Accommodation search

1. A method for sorting search results obtained from searching an accommodations database comprising:

a) at a server computer, receiving user credentials for a user from a user device;

b) at the server computer, using the user credentials to query at least one database to obtain colleague information concerning an identified colleague of the user, wherein the colleague information is selected from a set consisting of colleague past accommodations and colleague preferences;

c) at the server computer, receiving search trip parameters from the user device;

d) at the server computer, using the search parameters to query the desired-results database to obtain a results list having a plurality of search results, wherein the results list comprises a list of accommodations;

e) at the server computer, assigning weight values to a plurality of colleague factors and a plurality of non-colleague factors;

f) at the server computer, for each of the search results in the results list:

i) determining whether to assign colleague factors to the search result by comparing the search result against the colleague information,

ii) determining whether to assign non-colleague factors to the search result using criteria that does not involve colleague information, and

iii) determining an aggregate score for the search result, wherein the aggregate score is based on the weight values for the colleague factors and non-colleague factors that are assigned to the search result;

g) at the server computer, sorting the results list based on the aggregate score for each search result in the results list; and

h) at the server computer, returning the sorted results list to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregate score for an individual search result is the sum of the weight values of the plurality of colleague factors and non-colleague factors that are applicable to the individual search result.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user credentials comprise user identification information stored in the memory of the user device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trip parameters are selected from a set consisting of a destination, a date range, a number of guests, a number of rooms, a number of tickets, a time of departure, and a time of arrival.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein server computer uses user schedule information taken from an electronic calendar to determine locations of interest.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-specific colleague information compared against the search results is data retrieved from a colleague database relating to an identified colleague of the user.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the identified colleague is identified by identifying other employees of an employer of the user.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the identified colleague is identified by examining at least one of a social media account and a business networking account of the user.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the colleague information comprises prior accommodation for the identified colleague relevant to the trip parameters.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the colleague information comprises preferences of the identified colleague.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user specific information comprises company information for a company that employs the user.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the colleague information further comprises company accommodation preferences.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search parameters further comprise a location of interest extracted from an electronic calendar of the user found on the user device.

14. A server computer system for searching data comprising:

a) a processing circuit controlled by computer programming; and

b) a memory device storing computer programming that causes the processing circuit to:

i) receive user credentials for a user from a user device,

ii) use the user credentials to query at least one database to obtain colleague information concerning an identified colleague of the user,

iii) receive search parameters from the user device,

iv) use the search parameters to query the desired-results database to obtain a results list having a plurality of search results,

v) assign weight values to:

(1) a plurality of colleague-specific factors that are selectively assigned to search results based on the obtained colleague information, and

(2) a plurality of non-colleague factors that are selectively assigned to search results based on criteria that does not involve colleague information,

vi) for each of the search results in the results list:

(1) determine whether to assign colleague factors to the search result by comparing the search result against the colleague information,

(2) determine whether to assign non-colleague factors to the search result, and

(3) determine an aggregate score for the search results, wherein the aggregate score is based on the weight values for the colleague factors and non-colleague factors that are assigned to the search result,

vii) sort the results list based on the aggregate score for each result on of the results list, and

viii) return the sorted results list to the user device.