YHA Adopt Google Maps
YHA have abandoned the rather clunky ResponseMX mapping software that they were using on their website in favour of the widely used Google Maps service.
Visitors can now pan, scroll, zoom in and out, and get a high quality map at each scale – rather than the grainy mess that the previous system sometimes provided. In addition, they can view a hostel’s position on a satellite photo – literally providing a picture of the surrounding countryside.
An important difference between the two services is that the old system’s tightest zoom was to an Ordnance Survey 1:25000 map, the new one zooms in to a regular street map. Lacking street names, the OS maps were almost useless for hostels in big towns, though other details gave them the edge in rural locations. However, by using the satellite view, the would-be hosteller can usually compensate for any shortcomings of the street map.
One or two hostels will be ill-served by the change in mapping. Tanners Hatch is one example where the new map gives very little help in finding the place, I’m sure there are others. I think the YHA should supplement the regular map with a sketch map to help in getting to these really hard-to-find places.
That issue notwithstanding, I think this is a big improvement to the YHA web site and one that should be welcomed (and not just because I suggested it last year!).