Motel'Hotel on line booking

[modhatter]

I need to book a motel/hotel in Bakersfield, Ca. for a week and was wondering if there were any particular on line sites that were better for trying to get a discounted rate. I have never used one so was wondering if any of you have any experience with this?

 

[Gumby]

When we go to Italy, which is often, I have often booked our rooms on venere.com and have been quite satisfied. I just checked, and they have bookings in Bakersfield.

 

[Willers]

Kayak is my favorite.

 

[walkinwood]

We have used hotwire.com and priceline.com successfully. They tell you the class of hotel, but reveal the name only after you purchase or win the bid.

Use betterbidding.com to see what properties others are getting.

It is a bit of a crapshoot, but for 3-stars & above, the sites have worked out pretty well for us.

If you go directly to hotel sites, ask for discounts for AAA or AARP.

 

[ERhoosier]

No experience for Bakersfield specifically.
Generally I've found the main sites are about the same (travelocity, expedia, orbitz, etc.). Some airline freq flyer programs offer hotel-only booking deals with their lodging 'partners'. For some hotel chains, best deals can be via their own web site (e.g. Hilton/Hampton using their affiliate discounts (e.g. AAA/AARP/etc) &/or special package deals).
Personally, I refuse to book via websites using 'hotel-to-be-named-later' basis.

 

[harley]

I tend to use TripAdvisor to get reviews, then pick the hotel and go to their website. I'm not sure if I could get better deals using the "discount" sites, but they are such a PITA to use I just don't bother. I'm cheap, but sometimes it's worth an extra $5 or $10 to not have to deal with the hassle. JMO.

 

[easysurfer]

I like hotels.com

Of if you go to a hotel's sight directly, you might try looking at their discounted rates (AAA, best rate)

 

[CaliforniaMan]

I often use motel6. They are generally not available on the hotel booking sites. Use their website. Depends what you are looking for (if it is a resort hotel, this is not the place) Motel6 generally small, cheap, but clean and usually the lowest rates, a good place to flop for the night. I have actually stayed in one of the motel6's in Bakersfield.

 

[pb4uski]

I research with Kayak and Trip Advisor, but have generally found the best rate by booking the AAA rate on the hotel website. Though I did snag a nice Trip Advisor discount code with a specific hotel so keep an eye open for discount promo codes available.

 

[travelover]

I use Priceline (bidding) when I can, though going to a hotel's website is often just as cheap as booking with Travelocity / Expedia. I second using Trip Advisor to narrow down a choice when not going with Priceline bidding.

 

[Midpack]

I use Orbitz, but I've checked Travelocity, Expedia, Kayak and many others, along with the hotel sites themselves. They all usually have the same lowest prices, but it doesn't hurt to check more than one. I have looked at priceline, but I've never done the blind bookings/bidding if they still offer than method. I want to know exactly what hotel I'm booking before I commit. YMMV

 

[marko]

Booked a Paris hotel this time with Travelocity. Everything went like clockwork and we did save a good amount over the hotel website.

 

[Marita40]

I second venere.com. I've used them for bookings in many locations, esp. Europe.

 

[Lsbcal]

I tend to use TripAdvisor to get reviews, then pick the hotel and go to their website. I'm not sure if I could get better deals using the "discount" sites, but they are such a PITA to use I just don't bother. I'm cheap, but sometimes it's worth an extra $5 or $10 to not have to deal with the hassle. JMO.

I do the same and feel the same way but do not have any real figures to back up the strategy. We do use Best Western a lot in the US to get the rewards and also Holiday Inn Express.

In Europe we've been careful readers of TripAdvisor and Rick Steves.

 

[Moemg]

I use Travelocity , Priceline , Book it and Hot wire . I only use Priceline or Hotwire for big cities when I know the area I want to stay in .I have never been disappointed and have snagged some great bargains .In other areas I use Trip advisor and then check out the hotel web sites and Kayak . I prefer Boutique Hotels rather than the big chains but if the price is right I will go with the chains .One of my best bargains for New York City I found on Travelzoo.

 

[CoolChange]

I travel quite a lot booking almost everything online. I generally check a few of the sites already listed as well as AirBnB which does have a few listings in Bakersfield.

 

[modhatter]

Well, as I wanted a specific type extended stay motel for a week or two, I decided after checking a couple, it wasn't going to matter price wise in my situation. In fact the direct booking with the motel was .50 cents a night cheaper. Maybe for some luxury hotels where you have some choice of hotels, it might work better. Well, thought I'd give it a go. Thanks for your input and suggestions.

 

[Animorph]

I tend to use TripAdvisor to get reviews, then pick the hotel and go to their website. I'm not sure if I could get better deals using the "discount" sites, but they are such a PITA to use I just don't bother. I'm cheap, but sometimes it's worth an extra $5 or $10 to not have to deal with the hassle. JMO.

+1.

I also use Google Maps to see what's available around my destination.

 

[audreyh1]

I tend to use TripAdvisor to get reviews, then pick the hotel and go to their website. I'm not sure if I could get better deals using the "discount" sites, but they are such a PITA to use I just don't bother. I'm cheap, but sometimes it's worth an extra $5 or $10 to not have to deal with the hassle. JMO.

Also use Tripadvisor initially - for reviews, but it also displays prices offered through various hotel booking sites.

I occasionally check prices on those websites, but I have found that almost always I get the best price by booking directly on the hotel website - and less hassles with having to pay in advance or cancellations, etc.

This worked very well for me in a recent trip to Europe.

Rarely I have encountered a hotel fully booked directly, but been able to find a room through a hotel booking site. This was only in the US though.

Same with airfare - it often works out best to book directly with the airline once you've done all the initial fare comparisons.