In the IT industry we’re all so used to hearing discussions about web 2.0 - like or loathe the label we all know at least vaguely what it implies - it’s easy to forget that lots of organisations still have a bit of trouble with web 1.0.

Yesterday I booked a hotel room, and was able to narrow down my search by looking at the enormous range of web resources that seem to be devoted to this topic. Not finding any suitable last-minute offers via the likes of LastMinute.com, I ended up trawling through the web sites of individual hotels, found via Google Maps. I’m going to a wedding reception and want a hotel that I can find when plastered, so proximity to the venue was paramount.

Most of the sites I looked at had online booking facilities, allowing me to narrow down my search to those that actually had suitable, vacant rooms at a reasonable price.

Eventually I got down to one hotel - good location, available rooms, affordable, and which wasn’t afraid to put detailed pictures of its rooms online. Visitor feedback on the various hotel-promoting web portals checked out.

At this point I would have happily clicked my way through the online booking form, credit card in hand, but for the fact that I wanted a room on the top floor (don’t ask). I couldn’t specify this online. So I dusted off my phone receiver and called the hotel.

I spoke to a very helpful receptionist who put me down for exactly the kind of room I would have booked online, only on the right floor. The surprise came at the end of the call. The rate I was quoted was much cheaper than online. A full 20% cheaper. I didn’t ask for a discount, I just got it.

Someone, somewhere, hasn’t got the hang of this web 1.0 thing. If I do the admin work - checking availability and filling in my credit card number, and don’t take up the time of a human being on the end of the phone, it’s supposed to cost me less. It’s not supposed to cost me more.

I’m going to have to think twice about this whole buying-things-online lark.