Find a hotel pearl at Oyster.com

I hate ordinary hotel sites that have tons of 'mood' shots - you know - a perfect arrangement of spring flowers on a side table with everything else in soft focus. I like to know what the space I am buying for the night looks like. I love hotel sites that have floor plans, and ones that have specific photos of each room type rather than a generic one (Hyatt take note).

Although a fan of Tripadvisor, I also think it can be very confusing. You don't know if you are reading a review by someone who is staying in a 5 star hotel for the first time, or who stays in nothing else. In other words, you don't know if the review is by a honeymooner who had more on his/her mind than the concierge service, or the proverbial 'maiden aunt' who has no better way to spend his/her time than complaining about the hair left in the bath.

What I always thought Tripadvisor lacked was a curator. I want a site that provides an opinion on hotels from a single viewpoint.  That way you would know the attitude of the reviewer and be able to evaluate their review accordingly.

If you share this view of the hotel website world, or you really want to see exactly how the toiletries are laid out, then visit Oyster.com.

It currently only seems to cover USA hotels, but having recently stayed at the London in West Hollywood, I vouch for the accuracy of their review - although we didn't get turn-down service, or the lavender scented towels at the pool.