are up about 400% since then, they should be a bit higher.

What do you think?

Cheap Hotel Rates

2008-07-13T12:59:00.003-07:00

Nearly everyone wants a cheap hotel from time to time. You may want a luxury hotel for a particular trip or celebration and then the cheapest thing you can find for a family trip or highway stop for a few winks at night.

How do you find the cheap hotel rates and at what risks?

1) You can do an online search and then sort by price. This is usually the default ranking on most travel website with one catch. They sort by price with the highest commission ranges listed at the top.

The risk: You will probably have to re-sort by price to get all the hotels in that city.

2) Grab last minute deals sight unseen. Some websites like Priceline and Hotwire were formed with this premise. You put in the criteria like a star rating and neighborhood and they book a hotel for you sight unseen. You find out the name of the hotel after you are charged. The downside of this is that your idea of ratings and neighborhoods may not match theirs.

The risk: More than once, we've had somewhat negative experiences with this type of deal. Although the hotel rates are good, the front desk people turn cold when you check in. We have been treated noticeably different when they see the bargain rate on their screen. One example of this treatment was at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. We also got a room with the view of a crumbling wall which we were surprised even existed in the design of the hotel. We wouldn't think that an hourly employee would take this attitude on by themselves so it would seem that management is to blame. And we've heard from many travelers on this same tactic. We stayed on a bargain rate at a La Quints Inn this spring that didn't have any soap in the room. We asked at the front desk and they said the delivery was late and it should come in soon. On the way back to the room, we noticed the housecleaning carts with stacks of soap bars. Simple mistake, mismanagement or do the bargain rooms come without soap? Why have someone stay in your hotel if you are going to mistreat them and make sure they badmouth you? We don't know.

3) You can just go direct with certain cheaper hotel brands like Motel 6, Econolodge, Rodeway, Travelodge, etc. Just pick one you like, find their locations and stay with them when Crowne Plaza breaks the budget for a particular trip.

The risk: Not all the locations are the same. Motel 6 is the most consistence of all. We have seen great differences in other chain names. Some are wonderful and some make you want to run away upon sight. We try to list when a place was built and this is often a good indicator of condition for some brands like a Travelodge.

4) Save even more and call a few independent motels. We list every place we can find in a town. Unlike all the big box sites, we don't just list those that pay a commission. There are some fantastic motels out there that can be had for $30 a night or even less.

The risk: If you don't know the place, the independent motel could also rent by the hour, have bullet holes in the bathroom window (we've seen it) or be connected to a lively night club. You may want to put the address in Google Maps and try to see the motel from above. It's not guaranteed but you may get a feeling for the surrounding area. Does it look decent or does it look like an industrialized war zone?

Free Campground RV Park Listings

2008-07-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

We have made it easier to submit Campground and RV Parks listings. We continue to list them for free to provide the most complete information on the internet. We don't charge to be listed on AllStays like most guides and services out there. We just list them and let campers be the judge in their own reviews.

Our new submission form is here.

Relocate to Santa Fe

2008-05-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

AllStays.com is moving to Santa Fe, NM. After spending fiver years in the northwest region of Arizona and near Las Vegas, Nevada we decided the time was right to move to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The climate, culture and business environment is better. And hey, it's one of the world's best cities according to most surveys. Santa Fe just ranked in the top few spots again on Travel + Leisure's list as well.

So if new listings and emails replies are slowed a bit, this is the reason why. Any questions or concerns about reservations continue as normal. Follow the directions in the confirmation email. Because we connect directly to independents and various systems, these instructions vary by reservation.

Hotel Phone Numbers (and other lodging too)

2008-04-13T11:51:00.003-07:00

One of the unique things about AllStays.com is that we publish the direct phone numbers for hotels. You won't find a real hotel phone number on other travel websites like Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, TripAdvisor, Priceline, Hotwire...well we could go on and on listing every website that doesn't provide real contact information. Why? Well they want you to book with them so they make a commission or fee. No one makes any money if you call the hotel direct. And we don't either. But sometimes it's better for you. You eliminate the middle man and possibly save money. You know your reservation is at the hotel front desk and not stuck in cyberspace. You may get a better room. (We've booked deep discount rates ourselves and then have been treated like a contagious disease at the front desk. And then your view is of a concrete wall. We know it happens and it may look bad for the hotel as well but that is business today.)

Why list hotel phone numbers? Because it's useful information. Many of the things we do cost us money but give you better and more useful information. You may get better information calling the front desk of a hotel in Chicago than an operator in New Delhi, India. Say you forgot to print and take your confirmation email from that corporate website. Now you don't have the phone number for the hotel to get directions, find out where to park or tell them you are arriving late. We have the phone number in easy to find, fast loading text pages for each city.

