Better To Book Hotels Directly or A Booking Site?

[Sunset]

Normally I book via a hotel reward point website, like Hilton rewards, thinking that since the hotels are aligned with them it's what many folks consider booking directly with the hotel. That has worked well for me.

Sometimes when looking at a hotel, i go to the website and its some other 3rd party site, very weird. I avoid those.

I phoned a hotel a few years ago to make a reservation, the clerk did it wrong and and screwed it up. We cleared it up at the hotel, turns out not many people phone them for a reservation, so she didn't know how to do it.

I just used booking.com, as the tiny hotel I wanted didn't seem to have an online presence.

 

[audreyh1]

We do tend to use Hilton or Marriott properties most of the time when traveling on the road. Not the cheapest, but we’ve generally been quite happy with their consistent level of service.

At destinations these days (multi-night stay) we’ve been booking vacation rental type places. More expensive, but we’ve been a lot happier overall with the accommodations and privacy. In a tourist area which usually has a lot of vacation rentals (big economic change over the last 10 years) we usually book directly with the local property manager.

 

[athena53]

Using a place like booking.com the different hotels are all at my fingertips.

Or am I over thinking?

I'm now leaning towards booking direct but book only through computer as I don't want all the different hotel apps.

I use Orbitz when researching what's in the area and then book directly. (Apologies to Orbitz but I've had a few fiascos booking through them.) I also prefer to book with the computer- just a bigger screen and easier to navigate. I have only the Hilton and Marriott app on my phone and could probably ditch the Marriott app.

ETA: I highly recommend the Tripit app for creating itineraries. The free version is excellent and all you have to do is e-mail your confirmations to plans@tripit.com and it assembles them into an itinerary. This is a great additional check for me- I can make sure I got the hotel reservation dates consistent with my arrival and departure dates! It's also handy for a quick check when you want to remember when you'll be gone on a particular trip since I don't store the info in my Calendar.

 

[MichaelB]

I look at third party / app pricing but book directly with the hotel or airline. My concerns with using a third party are the difficulties resolving travel issues. Even contacting a third party can be challenging, as my DD found out.

 

[MC Rider]

I have used Orbitz to pick a room last minute while sitting in the car.
Also good for a package deal, airfare, room, car rental.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I had a problem once when I booked using booking.com. The hotel didn't have the reservation and had no rooms.

I use Expedia.com to browse pricing and to find potential hotels. But then I always do the actual booking on the hotel's website. I do the same for airfare.

 

[Chuckanut]

I’ve pretty much settled on one big hotel chain company In order to consolidate my points and get more freebies. Also, I am grandfathered inn to a now unavailable credit card with a low fee, free night and 2nd to the top status.

However, in places like Puncture Weed Kansas most chains don’t have a descent hotel. Then I’ll use booking.com or camp.

After figuring in points, breakfast quality, and sometimes a bonus points feature, the difference in price between the cheap hotel and a nicer middle of the road hotel is often not that great. The last cheap hotel I stayed in had a non functioning bath fan, smelt like it had been cleaned using chemical warfare substances, a rusty bathtub, dim lighting, and a breakfast of the cheapest granola bars and stale sugary carbs imaginable.

 

[ivinsfan]

Back in the day you could save quite a bit of money by using a hotels.com or the like.
I don't think that's true anymore.


The major chains used to have programs where if you booked a room from them and found a cheaper publicly available price they would match the price and add a 25% discount. And you could usually find a cheaper price.. not any more...


But if you sign up for the programs you can usually get a refundable members rate at the same price as a non refundable rate on a booking site...so that's worth something.

 

[Palmtree]

I'll buck the norm here and say I use Booking.com around 90% of the time. I find the customer ratings truthful and prices competitive. I've only had one problem and it was my fault. I made a one night reservation to break up a long road trip. I failed to notice that it was non-refundable. Due to a bad traffic accident, we re-routed to a different interstate road that took us a state away from the hotel. I personally called the hotel and canceled, then cancelled at Booking.com. Even though it was non-refundable, Booking asked the hotel to waive the charge and they did.

 

[athena53]

Even though it was non-refundable, Booking asked the hotel to waive the charge and they did.

Loyalty counts sometimes. I had a similar experience with Hilton; was in Ohio when I got a notice that due to impending bad weather in Chicago, my flight from Chicago back to KC would be delayed one day. I assumed (very bad idea) that I was still taking off from Ohio as planned. I made a quick reservation at a Hilton near ORD- pay now, non-cancellable. THEN the airline informed me that my flight from Ohio to ORD was also delayed one day.

I called Hilton, explained what happened and they gave me a refund. They've also been nice about early check-ins if the room is ready.

 

[Winemaker]

We are Southwest Cardholders. In order to qualify for an annual companion pass, we book through them, which goes through booking.com . Once we qualify, we book direct.

 

[ElizabethT]

I contact the hotels directly. I will never use booking.com again. I had a problem switching a reservation to a different date using booking.com and luckily the hotel owner switched it. IIRC, booking.com would not refund me for the date that I wanted to switch from.

Did you book a 'No Refund' rate/room with Booking.com? If not, shame on them, but if so, how would they be to blame?

I use , and revise, reservations frequently on Booking.com, with no issues. However, I make a point to avoid the 'No Refund' rates, even as they are always lower.

 

[Chuckanut]

I rarely use the no refund rates. They are a trap. And the discount is rarely worth the risk.

I have used booking.com and never had a problem of significance. However, if possible I book direct especially with small mom and pop hotels. And my large chain of choice is always a better deal when booking direct if for no other reason than I get points and about a third of the time some sort of upgrade.

