Web watch
Travelodge claims budget first
You can book anything over the Internet these days, from hire cars to theatre tickets to flights, so it may come as a surprise to hear Travelodge's claim that its new on-line booking service is the first in the budget hotel field.
Travelodge's system is "real time", with the Web site connected directly to the central reservation system. Of course, this isn't new, but Travelodge says that it is the first budget chain to go live with this technology and, since it was launched at the end of May, more than £500,000-worth of additional sales have been generated. The company expects the Internet to deliver 20% of all sales in the next 12 months.
Judge for yourself at: www.travelodge.co.uk
Put your trust in Reuters
There's nothing like a well-known, trusted brand to lend a bit of weight to what is essentially another on-line guide book, but the news service on the Reuters site is a step above the average, mainly due to its extensive archive of past news, reviews and features from restaurants all over the world.
It covers everything from quick bites to fine dining, and includes a large wine guide, which is well worth a look.
The Click and the dead
The Clickies may sound like a 1960s Mersey-beat combo, but actually they're part of the latest phenomenon to spring up around the Internet - the award ceremony.
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), based in the USA, is behind the Golden Click Awards (the Clickies), aimed at recognising excellence in Web sites related to hospitality and travel. Each entrant will be judged by a panel of industry and e-commerce experts on criteria such as content, ease of navigation and visual design.
Attaching award declarations to your Web site can suggest high standards so it might be worth entering, but there is a fee of $75 (£49) for HSMAI members and $85 (£56) for non-members. Entries are due by 8 September and the winners will be revealed at a New York ceremony in January 2001.
See the HSMAI Web site for details: www.hsmai.org
Next Web watch:20 July
