17 years
I have. You can hardly say "no" to the mighty Lonely Planet, innit? :rolleyes:
It´s easy to handle, provides competent support (although this involves expensive calls to Australia), but the number of bookings they deliver is negligible.
Lonely Planet's Haystack
Internet Marketing
Has anyone signed up with Haystack - the new Lonely Planet booking service?
I've posted an article about it here.
- Comments
17 years
Interesting... The last time I was working at a hostel front desk was before Haystack came out so I haven't seen the interface.
I wonder if LP is making more bookings or fewer now that they have launched Haystack.
Have you tried Skype? I'm not sure what the rates are to Australia from Europe, but it has been cheap for me to call Europe on my computer through Skype.
17 years
I have just had a look at Haystack for the first time. I pulled up my area and found 8 hotels priced $50 to $350. Not a hostel or cheap room in sight!
Is it right what they say "How does it work? Our Lonely Planet authors are continually visiting and reviewing properties throughout the world. Once a property has been visited, reviewed and recommended for our website by one of our authors, the review will be published on www.lonelyplanet.com for the benefit of travellers. At this stage, the property will be offered the opportunity to join Haystack and become bookable. Properties must agree to our traveller-guided principles and must continue to be recommended by our authors and travellers to remain bookable on Haystack."
In other words I have to wait for them to come to me??
17 years
Interesting... The last time I was working at a hostel front desk was before Haystack came out so I haven't seen the interface.
Which hostel was that?
Have you tried Skype? I'm not sure what the rates are to Australia from Europe, but it has been cheap for me to call Europe on my computer through Skype.
Well, I admit that was just a rant. It´s not that much difference to call Dublin or Australia. We don´t use skype here because we have weird hardware - a terminal server instead of PCs. Those little boxes haven´t got a USB port, so I can´t connect a receiver.
I get called with Skype sometimes though. Every time, I have to yell into the phone "mate I can hardly hear you, I´ll call you back on your cellphone!" :mad:
17 years
In other words I have to wait for them to come to me??
If they ever go there I doubt they will ever leave... :D
Which hostel was that?
Several hostels in the USA. I will send you a PM.
I get called with Skype sometimes though. Every time, I have to yell into the phone "mate I can hardly hear you, I´ll call you back on your cellphone!" :mad:
I know the feeling... When Skype works, it's great -- but sometimes the connection is pretty bad. I use it to talk with people overseas because it's cheaper than my cell phone -- 65 cents (USD) a minute or something like that...
17 years
Several hostels in the USA. I will send you a PM.
I wasn´t aware there are "several" hostels in the USA! :D
The USA are tomorrow´s Argentina! If the Dollar continues to lose value like it did during the last years (apparently everybody predicts precisely that) you´ll be flooded with European backpackers. If I had enough money, I would open hostels everywhere there, it´s virgin soil. The nose-dive of your real estate market would only make it even easier.
That´s bad news for European hostels though. A third of our guests are American. Only those with rich parents will be able to travel to Europe. At least Argentina´s economy is on the way up again now. I hope we´ll have more guests from South America again in the future. Since they mostly travel in January and February they´re even more appreciated.
;)
17 years
The dollar is going down... The last 7 years have been hard to believe...
It would be great to see more hostels in the USA -- come and open some :)
I think the difficulty with hostels here is the long distances. You can drive for 13 hours and still be in the same state. The bus system (Greyhound) is horrible and the train (Amtrak) is not great either.
I guess if the dollar really crashes then backpackers could rent cars and drive around.
17 years
When I was in Buenos Aires the first time in 1994 there were exactly two hostels. One independent hostel in a shitty neighborhood where I was the only guest and the YHI joint in Calle Brasil - not very spectacuar either. Tim Uden said in another thread there are 104 hostels now. Q.E.D.!
In 1994 they had the peso linked to the US Dollar and I could only afford to travel to Argentina because I worked 15 months without break before I went. All the other countries on the continent were cheaper, most much cheaper. Now the Peso´s worth is 25% what it used to be and loads of backpackers travel to Argentina.
The distances are not the problem. I have travelled one year altogether in South America. During my first trip (three months), I have spent 17 nights in Buses and travelled 25000 kilometers. The bus system there is superb, but South America lacks efficient air travel. Driving is not an option either - they drive like madmen and the roads are often pretty bad, so it´s really dangerous. Besides, Gringos have to pay corrupt cops all the time.
Most of your cities suck, but that´s the same in South America.
In South America it´s essential to speak some Spanish, which most travellers dont, but everyone in Europe speaks English - that´s a big advantage for the USA.
You have some great national parks, you have great cities like New York, Boston, San Francisco to name only a few. The USA will be a big backpacker destination, I´m 100% sure about that.
Just one plea: make guns illegal. We Europeans think it´s really scary that every drugged maniac walking about could be armed. It really makes us think twice about going there!
17 years
Good points... I hope you are right about it becoming a backpacker destination.
USA isn't that dangerous. People generally don't walk around with guns -- unless you are in the wrong part of town, or out West where they have liquor stores and gun stores in the same building and anyone can buy a gun in Walmart without a permit :confused:
I think there are more guns in places like Brazil.
17 years
People in Brazil can´t afford guns!
Well I know it´s not really dangeruous. Unless of course... :D
What I had in mind is that you have a serious image problem. Not just your ordinary walmart customers are regarded as gun-toting maniacs here in Europe, but also most of your politicians.
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