 

[tenant13]

I have read (and enjoyed) so many stories on reddit from people who work front desk in hotels that I will never use a third-party site for reservations. The big takeaway for me is that the hotel does not consider you a customer. You are the customer of the website you used. The website paid the hotel. So if you as the person staying there want to change something, don't count on it, the hotel will likely say "call the site you paid, we're not authorized to change anything."

Then the person from the website will call the hotel to advocate for you, but the hotel doesn't necessarily care.

Unless the savings are tremendous, I would just book directly so you have flexibility if needed.

I read the same subreddit... and try to book directly with the hotel. One exception would be using Amex Platinum for their hotel discount perk.

 

[Aerides]

It's all a matter of choice and frequency:

If you book often, and want the best possible basic nightly rate, and nothing else much matters, go with a discount site. You might have an occasional hiccup, or be the first guy turned away when oversold, or have a harder time dealing with a cancellation, but if you use it often enough, these are just bumps, and you'll probably save money in the long run.

If you prefer convenience, flexibility, and things like...early check in, late check out, perhaps free breakfast, or an upgrade when they are at high occupancy vs. the worst room, earning points for free stays (or airline partner programs), it's very easy to come out ahead if you are strategic. Add a partner credit card and you can really come out on top, even if you only use that card for stays at the chain. For example, my Amex Bonvoy card gets me a small discount, and 6x points on charges across the marriott brands.

Except, oh yeah, this:

One exception would be using Amex Platinum for their hotel discount perk.

Hotels that participate in FHR treat you like gold when you do this, and the perks are awesome. The rates are often the same as the hotel directly, and points still accrue.

I like extra perks a lot more than I like saving a couple of bucks. When I'm traveling, I want somewhere as nice as the place I'm leaving (home), or why bother?

 

[SheitlQueen]

I use Agoda to find hotels I am interested in, and then I will either book with the hotel directly or use a website, depending on which is cheaper. I only book with a free cancellation option. I usually find better deals by booking online.

 

[easysurfer]

Did you book a 'No Refund' rate/room with Booking.com? If not, shame on them, but if so, how would they be to blame?

I use , and revise, reservations frequently on Booking.com, with no issues. However, I make a point to avoid the 'No Refund' rates, even as they are always lower.

Same here.

Too risky in these times to save a bit upfront with the risk of cancellation.

I booked a couple hotels yesterday. Didn't go through booking.com but used them as my first search. Then narrowed down and booked directly. Saves some $$ and added confidence (no 3rd party).

But does add time to the process. Not too bad booking directly as a chain like Wyndham covers a lot of hotels.

 

[ivinsfan]

Looks like I'll have to put in extra effort. No one size fits all site .

Recently I stayed at a place where hotels are higher priced than I wanted to pay. Looking at booking.com. Then I went to hotels.com and booked at a hotel that wasn't even listed at booking.com. Place was good enough for me and not a total dump.

That's a ringing endorsement..not a total dump!

 

[CaliKid]

Ever since the time we booked through a consolidator website and getting a dumpster room I always book direct. Plus, I like to play hotel games so try to focus on one or two chains to maximize benefits.

 

[explanade]

Before the pandemic I used to use booking.com all the time.

I rarely if ever saw lower rates on hotel sites.

Since then there is definitely a difference, with some better on booking.com and some better on hotel sites so I've used a mix of both.

 

[jollystomper]

99.9% of the time I use the hotel web site. However, on our last trip overseas we used booking.com for an apartment, and that worked out very well. No money was due until we actually arrived at the apartment and gave our okay. Our next trip overseas I wanted more that was offered at the available Hilton brands, and again have used booking.com to get an apartment hotel, at a better rate than the Hiltons and with more amenities. Again, no payment is due until our arrival. In sum, the hotel web site is my go-to, but at times we may try booking.com if our good experiences continue.

 

[explanade]

99.9% of the time I use the hotel web site. However, on our last trip overseas we used booking.com for an apartment, and that worked out very well. No money was due until we actually arrived at the apartment and gave our okay. Our next trip overseas I wanted more that was offered at the available Hilton brands, and again have used booking.com to get an apartment hotel, at a better rate than the Hiltons and with more amenities. Again, no payment is due until our arrival. In sum, the hotel web site is my go-to, but at times we may try booking.com if our good experiences continue.

Yeah I go back and forth between hotels and vacation apartments, both on booking.com and Airbnb or VRBO.

Hotels have daily housekeeping and buffet breakfast which could be nice.

Apartments are more roomy and the kitchen may be good for taking out food rather than always dining in restaurants. I still avoid indoor dining so it's a good option to have.

 

[Ian S]

Interesting info on third party booking sites https://komonews.com/news/consumer/what-you-should-know-about-3rd-party-hotel-booking-websites:

Next time you search hotel prices online, regardless of which site you use, consider this: "All of these sites are owned by just two companies these days," said Brasler.
That's right. According to AdAge, a leader in marketing data and brand analysis, only two companies command 93 percent of the online hotel booking market.
A careful search of Expedia's website reveals the Expedia Group owns Expedia, Hotels.com, HomeAway, Trivago, Orbitz, Travelocity and Hotwire - plus a handful of other travel-related booking sites.
Booking Holdings, formerly known as the Priceline Group, owns Booking.com, Priceline, Kayak, and other sites to rent hotels, cars, air travel and more.

 

[explanade]

Sure heavy industry consolidation.

I don't know if prices were lower when Travelocity and Expedia were independent companies.

But same thing has occurred with online dating sites, the biggest ones or the ones who could raise the most capital just bought up others, to prevent any potential competitors.

 

[audreyh1]

TripAdvisor owns some travel companies too.