Overview
The CompanyA site contains a number of helpful features. However, because of poor site architecture, those features are often unavailable to users. In addition, implementation of a number of features produces confusing results for users.

• Local navigation items inconsistent in design and labeling between individual hotel main pages.
• Individual hotel main pages inconsistent in display and content; user doesn't know what to expect.
• "Explore Here" global nav button takes users into individual hotels' sites. All local navigation items are lost. There is no way to navigate back to where the user was (on a city page, for example) before selecting the specific hotel.
• "Explore Here" link goes to different places, depending on whether or not an individual hotel has activated this as a local nav feature. This is most confusing for the user.
• Several broken links were encountered.
• Global nav bar looks consistent across individual hotel sites, but linked content differs depending on which hotel chain one is looking at. More confusion for the user. Click the button once and you get a listing of CompanyA chains. Click another time and you get a list of [specific subsidiary]. The link label needs to change to match the changing content.
• Global navigation bar on level 2 and lower pages doesn't appear on home page.
• Global navigation items on the home page are unavailable from other pages within the site, e.g., "Vacation Ownership."
• Good use of multiple finding methods, e.g., by city, by "closest to this address."
• Initial presentation of "Amenities and Services" chart looks blank. Users must expand an item (such as "Fitness and Relaxation") to see details.
• Labels for "Amenities and Services chart are unclear. For example, the item "High Speed Internet Access" is listed under "To Better Serve You" rather than "Working in your Room or Suite."
• No search features from anywhere other than home page
• Keyword search feature does not produce any results.
  

CompanyB.com

Overview
Generally clean architecture. Consistent global navigation items. Easy for user to develop concept of site. Feature rich and generally well implemented.

• Consistent global navigation across site.
• Consistent presentation of individual hotel information. \
• Clear labels
• Pointer at top of each page indicates section within site.
• Many options invoke popup windows, which may be confusing for users.
• Local weather feature on all individual hotel pages.
• Clicking on an individual property, for example, a subsidiary location, changes the global navigation options to the subsidiary site. There is no way to get back to the main CompanyB site without finding and clicking the CompanyB logo at the bottom of the page.

CompanyC.com

Overview
A minimalist site with basic functionality.

• Good search features for event planning.
• Use of light blue text makes information on individual properties difficult to read.
• Unclear labels: "View Accommodations" links to a description of the various rooms, but no pictures!
• Link to special Internet-only price deals does not allow access to descriptions of properties, but only to check rates.
  

This site and its contents © 2002, Fred Leise