Curated Hotel Information vs Crowd-sourced Content

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Curated Hotel Information vs Crowd-sourced Content

Sarah Lacy, in her typically classy and insightful travel content, points out in TechCrunch  that basically we all know what to expect from an airline, no matter what airline or in what country. 

We all get the bad legroom, the free soda, the predictable (if you're lucky) arrival and departure times) all of which make air travel a ho-hum, uninteresting and non-memorable part of travel

But, Lacy says, a hotel is a different story.

It's your home away from home, your home base and the kind of hotel, the quality of the service can make or break the travel experience and important travel memories.

So when Jetsetter, an invitation-only community of travelers,  launched a personal travel planning service, the Washington Post called it  “essentially a travel agent 2.0” 

Jetsetter’s claim to fame is its curated reviews, priding itself on its ability to provide members with hand picked, insider reviews and recommendations of hotels and new travel attractions.

The Washington Post's business section reports that Jetsetter's new service isn't cheap: It costs $200 for three hours of consultation and a detailed itinerary, that their specialists will book and arrange at no additional cost.

You get $100 back if you book a hotel through the site.

Hotelmarketing.com says that with Jetsetter's 200 rather select travel writers, the on-line travel agency has been able to provide the in-depth, professional, balanced and detailed curated reviews and insider tips that are trusted by its members.

For Lacy, it's not only a gorgeous site with a great design and detailed reviews, it easily surpasses TripAdvisor because, she says, TA relies on "crowd wisdom" which means a hit or miss experience.

Crowd-sourced content often depends on whether  the “reviewer” has had a bad day, a good day, or any reliable, significant experience with travel or properties.


The Washington Post reporter queried Jetsetter about a Berlin trip he had in mind.

The itinerary the reporter received detailed suggestions from someone who obviously knew Berlin “like a local,” allowing the reporter to have and had a more enriching, rewarding experience than he would have without the specialized guide services of Jetsetter.

TechCrunch called the company's new iPad app a perfect fusion of glossy travel magazine and transaction site

Jetsetter's success may well prove that the the traveling public wants more than the cheapest price or the “wisdom of the crowd” reviews.

They want authentic experiences from trustworthy recommendations that can only come from professional, curated travel writers and companies where you pay for quality advice and service.

Not really a novel idea.

One wonders if the service signals the revival of the travel agent in their former roles as trusted travel advisers.

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Yes, of course, you're right. Good point. I think the "sense" is that with few notable exceptions, one neither expects nor gets unique, memorable  service from an airline.

But one certainly has higher standards and expectations from a hotel staff, room service, cleaning crew, concierge, etc

For now anyway! Thanks for writing in, Steve

[Steve Mirsky]

Good points!  However, at the beginning of your post, you state that most airline experiences are uniform & humdrum w/out real distinctions.  That I believe can be debated...Swiss Air coach is like first class in the U.S..  And I can only wonder what Qatar Airways 5 star economy class is like.  Feeling grateful for complimentary soda & a tiny bag of pretzels isn't universal...yet...thankfully ;)

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

I agree with your definition or sense of "the travel writer" completely, Allan. "interpreting" a place sounds right...so does reporting on it, providing insights, giving advice. Great writing? Not if it's deliberate and separate from the role of consumer journalism
Thanks

[Allan Lynch]

I have travelled with a couple of writers who made me wonder how they ever got through an airport. They survive because they are escorted for their whole trip.

 

I hope that we could all write well, but I think our larger role is interpreting a place for our readers - and realizing that publications/various media have different reader demographics. 

 

As for using a travel agent, most people don't use a travel agent in the manner explained above. They go in seeking someone to book them into a place, or get them a cruise ship or plane ticket. They don't ask the agent for ideas, instead they go with specific requests and shut the agent down thinking it's going to cost them more, not that it could enhance the experience.

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Tony, you're right of course. Who wants or needs a travel agent that doesn't have knowledge, experience, flexibility and creativity.

But we're not talking about them any longer. We are talking travel agent 2.0, a different brand of travel agency experience.

 

Appreciate the comment..and the plug for your company, though I think your approach was a bit negative. It's not a zero sum game. Cheers :)

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Terry, I can't ever recall making anyone's "heart sing," except may be Ed Wetschler's ! But thanks.

I agree with you, up to a point. I'm still struggling with what IS a professional travel writer and what matters more: How they write or the power of their insights and depth of experience.

I don't think being a professional travel writer has much to do with great writing. Most travel writers think it does.

I think it has a lot to do with having eyes in the back of your head and grasping the context of an experience..as well as the details. In fact, if I could I'd come up with another name for "Travel Writer."

If a crowd-sourced piece of information gives that richness of content and insights, then that's pretty "professional" to me.

But thanks for writing in. I enjoyed your site and your comments!

 

[Terry Trucco]

Reading your blog item makes my heart sing since my website/blog http://www.overnightnewyork.com  features reviews I've reported and written on New York City hotels (I'm a long-time travel writer). Professionals see things the average traveler misses and can impart information in an inviting way (you don't read Tripadvisor for the pleasure of the prose.)  But crowd sourcing has its uses. If you read a bunch of crowd-sourced reviews and throw out the two extremes -- the axe-grinding guy who hated everything and the hosanna guy who thought it all bliss -- you get a nugget of truth. If I were planning a big trip, I'd want input from the pros and the crowd.

[Tony Humphrey]

Who wants to revive travel agents that do not have the knowledge, experience and expertise of destinations and activites...those that just sell from 'preferred' brochures.... or those that are called specialists after taking a rudimentary test set by a 'tour operator' or 'tourism office' or 'airline' ???

 

That is why we created TheTopTravelClub.com to invited travel business operators and expert travel agents to offer their services directly to members who want to deal directly with the source that has destination and activity experience...been there, done that, got the t-shirt source.....

 

We should select our travel advisor with the same criteria that we use for other professional or trade services!

[Ed Wetschler]

Yup. Drop them into a hotel with a charming manager, give them some great swag, and arrange for pictures in the guestrooms to be hanging askew and for wake-up service to ring at 4 a.m.  See who reports those problems.

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

I agree. Drop a group of writers into a hotel, blind, and see how they puzzle out the good, the bad and what needs improving
Create a scenario at a destination (as a question ) , pose a service problem, a transportation one and see how it's answered, etc
Fun! Unlikely ;)
cheers