All that being said, we are amazed at how hard some hotels, B&Bs, and campgrounds make it to find the phone number or address on their own site. It should be somewhere in plain text on every page of a website. But it's very often not on the main page at all. You have to find a "contact" page to get a phone number. Once in a while, we can't find it anywhere on a website at all! That is like a business with it's doors locked all the time and then they wonder why no one comes inside. The city, state and/or country should always be included with the phone number on all pages as well. There are many towns and hotels with the same name in the world. Some bed and breakfasts don't want their address known. Then you look over their website and you can't even find what state they are located in. A graphic with palm trees doesn't narrow it down much. Multimedia sites are always poorly designed and hard to use, so the number is buried when you are in a hurry to find it. And the travelers with cell phones or pda devices may not be able to get to it at all.

The other major issue is websites that only publish a toll free number. The do not list a local area code long distance number at all. Apparently they do not want any visitors from outside of their own country. Toll free numbers are hard to use, if they can be used at all in many parts of the world. And for a USA example, today's falling dollar leads to bargains for international travelers. But they will go to the hotel that makes it easy for them to contact and make a reservation. We work hard to find and publish the direct phone number, not the toll free numbers, for this reason.

We once had a bed and breakfast tell us that they didn't want their address or phone number listed. We asked why and "there are some nuts out there" was the reply.

Lodging places need to realize that not everyone in the world knows where they are and what their phone number is. Owners and employees may have it memorized but know one else does.

National Parks Camping 2008

2008-03-18T11:58:00.002-07:00

We have re-built our National Parks Camping Guide from the ground up. We include all camping in National Parks, National Monuments, National Shores, and National Recreation Areas. Every bit of information was re-gathered from the official sources. Satellite views were inspected for correct GPS coordinates. We even have back country locations in the Everglades mapped.

All National Park Campground listings have the latest rates, site information and updates.

If you park hopping on your travels, this is the source for you. The listings then link to the official websites for each camping area so you can get further details, maps, reservations or anything else that is available from the National Park Service.

Overnight RV Parking

2008-02-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

We keep expanding our sections on Overnight RV Parking locations so it is time for a roundup. Many times we want to get from Point A to Point B without much relaxing on the trip. We may only need to stop for some sleep and then get back on the road. Some us are frugal and don't like paying $25-$70 just to park and sleep. We may not need a pool and all the luxury items that many resorts and KOA parks have. Those are great when we need them but sometimes we just want a break and to fill up on supplies.

Over the last few years, we've created guides to the locations for places you may want to find on the road. As you are traveling down the road, you may not know the zip code of some odd town coming up. Just fire up our guides with Google maps and you can see how they all layout on your route. But keep in mind that not all locations allow overnight parking. Many do not. You really should always call or ask ahead of time. Stores policies are one thing, but local ordinances are another.

Please keep in mind that this is parking and NOT camping. Abuse ruins it for everyone. There is a growing trend against banning this privilege so lets try to keep it as long as we can. Don't put your slides out. Don't use your awnings, grills or jacks. Don't leave garbage behind or drain tanks on the blacktop. Don't even leave your steps out. Many stores use this as the definition of allowing it. It should appear like you just ran into the store for something like any other shopper.

Why list all locations and not just some like other sites and guides do?
The reason that we list all the locations, and not just the ones that allow parking, is that polices change and you should check anyway if you need it. And, sometimes you don't want to park overnight but you need these places to fill up on supplies. So it's just easier to have it all together in one place.

Wal-Mart Stores
Kmart Stores
Target Stores
Sam's Club Stores
Costco Stores
Meijer Stores
Camping Worlds
Cracker Barrels
Lowes Stores
Menards Stores
Flying J Truck Stops
Loves Travel Stops
Pacific Pride Fuel Stops
Petro Truck Stops
Pilot Travel Centers
TA Travel Centers
All Truck Stops on one map
Rest Areas
Weigh Scales

You can also test drive our new free guide to gas food and lodging. See what is at the exits around the country. You can even search and book a hotel room if needed as a last resort.
Interstate Exits Guide

and for those like our staff who are picky about the food they eat, we map out organic food stores along with Whole Foods, Wild Oats and Trader Joes locations.
Eat right on the road: Our Health Food Store Guide

We do hotels AllStays but our passion is camping and RVing. Send us updates on any overnight parking locations and we'll send you a $10 coupon off a hotel booking.

