General Chat

Tripadvisor, Booking.com et al for accommadation?

Best price? Maybe not.

Several times over the last couple of years I've found somewhere to stay and got 'best price'. However, if the establishment has a website (and most have) check out what the booking direct deal is.

I found saving can be quite worthwhile

For example, hotel book two nights third free - save about £130
Different hotel, get free desserts, save about £15 per night.
Week self catering, save £70 on the Tripadvisor price. Owner said he wished more people just phoned him up.

Just booked another hotel £20 per night cheaper.

It all adds up.

Andy

I have used booking.com but always check on the hotel website as well. I've got a 3-night for the price of 2 by doing this, at a very nice hotel!

I always try to go direct but do look for special offers. :-D

I look at the prices advertised by the cheaper sites then ring the hotel itself. They have always met (and sometimes slightly bettered) the cheapest offer.

Depends, we do use booking .com but as you say can sometimes get a deal booking direct. We use booking.com mainly because you don’t pay anything until you go and the cancellation fee doesn’t kick in until 2 or 3 weeks before depending on the hotel and sometimes no cancellation fee at all. We have recently booked B and B in Lee on Solent where we have stayed before using booking.com, this time we have booked direct, no deposit and no cancellation fee.

We have booked through Trip adviser this year but now have the owners direct email & have booked through her for December no deposit ,saved us some money which is good as well ..Shop around & if you like the place book through them directly Barbara . :-)

Do be careful not to pay by bankers order with owners direct. We have had good deals with them but some people arrived to find there was not a villa available as people offering accommodation had been hacked. Always pay by credit card. If you pay by bankers order there is no guarantee of getting your money back.

Hello meant have the owners email & phone number.we deal with her directly . :-) not through agent .Good advise though as you need to be alert to scams if in doubt delete don't open email Barbara

I have used trip advisor, and then I used booking.com several times, but I now deal directly with the hotel, or the hotel's main reservation site

I get much better deals.

Another tip ............. if you find you are staying at hotels that are in or associated with a chain, try joining the loyalty programme. I have joined the Fairmont President's Club and the Starwood Group (which includes Westin), and get some incredible deals from them as a result .............. eg, free upgrade to a room that could cost $50 or more extra.

Nine times out of ten we use Booking dot com, but I always check they hotel's own website first just in case there are any deals or if we want a specific package.

When we went to Tenerife to a hotel we had been to before, we booked with booking.com then phoned the hotel and asked for. The room we wanted. Not all hotels can do that though.

Anybody had experience of booking with Saga?