smoothhound.co.uk

Are you an independent traveler planning a visit to or within the UK in the near future? Stumped on how to seek out the lodgings that will best suit your taste and budget? Wondering about bed-and-breakfast establishments? Uncertain as to whether you prefer a guesthouse or a hotel? One good place to resolve these and other questions about accommodations in the UK is the Smooth Hound web site:

http://www.smoothhound.co.uk

...inspires confidence. Nonetheless, with listings for thousands of lodgings in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, Smooth Hound is arguably the best single site available to find just the right overnight accommodation to meet your requirements. As the trip planner in our family, I regard Smooth Hound as a treasure trove of useful information that allows me to make informed choices.

On arrival at the site's home page, the ... more

Are you an independent traveler planning a visit to or within the UK in the near future? Stumped on how to seek out the lodgings that will best suit your taste and budget? Wondering about bed-and-breakfast establishments? Uncertain as to whether you prefer a guesthouse or a hotel? One good place to resolve these and other questions about accommodations in the UK is the Smooth Hound web site:

http://www.smoothhound.co.uk

I know, "Smooth Hound" is hardly a name that inspires confidence. Nonetheless, with listings for thousands of lodgings in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, Smooth Hound is arguably the best single site available to find just the right overnight accommodation to meet your requirements. As the trip planner in our family, I regard Smooth Hound as a treasure trove of useful information that allows me to make informed choices.

On arrival at the site's home page, the user is presented with a clickable map of the UK. Once the search is narrowed to a particular geographic location, the user is presented with a series of choices related to price range (in pounds sterling) and type of room desired (single, double, family room). After these choices are selected, the user acquires a list of accommodations within the specified parameters. (Note: If the desired geographic location boasts a fairly small number of establishments, Smooth Hound will bypass this process and simply present everything in its data base for that location.)

Aside from the clickable map, the home page includes a series of search-field options--including town name, UK post code, hotel name, and airport. Thus, if you know you'll be staying in Lincoln, you can bypass the map and go straight to the choices offered in the vicinity of Lincoln.

Additional options on the home page include an A-Z bar to help narrow a search by town name, a series of regional listings, and a "100 Most Popular" (i.e., destinations) listing--all with links.

Once the user is presented with a list of potential accommodations, the real search begins. Each listing contains information on the type of establishment, the number and type of rooms, prices, ratings by pertinent governing boards, services offered (everything from hair dryers in the room to childcare services), and contact information (including mailing address, phone numbers--and email, if available). If the establishment has developed a web site, an abbreviated version is usually available in the form of a "full color brochure," which in turn will lead to the web site itself. Some establishments even offer a small discount to travelers using the Smooth Hound service to book accommodations.

I rarely investigate a lodging that does not include at least an email address, because email allows me to narrow the selection further by asking questions related to our particular needs and preferences:

~ Does the London hotel have an elevator so we don't have to carry my husband's golf clubs up and down several flights of stairs? Failing that, could we obtain a ground-floor or first-floor room?

~ Does the B&B advertising a private bath, rather than an ensuite, provide a bathrobe so we don't have to pack our own?

~ Are multiday discounts available?

~ How far away are local connections for public transportation?

~ How far from the ultimate B&B is that archeological site I've wanted to see since childhood?

~ Is the room air-conditioned in summer? Or does it perhaps have a ceiling fan? (I've noticed that many establishments in the UK, even upscale hotels, are not air-conditioned. Contrary to what we're likely to find here in the U.S., opening the window is a time-honored tradition.)

Links found at the Smooth Hound site include pathways to car rental agencies, location maps that help the user create a literal road map to the selected lodging, as well as to nearby points of interest and other services.

Site pathways provided by Smooth Hound also make it easy to find a room near a particular airport. Returning home to the U.S. via Gatwick? Smooth Hound will provide you with a list of options available in that area, thus allowing you to leave home with a confirmed place to stay on that last night before the flight back.

Having relied on Smooth Hound to assist me with several trips to and from the UK, I categorize myself as a frequent user who is generally satisfied. It serves my needs well. The site is updated frequently, and I've seen a number of listings come and go.

Still, it might serve site management well to consider a facelift. Smooth Hound has a mid-to-late 90s look that says it's been around for a while and has settled into a rut. There are no bells and whistles, and initiatives begun years ago have been allowed to languish. For example, the home page includes an area for "Specialty Holidays" that has long consisted of only two options--golf and self-catering. This is an area that begs for expansion.

Criticism aside, Smooth Hound is user-friendly site packed with useful information that is organized in a sensible fashion. I highly recommend it as a tool for planning any trip to the UK.

© DAnneC/BawBaw, updated October 2003

 

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