Rest Areas Locations

2008-02-22T14:22:00.003-07:00

We created a separate map page with interstate rest areas on it. We have rest areas marked across the country so you can take a brief glance and see where or how many are on your route. This information is already incorporated in our more detailed interstate exit guide. But if you just want rest stops, this is it. And if you need the nearest hotel, each has a link for this kind of search as well. We hope to eventually do this search with campgrounds as well but the data is just not there yet.

Some states let you park overnight in rest areas and some do not. Of course, you NEVER camp at rest areas. Don't set up tents, put down jacks or use your slide outs. Rest areas are meant to be parked at as if you were sleeping in a car seat. Some places it is allowed by a certain number of hours. So you may be able to stay for eight hours in a rest stop, and if you time it right, that may be enough for you. Some rest areas only let you stay less than that, maybe only a couple hours.

Always stay alert and use caution at rest areas. That sounds like a contradiction but it is true. Only relax when you are locked safely in your vehicle. The easy on and offs make it the perfect place for criminals to make their getaway.

San Diego Doesn't Want Your RV in Their City

2008-01-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

San Diego is pushing to get rid of RVs on streets. Or at least make it more difficult and costly to park your RV, boat or trailer on the streets. Currently, you can park for up to 72 hours and then you must move it at least 1/10th of a mile. Residents complain about RVs parking on residential streets, causing safety/sight problems and of course they aren't pretty. This includes boats on trailers.

So a new proposal has been made to change this. This proposal is probably made by people who don't have a boat, an RV or any family and friends. People will need to pay and get a permit to park for up to 72 hours with any recreational vehicle including ATVs and dune buggies. This also includes vehicles more than 22 feet long and 7 feet tall and they also need to be within 150 feet of their residence.

Otherwise, RVs and the like can't be on city streets from 10pm to 6am. And they can't be within 50 feet of any intersection at any time. I guess if you live on a corner, you are out of luck no matter what.

This eliminates many homeless people who live in their trailers and that's probably a main goal here. And it also eliminates people from having their own RV of family nearby. It falls under the old idea of everyone wants stuff away from them and not in their backyard, unless they want it themselves. There are RV Parks in the San Diego are but they generally run a ridiculous thousand or more dollars a month.

Your best bet is just to say goodbye to friends and family and find another city to go to and leave San Diego alone. Spend your money elsewhere where it is wanted.

Wal-Mart Directions

2008-01-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

We're trying to make our guide to Wal-mart overnight parking even easier to use. We have just added connections to individual store details and store directions. Having individual links to each store and their current information helps in finding your way to the proper one. You can enter your current address or city and it'll tell you how to get right to that store.

Pulling this data direct makes the information a bit more reliable than having a third party do it. If the directions are wrong, it's because Wal-mart doesn't know where they are. There are other sites and files out there on the internet but most of them are wrong or incomplete. A couple are actually years old in their information. Wal-mart has recently been opening or relocating hundreds of stores per year. Eight openings already in the first two weeks of this year, 2008. We have to stay on it every week just to be current for you. You can see how websites, downloads, GPS files and guide-books can become inaccurate real fast.

Winnebago Replacement Parts

2008-01-16T13:28:00.001-07:00

I ordered a replacement sky dome for our Winnebago RV on January 11th. This the Dometic Midi-Heki model skylight that cracked when I kept the sunshade closed in the heat. As the documentation states, you are not supposed to keep sunshades closed in the sunlight. So it is my fault for being silly.

I ordered the replacement glazed dome part from Lichtsinn Motors in Iowa, near the Winnebago factory. They promptly took our order and I just received our part, directly from Winnebago Industries, about 90 minutes ago here on the 16th. So all the service was great until I opened the box. As usual the FedEx Ground driver was already back in the truck as got the box. The box came with two black straps. One tight and one loose. I slipped it off one end and as there was no tape on it, the box end opened easily. And I immediately saw the crack. The Fedex truck was gone and I stopped from touching the box any further. I called Lichtsinn Motors, who in turn talked with Winnebago Industries. They are shipping another one out to me. Lichtsinn Motors said they told Winnebago to make a note and package it better. If they ship it like this again, it won't make it, so my confidence is rather low.

But I have to wonder out loud here. Watch the video below and let us know, would you ship a delicate $371 item in this manner? The box touches the fragile edges on all sides. There is no packing other than misfitting styrofoam on the corners of this very fragile item. I wouldn't drive with it this way in my own car let alone ship it.

We'll keep you updated on the results of our quest to get the item here safe and sound. If I were a gambler, I'd bet we get another cracked one. What do you think?

