SearchParty, hotel search engine

New hotel search engine SearchParty is filling a need by "comparing prices, taxes, fees and cancellation policies from 100+ web sites including Orbitz & Travelocity." Not sure how I feel about the user experience, but no doubt they help solve a consumer pain point. Understanding the break out of taxes and fees at OTA sites is just not transparent to folks. Dennis Schaal of Travel Weekly addressed this very issue in a recent posting where he calls out the major OTA leadership to "level with us":

This is an open letter to Dara, Michelle, Mitch and Jeffery: My message is simple (and maybe you will call it simple-minded). When it comes to offering hotel rooms on your Web sites and in your call centers, you need to embrace the future and provide a breakdown of taxes and fees.

Online shoppers are becoming savvier and will increasingly demand better information. This is an area where travel start-ups can add value and carve out a niche.