Unique Hotels and Alternative Lodgings 

Hotels.com--to pick just one major booking engine--says it allows customers to search among and make reservations at "more than 25,000 properties worldwide." Sounds impressive, until you realize the U.S. alone has more than 47,000 hotels with at least 20 rooms.

Why don't travel sites offer more options? There are two main reasons. First, they choose not to list certain properties. Big sites may not work with lodgings outside the mainstream--a converted medieval castle, for example, or a harborside boat that rents cabins. Expedia believes travelers aren't coming to its site if they're looking for a hostel or one-star hotel, so Expedia doesn't list any of them. The fact that it's easier to make money on upscale hotels--there's a higher profit margin--certainly influences the decision.

Kasbah du Toubkal in Morocco, from Unusual Hotels of the World (courtesy uhotw.com) [enlarge photo] ONLINE RESOURCE GUIDE • A growing list of useful websites we love JUNE 2006 ISSUE • Table of Contents • Splurges! • Secret Hotels of the French Riviera • Testing our Cruise Tips • Road Trip: Eastern Kansas • Trip Coach: Japan • 40 Best Vacations

Second, you can't assume that a property will want to be featured on a site. Hotels pass on a booking engine if they believe it attracts the wrong clientele, if it takes too big a cut of the cash, or if they simply think it's unnecessary. Searches at Expedia and Hotels.com occasionally turn up totally different properties, even though the sites are owned by the same parent company, because some luxury hotels, for example, don't want to be listed at the latter, which is perceived largely as a hotel clearinghouse.

If you're planning a visit to a popular tourist area and you're interested in a moderate to upscale hotel (a chain in particular), the major sites will absolutely do the job. But for out-of-the-ordinary places to stay--which are often the most memorable, for better and for worse--take a look at these out-of-the-ordinary websites.

Inns and B&Bs

BedandBreakfast.com A database of 28,000 B&Bs worldwide, including nearly 6,000 that can be booked through the site--with photos and expanded descriptions.

English-Inns.co.uk More than 500 historic hotels and country inns.

OZBedandBreakfast.com About 1,400 B&Bs throughout New Zealand and Australia.

Rustic

DudeRanch.org A round-up of more than 100 places for cowpokes in western North America.

EstanciasArgentinas.com Hundreds of Argentinian ranches open to day and overnight visitors.

Gites-de-France.fr France's resource for 55,000 B&Bs, apartments, and chalets, most in rural areas.