Dr Baker Comments

If you search for Grim’s Dyke Hotel on google maps, or any number of other map or hotel websites you are shown a location that is over a third of a mile to the south east of its true location.

On investigation it appears that the problem is due to the use of post codes to locate places that are being searched for.

The Royal Mail Address Finder returns 15 addresses for HA3 6SH, the post code for Grim’s Dyke. One address is for Grim’s Dyke, the other 14 are for flats located in Portman Hall.

Guess where Google and most of the other map and hotel search services place Grim’s Dyke. Yes, at Portman Hall, which is located over a third of a mile to the south east of Grim’s Dyke. Those that put Grim’s Dyke in the wrong place include:

• maps.google.co.uk
• www.multimap.com
• streetmap.co.uk [can only search for the postcode]
• london-discount-hotel.com
• lastminute.com

There are two hotel sites that place Grim’s Dyke in the correct place, pointing to the hotel itself or the entrance to the hotel grounds:

• booking.com [strangely the map is powered by google], and
• www.hrs.com

There are three organisations involved in this stuff up, all of whom could and probably would way its not our problem. The organisations and their probable responses are:

• The search providers: “We rely on data provided by TeleAtlas (or similar company). If there is a problem take it up with them.”
• TeleAtlas (or similar): “We provide the best location for each post code, in this case the location of 14/15 addresses for HA3 6SH.”
• Royal Mail: “Any use of post codes for purposes other than the delivery of mail are not our problem.”

So how do booking.com and hrs.com get it right?

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