Hilton Hotels takes home first place Overall with a strong showing in the Relationship Services category, incorporating sophistication with education and assistance. Westin Hotels came in second place exemplifying dedicated Web incentives, offering both Internet-only rates and awards club bonuses. Luxury Collection landed in a close third with extensive local property information and virtual reality tours.

Although the top players have incorporated standard tools and site features, Gomez suggests that consumers with prior online experience and expectations are likely to be disappointed at this stage. The results of the Spring 2000 Scorecard suggest that hotel suppliers have yet to effectively translate existing offline brand strength to the online realm. Overall, findings demonstrate that the industry is still in the early stages of Web development.

�Convenience, content and price transparency are among the main reasons we�re finding consumers turning to the Web, and we�re finding that many firms have yet to address these issues,� said Krista Pappas, director of travel at Gomez Advisors. �By the end of this year, we expect that 5% of all hotel bookings will be made through the online channel, and by 2004 this figure will exceed 20%. Hotel suppliers can�t afford to sit back while other travel sites dominate the marketplace.� No single site has been able to aggregate all of the features and services that fully capture the essence of quality at this moment, and until such a point arises, Gomez suggests that the Internet hotel industry is anyone�s game. 

Pappas expects this coming quarter to be an interesting one to watch as more firms invest in Web offerings in order to compete effectively across the travel industry. �It will be critical for hotels to streamline the online reservation process, integrate profiling and add value to the overall customer experience,� said Pappas.

About Gomez Advisors
Gomez Advisors is a e-commerce portal provider, bringing complete e-commerce decision support to consumers and businesses. Gomez provides an unparalleled view of consumer e-commerce experience by combining industry specific focus, a thoroughly objective and extensive Internet evaluation methodology and high-quality community ratings and reviews of online businesses.