Hello VibeAgents!
I’m Lauren. I’m VibeAgent’s newest, coolest, and only intern. When I’m not hitting the books in my final semester as a history major at UVA, I’m doing my best to work some social media magic here at VibeAgent. So go for the bold and friend me - everybody likes new friends.
I come bearing exciting news: VibeAgent has just entered into two new partnerships! I spent the afternoon scoping out the web sites of our most recent collaborators, Tablet Hotels and FastBooking.com. I really liked both sites - and I’m not just saying that because they’re our partners. Here’s the need-to-know for each site:
Tablet Hotels
Tablet is an industry leader for luxury and boutique hotels. When customers are described as global nomads and Anna Sui can be purchased directly from the web site, you know you’re dealing with a certain type of consumer. Tablet caters to an educated, upscale clientele, and it caters well. Here are a few of my favorite things about Tablet:
1. The site is clever, and really well-written. It gives its users credit. The copywriter seems like an interesting person to meet up with over a glass of Merlot. It’s fun to explore.
2. A number of appealing site features differentiate the site from its competition. Tablet offers a variety of search options: searches by destination, hotel name, child-friendly amenities, “I just want to get away” escapes, local getaways, groups, and hotel deals. “Tablet10″ lists outline the top ten user-rated hotels in categories ranging from “Best Service” to “Best Design”. “TabletPlus” members receive special privileges at some hotels, including complimentary upgrades, champagne, late check-out times, and spa vouchers. But, perhaps my favorite features are hotel reviews from guest experts, who include Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Kevin Roberts, the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi (Cuba likes the Mondrian).
3. In addition to vacations, Tablet offers its users a variety of products for purchase - and they’re interesting. Books offer behind-the-scenes insight into the world’s top new hotels, replete with hotelier, architect, and designer interviews. Music compilations are provided a-la boutique hotels which offer guests complimentary CDs. Music compilations are provided by boutique hotels themselves, offering users suggested playlists. The TabletStyle designer list reads like a who’s who of fashion: Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Versace; the list goes on. Seasoned shopaholics will also find heaven in the site’s luggage, accessory, and beauty selection.
4. But you don’t need a Christian Dior wardrobe to afford the hotels and resorts featured on Tablet. Tablet offers an incredible diversity of hotel rooms with unique location, design, atmosphere, and landscape combinations. Want a hotel that is both “hip” and offers “horseback riding”? Tablet has it. Craving a jungle landscape which offers the luxury of fishing? You’ve got it. This broad scope also extends to price ranges. Tablet offers a budget section with rates beginning below $100/night, as well as featured discounts and vacation package.
The following experience epitomizes why I like Tablet: I clicked on the tongue-in-cheek “I just want to get away” search feature, and entered the parameters “unusual landscape”, “secluded atmosphere” and “romance”, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day. The computer immediately spit back a list of properties ranging in price, and in locales exotic as Tuscany, Maldives, India, and…. Keswick Hall, twenty minutes away from my apartment. To me, that was really cool.
Fastbooking.com
On to the next! Fastbooking.com is equally cool, but in an entirely different way. It’s a provider for a different demographic. The site emphasizes its assets right up front: no online prepayment required, no booking or cancellation fees, steep discounts, an expansive list of participating hotels and user comments, and direct links to hotel websites. This direct hotel contact translates into greater accessibility, and I love that users pay nothing until arriving at the hotel. The site is very straightforward, which makes it super easy to use, and it’s really easy to find a cheap hotel. An interactive map organizes customer searches by country, region, and state, with results narrowed down by travel criteria and city or city district. Fastbooking is based out of Paris, with hotel partners extend past Europe to such faraway destinations as Cuba and China.
Individual hotel-specific pages have high clarity and ease of use, as well. Hotel pages feature contact information, photographs, descriptions, local points of interest, distances from local airports and train stations, parking, and hours. Page sidebars offer a variety of helpful information about rooms, hotel facilities and services, hotel reservations, location, customer reviews, and key points of the hotel.
I have a few favorite Fastbooking features. The site highlights hotels with high customer ratings, and generates destination-specific travel deals. It’s video-enabled, which really helps to contextualize each hotel: how big is the reception area, what does the view from a room look like, is the bathroom counter really marble, etc. The key points section of the hotel page sidebar is also fun. It outlines perks ranging from flat screen and fitness center to bathrobes and wood-burning stoves. All of these capabilities serve to create a highly-specific user understanding of each hotel property.
It’s not only the site which appears accessible and user-friendly. The team looks friendly, as well. Management seems smart and capable. The marketing team looks outgoing. The customer relations team looks nice! It’s excellent to be able to look at the “About Us” section of a website and think, “Wow, these people seem cool.”
So, that’s the news! Tablet Hotels and Fastbooking.com are the two newest associates to join our lineup of 30+ partners. We’re excited to be able to work with them because they’re awesome companies, and because we know that these partnerships will allow us to better serve you, our users, and to help you find the best hotel deals at the best hotels for you!
Talk to you soon,
Lauren