Expedia adds Google Street View widget

Integrated app makes it easier to avoid dingy hotels and dodgy streets

11 June 2010 16:07 GMT / By Paul Lamkin

Expedia has added a Google Street View feature to its hotel booking service, making it easier for you to find the right hotel to suit your needs.

User reviews, images and Expedia's prices also pop up but the key selling point is that you can have a virtual walk around an area before you embark on your trip. You can check if your hotel's description of “a sprawling urban area” actually means that you'll be slap bang in the middle of the ghetto.

You can also look to see if you're next door to any shady establishments like a knocking-shop or a strip-club. You can then find somewhere different (if you want to, mind).

“By bringing together in depth information with a broad choice of hotels consumers can take advantage of the thousands of deals that Expedia offers with the reassurance that they have already checked out their holiday accommodation practically at first hand”, said Alex Gisbert of Expedia EMEA.

We know you could have already done this by putting the hotel's address details into Google Maps, but we're a lazy bunch and we're all for anything that makes the arduous task of finding the right hotel a bit easier.

Full tags

Software, Expedia, Google, google street view, Google Maps