I can empathize exactly. Trying to do a bit of research on an upcoming trip seems like something that should be fun or at least not feel like an overly burdenso

I can empathize exactly. Trying to do a bit of research on an upcoming trip seems like something that should be fun or at least not feel like an overly burdensome exercise. But as you point out it's a giant time drain filled with frustration. Everything from the booking sites that create a high pressure experience("3 people are looking at this room right now!") to the influencer chum pages that seem to be more about marketing their brand than providing practical information. You can lose two hours trying to research a trip and still not got anywhere. A service where you could talk to local people would be great. That's a service would be worth paying for, like a travel advisor.