Videoguide For Hotels: Trivop.com

trivoplogo1.pngTrivop.com is an online hotel review portal billed as the as the first videoguide for hotels.

The site comes from Paris, France based VideoAgency and made the final five at the European Startup 2.0 conference in May. Although it didn’t win we’ve had a number of people contact TechCrunch telling us that Trivop was a site worth taking a deeper look at.

We all know what it’s like booking a hotel online. Imagery always shows the best side of the hotel but you often find yourself disappointed because the product isn’t exactly like the description or pictures presented at the booking point.

At its core, Trivop.com allows consumers to start their hotel search by watching hotel videos, giving them richer data that can be used in making an educated choice when deciding upon a hotel to stay in.

The layout is pure mashup. Google Maps bis used as a base from which to add hotel or user submitted video, with hotel reviews pulled from TripAdvisor. Users can explore the hotels’ surroundings, public facilities and all bedroom categories.

Trivop has launched covering Paris with plans to expand coverage across Europe later this year.

It’s a clever idea. Mashing video with hotel review data and maps really does provide a useful service that potentially has broad appeal to travellers. I’ve booked hotels online before only to arrive and discover that they’re only marginally better than a hovel so it naturally has personal appeal as well. Definitely a site to watch in the next 12 months as they expand to cover more cities. With such a simple yet clever idea, Trivop.com is a site bound to be copied as well.
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