If you’ve ever tried to book a hotel for a large event such as a wedding or a bachelor party, you’ll know the experience isn’t always pleasant.

Head over to the booking sites of most of the major chains, for instance, and you’ll see that booking more than a couple of rooms gets complicated, especially when it comes to pricing and changing your mind when one guest drops out.

This week, travel startup Groupize.com launched a new Expedia-style booking engine for those looking to organize large trips and events.

Online travel agent Expedia has revealed that it is seeing an increased interest in cruises to Europe in response to cuts in air capacity between America and Europe.

The year so far has seen increased interest in European cruises from US consumers. There was “tremendous value” to be secured for travelers right now.

According to the firm, cruise lines are currently cutting rates for European tours, “without cutting services,” sometimes giving travelers a cheaper option than flying to the region and staying in a hotel.

Consumers are now able to rate airlines using review site TripAdvisor in the same way they can rate hotels, the site confirmed January 12.

In a move which will see traveler reviews displayed alongside the flights that it sells, the Expedia-owned travel giant has added a new feature that allows travellers to rate airlines on different categories.

Users will be able to offer their thoughts on service areas such as baggage handling, check-in experience, in-flight amenities, punctuality and seat comfort.

Expedia claims it’s selling rooms at “unpublished rates”, but what does this actually mean and how can travelers take advantage of it?

“Unpublished rates” are the minimum prices that hotels will sell a room at if they haven’t been able to sell it at the standard rate.

The travel giant announced October 25 that it would dramatically expand its unpublished rate inventory to include 25,000 hotels around the world, claiming that travelers could book hotels at up to 50 percent off the standard online price.

Many hotels promise to be green nowadays, but where can travelers find more information to help them choose the most eco-friendly hotel?

Online booking site Travelocity believes that travelers actually prefer green hotels. According to its statistics, eco-friendly properties get higher reviews than their non-green counterparts.

For many consumers, search sites such as Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz will be the first stop in booking a hotel and all three have tried to make it easier.