Thursday, August 20, 2009

Who's looking at your motel?


Chances are that you have prospective guests peering from the curbside at your motel right now. They have the ability to check out your surrounding neighborhood, nearby restaurants, shops and local attractions with 360 degree street-level views.

Google Street View started 2-years ago when Google sent out an army of hybrid electric vehicles, each with nine cameras (as pictured above) fixed on a single pole. Armed with a GPS and three laser range scanners, this fleet of cars began an endless quest to photograph every highway and byway in the free world to update Google's mapping imagery.

Along the way, Google captured some amazing images from a snapshot in time. Check out some of these images HERE.

Major online travel company Orbitz.com has taken the view that guests will feel more comfortable booking online if they can interactively view the accommodation providers' premises and have recently integrated Google Street View into its mapping functionality.

Is there an opportunity to encourage prospective guests to get interactive from your own corporate website to take a cyber test-drive past your place?

From a guest perspective, how does your motel property look on Google Street View? Were you looking your best when Google drove past your place?

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