Nick GonzalezEarlier this week we covered Trivop, which billed itself as the first video guide for hotels. Today, Tvtrip, another European startup, is launching their own guide. Counter to Trivop’s straightforward mashup of videos and Google maps, Tvtrip is focusing on “experiencing” the hotel and location overall before you rent. And yes, the names are ridiculously similar an confusing.

Tvtrip’s listings include maps, ratings, pricing and videos touring the hotel’s different classes of rooms, amenities, and exterior compiled by their teams of videographers. They have a library of 1500 videos, including 25 European destinations. You can see an example here. Over the next couple of months Tvtrip will be adding several more elements to enhance the user experience, including nearby geocoded Flickr photos and integration with Eventful and Plazes. I’m sure they’ll be adding more imaging features as mapping services like Google incorporate them, such as streetside view.

Tvtrip does have some drawbacks, however. In depth information about hotels is great news for price insensitive consumers, but you still have to hop to one of their affiliates for the best deal (Expedia, Venere, Booking.com). Competitor Trivop, instead, relies on TripAdvisor for their deals. Video guides also take a great deal of time to put together. Tvtrip is also only available in London, Brussles, Paris, and Berlin because of the large overhead involved in compiling the in depth information. Trivop is currently only available in London and Paris.

Tvtrip.com was founded by 4 former managers of Expedia Europe: Marc Ruff (former Vice President Europe), Fabien Bourdier (former managing director France), Marc Pfohl (former marketing director France) and Anja Keckeisen (former managing director Germany). They are currently angel financed, but expected to close another round of financing next week.

Videoguide For Hotels: Trivop.com

Duncan Riley

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Trivop.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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