March 21, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Surfing for NYC getaways made simpler

NYC-METRO AREA--Choosing the right kind of lodging can be the worst part of getting away. Last week, Shaun Johnston, CEO of the NYC Getaways network, unveiled a new on-line lodging-selection system designed to reduce mouse fatigue, fried brains and tense spines among those keen to find the perfect bed and breakfast getaway.

“We spent three months redesigning our listings to make ‘shopping’ for lodging easier and more fun” said Johnston, a former NYC advertising designer. "It takes the average person five to ten website visits to make their lodging decision. That’s frustrating work for almost everyone who wasn’t born with a mouse in their hand. We expect our new system to reduce the number of clicks it takes to find the right lodging by about one-third. Isn’t that a better way to start a vacation?”

The idea is breathtakingly simple. First you visit www.nycgetaways.com where you’ll be offered a choice of over 50 pages of listings for lodgings throughout ‘getaway-territory’--the Catskills, Berkshires and Mid-Hudson Valley. You begin by checking off all the lodgings that interest you—you can choose listings by region, by town, or by activity. The system keeps track of your selections as you go from page to page.

Then ask to have all your selections presented to you in a single shopping cart-type queue, with all your selections in one list to the left of your computer screen. Clicking on each one brings up its web site to the right. This makes it very easy to compare them. Johnston says he designed the system so that “As you uncheck the listings of lodgings that don't measure up, you end up with the one or two that are right for you. Then from their web sites you can phone them to make your reservation.”

Besides nycgetaways.com, the NYC Getaways family of websites also includes getawaytheberkshires.com, getawaythehudson.com and getawaythecatskills.com, all designed to help New York City Metro-Area residents make their excursions into the hinterlands easy and enjoyable. The sites cover an area extending from the Delaware River to Lenox and Lee in Berkshire County, all within 2-3 hours drive of New York City. Johnston has visited most of the lodgings listed on his sites and written capsule descriptions about them. Many listings also feature pictures of the lodging and its environs (also taken by Johnston) to give visitors a real feel for the place.

The sites list only independent non-chain lodgings such as resorts, inns and bed and breakfasts. "People don't need help finding chain hotels," said Johnston. "It's when you want independent lodgings you need help making your decision. That's our specialty, the one and only service we provide."

Johnston’s company has been in the online lodging guide business for over a decade. 75% of his guides' visitors live in the five boroughs of NYC. Johnston, himself an ex-New Yorker, now lives in Rosendale, in the Mid-Hudson Valley, right at the center of the territory served by these web guides.

END