Yahoo tests hotel search

Yahoo began testing a hotel search site, as part of a travel service it launched last year. The FareChase travel service, which so far has offered airline searches, will now include a test version of hotel search and the ability to make reservations online, the company said Monday. Consumers can customize their search by price or distance from a specified location and get a list of hotels within that area. User ratings, reviews, interactive maps and other information will also be available, Yahoo said.

Yahoo launched its travel Web site in August of last year, after it purchased online travel company FareChase. The move was designed to gain entry into the expanding online travel business. Yahoo has been adding new features to its offering since then. "This beta launch marks just the beginning of what we are capable of providing for travelers," Yen Lee, general manager of travel at Yahoo, said in a statement.