UPDATE: We received a second skydome replacement unit from Winnebago. This one was cracked worse than the first. It came in three pieces instead of just being cracked in certain places.

UPDATE #2: The third try was a charm (nearly three weeks and one canceled trip later). Lichtsinn Motors got involved further so we wound up getting the Winnebago shipping manager to pack the item himself and ship it out in -20 F degree weather. It arrived safely and was packed the way I would expect it to be packed. Double boxed and with protection around all sides. So now we have three damaged skydomes and one good one in our possession. Anyone want to start a discount broken skydome store? We have some really cheap inventory here.

Hotel Desk Chairs Are Office Store Rejects

2008-01-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hotels catering to business travelers may have many things. They have coffee, ironing boards, bags for laundry, desks and lamps. So why can't they have a decent desk chair? In all my travels and countless nights in hotels working on a laptop, I can only think of a couple of times where the desk chair was even remotely close to being usable. There are several kinds of chairs that you'll find at your hotel desk when you check in.

A comfortable chair. Great. I'll fall asleep before I can sit up straight and actually work. The hotel that has this chair at your desk probably also has massage therapy. You will need to pay for that for your back the next day.

The Willy Wonka chair. A desk chair that sits lower than those in the children's section at the library. If I'm not careful, I'll bump my chin on my laptop.

The straight back hard Thanksgiving dinner chair. This chair should be at Gramma's house, not at your desk. It is not the correct height for any desk made on planet Earth since 1940.

The desk chair with adjustable levers. We are getting into the 1980s now, maybe even the 1990s. Except these levers are for looks. They are only there to get your hopes up and make you feel like you should turn the chair upside down to figure it out. See above about the back massage services available in the hotel.

The adjustable throne of hope. This ones actually goes up and down. But in the end you are still sitting two inches shorter than you should be.

The bed. This may be the most comfortable if you don't burn your lap or have easily flammable bedding. But the comfort also depends on pillows, the firmness of the bed, and lighting. If you spend too much time in the wrong positions in bed, you may need those aforementioned spa services again.

Advice to hotels: Get a real desk with a real office chair. Business travelers will come and come back again. Also put a power strip so I don't have to climb under and over things to plug devices in. And stop using clear glass desk tops over everything. Optical mice do not work on them. I'm sure they are easier to clean but figure something else out.

Accurate Hotel Reviews and Index Rating

2008-01-04T17:28:00.001-07:00

The ABC News program 20/20's Jan 4th edition has a feature on hotel website ratings systems. The online article is here. They mention how reviews are gamed by hotels and their guests. Hotel owners may write positive reviews on their own property and negative ones about competitors. They may also give incentives to guests for them to write more positive comments.

AllStays.com uses TripAdvisor for it's reviews. We have had the option to use reviews from other major sites like Travelocity but found the reviews aren't as plentiful or as good of quality. The general travel websites are easier to "game" when it comes to reviews. We simply want to provide the best option available to our travelers.

We assume that reviews are going to be false by a certain percentage. And if you ever read the reviews, you'll see that people can be a bit crazy as well. They may criticize a Motel 6 for not being like a Four Seasons. Most of the time, you get pretty close to what you pay for. Other times, the hotel is deceitful with their own promotional items, like their website.

With the assumption that quantity and time tends to bring the truth to the top, we implemented a color code for our "Reviews" on each hotel. We believe this system makes it a bit easier on research to weed through the massive number of hotels out there. We recommend reading the reviews yourself but we want to help you find the better places and avoid the bad apples. If it is green, the property has an overwhelming number of positive reviews. If it is red, you need to use caution and there are many negative reviews from past guests. If it is plain or grey in color, we haven't found enough reviews to say it's a safe positively or negatively rated hotel. This neutral rated hotel may be absolutely great or it may be terrible. Or maybe it just opened recently. We just don't have enough information on them yet.

Do you think this helps you in your research? Let us know here or privately.

United Airlines Cancels More Flights

2007-12-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

United Airlines is still recovering from weekend storms that buried them Chicago. They had to cancel dozens more flights Thursday as another storm is predicted to lay a blanket of 20 inches of snow on Colorado. This is the second major storm since Christmas.

United, the largest airline at Denver International Airport, is canceling dozens of flights to divert planes from passing through Denver and then being stuck there.

Green Hotels Growth Continues

2007-12-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

Our green hotel guide continues to expand as we near the end of the year. We have over 3,000 places rated and many hundreds more to come. We have recently been adding the rating icon and information to each regular listing as well. So even someone who isn't looking for a green hotel will see it in the city pages and maybe it will spark some thought and consideration.

