SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 8, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 8, 2012 We hope to have updates online around November, but we are really taking on a huge amount of work this year - already 2 months into development - and simply don't know if that will be possible or not. Hopefully it will, but things happen and it may get delayed. We're just going to get things done as best we can, impossible to put any date on it right at this moment. Link to post Share on other sites
Sciclone 2 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Perhaps split it into 3 or 4 sections. Budget (<5000Y) Comfortable (5100 - 10000) Fancy (10100-15000) Luxury (>15000Y) The only way is how you would filter it. Is it based on p/person, a single room, a double/twin, room type (J. J/W, W), with or without meals etc. ? Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Difficult to totally compare with all the different variations and I wouldn't get too involved in doing that as it would simply confuse people who on average spend 0.1 seconds before "giving up" on anything. How about English speaking staff? Link to post Share on other sites
MrPleasant 0 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Online booking? Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 8, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 8, 2012 Thanks for the continued comments folks. Ah yes, online booking - no, that's not the way we want to go. Our service is one of introducing places from where people can directly contact, not some commission-based travel agency type of operation. We do however, of course, want very much to improve on it all in ways that benefit the people using the site as well as the places that are listed. More comments welcome and thanks to the people who sent emails as well. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 8, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 8, 2012 Here's another question/point to get out there? Does anyone have a non-confusing / better alternative to alphabetically sorted lists? Whatever sorting or presentation style we use, a 'list' will always be involved. Does a random list just look silly? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 If it has to be a list then I guess alphabetically is easiest to navigate....from a search POV. I dunno if you'd want to have a function that allows people to search for a hotel thats closest to (somewhere) ....ski jo for example, then the hotels are arranged in order of proximity to the ski lifts. Or train station.....then the list would change order. Link to post Share on other sites
griller 9 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 No doubt SJ gets hassle from places called Z Hotel who look on with envy at places called A Hotel. The thing is - the default way to list stuff is alphabetically. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I find it is usually more effective to have lists that can be adjusted by the user. For example having options like price, distance from resort, room sizes, etc that the user can click on which then modifies the list according to their selection for how to search. Kind of like a 'sort by' option. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 No doubt SJ gets hassle from places called Z Hotel who look on with envy at places called A Hotel. The thing is - the default way to list stuff is alphabetically. lol, if your hotel is called Zebra Hotel then just change the name to A Zebra Hotel and you'll make the top of the list Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 8, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 8, 2012 While I am not willing to venture deep into some of the 'stories', over the years we have had one or two places ask just that very kind of thing. We are pretty insistent though on needing proof that they have actually officially changed their name to A Zebra Hotel. That usually stops the request. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Aardvaak Astoria Lodge would be well ahead of the game!! Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 8, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 8, 2012 Hopefully, what we end up doing might make that kind of thing less of an issue. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Aardvaak Astoria Lodge would be well ahead of the game!! Alphabetical advantage aside, that's a cracking name for a hotel. Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Prices. preferably the cheaper places with dorms. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 8, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 8, 2012 Someone sent in an email before telling us about their friends place not being listed and thought it should be on there, and asked how they could help. A good way to help, if you are so inclined, is to let them know about SnowJapan - if they are interested in being listed on the site we would of course be very happy to talk with them about it. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Aardvaak Astoria Lodge would be well ahead of the game!! AAA Lodge would win though. Link to post Share on other sites
Sciclone 2 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 On the subject of hotel order.. A map based listing could work (where every hotel is given a number). That way it's purely factual, with no preference given on alphabetical order. That's how the shigakogen.gr.jp site shows the various hotels. The high end hotels don't necessarily get the first number, and the budget don't get the last. But yes, english speaking staff is helpful for those of us who aren't polyglots. Also, I know you said it's not your aim to be a travel agent, but perhaps offering to help out with english correspondence to the various hotels that do list should they need help. It would possibly make them more inclined to list. (Also, I tried to tell Villa Ichinose that the reason why I found and booked with them was because they listed on SJ, but I don't think they understood) Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Aardvaak Astoria Lodge would be well ahead of the game!! AAA Lodge would win though. but thats just a makey up name..........you can't just make shit up!! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 On the subject of hotel order.. A map based listing could work (where every hotel is given a number). That way it's purely factual, with no preference given on alphabetical order. That's how the shigakogen.gr.jp site shows the various hotels. The high end hotels don't necessarily get the first number, and the budget don't get the last. But yes, english speaking staff is helpful for those of us who aren't polyglots. Also, I know you said it's not your aim to be a travel agent, but perhaps offering to help out with english correspondence to the various hotels that do list should they need help. It would possibly make them more inclined to list. (Also, I tried to tell Villa Ichinose that the reason why I found and booked with them was because they listed on SJ, but I don't think they understood) did you try the thumbsup, big smile "Snowjapan!!"?? That is universal!! Link to post Share on other sites
jondreads 3 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 One of the categories I'm interested in when searching for family friendly hotels that has not yet been mentioned is if they have or can arrange evening child minding services (though I realise the answer is usually "no" in Japan even at the bigger hotels). On site kiddie play areas are also a bonus. Also travel time to nearest decent ski lift. I quite like the japanican web site for hotel search, especially the way that it instantly updates the number of matching hotels when you toggle requirements. it would be great if you could copy that ;-) Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Some good ideas in here. Good to hear that you are re-making it, I think the information could be presented more clearly as right now it is often mixed up and not the same for each one. Having things clearer would be an improvement. Good luck with it! Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted February 10, 2012 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 10, 2012 Thanks for the feedback everyone. We've got some really exciting plans brewing. Some unknowns but hope we can pull them off. I have just been told the cost of everything we are planning..... anyone got some huge wads of cash they can spare?! It should be :veryshocked: but actually it's Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Sorry no big wads of cash unfortunately. Sounds good though, good to see the excitement from the people making it. Always a good thing. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted February 10, 2012 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 10, 2012 Believe me, we would not be putting everything we do into this if it was not 'fun', for want of a better word. The pressure to make big changes is purely coming from ourselves. The next 3-4 months if the really fun and exciting part for me. Link to post Share on other sites
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