By Danny Levinson
With the increase in online hotel bookings comes a new responsibility from the hoteliers to realistically and truthfully present their hotel's attributes to consumers. I have been burned on a number of occasions by hotels who misrepresented themselves online.

More travelers are booking their hotel rooms online, and Chinese Internet companies like Ctrip.com are cashing in on that boom with increased earnings. For the first quarter of 2006, Ctrip.com reported total revenues of RMB167 million, representing a 61% increase from the same period in 2005.

The total number of hotel room nights booked on Ctrip.com was approximately 1.38 million in the first quarter of 2006, compared to approximately 1.1 million room nights for the same period in 2005 and approximately 1.52 million room nights in the previous quarter.

A few months ago when I was invited to speak at Harvard, I booked a hotel online called Hotel@MIT, a boutique establishment run by Hilton. The website for the hotel says it was designed for the high-tech traveler, but upon arrival I saw nothing technologically special about its rooms, restaurants, or facilities–its gym was pitiful, though its restaurant did provide great meals.

Because of its proximity to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it used the high-tech tagline to entice guests into booking a non-tech experience. I was greatly disappointed, and made sure to tell my friends. To make matters worse, the website says, We've also equipped each room with a Sony PlayStation for when the work is done…or before. Well, my room did not have a PlayStation, and when I called down to the front desk to ask for one to be brought up, the staff member said that not all rooms were equipped with the game devices. Huh?

Websites are guests' ears and eyes into their expected hotel experiences, and there must be a connection between what is advertised and what is provided.

Last week, I was in Hong Kong and again ran into a disconnect between what was advertised on the hotel's website and what was actually presented. I booked a room at the Cosmo Hotel on Queen's Road East, primarily because of its close proximity to my meetings and its free Internet connection. Or so I thought…

I booked a Superior Room on the Cosmo Hotel website, and the in-room features listed for my room on the website included:
* 20-inch flat-screen TV
* Satellite and local TV channels
* High-speed Internet access
* Tea and coffee maker
* Top quality linen and bath towel
* Hairdryer

However, when I checked in I found there was a HK$100 charge per day for use of the high-speed Internet access. The fee for use of the Internet was not made clear on the website though. Hotels will usually tell guests online if the Internet access carries extra charges, but the way Cosmo penned their features, am I to now assume that the use of the hairdryer and bath towel also carry a fee?

I left the Cosmo after one night and went to the Rosedale on the Park, a better overall experience for the same price. Plus they have free Internet access.

A hotel website is its brochure. It is the means by which potential guests pick and choose their lodgings in distant cities. There is nothing more frustrating than finding that what you purchased does not match its advertised features. Front desks must maintain clear channels of communication with their sales departments to ensure that the total guest experience is not sabotaged.

By Danny Levinson
Managing partner, BDL Media Ltd
This article originally appeared on ChinaHospitalityNews.com. Danny has worked in China for over 8 years and travels frequently, mostly to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai. His views are his own and do not represent those of this publication, its investors, owners, or other staff.

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