Hace ya un tiempo que Google ha estado dando pistas de querer entrar en el negocio de los viajes. Parece que esta intensificando su presencia y esta vez lo hace con su beta del Buscador de Hoteles de Google.

Lo importante aquí es la ventaja que tiene en cuanto a la información que puede mostrar, así como la facilidad de actualización e inclusión de nuevos hoteles. ¿Pero por qué? pues básicamente porque en sus indices tiene toda esta información disponible, actualizada y de primera mano, es decir de los mismos hoteles, a través de la búsqueda y los famosos listados de Google o mejor conocido como Google Places.

He estado probando un poco y a mi lo que más me impacta es la opción de delimitar una zona del mapa para mostrarte nuevos hoteles a medida que vas ampliando esta área geográfica, aunque por el momento solo tiene la opción de hoteles en USA.

Si quieren probarlo pueden hacerlo usando el siguiente enlace: Buscador de Hoteles de Google.

Dejo algunos pantallazos:

I’ve just found that Google is starting a new project called Google Store Views. Basicly they are using the Google Street View technology and have started to send the “camera guys” out.

I think its a good idea but is it worth it, I mean Google Maps is widely used and very helpful but what can a store view do for Internet users? I would rather like to have this for restaurants or hotels (not every hotel is capable of rendering a 3D view as most Hiltons do)

Anyway here is a picture of the “camera guys” taking pictures at a store.

We’ll see what the feature prepares for us in the magical world of Google Maps.

Picture by plumbersurplus.com

Two days ago Bing introduced its beta release of Bing Maps. I just have to say that I’m very happy to see that Google is starting to have some serious fighting in different angles. First Google Search vs. Bing/Yahoo, then Google News vs. Murdoch and now Google Maps vs. Bing Maps.

I mean, Google is known for making great stuff, and don’t get me wrong I do like Google but sometimes they are just too cocky and a few slaps isn’t bad to make them have the feet on the ground.

So I started reading a little about this new Bing Maps and also tried it myself. What I found most impressive is the aerial views, Bing’s are amazing and totally smash Google’s.

Here is an example I made from Oprah’s home at Montecito, Santa Barbara. Just check out the difference, still there are a lot of other great features on both.

You can have a look at a very nice comparison the guys at TechCrunch did.

The New Bing Maps Is Now Live: We Take It For A Test Drive