Wow, I like this site Arthur. Thanks for pointing it out, although I think we all know who you want to win this war:)

I am a big fan of tripadvisor (see my other comments), and for the same reasons I like tripadvisor, I think I will like this site. My only concern is that they don't have reviews in some of the cities I stay. But hopefully that will be rectified as time goes on.

It looks fine, but what if you want to stay someplace other than the six places they've reviewed hotels?

While Oyster is especially limited right now, one thing I think you're missing with Trip Advisor is that it covers a lot more places than even guidebooks. I have been a fan of Frommers for years, but you have to admit that its coverage of Indiana, for example, is pathetic. It only lists ONE city in Indiana and seven attractions in that city. Those attractions don't even include a number of world class attractions around the state, so it certainly doesn't begin to touch on the insider tips and hidden gems that you can get from locals who regularly post on Trip Advisor.

Another thing, since the reviewers are "professionals" that were journalism students, what if I don't like the kinds of hotels that journalism students like? The other advantage of TA is that people from all walks of life and all ages post reviews. The ideal hotel for a single 20 something isn't necessarily the best choice for a senior citizen or a family with young kids.

Thanks anyway, I'm sticking with TA.

I consider myself to be a seasoned traveler. Before I retired I spent most of my career bouncing from city to city, country to country. Now, in my retired life, I do the same thing, except with a wife and kids in tow. I use many resources when planning my trips these days, and have been a longtime supporter of TripAdvisor and other UGC resources, but I'd like to just make some objective observations and clarifications here based on the original post and some of the comments that have followed.

Firstly, I have to say that Frommers use of the phrasing "picked from journalism students" in the article is extremely misleading and inaccurate. If proven only by the responses in the above comments, it seems to heavily imply that their writers were either plucked straight out of school, or that they aren't qualified or experienced enough "professionals" to be the travel voice for the community - if not both.

So after reading this article and the responses, I checked out the website and did some reading up in their "About Us" pages (which I might suggest for Frommer and others to do the same...). What I found is that their job requirements very clearly state a "B.A. degree or higher in English, history, political science, or other writing-intensive disciplines; graduate degree in journalism A PLUS" (not required) as well as "a minimum of FOUR YEARS professional journalism experience."

Doesn't sound like "current journalism students" or "college student reviewers" or "19 year olds" to me.

Also, from my understanding, the company has only just made their content public within the past month or so. A quick headline search of some of their media mentions and another quick look at their FAQ page reveals they plan on expanding further in 2009 well beyond the six locations that they've launched with. It's obviously no secret that their destinations are currently limited, so it shouldn't be a shocker that a search for Madrid and Seville didn't come up with any results...

Anyway, granted every site has their issues, and some of the other concerns written here are certainly warranted. Just from my quick use and analysis of the site so far I've certainly come across my own. I do think though that it has a lot of potential to be a valuable resource for like-minded travelers out there, especially in areas that other more familiar sites fall short.

Don't get me wrong, I still plan on using TripAdvisor, Frommer's, and all the other resources I normally would when planning my trips, but to simply dismiss a website based on misguided information or a lack of clarity just seems unfair and shortsighted.

Okay, I gave it another chance.
One thing I noticed once I clicked on all the tabs was that there aren't actually six destinations currently available. There are four. New York and Las Vegas are "Coming Soon." I think they would have been better off waiting to announce the launch of their website until there were more options.
The number of hotels listed for Aruba, for example, was considerably smaller than TA and Expedia. However, the structure of the reviews for the hotels listed was very helpful. I also especially liked the orderliness of their pictures. (If you want to compare showerheads at each hotel, they have included pictures.)
I have been to the DR and Miami recently, but if I decide to plan a trip to Aruba or Jamaica in the near future I will certainly read their reviews.