We are currently getting more and more information on RV Parks that are interested in this as well. We just haven't quite set something up yet for them. Do we include them and just make it an overall green lodging of any kind guide? Or do we keep them separate? One could argue that camping in general is more green. But then you factor in the types of RV Parks out there and the gas guzzlers using them, and it's not so green. But we're not rating guests, just the establishments.

And should we give hotels negative ratings for extreme carelessness? This would probably be made up of golf resorts and casinos at the start.

Let us know what you think.

American Airlines Flight Reschedules

2007-12-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

American Airlines is allowing passengers to re-schedule their flights at no charge right now. They hope to alleviate some of the hassles at airports during this December snow storm, now hitting the northeast. Kudos to them for doing something decent ahead of time.

Our travel resource contact page has information for all airlines, rental cars and trains.

Walmart Pushing Green Trucks

2007-12-12T16:42:00.001-07:00

Wal-mart, with the second largest truck fleet on the road, is pushing semi manufacturers to build a hybrid truck. They hope to be testing the first models in 2008.

We only mention this because of our green view point and the fact that we have our overnight parking guides which includes Wal-mart.

Green Hotel Rating System

2007-11-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

AllStays has had a green hotel guide since early 2005. We were the first travel website to do so when it wasn't getting much respect or attention. But now it is getting more and more popular as we add and expand it on a weekly basis. Now we are taking it to another level.

We are currently rolling out our Green Hotel Rating System. It is now being added to our Green Hotel section, which includes motels, bed and breakfasts and retreats. The system breaks down lodging with 24 green aspects and then rates the hotel based on how many of those a property is integrating and running. An icon is added for easy reference, along with the list of the aspects at that hotel. Easy to read and spot what that property is doing to make a difference.

Our green rating system will be expanded and added to all normal section listings over the near future as well. Over three thousand lodging places have been rated so far.

Hotel Website Design: Don't Change Domain Names

2007-11-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

This post is about another thing that drives us crazy while it hurts the businesses themselves. As the only travel website that connects direct to real lodging websites of all kinds, we probably view more of them than anyone else in the world. We link directly to over 140,000 lodging websites and have to check them constantly. Websites move, open and close every day. In many cases, those are bad moves. Never change your domain name, your internet address, unless it's absolutely necessary and there is no other option.

As we check our listings, for example, we find a bed and breakfast website that doesn't work. Sometimes they redirect properly and other times, the website just doesn't work. A customer would think, "did my favorite B&B close down? I guess they did. I'll have to go somewhere else." At AllStays, we eventually find the bad website link and do a search to find a new website for that same bed and breakfast and update our information. Before we found the change, customers are lost. All the links built over the years on other websites that point to this B&B are lost. Maybe it's a business directory, or the chamber of commerce. Maybe it's lodging sites like ours or maybe it's leading search engines like Google. Links are important on the internet. Some say they are most important thing. No matter what you believe about links and search engines, they do point others to your site. And that is a plus. You wouldn't go around handing out business cards and buying advertising and then move and change your phone number, would you? That is what you are doing when you move your domain name.

There was a time many years ago when you could put up a new website and be found right away. Those days are gone. A new website may take months to be found, if it is found at all. There are fairly good indicators that the age of a domain name is relevant on the internet. Like brick and mortar businesses, do you go to the business you know is good and that has been in town for 20 years or the one that just opened recently? You may eventually check the new one out but you trust the older one more.

Don't just change web addresses because you found a better one. Think long and hard about it if you are already established. And if you do feel that you have to change websites, at least find all the websites that are linking to you already and let them know of the change. Keep the traffic coming. Keep the old website and use it to advertise the new one. Don't let it die or even worse, be bought by someone else who takes your business traffic and name away from you.

We also know that there may be a reason why a website is lost. Web hosts go down or perhaps the owner wasn't really the owner. A domain name company may be crooked and not let the lodging owner keep the name or move it to another host or provider. Maybe the site was setup on some old free hosting site like Yahoo, Geocities or AOL. Those addresses don't look as professional in todays world. But again, keep that old site and point it to the new one. Don't make customers and your partners have to search for you. Most won't go out of their way to find you again.

Corporations change their site structure all the time. We constantly are updating and changing links for a thousand hotels under some big brand name. It's annoying and stupid but they are a corporation and that is what corporations do. They do stupid things. Some of them do this stupid thing every few months. A new marketing firm, a new manager or a new tech has to make an imprint on things so they change it. They don't realize that if they kept the same structure for years, they would benefit from more traffic and in turn reservations.