SideStep, Inc. Acquires TravelPost.com

SANTA CLARA, Calif. | SideStep, Inc. (), the Internet's leading travel search company, today announced the completion of its acquisition of TravelPost.com (http://www.travelpost.com/), the largest independently owned site for hotel reviews and ratings. The transaction was finalized on Tuesday, October 31, 2006.

The deal couples TravelPost.com’s robust lodging content with SideStep’s dynamic, real-time access to the most comprehensive online travel search information available. In the two years since its formation, TravelPost.com has grown into a leading source for unbiased user-generated hotel reviews and ratings, travel news, information resources and travel blogs. The company has excelled at organizing travel information to improve the way people research and shop for travel. The addition of this content, including nearly 500,000 reviews, photos and blogs, creates an even more powerful online travel experience for SideStep.com’s 5 million+ monthly visitors.

“SideStep invented the vertical search category, and we are again redefining the way people find and utilize travel information,” said Rob Solomon, president and CEO, SideStep, Inc. “The expansion of user-generated content is a powerful trend, and this acquisition allows SideStep to rapidly accelerate its offerings and capture a leadership position in this exciting transformation.”

TravelPost.com’s hotel reviews offer an easy-to-use filtering feature that allows travelers to segment reviews by age, gender, purpose of stay and travel budget. The reviews are integrated with a travel blogging community in which travelers are able to write about their experiences, post photos from their trips, and keep track of where they've traveled on an interactive world map.

SideStep will integrate TravelPost.com’s superior travel planning content into its award-winning site over the coming months, matching travelers to the hotels that best meet their needs with travel advice from people with similar interests.

“We are excited to join SideStep and continue our mission of empowering travelers with tools that automate the ‘word of mouth’ experience,” said Sam Shank, CEO, TravelPost.com. “With SideStep’s incredible team, supplier relationships and resources, the companies will work to expand and enhance our community review offerings while bringing innovative Travel 2.0 products to market.”

About SideStep | SideStep, the Internet's leading travel search company, delivers the most comprehensive selection of travel choices at the best prices to more than five million consumers each month. SideStep has been named one of TIME Magazine's "50 Coolest Web Sites" and declared "Best of the Web" by Forbes and BusinessWeek Online. The company has direct relationships with the largest travel suppliers in the industry and works with a variety of leading world-class brands, providing relevant results from more than 600 airlines, 150,000 hotels and 30,000 car rental sites worldwide. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, SideStep is privately held and has raised more than $17 million in funding from Trident Capital and individual investors. For more information, visit /.

About TravelPost | Founded in January of 2004, TravelPost.com is the independent and impartial source for unbiased hotel reviews and hotel ratings and travel advisory services. The site features over 250,000 hotel reviews and candid hotel photos posted by real travelers and is one of the fastest growing travel resources on the web. The company is based in downtown San Mateo, California. For more information, visit /.