Now there's a Web site where you can check out hotel rooms before you book. TVTrip.com will show you videos of hotels in 13 European cities.
High-quality videos show exteriors, lobbies, dining areas and guest rooms, including bathrooms.
You can choose hotels by price range from no dollars (no dice) to $600 a night. Listings include TripAdvisor.com ratings and comments, and Google maps showing location.
I saw some surprises, including London's Kensington Close Hotel & Spa at $187 a night.
To check availability, you're redirected to partner sites, and TVTrip.com gets commissions for bookings. But I couldn't get the rate on dates I tried in September.
Vani Rangachar writes for the Los Angeles Times.