A business of Palo Alto-based Eureka Media Inc., company officials say they are restricting access because the site offer buyers and sellers of hospitality transactions specific up to date and industry related information and, therefore, should also make sure its brokerage service listings fit that same niche.

HotelShark is available free of charge on the Internet and is available to tourists, business travelers, and hospitality industry professionals. HotelShark gives timely, unbiased reviews on accommodations in major cities. The classified advertising portion of HotelShark provides hotel owners and investors with a trusted resource for contacting brokers and agents experienced in hospitality property transactions.

HotelShark's editorial content consists of summaries of travelers opinions has those and its operating guidelines posted on the website. HotelShark is not affiliated with any travel agency, hotel company, or real estate firm.

HotelShark considers a broker to have hotel industry experience if he or she is the listing agent for at least four hospitality properties, or is an employee of a recognized hotel and motel specialist brokerage. HotelShark said that it would use publicly available information sources to verify the experience of applicants to its Brokerage Services section.

"Hotel transactions are different from other real estate transactions in that often the value of the property has a lot to do with the value of the public's opinion of it," Ken Marshall, editor in chief of HotelShark, told Globest.com. "What we have done is taken our website and actually allowed those seeking to purchase such properties a chance to read comments from guests that offer honest opinions of the hotel or resort about the property in an effort to help buyers and sellers alike make decisions about hospitality transactions."

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