Frequently Asked Questions

How did you come up with this idea?

The idea for Oyster came from our own travel experience. We grew frustrated with hotel websites, as well as with Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity, when hotels consistently turned out to be different from what those sites had suggested. We eventually decided that we needed to solve the problem ourselves. Check out our Oyster Story page for more information.

Why did you choose the name Oyster?

As Shakespeare wrote, "The world is your oyster" -- meaning that its possibilities are yours for the taking. At Oyster, we help you take on the world by making it easy to find the right hotel. Through independent reporting and honest, undoctored hotel photography, we deliver the "raw" truth so that you can find what you're really looking for. Boris Fishman, an early adviser to the company and former employee, gets credit for coming up with the name.

Where are you based?

Oyster is based in New York City.

How is Oyster different from sites such as Hotels.com and Expedia?

Oyster's expert hotel investigators visit every property in-person and take every photo, and our written reviews are always objective. In contrast, sites such as Hotels.com, Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity rely heavily on hotels' marketing materials for both the text and images that appear on their sites. We want you to find and book the hotel that's right for you, so we're completely honest about what you should expect when you arrive -- if a hotel is dirty, or noisy, or in a seedy neighborhood, we'll let you know.

How is Oyster different from TripAdvisor?

Our reviewers use a consistent set of criteria to ensure they apply the same standards to each hotel. TripAdvisor relies on the opinions of a community of semi-anonymous users with inconsistent, undisclosed, and unreliable expectations. On any given TripAdvisor hotel page, you can usually find 50 people who thought it was the greatest place they'd ever stayed and 50 others who wouldn't send their worst enemy there. In addition, the scope and quality of TripAdvisor's user photos are inconsistent.

Oyster, on the other hand, offers one clear, expert opinion. And our photo coverage blows other online sources out of the water; we offer extensive, high-quality photos for every property, organized into logical albums.

What destinations do you cover?

We currently cover dozens of destinations around the globe, all of which can be viewed here. Expect many more to come in the near future!

What destinations will you cover next?

We don't disclose the destinations that we are covering next. If, however, you have a destination that you'd like to see us cover, please let us know.

Does Oyster cover anything besides hotels?

Oyster currently focuses primarily on hotels. Food is an important part of any trip, so we also eat at and photograph restaurants at or near every hotel we visit. We then report our findings in each review's "Food" section. Check out our review of BLT Burger in the Betsy Hotel in Miami. We even photographed the steak we had for dinner.

The photos on your site are awesome. Who took them?

Oyster's hotel investigators take all of the photos on our site. We don't use any stock photos or photos that are provided by the hotel. All of the photos you see are taken with high-quality digital cameras so you see the hotel exactly the way we do -- warts (and stains and cracks) and all.

Do you retouch photos?

No. We do not manipulate our photos in any way.

How do you obtain the GPS data for your maps?

We use sophisticated di-GPS Pro units to record the position of every photo we take, and this data allows us to pinpoint the exact location of the hotels we visit. Since we actually go to the hotels and gather the GPS information independently, we are confident that we have the most accurate data available.

Being an Oyster reviewer seems like the dream job. Are you hiring?

We're definitely hiring! Check out our Jobs page. You may also want to learn more about the rest of the Oyster reviewers, so you know what you're getting yourself into!

What benefits does Oyster offer?

Oyster hires full-time employees and provides full benefits, including medical, dental, 401(k), and meaningful equity/stock options.

Can I post a comment about my experience at a hotel?

Absolutely! For every hotel that we cover, we welcome users to add their comments, whether they agree or disagree with our review. We encourage our users to add information that our reviews might be missing or correct mistakes we may have made. For more information on posting comments, please click here.

Can I post my vacation photos to the site?

Not yet, but we are planning to introduce this function for users in the future.

Why isn't this link/photo/page working?

Oyster is growing very quickly, and with that comes a few growing pains. We are human, and we make mistakes. If you see something that needs to be fixed, please let us know by contacting us.

Why is the hotel price wrong?

Hotel rates can fluctuate drastically from day to day. To ensure our users get an accurate sense of what a hotel charges, Oyster lists the average price for the next 30 days. Click the "Check Rates and Availability" button on the hotel review page to find the prices for your specific trip dates. If you see a price that looks wrong, please contact us.